I slept until 10AM, a solid 5 hours, the other guys awake shortly after. We have missed the free breakfast so we decide to walk the mile or so to the nearest food. The sun is so harsh everything looks like baked sepia tone. The route takes us past some very strange graffiti drawn in black and white on the wall of what we found is (or was) a mental asylum. Where the roads converge and widen there are a few shops. We look at the local restaurant, but its shut. The owner sees us looking at the door, and yells at us one of the favorite phrases we hear again and again, "It is lunch time, the restaurant is closed." Across the street there is a little Bar that has coffee and pastries. Ever the provincial American, I order a latte and get a glass of steamed milk, duh, cafe latte please. The road jokes, are all in place now, the mythology having been built upon from the first few days of our tour. Any line mentioning Ralf's towel and Lilly the zombie snogger are guaranteed to get a chuckle. In our sleep deprived state the scenarios involving the subjects get more and more ridiculous. The return of Ralf's towel has become something of a vision quest, although we have grown quite fond of it. As for Lilly, I wish her and her zombie "good luck" with their forbidden union.
Back at the Villa Mozzarello, we change into a room with a private bath, although the shower is hysterically small, about 2' x 2'. Lorenzo swings by the hotel around two and takes us to beach side Livorno where we can have some real lunch and see his home town, though he won't be joining us because he has to set up the Festival, of course. Lunch at the Red House is relaxed and delicious, though I can't remember what I had. Hmm... From what we saw of it, Livorno is a mellow place, I can imagine young Lorenzo and Lucca riding their bikes or scooters around. We walk past the marina with sunbathers toasting on the jetties, and by a private club, with it's swimming pool full of screaming kids.
The reverie ends when Nikki picks us up at four to take us to Califuria for the rest of the day. Not much is going on at the festival site, so I decide to explore west up the coast. The drop from the road above the coast line is near sheer, but doable, and sunbathers have picked out their choice spots up and down the hill. One thing I notice is the immense amount of garbage strewn about. Water bottles, whatever, nobody seems to have heard anything about packing out the trash. I'm sure it all ends up in the Mediterranean soon enough- Cheez whiz Livornitos, this is a spectacularly beautiful gift you have to enjoy, keep it that way.
I do get down to the sea and dip my feet in, one goal accomplished, then back up to the road and farther west. Cars are parked at the edge of the road so I am really careful about oncoming traffic whizzing by. I pass a really upscale hotel, The Castello Boccale, and a couple of private clubs. This part of the Califuria coast was used as a quarry, so there are man made shapes of perfect squares or rectangles set in the organic contours of the stone at waters edge, and these pools at waters edge provide a safe place for families with kids to swim as waves hit hard just a few meters away.
By the time I get back it's about 6 and the first band, Cowabunga A Go Go is coming on. They are from Hungary, and I have wanted to make a connection with them out of some unknown indebtedness to my heritage. They are onstage now playing punk and Link Wray influenced instrumentals with perfect blue sky and blue water behind, and they brought a bunch of friends with them from Budapest. The crowd is sparse at this point, but CBGG gives it their all. After their set I approach them all to say "Hi", but I'm unsure if they speak English. I have more success later talking with Sara (pronounced Shara) the bass player, and she fills me in on their history. It's ironic that we find a common ground not based on our Magyar heritage, but the culture of SoCal that spawned surf music. Jeff and I talk to her for a while, and the other members of her band join in too, it's amazing how their English is improving as we speak. The rhythm guitarist is a fan of Meshugga Beach Party and was excited to find out that it's my wife who plays keys for that band. He asks if I brought MBP t-shirts with me! Another spectacular orange sunset to the west as a Cheshire grin of a moon rises.
Jeff and I go upstairs for the 5 Euro drink and buffet combo. The upstairs patio is again blasting 80's pop-rock hits. Meanwhile the French band Les Arrondes is on the stage downstairs. They remind me of the style of The Nebulas and Lava Rats, they hit hard and keep it up loud the whole time.The mash-up of surf and Phil Collins is disorienting and painful. But the food is OK and the sky is turning from green to purple. Again the fancy restaurant has demanded that Lorenzo halt the music until 10 but he starts it up at 9:30, with a Beatles cover band, The Shuffles, on the B-stage. They are great fun and sing with a heavy Italian accent.
