Tarja Road Blog
Chapter 4
London, England
October 12, 2010

Since the last entry, it’s been NON STOP to say the least. We had a nice day off . Ironically, I think most of us slept!!

It was great spending a few days in Paris. The first day was just really a day of rest. I ran around a little, but for the most part I was too exhausted. But it was great to sleep in a real bed for a night after a few days on the bus. The second day, we moved over towards the venue, which is close to Bastille Square (or circle?). Its considered the birthplace of modern democracy…… the actual place where French Royalty met its end…….and not in a pretty way. Its now a very cool area, lots of GREAT French restaurants. We were joking that we only really had one true rude, egotistical French waiter the entire time we were there. Paris gets a bad rap, especially with Americans. I’ve always had a great time here, with very nice people and great service. In fact, we were happy to finally get the waiter with the attitude at dinner. Its part of the allure of eating in Paris. The kind of waiter that makes your nervous. For me, I’m not much for French food personally. That’s just me. But, I did my best. The coffee and pastry is the best.

There was a really cool weekend market….. farmers market, music….. and great people watching. I ran across this guy who was around 70. It looked like he bought all of his clothes at James Brown’s boutique. Totally was going for it. (see the pics on FB). Everytime I’m in Paris, I find something new. And the Bastille area was the discovery this time. What a GREAT area. Like all of Paris, there is NO END to what you can see and do. It just goes on, and on, and on…….

The show in Paris was fantastic. As were the fans. There were lined up when the crew got there…… at 10 in the morning!! By the time they opened the doors, it was down the block, across one street then half way down the second. It was full for the show. The venue was very cool. It was an old theatre. NO ventilation. I have to say, I have rarely played a venue that was hotter. It was at least 105 degrees (F) on stage. Mike at one point almost passed out. Some of our equipment was starting to shut down. I was dripping with sweat. It reminded me of what its like when I do Bikram Yoga! We all lost at least a few pounds during the show. I was a hot sweaty mess, as was the crowd. A thousand sweaty people in the same room can create quite a funky mess. We played a few new songs which went over very well. The most interesting part for me was simply how close the crowd was to the front of the stage. Usually, there is a barrier in front of the stage, then 3-5 feet between the front of the stage and the crowd. Here, there was NO barrier, meaning that people’s arms were literally ON the stage. It was a little crazy if you got a little too close. I did once and ended up having a handful of people in the crowd start to help me play my bass. It was fun for sure.

After the show, we packed up and hit the highway. Its always cool hanging after the show on the bus. One of Tarja’s fans who has come to many shows over many years, gave her a present which she shared with us. Not only has this fan learned to speak Finnish (not an easy language), they have gone out of their way to learn how to bake very uncommon Finnish pastry. (see pics). They were GREAT. I’ll say it again. Tarja has the best fans. The gifts are crazy. Books, flowers, food, jewelry. Its pretty crazy.

I love the feeling of riding off into the night on the bus, just hanging out. Usually Mike entertains us all with the MIKE TERRANA show for a few hours, then we all start dropping like flies, ending up in bed slowly but surely. It was an easy drive.

I woke up the next morning in Tillberg, which is in the southern part of the Netherlands. It’s a beautiful little postcard of a town. Not very big. But very Dutch. Bicycles everywhere. Lots of people in the coffee shops. Very quaint. The name of the venue was 013. It was the nicest venue we have played since I started with the band. First class all the way. Easy load in for the crew, great dressing rooms, good sounding acoustics, knowledgeable staff, good food…… what more could you want? It makes it VERY easy when there are venues that are this nice. First class.

The show was great. I said to Tarja what amazed me is that I have only done 7 shows now, scattered across Europe. And I am ALREADY seeing familiar faces at the shows!! People drive from far and wide to see the band. Its getting towards the end of the first run of this tour, so we are all starting to get a little tired. It takes a little more to get up and get ready for the show. I’ve been a bit sick too…..as has Mike, Tarja and Christian. Its not easy to do a show like this when you are dragging. But I dig deep every night. It was probably the cleanest performance for us musically speaking. We are now very familiar with the material as a group, even the new songs, so the added dimension of feel, groove, vibe and attitude can now be added on to the simple skill and knowledge of the songs.

