Wednesday, June 14, 2000

Ups and Downs from the Left Coast


Well, what a weird and wonderful week this has been in the world of AWB, full of highs and a couple of lows just to make life windswept and interesting. First, though, the peaks have been unexpected in some cases, such as the triumph in Scottsdale last Tuesday - a gig that the promoters almost cancelled on us, and which turned out to be really well attended, and with a great audience (sound familiar, anyone?), and last Friday we had the pleasure of none other than Mr. Steve Ferrone sitting in with us for an impromtu version of "Person To Person" and "Schoolboy Crush".

Magic moments indeed, and certainly charged with some emotion, as it has been over ten years since we played a note together, and you would have thought that we'd done this only yesterday, so tight was the groove! L.A House Of Blues was, of course, 'slammin', and we had our best reception yet from the Hollywood crowd - loud, rowdy and crowded. Thanks, L.A.

Now the 'lows': An unfortunate situation developed over the last week involving our attempts to move.........not cancel.....a show in New London from the Saturday to the Sunday evening due to what I will honestly say was an "offer that could not be refused," to stay one more night on Martha's Vineyard for a very, very special show. Now, this is where touring with the schedule we have makes life very difficult when these kinds of situations crop up, and our inability to get to points of communication allowed for misunderstandings and misconceptions to rule the roost.

Suffice to say, without boring you with the details, everyone was able to make it happen and we are delighted to be doing that particular show on the Sunday evening, 23rd July. Bring da whole family...rack up the kids, jack up the car by the beach, and let's have a midsummer night's scream.

What all of you should know, however, is that the band's opportunities to scan the website are few and far between, so if you really want to have a go at us for some particular gripe or other, or are just in the mood for a bit of sport and jousting at our expense, then that's not really going to achieve very much, especially when you cannot possibly be aware of the facts as we are, and just how much we try to be accessible to one and all within the bounds of reason. If anything, one person's gripe that they couldn't get to meet us when we'd spent over 45 minutes with fans after a very strenuous show, is really making a jab at other fans who did. It is very easy to please most of the people ALL of the time.......but there's always one that gets away, so be aware of that, everyone, and bear with us if you're ticked off for a minute. This band will usually find a way of turning that into a smiley-mouth before you've got your pen back in your pocket.

And so on to Sam FranksDisco, and our next gig at "Slim's" (named for its owner, Boz Scaggs, whose nickname locally was Presidio Slim), where this will be our first visit, much looked forward to by all. It is sooooo hot here this week, I can only hope you've paid the electric bill, Boz, and the air is turned up full, or else we'll have casualties galore - on and off stage. "FUNK BAND FIZZLES INTO PINK FOAM" could be a potential S.F. Chronicle headline for Friday morning.

Now we await the first childbirth as a result of a union via our website, and a bottle of the finest when we hear the news........provided it checks out true, so don't any of you suddenly jump up with a false claim on a bottle of bubbly, and a tape of baby noises and a used diaper :-) On that charming note, I'll leave you for a cool drink before boarding the coach.

Alan





Friday, June 9, 2000

A WORD OF WARNING



Ladies and gentlefolk of the record buying public, I come among you now to warn of a supposedly German release purporting to be an Average White Band "Best-Of" and featuring a motley selection of songs entirely unknown to us, unrecorded by us, and certainly never even performed by us...........titles like "Sweet Lorraine" etc., and then with some version of "Let's Go Round Again" tacked on for a tiny modicum of legitimacy. This appears to be only available on the internet, so do not be tempted to reach for your plastic, log on, and aim to purchace this piece of nonsense.

It is a sham, a fake, bogus, a simulation, a pretense, an unscrupulous attempt to fleece the ever-growing legion of AWB fans who log on to the web to find the latest tidbits offered at the base of the fountain that is our continuing output. And it's not real, either!

On a happier note, thanks to all who came and saw and concurred in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and last night in San Juan Cappucino. Lovely shows, all of them, and you have been more than generous in your praise and applause. It is the food we artists thrive on - the very air we breathe.........and so much better for our energy than drinking the blood of newly-borns, don't you think.

But if I live to be a thousand, you'll know I've reversed my theory on that 'Gory' topic. More from this page later in the tour, when Matt stops whipping me toward the impending bus departure for the next stop on this merry-go-round.

Once again, beware the phony Teutonic release. 'Tis a travesty!


A.G.