Tim O'Brien Road Journal

[mr2bur]

Detailed diary from Tim O'Brien describing his viewpoint from the North American leg of the Get Lucky Tour.

http://www.timobrien.net/JDetail.cfm?id=83

[Pottel]

thanks for the link.

[Pottel]

interesting statement by Tim:
 I crossed the street and scored the proper Knopfler approved stage shirts  dark solid color cowboy shirts by Rockmount.

[Pottel]

another interesting phrase, when he talks about the Martin Guitars representative visiting backstage:
Pete picked the OO-18V, and as Mike wanted the same one, Dick says he'll look for another in the next few days and would try to get it to Mike before he leaves the USA. After they decided on their guitars, Mark said he pay for them!

[Pottel]

and more:
Just before the show we got word from John McCusker that Mark Knopflers band would be flying to Glasgow after their show in Belfast, and we made plans to meet them for a drink. Kris and I met Donald Shaw, Jane Skinner, and Bella Hardy at an old church, now a pub, called Oron Mor. Soon enough, here comes Richard Bennett, Mike McGoldrick, and John McCusker, with his shining, newly shaved head. Kris and my tour and Marks tour will continue to weave around one another this week, but this was a surprise intersection. Richard has shown John my old Telecaster part on Hill Farmer. Sorry Mike, I know you wanted that job, but youre already playing Johns cittern part, plus Johns got seniority in that band

[Jules]

It looks like he was a guest star in every concert, apparently he had a life on his own during all the tour...

[jimbobaby]

Is it just me or does the tone of Tim's journal suggest that he was not exactly overwhelmed by the experience of being with the GL tour?  Happy to be told I'm talking nonsense but just wondering if anyone else thought so?

[Pottel]

no, not really read it like that.
i had another feeling. he was a bit surprised by the whole jet thing, but seemed to really enjoy the experience.
where exactly is it that you get that feeling jimbo??

[jimbobaby]

Hey Pottel


It wasn't a big thing and I coiuld be way off beam., but I was struck by how little of the comments were actually about the tour - it was all about meeting his mates.  Also there were little comments about the approved shirts, whether as a result of his experiences on this tour he in future will live dangerously or do the same regimented thing every night (can't remember the exact quote but it is in there somewhere).  I just got the impression he felt a bit constrained.  I also get the impression that his forgetting the words during STP didn't go down very well!!

[dustyvalentino]

Jackson told me the guitarist in Ben Folds band came into Bongo Java in Nashville where he works, and he told him I had snagged the holy grail of sideman gigs. I have to agree with him.

Seems pretty happy to me?

MK is of course more laid back these days (no sauseges for nothing), but I can still imagine him being pissed off about Tim forgetting the words, after all it's quite a big honour for Tim to be asked to sing that, none of the other "regular" band members ever got the chance. GF could do it well I'm sure.

[jimbobaby]

MK is of course more laid back these days (no sauseges for nothing), but I can still imagine him being pissed off about Tim forgetting the words, after all it's quite a big honour for Tim to be asked to sing that, none of the other "regular" band members ever got the chance. GF could do it well I'm sure.
[/quote]

Yeah Dusty, I did think it odd that Guy didn't get the STP vocal -  nearly mentioned it elsewhere but got didn't in case certaiun people thought it was "soooo boring" or an invalid opinion cops I wasn't there!

[goldenheart96]

interesting statement by Tim:
 I crossed the street and scored the proper Knopfler approved stage shirts  dark solid color cowboy shirts by Rockmount.

I browsed the rockmount website and I did recognise MK's style in some of the shirts. But I couldn't find the dark blue floral pattern shirt   

[Waterline Man]

interesting statement by Tim:
 I crossed the street and scored the proper Knopfler approved stage shirts  dark solid color cowboy shirts by Rockmount.

I browsed the rockmount website and I did recognise MK's style in some of the shirts. But I couldn't find the dark blue floral pattern shirt   

That pattern was taken from the curtain department

[FenderBender]

Jackson told me the guitarist in Ben Folds band came into Bongo Java in Nashville where he works, and he told him I had snagged the holy grail of sideman gigs. I have to agree with him.

Seems pretty happy to me?

MK is of course more laid back these days (no sauseges for nothing), but I can still imagine him being pissed off about Tim forgetting the words, after all it's quite a big honour for Tim to be asked to sing that, none of the other "regular" band members ever got the chance. GF could do it well I'm sure.

Judging by this quote from 6 May, poor Tim still hadn't nailed the words to STP after botching them about 3 weeks earlier in Eugene:
"The gig was at the beautiful United Palace Theater, the home of Reverend Ike, and still owned by his congregation. It was exciting playing in the Big Apple in that sold out theater in Spanish Harlem. The crowd was wonderful. I choke up a little when singing Sailing To Philadelphiaon the line where the character of Charlie Mason sings "This baker's boy from the north country would join the royal society".

[ds1984]

"Farewell To Bonaparte", nice.

Performed before or after "The Fish and the Chips"