i felt unfettered and alive....

.......nobody was calling me up for favours. no one's future to decide. you know I'd go back there tomorrow.

 

2 weeks in Paris last July wasn’t enough time. So i went back and saw the same stuff again as well as some new stuff. Damn cold there in October though. Did the Champs again. Checked out Notre Dame (closed on Tuesdays, so when you go there don’t go on a Tuesday like your writer did). Saw the bridge from the crazy NYC ladies movie part 2 that Fee will like im sure. Less tourists this time of the year too, more locals out and about. I like shoulder seasons. I see a pattern developing.

 

But the lame French fries decided to strike again. They tried to delay me getting back to Spain. They won. Only a 2hr delay. ”YAY – there’s a bar!!” Adam said at the airport when the flight delay was announced. “STUPIDDUMBSH1TGODDAMNMOTHERFCUKERS” Adam said when all the shops, restaurants and the previously YAY!! bar at the airport shut to join the protest outside the airport terminal. Its ok – the vending machine had Oreos. I see a pattern developing.

 

Paris was even better the second time round. It will be better the third time i get there, the fourth will be even better. I see a pattern developing.

 

Got to London today. I miss Spain already. Realised i missed Van Morrison here at the Royal Albert Hall last night. But ill make up for it with Jeff Beck at the same venue tomorrow night. Elton John hopefully on Thursday night. There’s the premiere of the new Springsteen documentary on Friday night - that I got a ticket to - and THE MAN is rumoured to also attend. And i read Robert Plant is in town Saturday night too. I see a pattern developing.

 

adam
ps – the subject and opening line are by Joni Mitchell. I think it might be time for her to come off the shelf...

every girls crazy bout a....

.... sharp dressed man.

 

Ive mentioned before that i grew up listening to a lot of my parents music – records at home as well as the AM radio stations in the area. The early to mid 80s was a heavy AM radio station diet of Bob Segar, Huey Lewis, Eagles, Beatles, Roy Orbison, Creedence, Fleetwood Mac, etc. All bands that i dig to this day. In addition there were tracks from some bands that im not majorly in to but still enjoy their tunes whenever i hear them –Doobie Brothers being one of these bands. Just great harmonies, great lyrics and great musicianship. When i found out i was going to see ZZ Top in Paris and Doobie were the support i was damn happy. These guys are pushing 95 they can still rock. The harmonies were that good i was looking for an auto tune rig at the soundboard or side stage. Some great guitar work too.

 

ZZ Top are a band ive always liked. I go through phases with them. I got into them heavily when mp3s first appeared in 1996 and i **ahem** acquired ZZ’s back catalogue. The Eliminator record was always my favourite. As a kid in the mid 80s i remember Saturday afternoons watching Wide World Of Sports with my dad and ZZ Top were always the soundtrack over the videos of car crashes, horses falling, surfers getting wiped out, etc. Good times with Kenny Sutcliffe, Maxy Walker, Rabs Warren, etc. I really dig the laid back blues rock sound of the 80s ZZ Top tunes. Throw in corny lyrics about bars, cars, strippers, etc and im sold. Throw in some perfect for dudes video clips with fast cars and faster women and again – im sold.

 

ZZ Top hit the stage about 930 and for the next 90minutes it was hit after hit. Got Me Under Pressure opened. Nice. I dig the blues sounds of Jesus Left Chicago. Pincushion was great – lots of nice visuals on the large LCD behind the stage. Cheap Sunglasses!!! Then they did my favourite ZZ Top track – i Need You Tonight. Just an amazing song. I saw a girl dance to this at a *cough cough* bar in LA once and i swear i haven’t been able to walk straight since. Then they did THE BEST EVER cover of Hey Joe. It was rockin. Even better than my previous favourite cover of the song by Body Count. The final three songs of the main set had me totally air guitaring and showing them French frog n snail eaters in the crowd how to par tay – Gimme All Your Lovin / Sharp Dressed Man / Legs. Then the encore of La Grange and Tush. Very very cool show. Short, but it was jam packed with great tunes – all killer / no filler.

 

Its virtually impossible for that band to suck in a live environment. These three dudes have been playing together for over 40 years. If they come near you on the next tour please go check them out.

 

adam

 

Setlist

 

Got Me Under Pressure

Waitin' for the Bus

Jesus Just Left Chicago

Pincushion

I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide

Future Blues

Rock Me Baby

Cheap Sunglasses

My Head's in Mississippi / I Need You Tonight

Hey Joe

Brown Sugar

Party On The Patio

Just Got Paid

Gimme All Your Lovin'

Sharp Dressed Man

Legs

 

Encore:

La Grange / Sloppy Drunk / Bar-B-Q

Tush

greece is the word

Ive been getting lots of emails and messages from people wanting more Greece photos. You can all relax now. Sorry for the major delays. Been too busy wandering aimlessly around Europe.

 

I have to admit that i was a little harsh on Athens when i last wrote about it. Guess i was spoilt being in places like Berlin, Amsterdamn and Vienna in the weeks before getting there. After id done the tourist stuff in Athens i got really bored. And yes i stayed in the worst possible area in Athens – i really should have reached out to my Greek friends beforehand. My bad.

