Day 29

Goodbye to LA for today we travel onwards to Australia! I have no idea what to expect. Coff and I trolled the LA streets last night and had a fair few in The Viper Room, which was surprisingly great, watched two bands and then moved onto The Cat Club(owned by Slim Jim Phantom). This was not quite so great but had its merits and I'd definaiely go there again. Finished the night off in style in Taco Bell where we ate like kings for $2. This had us retching all the way back to the hotel where I found my laptop had a nasty virus. Soooo looks like me blog will be down for a day while I try and stare it out.

San Diego Beach gig tonight, Jeez its hot, anyone that knows me knows that I would rather put my overcoat on and sit under an Umbrella in the rain and have a picnic rather than lie on a beach in the sun like a lizard - alas i'm in the minority and everyones enthusiasm almost rubbed off on me but not quite, I just grinned and thought of Erdington High Street and that got me through. Highlight of my day was watching Imelda climb a tree like a monkey on amphetamines, I laughed like a drain and she won a blow up chimp.

Day 27, more random L.A pics.

Day 26. Had a great day today in L.A, Darrel, Steve, Dave and I had a private tour of the Capitol Records building, they even took us to the roof ( I have terrible vertigo but I couldn't miss the chance, cheers Dave for taking my rooftop snaps) We met legendary producer Al Shmitt ( he was a very nice man ) We saw the studios and stacks of stuff that I cant begin to explain on here - It was truly a tour that will stay with us.

We then met up with Imelda and did the tourist strip thing, as you can see Imelda and I recreating the Marilyn and Jane Russell hand print pic outside the Chinese Theatre on their slab and Darrel admiring John Waynes dinky footprints.

We finished the night off at El Capitan Movie Theatre for a showing of Alice in Wonderland (don't judge us) this was a real experience, not only was it 3D but they transformed the Theatre in to a Burtonesque acid trip with Mushrooms and Flowers with real faces etc, an organist arose from beneath the floor to play us some strangely arranged Disney hits before a Double screen came down for the opening titles which projected images across the theatre walls, then an explosion which covered the Audience in paper rose petals - can you tell I was loving this a bit too much? - only in America eh!

Day 25. Woke up in L.A, went straight to bed in the Hotel only to wake up for the soundcheck, Played the Avalon theatre for the last gig as Jamies support....Its been real. Darrel has wangled it for us to have a private tour of the Capitol Records Studio building tomorrow which I'm pretty excited about ( don't know how he managed that! ) After the show Dave and I took a stroll to find food and struck Gold, we literally stumbled upon the famed "NORMS" Diner ( Tom Waits mentions this very establishment in "Eggs and Sausage" on the Nighthawks Album but I'm sure you all knew that ) not a tourist in sight! I had New York steak, garlic mushrooms, Salad and soup for $10 BARGAIN! I've never seen Dave so happy with his big smiling head devouring Half a roast chicken, Mash, salad and a soup for $9, I am so stuffed and tired that I'm rambling on I know.
I'm sooo looking forward to going home now, was quite down today but nothing a good feed and sleep can't fix.

More San fransisco x

Day 24. Pops has a sense of humour, he moved the bus and parked under the Bay Bridge, that was the first image I saw as I opened the Bus door at 8am, The Fillmoore gig last night was great and I actually got a tad nervous before we went on, Even though Imelda and Jamie pulled out the stops on this one you did get the feeling the venue was the crowd puller. I met up with our lovely friend "Kitten on the Keys" and she came back to the Bus where Imelda held a fashion show of all the clothes she has bought over the last month ( a lot ). Great night!

Today I'm showing Coff the tourist ropes as you can see by the pics. Favourite place we went was "Musee Mechanique" which was recommended to us from Kitten, It was antique coin operated amusements museum which are really quite creepy, favourite being Susan the Can Can girl ( not like any Can Can I've ever seen, Just a very violent, very loud pogo to no music ). Clam Chowder in sour dough bowls etc, I'll leave it to the pictures to explain.

If you go to San Fransisco, be sure to wear a flower in your hair.

Day 23. Blimey, Crystal Ballroom in Portland was best yet - Imelda just gets better and better, just in the last few gigs there has been a noticeable difference, her command of the audience is that of a headliner - prowling up and down the stage getting everyone to sing along with her, "Tainted love" and "Johnny" was pogo city! I finished the evening with another 2lb of Buffallo wings - I lerve dem wings!
San Fransisco today, my favourite City IN THE WORLD and we'll be playing the Fillmore!!!!!! exciting times! We also have a day off here tomorrow so I'm taking Coff on a Gare tour of the City to show him that there is more to life than drinking it away and falling over. We shall visit Haight & Ashbury, The Stinkin Rose Garlic restaurant and work our way to Pier 39 checking out some choice "Vertigo" Hitchcock locations on the way, then back for a shmooze in Johnny Lee Hookers "Boom Boom Room", sounds like a plan!
YEY!!!!

Tour manager Fred really knows how to write a day plan.

Day 22. Woke up this morning back in Portland for our Crystal Ballroom gig, Portland is a very cool place dudes with lots of vintage clothes shops, thrift stalls and Vinyl record shops - tried lots of nice gear on but sticking to my budget. Moore Theatre, Seattle gig last night was maybe the best of the tour, Imelda took complete control of the audience, a review headline this morning read: Jamie Cullum & Imelda May - SHES GOOD, HES NOT, oh dear.
Across from the Moore Theatre was the Whiskey Bar owned by a guy from Sunderland, he got the beers in and gave me a $25 shot of 21 year old Bushmills - Yumtious!
Laterz Y'all.
Oh yeah, I recommend hair curler coffee, I'm flyin!

Day 21. Great morning in Seattle, up at 8.00 am and had a walk around the busy seafood Market before heading back to the bus where I entertained Dave and Coff with my Saville-esque crappy hits from the 70s - Hey fatty bum bum, Grocer Jack, Johnny Reggae, Uptown top Rankin etc, nice!

Had a great gig in Vancouver last night which ended with a right old singsong back at the bus, had a bit of a palava at the the Canadian border because Coff had lost his passport - he got a grilling and they they did everything apart from search his bottom! time will heal.

Oh dear Dave, has Rock'n'Roll gone to thee head - Most offensive!

Day 20. Gig in Vancouver tonight -Yey! Vancouver is a very cool place and I'll look forward to a return visit, had a good day today trolling around with Darrel, There we are pictured together doing "The Wire" over the City, very romantic and God love him he bought me the Booster Gold T-Shirt! whatta guy! Had breakfast with Coff at the Two Parrots, I had a Two Parrot wrap, I thought it was Chicken but I found some suspiciously small bones in it ( Parrot? ) Had Lunch in the Loose Moose where I bumped in to Coff again on his 4th bowl of Moose Balls! got a snap of a few of them, there is ten in every portion the gready get! Seattle tomorrow!