MADRID
Day 1
Love at first sight. It ain't a myth to me anymore. Arriving at our hotel in the centre of Madrid, Scott Barr & I were greeted by the energy, sounds and garlic aromas of Plaza Mayor and its surrounding streets. My heart seriously skipped a beat. 5 minutes into this city and my excitement level for this tour jumped 100 fold. The vibe in this city, especially on this hectic Saturday night is hard to describe in a few words. Those who have been here will know what I mean. When the working day begins at about 10am, 2 hour lunches are had and the nightlife doesn't kick in till 11 at night, then this city and country is definitely onto something.
Met up with Brian Crouch, who already looked like the happiest returning visitor to this city and of course Santi Campos, who we quickly established will be become ´The Man´ of the tour. He takes the multi roles of local indie rock star, rhythm guitarist, tour manager, driver and revealer of kick arse drinking bars and restaurants. He is the real deal. He proceeds to welcome us into this city by taking us to the more ´Rock´ quarter of Madrid called Malasana, where we hit this cool lttle bar and meet my excellent Rock Indiana label boss Pablo Carerro. I thank him profusely for signing me and the eating, drinking and dissecting of our groups combined love/hate with Springsteen and 80´s snare drum sounds, continues till the early hours of the morn. Madrid´s and Spain´s general commitment to a good all night party (even on school nights) reared its beautiful head tonight. Brian, Scott & I welcomed it with open arms.
Day 2
The ´work ´part of the tour began today with our first rehearsal in a great space close to Madrid´s centre. Met our drummer Charlie Bautista (a bit worse for wear after literally finishing another tour), who is both equally talented and charismatic. Good looking kid too. He is normally the keyboard player for Amigos Imaginarios with Santi, but well capable on the drum stool as well. (It was also revealed to us after the tour that he gave up the chance to tour with Wilco with one of his other bands, so he can drum for us. Bless Him. I know who I would have chosen!). We are in essence a new band and this was more a get to know you session. Went well but rough in patches. Not bad for a first jam though.
Headed straight after to Radio 3 (Spain´s equivalent to BBC/Triple J) for a 2 hour interview on the program 'Íslas De Robinson', where Brian, Scott & I also got to program the show. Had Pablo as my translator during the interview and I´m sure I had listeners laughing at my unique take on speaking broken Spanish. Spanglish probably best describes it. Brian C was the one that impressed though, being quite good at the language. I just nodded my head a lot. The best part was the programming of songs and talking about why we chose the tunes. Beatles, Neil Young, Aretha, Beach Boys, Wilco & You Am I all got a spin. All agreed that we could have done this all night!
Day 3
The big rehearsal day. Really got stuck into the songs and came out high fiving each other. It's quite amazing how fast we were gelling as a group and Santi & Charlie are amazing musicians. Funny Bastards too. They really did their homework on the tunes and it was great to revisit the songs on the album and play it note for note. They knew the parts better than me. Back to Radio 3 again that night for more promo/interview for tour but this time got to play live. Did ´Come Around´ and my take on The Bee Gees ´To Love Somebody´. Went back to the hotel whilst Brian & Scotty got acquainted with the party prowess of Charlie. He more than lived up to his nocturnal and partying reputation (Santi calls him the devil) and keeping up with him will be an achievement in itself.
Day 4
Show day has finally arrived. I woke up with lots of nervous energy and just really pumped about tonight. 2 coffees later and Pablo picks me up for another radio/performance spot and this time with Onda Madrid, the local radio-TV broadcasting group. Good interview but 10am is just not conducive to good singing. Pablo put it more accurately as a non Rock & Roll time. Visited Escridiscos in the heart of Madrid, a 30 year old record store owned by the very kind Ines & Monica (who I heard was one of the first to champion Punk & New Wave in Spain in the late 70´s) and also my best selling store in Spain.
One last rehearsal and Charlie introduced us to our incredibly large and luxurious tour van, big enough to fit a mini orchestra. Sure beats a Tarago. We arrive at Moby Dick Club and was blown away by not only the venue but by how professional and well looked after we were. A production manager, large rider, full hour to soundcheck and a stocked up band room. We felt like rock stars. Quick dinner followed, where I got to meet the great folks from Powerpop Action, who have been fantastic in their support and championing of the album from the very day it got released in Spain. Muchos Gracias Amigos! The venue filled up nicely by the time we came on stage and the energy and vibe in the crowd was incredible. Everything was great from the beginning. The sound on stage was perfect, the band was firing and the crowd was unbelievable. It was quite overwhelming to have so many singing the songs and giving us so much love. We were in a state of disbelief throughout the whole show and kept giving each other 'this is crazy!' looks all night. The most perfect way to kick off the tour. The post show party was just as great and it was brilliant to meet a lot of the crowd and fans. My new friends kicked on with us till the very early hours of the morning. Madrid is my new favourite city.
