Phoenix to L.A. (Wednesday and Thursday)

I woke around 9 A.M., walked the 8 or 9 blocks to Matt and Eric’s hotel, and the three of us took a cab to to the airport.

We flew to L.A. today—the flight left around 12:30 and we were in Eric’s car in LA for 3 P.M. While Eric drove home to Ventura for the night, Matt and I were staying at the Crowne Plaza in Beverley Hills. First thing we both did after checking in was to hit the hotel pool for a couple of hours. After the scorching heat of Phoenix, it was nice to be in the chilly 70° weather of L.A.!

Matt had arranged to go bar hopping with a couple of friends he’d met the last time he was here in 2010. I was more than happy just to head to the local Chipotle for dinner, then head back to the room to chill out and catch up on the latest episodes of Game Of Thrones and The Killing.

Matt on the flight to L.A.         LAX                                   So inviting from our room     Matt and Eric arrive in L.A.

  

Eric picked us up the next morning around noon. The three of us were booking into a hotel in Santa Monica for three nights—THREE NIGHTS—in the same room! You have no idea how nice it is to be somewhere for more than one night—somewhere you can actually unpack your bag and not have to pack it up and move on the next morning. We stopped by a great old-fashioned diner that Eric used to frequent as a kid. (Eric grew up in Santa Monica.) I had the French toast and scrambled eggs while Eric and Matt had omelets. They brought out a HUGE pile of food, and that set us all up for the rest of the day. We didn’t eat again until 8 P.M.

We checked into the hotel around 2 P.M. and headed straight for the pool again. It’s a nice hotel full of suites situated around a courtyard with a pool in the middle. We have a bedroom with two twin beds, a huge living room with a pullout sofa, plus a kitchen and bathroom.

Breakfast                                           Hotel pool                                           Groceries! Mine are on the bottom shelf

  

Eric's cousins’s wife Mandy works at an Irish bar about 2 miles from our hotel, so after a short trip to the supermarket to get some groceries, Matt and I decided to walk to the Irish bar. Eric took the bus. 25 minutes later, Matt and I arrived well before Eric. Of course, we were a lot hotter and sweatier than him! It was nice to see they had Strongbow cider on draft, and the first pint I had hardly even touched my sides as I downed it. Of course, this went straight to my head and gave me an instant buzz. Eric arrived 15 minutes after us and introduced us to his brother and sister in-law, Mandy. Eric got the timing wrong, though, and Mandy had just finished her shift at 6 P.M.—not started it!

Best pint of cider ever!                          Mandy, Eric and Matt

  

After another pint of cider, I was positively on my way to being just a little drunk! Mandy made Eric and Matt a special of hers—a concoction full of vodka, fruit, and tonic water. I think she called them Mandy’s Sunshine Drink. Mandy headed off home, and Eric, Matt, and I walked back towards 3rd street, Santa Monica. This is a great pedestrian street full of stores, restaurants, bars, and street performers.

On the way there we passed the “world famous” Gas Lite bar. I’m not sure what it’s famous for, but the bar did have a sign outside that it opens at 6 A.M. and has karaoke all day and night!

Eric headed down to the Kings Head English pub to meet a friend of his while Matt and I headed to Johnny Rockets for a burger. By that point I was done for the day and ready for bed! I’m still getting over the flu, so I headed back to the hotel and chilled out before getting my head down for a good night’s sleep.

A few pictures below that Gail took of Roger in Phoenix. Thanks Gail (click the thumbnails for larger size)

Phoenix show…

It was a normal size arena tonight,first time id been here was in 2000 for the In The Flesh show, id then been a second time in 2010 for the first leg of the wall tour and tonight i was back again.

Everyone was spread out around the Arena again tonight, i got in there around 7:15 and took in the atmosphere a bit. Bumped into John Slanina from San Fran and had a chat to him for a good half hour. Went and had a chat with my friend Robert and then went and said hi to another friend from Phoenix, Edgar.

I was sitting in my 2nd favourite place tonight, right next to the wall on the right side as you look at the stage. Whilst the view from here doesn’t let you see the projections real well or the band behind the wall, it does give you a great view of the crowd, the plane coming down and youre right in the heart of it when Roger comes over to the side and the crowd go wild.

View from my seat.

Roger now does a small talk after the end of the new Another Brick ending (the Jean Charles track) he tells the crowd a bit about Jean Charles and explains how he was shot in the back of the head. The last couple of shows he’s also said “If e give the police and the government too much power we are on a very slippery slope” this generates a HUGE response of cheers and applause from the crowd.

The band sounded great but i could tell there was something different from Dave’s classical guitar parts, it just sounded different and i couldn't put my finger on what it was. He later sent me a message saying he had problems with his regular guitar and had to use a replacement that he didnt like and he thought it sounded terrible. I wouldn't have said terrible, just different somehow.