Music is a hard thing to explain. On one hand, it’s a skill. You learn to play an instrument, you practice, you getter better, you learn to play songs, perhaps join a band……and your skill emerges. But the second more elusive dimension is the one that really matters. That is, the one that allows you to make an emotional connection with the songs as a performer, and emote that to the audience so the feeling of the song is felt. Its something that cant be taught. Only lived. Not just thru music, but thru life itself. Without that, music can be pure mathematics. Boring.

In my opinion, great music is far more than great skill. Music that stands the test of time will always be build upon the emotional connection that exists between the artist or musician and the listener. Music is humanity’s only true common language. It’s a powerful feeling as a performer to get familiar with the music that you are playing so much and so deeply, you start to see and feel how deeply it effects the audience. And you can only feel what they feel when you allow yourself to feel it, then channel it into your own performance. There are a few moments of gratitude for me each night where I take a second and just give grace and gratitude to the universe (god, whatever you would like to call it) that for whatever reason has enabled me to be so lucky as to do what I do, and feel what I feel, and to be at the hub of such an amazing bond……. Between an artist like Tarja and her impossibly devoted fans. It’s the most addictive feeling that there is (OK, I can think of a few others!! J) and its what keeps me doing what I do. I am a lucky man. I remind myself of that every time I feel that presence of something greater than all of us: the connection. The bond that holds us all together. If only we could take the relationship we have with art and music and translate that into our relationships with the rest of the world. Now THAT would be the real revolution!!

The show in Tillberg was great. We were and are EXHAUSTED. Very mellow after the show. A bit of food, some foosball……then, onto the bus, only to be waken up at Calais to be walked thru British customs and passport control. There wasn’t a one of us that was awake. No problems, we got thru, got on, drove this beast of a bus of ours onto the ferry, then watched the second half of the Mike Terrana show in the lounge and laughed while we crossed the English Channel over to the white cliffs of Dover, England. It was smooth, but dark until we nearly reached the UK, when the sun started rising over the English Channel. It was absolutely beautiful. I always try to take time to enjoy and capture the simple moments in life. Watching the sunrise in such a mystical place is a memory to hang onto. Despite my lack of sleep!!

I slept after we reached the other side, and I am now writing this from a hotel near the airport. Off the rest of today, then the show tomorrow night at Shepard’s Bush in London. It’s the last show of this leg of the tour. Its been quite the adventure. It’s a LONG way from Warsaw, to Kiev, then all the way to London…… in two weeks! I’m anxious to get home. I miss my wife!! One more big show, then I am OUT OF HERE. Back again in November for Germany.

I’ll do one more blog after London…… check it out. Thanks again for your comments and you guys are TOO KIND with all of the photos…… and not to mention a friggin fan club. You guys are really too kind. I sincerely thank you all.


Regards,
Kevin

Tarja Road Blog
Chapter 3
Paris, France
Saturday, Oct 9/2010

We just arrived in Paris after 3 days in the CZ Republic, specifically Ostrava (in the East) and Prague. They were my favorite days on the road so far.

The ride into Ostrava was a LONG one, all the way from Kiev. What a drive. It was just a joy to GET THERE. It doesnt matter how nice the tour bus is (and as far as buses go..... we have a REALLY NICE bus)...... driving over 22 hours is a LONG LONG LONG drive. I couldnt get out of the bus fast enough when we finally got to Ostrava. The hotel was nice. It had what every traveling musician loves: a fast internet connection! It gave us all a day to catch up on our family stuff, video chats, business...... and, well "other things" (ask Mike).... OK, I'm joking. (not really!) ANYWAY! Road life can be tough. Its always good to have a day off to remember that your life is much bigger than the inside of the bus. It was GREAT to talk to my wife, uninterrupted for a few HOURS. Simple pleasures out here on the road. 