Meanwhile we Pollos set up for our "encore" set. Tonight we have more time to get our tones, and solve the reverb rattle issues. Looking out at the crowd I see so many people I know from America, friends from bands we have played with in the past, internet buddies and people we have just met that it seems like a home town crowd. Our set happens just as easily, much more relaxed in our execution, but fun and tight. We only play one song as a repeat of last night, "Teke Teke Teke" which seems to be a crowd fave of the tour. And that's that, the last show of the tour is over.
Upstairs, the restaurant takes it's revenge on The Madiera, as they wait more than an hour for their food to arrive, and then another half hour for coffee. The drama in the Madiera camp came yesterday as the rhythm section's plane was canceled from Indianapolis to Atlanta, and they missed their international flight. But, Todd and Dane arrived this afternoon and are ready for the first show of their week long tour with Lorenzo.
In my opinion, Los Coronas steal the night, what a fantastic stage presence they have and non-stop party sound. The drummer is right up front and the other coronas move around him striking poses. They play for more than an hour, the highlight for me came after the dramatic explanation of what the musical style tarantella is, as the trumpet plays a reedy Moorish scale, and then the band breaks into brilliant latin infused version of Dick Dale's "The Wedge". Later on Jono was talking with their guitarist Fernando and I butted in, and find we both dig John Cippolina. T-shirts exchanged talk of going to Spain, sure why not.
On the B-Stage Doctor Legume (remember he was celebrating his anniversary at our first show at Four Bears in Alessandria) is blasting techno-surf. He is playing drums and keyboards live to backing tracks accompanied by a theramin player and a woman on tambourine, synced to the visuals of his "found footage" sci-fi videos.
Finally, our pals from the U.S and headliners for Sunday night, The Madiera hit the stage at about 1AM, and a large crowd is still there. Though the guys have had minimal sleep, they blast full throttle through a long set that keeps people dancing (yes Americans- people do dance!). Ivan is unflappable and shredding, though the set does include some quieter songs. I can see that the enthusiastic audience has the same effect on them as it did us, as the Madiera are much more animated than I have seen them before. They are off to a great start for their tour.
We get packed up as soon as The Madiera are off stage, hoping to make a quick exit, but there are a lot of people to say goodbye to old friends and new. Lucca gives us a ride back to our hotel and we arrive there around 3AM, then spend some time packing and showering as Lorenzo will be picking us up at 7AM.
WE all had big salads at the redhouse in Livorno, except Jono who ate Gnocchi. Fruit salad for dessert. On our quest for bottled water, I began crossing the street while Ferenc confirmed that they DID have it at the place I had just walked out of. I was halfway across when he called out to me. I stopped, turned around and started walking back to where I had come from, without looking at traffic first. Whhooops. Screeching tires and a ridiculous spontaneous scardey-dance followed. "Get one for me" I yelled as I opted to continue with my navigation across the street. Nikki picks us up and we're off for the last day of Surfer Joe. It's early and the bar downstairs serving half-price drinks to performers has not yet opened. I head up to the sammy shop and discover giant bottles of Moretti for 3.50 euros, such a deal! Beautiful hot day on the Mediterranean Sea. I have soaked a handkerchief in water and tied it around my neck in an effort to keep from melting. My floppy hat also holds water and helps some. More bands. Dinner delay. You'd think 8 months' notice that a rock show is coming would be incentive to cooperate, but not this guy. Jergoff Kumshtein was his name.
ReplyDeleteWe got to rock for 40 mins at about 10pm, last show. After, I collected accolades from the drum lovers in the crowd. Dr Legume's theremin player told me he'd been appointed by all of the drummers who saw us earlier in alessandrio to tell me that my playing had inspired them to redouble their efforts to master the drums. Wow. what a compliment!
It was a very fun tour. Ups and downs, of course, but overall a wonderous trip. I would like to thank Lorenzo, Lucca, Nikki, Valeria and all of the clubs promoters and fans who made this trip so great.
Most of all I want to thank Ferenc Jeff and Jono, my dear friends and band mates.
Check back for Pictures.