Before the gig was quite along time because we
arrived Thursday and played Saturday. Long flight from Gatwick
(where Morris left his jacket behind) to Fort Worth (where Kimberley
left his luggage behind). After telling us it was the Ides of
March Kimberley read a book and Morris and I talked. We wondered
what would've happened if the Softs hadn't split up back in 1981
and we decided not much, based on the wrong place wrong time theory.
We all used the satellite phone and spoke to our lovelies. Did
I say lovelies? Sorry. We landed in Austin and I thought that
as it was dark we should go out because we're in a band and that
is what bands do. That applied particularly to me and Morris who
haven't been in bands as much as Kimberley and Robyn recently.
We need the practice. Almost immediately two girls (sorry, women)
ran up and jumped into the taxi and Morris and I decided that
definitely wouldn't have happened if we hadn't split up in 1981.
They just wanted a lift to EMO's
where we were going. We didn't get in to EMO's that night because
the queue looked ridiculous but I went back the next day and it
looks like a really nice gaff. I speak to the woman selling t-shirts
(see below). By the third bar and the third half-drunk-drink-and-move-on,
Morris and I were falling asleep on our feet, literally, so that
can't have looked very good so we went back to the hotel where
Robyn and Michèle hadn't arrived yet, but there was a message
saying they were on the way. He arrives shortly after Kimberley's
bag. We are reaching the US in stages.
Next morning,
Friday, it was just me and Kim down at breakfast. We talked about
the Waves and his brushes with fame. Kim sees himself as a songwriter.
I don't think he realises what a brilliant guitarist he is, I
really don't, and that's probably why he is. He always plays the
song, not his guitar. And this You'll have to go Sideways thing,
it makes me blush when he really hits it. We discuss the set list
and whether it's right to start with Tonight, Sideways and Pervert
which might be a bit of a brainful. I want to put Destroy you
or something in early, but Kim's happy to leave it a few gigs.
We'll see. We go upstairs to look at the website. He's really
impressed. He brings a pen to note 'improvements' but doesn't
write anything down. Another book could be written about what
Tracy has done here, and Theo too. That's two books, what with
them and John Eichler. Kim points out that 'Only the Stones Remain'
wasn't on UM I because it hadn't been written yet and goes next
door. UM1 was 10 songs when it was born, then a few more, then
a few more. This is UM III or IV at least in terms of track lists
(although I think it's actually the fifth time there's been a
UM release, but one of them was just a straight re-release). That
is like writing the same book a few times.
A whole day to fill and apart from a brief glimpse of Robyn and
Michèle on the way somewhere with Matador, I don't see
the others so I decide to pursue my t-shirt plan. It's been on
my mind for a while, pretty obvious really, but it might look
good over Robyn's shoulder in live photos. I cannot be unbusy
or I will go mad. Ambling round the town, not eating, and meeting
all the people who could help, a silk-screen printer for the t-shirt
run, and a one-off guy who'll make some prototypes. Austin is
such a friendly place. How can they all be in a good mood like
this - it's not fair. I think the t-shirts look nice and you can
see them modelled by a map of texas, two coat hangers and me.
Should we sell them through the site? There's 3 but the kanji
and japanese on the sleeves might be upside down because I met
a guy in the lobby who wrote out soft boy in chinese and japanese
characters for me, but when I got to the printers, we forgot which
way up it should be.
Friday night
I went to Japan night at Jazz
on 6th/214E and saw two bands. Both great but the second, Bleach,
were just A-M-A-Z-I-N-G - the other Softs wouldn't probably have
liked it, cos you couldn't hear any tunes, but their energy and
brilliance and anger and beauty is the building bricks of rock
and roll. You must hear then do Shikai No Haba. They're going
round the states (New York - Elbow Room 3/19, Chicago - Empty
Bottle 3/20, Seattle - Sit 'n' Spin 3/22, Los Angeles - Spaceland
3/23, San Francisco - Paradise Lounge, 3/23). That bass player
in Bleach is the best I've seen for years. I mean that nicely.
Music isn't a competition, but she was just brilliant. Like the
rest of the band ('she' and brilliant, that is). And because it
is Japan, they will arrive when they say they will, like the trains.
I want to tell the guy beside me but I don't. They do. Sleeping
standing up again means hotel time. There a note from Kimberley
and a voicemail from Robyn saying the same thing - interview in
the lobby at 11.45 tomorrow am. Good, just time to listen to the
Fulham game through the FFC
website.
Now it's 8.50
am Saturday, and I have to put my Fulham shirt on and listen to
the match. Boa
Morte (which means good life in Portugese) scores after 14
minutes. And again after 69. And Crystal
Palace don't. It is going to be a good day, St. Patrick's
day....
Lunchtime,
Saturday - I'm getting nervous.... we meet Nils from Matador who's sweet and good at his job
like all the Matadorians, then we do a Yahoo tv in the conference
centre (thanks for the fridge magnets) and Robyn is sharp but
I muck up the questions about "cleverness" ..... then
they ask us if we think UM is one of the best records ever made
and I say "No" which sounds ungrateful - it's better
when I'm drunk....cameras role and we play very quietly again,
that's twice in a row, and it's "Reptile" and "Sudden
Town" which are OK, particularly "Sudden Town"
but before that while we're soundchecking we do a really nice
acoustic version of "Sideways" which is even better
- Kimberley is never without his ebo... I am totally falling in
love, it should be the music for the new Dr. Who - Kim says Thomas
Dolby must play on it when we do SF..... the orders are meet
for the gig proper downstairs at 4.30.....
There are
no finished lyrics for Sudden Town yet but Robyn tells the little
crowd that has gathered it was written in Austin which must therefore
have "poles that can only be used for overhead wiring"......
somewhere or other, anyway..... and something about moonlight
so we could just add it to the ever-expanding record
We sound check no fuss and get
vanned off to a costume shop on South Congress to do MTV2
...... I speak with Jo Silver who is writing Robyn's autobiography
and get back to the gig to sort out the mp3's...the sound man
for Matador's webcast (Chris Mickle) says he'll give us a feed
if Nils doesn't mind.... I fall asleep (jet-lag kicking in) on
a sofa by the stage listening to the support act and Donovan the
Matadorian finds me and wakes me with 5 minutes to go.... by the
4th number, which is Prawns, I still haven't woken up so I water
myself and Pervert and Queen of Eyes are a bit more something
or other. This is our first gig on a big stage and we're not connecting
much with each other or the audience, but the reaction is OK,
it seems anyway. Things warm up towards the end with Sudden Town,
and Insanely Jealous is really good, but Robyn breaks a string
so we go off after only 45 minutes. We didn't play Kingdom of
Love or Only the Stones Remain which I'm sure didn't look like
forgetfulness and a broken string but it was. Not a great gig
but OK for starters given the jet-lag and all. Need to think a
bit about this before New York.
I'm dog tired
again, but the mp3's sound OK which is a bonus. Meet another Matadorian,
Patrick, who is really nice too - all these 'kindred spirits'.
Morris says the t-shirts were HIS idea, someone called Mindy tells
me (it's a little full, our dressing room, but nice to see everyone).
WelI, "words on shirts" was his idea I suppose? Good,
that makes it a band thing. I need a rest from all this work...
it's 4.30 am and I'd better go to bed or I'll sleep through Baltimore
too....
— Matthew