Pics below by: Paco Lozano
ALBACETE
Day 5
With little or no sleep, Santi bundled us into the van and we headed south to our next stop Albacete. I must admit that I knew nothing about this city and my head was still digesting last night's debauchery and focusing on tonight's show. The music on the highway helped though and the soundtrack to the tour were Wilco, The Band (the entire Last waltz soundtrack), Neil Young, Pernice Brothers, Ray Lamontagne, Spanish bands like The Winnery's, Melusa and various soul and rock mixes. It was quite warming for me to see, that despite the language barrier with many of the people I met on this tour, that our common denominator was our love for good Rock & roll, Americana and Powerpop music. The Spanish seems to really understand the music's references and history and it made for some great music talks on the road. Even Santi & Charlie all wanted to cover the same kind of songs we do back home!
Arrived at the venue Heartbreak Hotel and met by show promoter Jomi and pub owner and sound guy Antonio. This pub could have come straight out of America's Midwest and was filled with great R&R memorabilia. And Antonio looked like a true Rock & roll renaissance man, with tattoos and Harley Davidson in tow. Went straight to the hotel after soundcheck for a quick nap before showtime (how un-rock and roll is that?!) and got fetched 30 minutes before we came on. Was amazed again at how many people turned up to this show and made the bar come alive. First beats of 'Falling through' kicked in and the beast which we have christened 'Bryan Estepa & The Estepos' powered through another excellent set. Jomi was going crazy upfront and everyone seemed to be into it too. Met lots of good folks after the show and resisted the urge to go hard again tonight. Couldn't say the same thing about the other 4 though.
VALENCIA
Day 6
Woke up and realised that my voice was disappearing on me. In a state of a mini panic, loaded myself with honey & lemon tea and made the boys tell me that it was going to be ok. Santi & Charlie were probably laughing at this soft Aussie boy. Got on the van and hoped for the best.
The drives on the roads of Spain are really quite pleasant. Autumn in Spain is beautiful. The countryside are awash with red and yellow landscapes, groups of windmills blowing away, weird mountain rock structures and nice lil towns to have quick pit stops in. These stops are vital for our quick feeds of chorizo and calamari sandwiches and beer. The food in Spain is quite rich but some of the best I have tasted in the world. Food here is a lifestyle and not a means for survival. I know Scott was in foodies' heaven here.
Besides Madrid, this was the other BIG gig on the tour and we were all determined to perform a great show. I was told that I had a following here but maybe not as big as Madrid. The Wah Wah club is a great venue and despite my cracking voice, knew it was going to be a good night. Met up with Ramon the owner and Miguel of 'Alta tension', the gig bookers, who made us feel very welcome. I again went back to the hotel for a quick rest and to get away from the smoke of the club and save my voice (Am I sounding like a diva yet?). Everybody in Spain smokes and I'm pretty sure I will leave this country with a smokers lung. John Whittaker, a very good and nice American singer-songwriter opened the show and really warmed up the crowd nicely. He also gave me some magic spray for my throat, so he stays on the good books for sure. 'The Estepos' hit the stage and everyone seemed to have lifted a gear. Scotty was damn solid (as usual!), grooving in his distinct way, Brian (armed with his double Hammond and keyboard attack) was floating over the keys and playing some great lines, Charlie was driving us out back and singing like an angel and Santi was playing some superb guitar solos which he still doesn't know where it was coming from. 'Open Letter' is where we peaked as a group tonight, the band and the crowd riding every ebbs and lows of the song. The audience was again amazing, with the sings alongs to 'Western Tale' & 'Right Now', especially nice and loud. They love their covers here and we hit them with 'The Weight', 'Ooh la la', 'Do you wanna dance' & 'California Stars' during the encore. They were still stomping away after that and wouldn't let us leave, so we finished off with 'Helpless' and massive group hugs backstage. Another incredible night.