I noticed sitting in front of me a couple of rows down were a couple of young guys wearing turbans, they were Sikhs. I only mention this as it show how much Rogers music appeals to not only different cultures but races, religions and genders!

Franks brother and friends                  Big guns Roger                                  THANK YOU!

  

Roger has taken to “freezing” again at the end of Bring The Boys Back Home, this is something he’s done in previous tours at certain parts of the show and ive only seen him do it during Comfy Numb up until the Phoenix show. He stands there onstage “frozen” for 30 seconds or so, sometimes glancing at the crowd and smiling but never moving anything but his eyes.

For the last few tracks i went down onto the floor to my favourite position, right on thr front rail infront of Dave and Snowy. Hearing the monitor speakers instead of the FOH PA is great, seeing the viens on Rogers neck standing out while he’s singing (or not!) is also great to see.

It was nice to feel some “wall wind” tonight, its been a while, too long infact since i felt it. The shows in Buenos Aires and the outdoor shows in the US have the stage set a little higher and further back than the normal arena shows so its kind of hard to feel the wind as the wall falls down.

It was nice to see the guys at the end and have a little laugh and an inside joke with Dave K while he was onstage, the guys really do enjoy this part of the show, Being able to actually see the audience and the crowd due to the lighting etc i know makes them so happy, you can see this by watching Robbie and Jon and Marky especially, they love it.

   

Tonight wa not only another great show but another great pre show meet up. As the shows have been going on its been great to meet new and old friends, there's usually a “core” group of us that attend a few shows together and when one of those people have to fly home its always a shame. Jackie, Dave, Wendy, James, Gail and Joe I’ve had such a good time with you at the shows and miss you all terribly. Matt, Eric and i are the only ones left here in LA as i type this, we are still having fun but not too much without everyone else:)

Phoenix pictures:

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Stage going up in LA…….

Few more pictures of the steel going up in LA…..

   

 

 

Phoenix…..

Gail and Joe headed out to work this morning and Matt and i took a cab to our hotels downtown. Matt and Eric were in the Sheraton and i was slumming it in a Budget Motor Inn a few blocks on. I’ve been to Phoenix several times before, the first time for Rogers In The Flesh show in 2000. When i was here then all i remember is how hot it was, it was 108’ and I’d never experienced heat like it.

Today was 107’ at 2pm, i really don't know how people do it out here. I am still getting over my flu from last week and didn't do a lot apart from chill out in the hotel room this afternoon. I think the main reason this flu has been hanging around is due to me being in and out of different climates, in and out of Air conditioned rooms plus being in different cars and on several airplanes!

My room for tonight

Tonight was a show night and Gail and i had arranged a pre show meet up at a nice little bar/restaurant a block behind the venue called Coach & Willies. I left my hotel to walk over there about 4:30.It was still hot, 101’ to be exact. I walked the 8 blocks to the meet up bar and couldn't believe how hot it got just walking out in the open air.

I had about 6 or 7 friends coming to the show tonight, Frank and Dora who had been in San Diego with us, Joes brother Tom and his wife, Gail's friend Dianne and my friend Robert and his son. The bar, food and drink were great and we had a great time for a couple of hours before the show. Gail had been over to the venue earlier on to see Roger arrive and had managed to get her Radio KAOS CD cover signed, she got some great pictures of Roger too which I'll put up when she sends them.

Gail with her signed CD cover               Joe, Gail, Matt, Eric and myself          Pre show meet up

We all headed over to the venue around 7pm and i managed to see my friend John Slanina who had been in San Fran, we sat and chatted for half an hour as we didn't get much chance to talk at the meet up in San Francisco.

Roger, David Gilmour and Nick backstage at the O2 Arena 2011…

 

Panorama from tonight's Phoenix show..

Click picture for full size

Monday, driving to Phoenix…

Woke around 9am and Gail, Joe and myself were in the car and on our way driving to Phoenix by 10am James was flying back to New Jersey today and i was sad to have to say goodbye, we've had such a good time this past week but we’ll be meeting up at other shows soon. Matt was flying to Phoenix today and Eric was flying over in a couple of days time.

Takes about 6 hours to drive to Phoenix from San Diego and there's nothing much to see apart from dessert and some cool rock formations.

Wes topped at an Ihop for breakfast about 90 minutes into the journey and that was the first time id got out of the car and experienced the dessert heat. The temperature gauge on the car was 107`!!

