West Indian Girl

last show with the turin brakes guys

san diego is now our “second” official home away from home. first it was seattle but “daygo” is really making a case for so cal being the best spot in the world for west indian girl. i always knew our show at the casbah was going to sell out because there was just to much shit happening for us in sd for it not to happen – with all the love from midori on 94.9 and the press we were getting it was a sure thing. and what a way to end the tour…on a high. this show was important for us because it was one of the first times we really started to “jam” and stray away from some of our normal song structures and thus the first step in our evolving into a better bunch of musicians. the crowd was also one of the best we have ever played in front of. hey san diego this dago loves you. if any other italians are reading this do you know why are we called that? well, Oddly enough, the word “Dago”, which is used slangily (and often in a derogatory sense) to mean someone of Italian heritage, comes from the Spanish name Diego. Spanish and Portugese sailors serving aboard English and American ships were called Dagos. Over the years, the term came to mean any southern European sailor, and since the late 1800s, it no longer refers to sailors or other Europeans, but simply means Italian. Who knows how these things evolve…(ask walt over on the right – he seems to think he knows everything)

Mariqueen’s Mind

The City: seriously, i LOVE san diego. i could go on and on about how and why but i won’t. let’s just say when someone says the word san diego, big whale vagina is the last thing on my mind. ok maybe not, but i usually let out a big sigh at first and gush about how great the city is.

The Venue: i was nervous about playing the casbah again because the last time we had performed there i thought i gave one of the worst performances of my life. the staff there was very kind and even made me tea. that was the minute i officially fell in love. oh casbah, how i love you so…

The Show: my god, what a way to end the tour. best show on the tour. best show to date. best show ever! it was magical. we were packed in tight, but in a very comfortable way. i did, however, almost hit rob with my tambourine. the audience was just outstanding. we had the venue filled. the vibes that were coming from our fans just radiated through us and i think, made us play and sing better. at the end of what are you afraid of i was so out of control with my tambourine that i almost fell into mark’s drum set and rob had to grab my arm to keep me from falling. hot. what a great show.

What Were You Thinking While Playing: i am so sweaty, i am taking this sweater off and i’m going to look like a slob in this wife beater but i don’t care because nothing can stop me from having this much fun on stage. i think i eeeeped a lot in my head as well.

Interesting Things After The Show: an amazing couple told me that they had seen portishead live in london and that we were better than them. this beautiful opera singer, maile, told me a bunch of things that made my life. el, my house of blues homegirl showed up and got to hang out. a lot of drunken bantering and pictures flashing and arm grabbing from randoms and i even had my own personal cigarette caddy. it was amazing. the minute i was done with a cigarette, it didn’t matter where i was or who i was talking to, he’d show up by my side cigarette ready to put in my mouth. is that some gangster shit or what? sometimes my life is ridiculously awesome.

Carter’s Conscience

San Diego– last stop on the tour! What a way to end the tour. I really didn’t expect such a great welcome, but last night’s show was absolutely amazing, probably my favorite of the whole tour! Something happenned in San Diego since we’ve been there last. I guess we’ve been getting a bit of press and some radio play, and the crowd last night was absolutely amazing! I felt kind of bad that so many people showed up and couldn’t get in! (I guess it had been sold out for weeks)Fran and myself went outside before the show just to say whats up to some of the people that didn’t have tickets. We figured that we’d take pictures and post em on the blog, kind of a consolation prize, considering some people had driven a long way only to be turned away. Only problem was, most people didn’t believe we we’re actually in the band! It was pretty funny, actually, we’d say who we we’re and try to take a photo with them, and they were like “Yeah right, bullshit you’re in the band” So we gave up, but we’re coming back to play the Belly Up in a month, so bring the cameras!

The show itself was great! The crowd just lifted us up, it was a blast. So I know we have to play an all ages show soon in San Diego and I promise we will! I saw a lot of people outside that couldn’t get in because of age discrimination, and I remember how much that sucks! So if you’re not yet old enough to get into the bars, give us an email and tell us where we should play down there. The funniest incident was the girl outside who had me sign her skirt. She was underage so she and her friends couldn’t get in to the show. About ten minutes later I was at the merch booth and this guy is waving her skirt in the air. I guess she took it off so the rest of the band could sign it, and was standing outside in her undies! Thats pretty awsome, bring that skirt to the next show and I promise we’ll give you a free T or poster or something for you’re efforts. In fact, maybe we should just have an underwear party for our next show in Diego. Rent out a big wherehouse, everyone in their underwear gets in free? I’m into, I know Q is game!

By the way, has everyone seen Anchorman? I had the phrase “A Whales Vagina” stuck in my head all night! If you saw it you know what I mean. . . Last show of the tour, we tossed back a few with the Turin Brakes posse! A bit sad really. We had a great time with them and their crew, really cool musicians and people. Who knows, maybe we’ll get over to England and do it again. Cheers mates, now for a few weeks of rest and relaxation in LA. Yeah right. . .Almost forgot a pretty classic incident! After the show at the Casbah, we all drove back to LA to unload our gear at the rehearsal space. Afterwards Tommy and I took the Suburban with the Uhual trailer to my house to crash out. I think it was Tommy who suggested we hit the Taco Bell drive through on La Brea and Venice. Mind you it was about 4:30 in the morning at this point, and we weren’t exactly thinking straight. To make a long story short, there was a sharp turn in the middle of the drive through and we got hopelessly stuck. The more we tried to back up, the worse it got! There was a line of cars forming behind us, and as a last resort we had to unhook the trailer and physically drag it out of the drive-through. It was pretty out of control, the Taco Bell guys were just staring in disbelief. So we hooked the trailer back on, (or so I thought) and started back to my house. Right outside of the Taco Bell I made a U-turn on Venice, and I felt the trailer drop halfway-through. I watched in horror through the rear view as the trailer flew through three lanes and slammed into a curb! You’d think the friction would force the trailer to stop, but that thing kept a lot of momentum. Obviously we we’re really lucky that there wasn’t a parked car in its path. . . Anyway, the sun was coming up by the time we got the trailer and got back home. And to add insult to injury, they forgot to give us hot sauce at Taco Bell! We had a good laugh about driving back through again and asking for hot sauce. . Anyway, great end to the tour. You’re a legend Tommy, good traveling with you bud! Keep an eye out for Tommy’s band The Binges, can’t wait to see their next show! Singing off,
carter

ollie and tommy — twins…crazy huh?
drove past a nuclear power plant that day (titties anyone?)
lewscious and troy having a moment
emma’s parents are the best?
band shot sent in by flavio and renata – thanx!
bass moment with eddie from turin brakes

F.TEN