There was snow in the mountains as I came into Romania. I was up for about 30 hours so when I reached bed slept like the dead for about 16 hours. When I pulled open the drapes of my hotel in Constanti the Black Sea was laying at my feet. The day was gray and the sea was charcoal color but it was the sea, beautiful and so close. It had been a year since I last saw snow and 3 years since I last saw an ocean so it was a good day.
So far I’ve played 3 dates this tour. The first was a classic rock bar and it went well. At 9 PM there was no one. I looked away and by 10 PM when I went on it was full. The audience was fun and the night passed well. The second was in Bucharest at a book store, the exact opposite of the first. I sat and played unplugged to a room full of people, most original stuff but, as always, some covers because people, even literary people, like to hear something they know once in a while. The third gig was in Lugoj at a bar. It was also good. Not much to say except the owner, Florin, made everything very easy and fun and if he reads this I thank him, as well as all the club owners on this tour, for their understanding that touring can be difficult under the best of circumstances and all help is appreciated.
In the midst of all this I managed a new song. It sort of fell on my head and was one of those 30 minute wonders. 99% was written in my head as I rode a city bus. I wrote it down, refined the choras a bit in my hotel and it was complete. I performed it the next night and it felt like it had been part of the show forever. That’s a good sign. It’s called “If You Don’t Want Me” and will be on the new CD, no question. I seem to have a pattern now of squeezing them out about 1 every few weeks on average. I can live with this.
So now there are a few more dates on this tour then I am home in Germany for the first gig with Rusty Boots. I’m just playing bass with them and singing a few as they already have their band and I am the new guy. This is nice though. I can kick back with the excellent drummer and have fun not worrying about anything except finding good grooves. Life is too fucking good? Quite possibly, yes.