We passed a cool “spaceship” motel on the way to Phoenix and about 30 minutes before we got there i called Matt to see where he was. He had landed an hour or so ago and made his way downtown. We arranged to pick him up and then headed to Gail and Joe’s house via the store to get pasta for tonight's dinner. I also picked up some sun tan lotion, i was already like a lobster after catching the sun at the beach in San Diego and didn't want to get burned any more than i already was!

Spaceship motel                                 Its just aluminium siding really!           Lobster boy!

  

Gail and Joe had kindly offered Matt and i a place to stay tonight at their house, Gail cooked pasta and meatballs and after a 20 minute walk up to the pool we were all back at the house watching TV. Gail and Joe had been telling Matt earlier on about the wild animals that are around here, Snakes, Coyotes Scorpions etc etc Gail then noticed her cat “Jackie Chan” had spotted something on the floor in the living room. Gail jumped up and went to see what it was, she then squealed to Joe to come over and “get it” I then heard the words “its a Scorpion and its a huge one” i instantly jumped up stood on the top of the chair i was sitting on, much to the amusement of Gail.  Matt jumped up and squealed and stood on the sofa chair. Joe was left with the job of catching/killing it and getting it out of the house!

Dead scorpion

I was in bed by 9pm! i had felt my flu coming back as we were driving over in the car and I’d picked something up at the store to take before i went to sleep. Gail and Joe were working tomorrow so Matt and i would be up and getting a taxi to our hotels in downtown Phoenix for the night of the show.

San Diego show review…

A few people had tickets to pick up before the show but most had their already in hand. I made my way in with Thomas and he got to experience a little of the pre show hospitality with the band. I went onto the floor and found Chris Kirby for a chat. I then wandered around taking in the pre show atmosphere. Id seen Marky outside briefly and said hi and Pat spotted me on the floor and came over to introduce his guests to me, we had a chat for a few minutes before he headed off and i wandered over to see Gail and Joe.

The venue was the smallest I’ve seen the show in and probably the smallest Arena they have played.! it seemed like it was going to be such an intimate show. Everyone was spread out for this show, Gail, Joe and Matt were the front row on the lower bowl to the rear, James, Jackie and Dave were the first row in front of the soundboard and Frank and others were spread around the arena.

Around 8pm the pre show music started and i headed down to my seat, 11th row on the aisle. i was next to Victoria (Robbie's wife)and her brother tonight, she introduced him to me and Victoria and i chatted for the 15 minute build up like a couple of girls,lol She is such good fun to be at a show with, last time we’d hung out was in Buenos Aires so it was great to see her again and great to be seeing the show with someone who is so much fun.

Just like the San Fran show i decided not to take any pictures tonight as i wanted to really enjoy the show and see everything that was going on. i couldn't resist taking a picture of the venue though due to how small and intimate it was.

From the moment the lights went down the crowd remained on their feet, Victoria and i looked at each other and high fived, its just not the same seeing the show seated.

Obviously due to the show being indoors there were no pyros fired out of the top of the stage and the plane seemed to travel what was like 10 feet before it it the wall! The Arena and Stadium shows really are two totally different shows now, there's so much going on on the sides of the wall at the stadium shows but the Arena shows are just like they were back in 2010, however with a lot of updated graphics! Gail and Joe had seen the opening show in Toronto and then seen the two shows in San Jose, they hadn't seen anything since and were totally blown away by the amount of changes, especially the images and projections during Run Like Hell.

I don't think the band can get any tighter than they are now, they've been doing this for 2 years, use click tracks and just have the whole performance down to a fine art. Roger is still having as much fun onstage as he did in 2010 and you could tell that after doing a lot of larger shows he was back at home being only feet away from the crowds at the sides of the stage when he waves to them and he’s able to actually see the faces of the people waving back!

It was pretty much a sell out crowd tonight and there was hardly a free seat in the house, so much sow that there was only two rows of seats right next to the wall on either side, there's usually a full section held back from being sold so as the bricks don't fall on the crowd who could be (and were tonight) sat there!

A full row of vets were taken backstage just before intermission to meet Roger and returned with pictures and autographs and VERY happy faces! I decided go further back for some of the second half and sat with Gail and Joe up until Waiting for The Worms when i made my way back to the floor again.

It was the first time id seen the remote control pig for a while, the last few shows have had the huge 60ft pig walked around the venue by two crew and just tethered with ropes. They have the remote pig off to a fine art now, i guess controlling it indoors is a breeze compared to the outdoor elements!

I didn't notice any mistakes in the performance but Matt noticed a couple of mistakes in GE’s solo. The crowd were stood up for the whole show and were very enthusiastic compared to some of the 2010 US shows i saw. the band have changed the way the sing Outside The Wall and are still changing it, kind of hard to explain but they are just pausing and singing at different points. All in all it was a fantastic show in a great old 1970 venue that also made the show pretty unique.

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