Day 8: Los Angeles, CA
Nau mai
Yesterday we performed at Bob Baker’s Marionette Theatre and release our new LP Straight Line Was a Lie.
It was a brutal day that pushed us to the point of exhaustion. Leaving the Airbnb at 6am had us at SeaTac airport thirty minutes later, the busy terminal overloaded with travellers, none of whom seemed too happy when any of our pieces of equipment momentarily obstructed the concourse. The pre-flight security area was a hellscape, a maze of retractable belt stanchions stretching out into the distance funnelling a couple of thousand odd bodies towards a completely inadequate number of x-ray machines.
This was a chilling episode of déjà vu for us. A similar experience a couple of years ago had led to me missing the flight to New York and being stranded in SeaTac airport for eight hours. After a stressful journey that involved two underground train trips we made it to the gate with a few minutes to spare and boarded our aircraft for the flight to LA.
Stressful train trip at SeaTac.
Burbank airport received us with a solid thunk as our pilot suffered a momentary lapse in concentration on the landing flare. This was a pleasantly quiet airport though and we took a moment to appreciate our avoiding LAX, a victory that adds years to your life every time it is achieved.
Our afternoon’s work was a session at Sirius XM and we crawled along the 101 freeway until we made it to their studio in Hollywood. At this point in the day the system performance of our brains and bodies was suboptimal. If I had to throw out a figure it would be around 50% processing power. Annie Tunnicliffe came to the rescue in a way that she has done countless times on this tour, providing stimulants and sustenance when they are needed most. A large brown paper bag arrived from Tartine bakery containing food and coffee for everyone. A chunk of warm country bread with butter and a green goddess salad provided me with the fats, carbohydrates, nutrients, and the morale boost I needed to get through the session.
There was an hour to shower and rest before soundcheck so we travelled to our accommodation, a house that could have written the textbook for LA Airbnb furbishing. There was a water feature in the entrance way and welcome message or inspirational adage on every wall. A rabid label-maker had been let loose at some point and every cupboard, appliance, and light switch had suffered. It was thoroughly airconditioned and generously bathroomed through and we refreshed ourselves before heading to the venue.
We arrived in the neighbourhood of Highland Park and entered a small and dignified old theatre. Red velvet carpeted the floors and our stage was set beneath a ruffled curtain. In the corner of the room stood a grand old organ with complicated set of controls and a trio of delicate mobiles slowly rotated in front of an undersea landscape, next to the bar. In the wings off the stage were racks and racks of puppets, menacing in their unanimated state, ready to come alive at any moment.
There was only tiny PA to amplify our vocals so we took our time soundchecking to get the balance right.
As the evening drew on the theatre began to fill and people found their seats. The show opened with a rapid flourish of brass and violins blaring though the loudspeakers as a trio of ostriches emerged from the wings to begin a peppy dance routine. Beaks and feathers were cheekily thrust into the faces of any audience members who had made the mistake of sitting in the front row.
After this opening salvo it was time for a set from Margaret Cho, an LA comedian who started off with some very innocent storytelling and then sideslipped into some hilariously filthy content without a hint of a warning.
Our brains had slowed to about 22% by the time our set arrived. Food and coffee will only get you so far. We blinked and shook our bodies and tried to will ourselves into a state of alertness. After a few songs of stumbling through the motions something happens and your body realises the importance of this moment and summons from your energy reserves. Playing becomes smoother and concentration offers itself. As we strummed away the marionettes began to dance. Each song brought out a new cast of characters that perfectly suited the mood. Scarecrows moved together in a romantic dance, bats fluttered through the air, robots clunked around and the green vines of humanoid plants tangled together in a beautiful spectacle. This was how we welcomed our new album into the world. This wonderful collection of songs which came to life during the year of 2024 are now our companions to share and enjoy.