Ostrava is a very pretty smaller city. It reminded me of a city close to my hometown..... Marquette, Michigan, only a bit larger. We had some great food. It reminded me of good old fashioned American midwestern food. They still have their own currency, so on average, it is VERY cheap. A meal with a drink, desert and coffee in a nice restaurant: $10 US. Best cup of coffee ever? .25 cents. The show itself was at a smaller hockey arena..... maybe 2500 seats? Very professional production. Local crew was great. Our dressing room was a hockey teams dressing room. Brought me back to my youth..... when I played hockey. Life always brings you full circle. The arena was FULL. The crowd was fantastic. We were coming off of our first day off on the tour, so it was nice to play for an audience that was so receptive..... to pull us back to life!! It was also the biggest venue so far, so we were finally able to use full production. The lights, in particular, were amazing. Kudo's to Tommi. Immediately after the show, we drove to one of the most beautiful cities in the world..... Prague. 

We got there first thing in the morning. It was nice to have the day to walk around. You could spend a week in Prague and only scratch the surface. Its the only major city in Europe to never have been destroyed by war...... its a very ancient place with alot of history. There was a soccer (or as they say..... football) match with Scotland that day, so I was surprised to find 10's of thousands of drunk scots in the historic town square..... dressed in kilts and boots, each with a pint, kicking soccer balls around. They were speaking english, but with heavy scot accents. I had NO IDEA what they were saying. It was a site to see. Being an American Football fan (Green Bay Packers), I have to give it to the European Football fans...... you have us beat. Talk about fanatics!! There were some amazing street performers as I wandered thru the narrow old streets and alleys. Much to see. i was the cliche Americano...... I-Phone, Uggs and yes I even found a Starbucks. Call me predictable! I was comfortable. All that matters to me! It was a perfect day. Weather was fantastic.

The show was a sellout. They said they were going to fit 1800 people in this hall...... I had my doubts, but THEY DID. It was PACKED to say the least. It was a sweat box. You could feel the heat from the crowd as you moved to the front of the stage. I saw a few people faint. Of all of the shows we have played, there has not been a more receptive audience than this one. Its hard to describe as a musician what it feels like to perform for a crowd SO hungry for what you are giving them. It only makes YOU want to give more. To dig deeper. To not LEAVE anything. To go for it. And I think we all did. The audience gave as much or more than we did! Its a great feeling when you have to bring your energy level up to that of the audience. Its like surfing on a wave. As I have said before, I am blown away at Tarja's fans. SO warm, open, receptive, loving, giving...... and this was the finest example of it so far. I was a sweaty mess when the show was done, but it was worth every drop. Crowds like this make the 22 hour drives worth it! I think each of us, from Tarja, the band and all of the crew, as well as the promoter, had a great show and we were all very happy. The crowd loved the show. It was nice to get to talk to a few of them after the show. 

The bus left right after the show, our ears all ringing, headed towards Paris, where I am writing this from right now. Paris is one of the greatest cities in the world. I have always loved it here. But I have a new city to add to my favorites list: Prague. How shall I say this: Prague is Paris without the ego? What a great place. Driving into the evening I was happy when we hit Germany...... our bus internet finally worked!! I woke up in my bunk an hour outside of Paris. Today is an off day, then the show here tomorrow. Then the Netherlands and London, the last show of this leg of the tour, before Germany and beyond in November and December. The news is: I'm happy to report that Rock and roll is NOT dead in Prague. WOW. 

On another note.....

I would like to thank all who have so nicely thanked me for writing my blogs. I hope it gives you a taste of what its like on the road. It IS an alternate reality. I enjoy writing them. Its always been a hobby of mine. But please remember: these are my words. I want to make it clear that I speak on behalf of no one but myself. In other words: this is not the "official" blog. Its just MY blog! :)

I again am VERY happy that you take the time to read!! 

Thanks again for your comments. Another update in a few days!!!

Regards,
Kevin

See you at the shows! 
Regards,
Kevin