BARCELONA
Day 7
I was quickly brought down from my high of last night, when I discovered that my voice was completely gone and my murmurs sounded more and more like Tom Waits. I was a shattered man, knowing that there was still one more show but the guys were quite positive about tonight. I still had a few hours before the show and prayed that a combination of sleep, meds, lemon & honey tea and my new magic throat spray will create a miracle.
Arrived in beautiful Barcelona just in time for my instore appearance at FNAC (Spain's equivalant to Borders Books & Music) and met by Eduardo & Raquel, the organisers for this show. It was quite clear that no miracles occurred and my voice was still shot. We had to cancel the appearance, as I literally could not sing a note. We all knew that this was bad news for tonight's show but the band, along with Edu, Raquel and Willie (of Freewheeling Tornadoes) still kept a good vibe about tonight. I suggested that everybody gets to sing 1 song each and the next thing you know, I'm scribbling down lyrics, delegating songs and Willie in the corner of the pub learning 'By The Window' through my iPod. This was one of the funniest and most bizarre situations I've had before a show. Anyways as we got on stage, Santi explained the situation to the crowd then just before we started told me that I MUST sing all the songs and dig deep. The minor miracle did happen and about 60% of my voice came back and I croaked and screamed my way through the set. It was bloody painful but I loved every minute. Charlie still sang 'Cards & AM Radio' and was brilliant. The audience seemed to be sympathetic to my vocal troubles but still clapped and screamed real loud. Then, the last chords were played and the Spain leg of the tour was suddenly over. It was a weird feeling and I felt completely saddened by how quickly it all ended. I went out and walked around the streets for a little while to clear my head. Charlie, Scott, Brian & Santi all celebrated the tours end in style. I wish there was another city or two to play in Spain. I won't forget these shows for a long, long time.
NEW YORK
One of my more rock and roll moments occurred in the space of 2 days in NYC. I sadly left Madrid in the early hours of the morn and flew to New York for my 1st show in the US of A. 12 mind numbing hours later, I get into JFK and headed straight to Brooklyn for a rehearsal with my new band members for the International Pop Overthrow festival show. The guys beiong James Prestons on Bass (The Basement Band) & Jimmy Ansourian on Drums (20 Miles). They were my MySpace hookups! Despite my jet lag and shoddy voice, we were able to get through the songs for the set and the guys were mighty impressive in learning the tunes so quick. Another quick rehearsal, a few hours before show time the next day and we hit the stage of the Bagott Inn for our short but sweet set. It seemed to have gone down pretty well (James even broke a bass string!!!) and sold a few CD's too. Special mention to my cousins and their friends for proving to be a worthy rent-a-crowd! Also great to meet up with long time-no-see friends in Jeanette & Julia. My NY debut went and gone way too fast. Must do it again soon.
NEW JERSEY
Last show of the tour and this time, playing a combined show with good mate, Joel Sarakula. He's on the beginning of his tour and me at the end. Had some mixed feelings knowing that this tour was coming to a close but the thought of having a short break in New York & California afterwards was a relieving thought. Anyways, show was quite fun, Joel playing particularly well. I did a set mostly of my regular covers, a newie called 'Different with you' and some tunes with Joel to finish up. Good times. Ended up in a bar in the middle of jersey called Swanky Bubbles with friends of Joel. Didn't think Jersey could be so much fun.
Thoughts of the return tour already bubbling up. Thanks a million to all who came to the shows, the kind words and for buying a CD or two. Definitely one of the high points of my music jaunts so far. No doubt.
Cheers,
Bryan
Some people need to get some special thanks for their help in putting the tour together and making it an all too easy adventure. Here Goes:
To the Estepos, Brian, Scott, Santi & Charlie - You guys are amazing. The best rookie band in Spain by a country mile. Pablo Carerro for all the behind the scenes work for the record and tour. David & Esther for instrument hire, Curro & Paco @ Moby Dick; Jomi, Santi, Antonio & Llanos @ Heartbreak Hotel; The Alta Tension crew of Miguel, Vicente, Jorge, Lorenzo; Ramon @ Wah Wah & John Whittaker; Eduardo, Raquel, Willy & Joe in Barcelona; Luis De Benito & Santi Alcanda @ Radio 3; Pacopepe @ OndaMadrid; Powerpop action folks; James Prestons, Jimmy Ansourian, David Bash, The Basement band, Jesse (Monte Vista) in NYC, Bersamin family & Joel Sarakula and Backyard Bob in New Jersey.
This tour is dedicated to the memory of Melanie Ford.
To see more tour Pics go to the Photos page http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryan19/sets/72157603231907518/