 

After the awesomeness of the Greek islands i went back to Athens to hang for a few days with a friend. She took me around the city and I met her friends and saw what the place was like for the local people. And it was here that i realised that Athens is a great city to live in as a local. Every night we went to an awesome bar that she DJ’s in and it was just a great place to hang out in. Great tunes, b.tchin cocktails. I also got to meet some of her friends who told me all about their city and stuff to see and do. Really great people. And thats the point im trying to get to – Athens / Greece seems to be all about the people. The people have fun with each other. Its all about the now and enjoying the now. We should all be more that way inclined. Sure their economies fcuked, but so too is many others around the world including mine.

 

I spent a few days also in a coastal town named Porto Rafti that had approx 1 tourist in the whole region – me. Hung with my Greek/Australian mate Leno who was also there to holiday with his family. Great to chill on the beach, get some more Greek food, hang out at the bars and cafes at night. Eat more Greek food. Then have a nap. Then eat more Greek food. I had Ouzo. That sh.t wiped me out..

 

Then i saw U2 and that was beyond amazing to see.

 

In short, if any of you are going to Athens, do the touristy stuff for 2 days. Then go meet some locals and get them to show you around and just hang out with them at cafes or bars or restaurants. Enjoy their lifestyle for a few days. Then go buy more records. And eat more Saganaki. And DONT STAY IN OMONIA.

 

Major thanks to Evi, Leno and their friends & family for showing me around. Good times to be continued. Soon.

 

adam

its a small world after all

So i left my Spanish future place of residence with a few hours notice due to bad weather. Came to Paris cause i had nothing else to do. I know that sounds silly, but that’s a luxury you get out here when there’s plenty of cheap bus/planes/cars to get you anywhere on this continent at a moment’s notice. Even though i was here for 2 weeks back in July, I still didn’t get to see or do everything so thought fcuk it. Im here for a week then back to Barcelona for a week then i hit up London

 

Found out ZZ Top are in town tonight so that will not suck. Maceo Parker was here on Thursday night but i had to skip it as it was nigh on impossible to get back to the hotel after the show. I could not get my funk on damn it. I did see him in Prince’s band in 2003 at the Basement in Sydney when Prince played a show at 4am to 200 people but that’s another story for another time.

 

So i decided to go to Disneyland. It was amazing. Ive wanted to go since i was 5. Sure its EuroDisney and its full of French people but it still rocked. I met a girl from Brazil (friend of a friend) near the Moulin Rouge the day before I went to get my Disney on and she asked me what i was doing tomorrow. I said “Disneyland”. She went wide eyed in wonderment at what fun could be had at a place like that. So we upped and left at 8am for the trek out to Disneyland. YEAH MOTHERFCUKER!!!!

 

Stupid arrogant fcukwit French poodle loving c.ocksuckers decided to strike over the price of cheese or croissants or some lame excuse to gather and riot so there was potential to delay us. But we beat the strike on the trains and made our way to Disney trouble free.

 

**pretend im 8 and then read the below sentence**

 

We walk in and booya theres Donald and Goofy and that was cool and the kids are freaking out (big ones too) and then like I hate rollercoasters but my new Brazilian friend forced me on to the Indiana Jones one and it was great so we went again then we met Mickey and that was intense and then i had ice cream and even though it was like 3 degrees at Disneyland it was great and then we went on a choo choo train and then had a burger that was in a Mickey container and the fries too (but the French call them frites) and why the fcuk do they put mayonnaise on frites?? so damn silly but then we found the star wars section and i went mental in anticipation and then we saw a FORREALS X Wing and it was awesome and then like went on this space simulator that took us to the forrest moon of Endor but we were still in France and then we saw a Michael Jackson 3D movie from the 80s when he still had his original face and i forgot how bad (in a good way) that motherfcuker can dance and then we lined up for 10 minutes to go on Space Mountain 2 and jeebus for someone who 5 hours earlier swore he would never ever go on a rollercoaster ever this was insane and then we went on it and there were asteroids and planets flying around and at one point i had no idea if i was upside down or going up a hill or what and i think i passed out for a few seconds and it was great then we came out of there and straight in to the merchandise shop and i got a t shirt  for the therapist and then we heard music and ran over and there was a stage show and all the characters from Monsters Inc and Toy Story and The Incredibles and Lilo & Stitch and more Disney people and even Mickey was playing the drums and then we went straight to the tea cup ride and that was really cool and then straight to Le Pirates de Caribbean ride and that was boring compared to Space Mountain 2 but still great and it was dark and the water rollercoaster did this big drop and i couldn’t see and then a flash went off and the fools took my photo and then we did another rollercoaster and then got more merch and then it was time to leave as we had been there for almost 9 hours already.

 

**stop pretending im 8**

 

Happiest place on Earth?? No, that would be the Playboy Mansion. But it was a great day and even though its not the original Disneyland it was still awesome to see all the characters and rides and stuff that ive seen since i was a kid. And seeing so many happy kids running around (and the exhausted parents) was great too. The only thing that would have topped off such a great day was if i found Shirty The Slightly Aggressive Bear, but he was in hibernation / passed out as Ye Old Pissweak Worlde was under maintenance. Boo.

 

Then we took le metro to le big tower and then back to le hotel and had more le cocktails and stuff then i collapsed in le bed. Even le big kids cant handle a full day at le Disneyland

 

Sarah, im sorry i didn’t get to the other park next door for the Aerosmith ride, that would have been awesome but we ran out of time. BUT now i have an excuse to go there again. But before that we must do the real Disneyland in Cali pre Coachella awesomeness. Yes.

 

weewee

 

Le adam