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Past Parity

Monday, June 30th, 2003

Highway to Hell and back again

I had the most insane weekend.

My band was meant to play a gig out in Spokane which is roughly a 5 hour drive in good conditions. I asked my manager Cliff the day before whether he thought the bus was OK to make it there (it's about 15 years old with 200k plus miles on it) , and he assured me it could do it no problem.

Halfway up Highway 18 smoke started pouring out of the engine. We decided after a quick look see to keep going. To cut a long story short the bus broke down about 8 times over the next 24 hour period by either blowing hoses or running out of gas because it wouldn't switch to it's backup tank. To add insult to injury we didn't even play because we got there so late. My favorite part of the weekend was pushing the bastard back up a the exit ramp about 100 miles outside Spokane when it stalled.

When we finally got the thing going the last time the rest of the idiots in my band decided they should get as drunk as possible before we got back. If I hadn't already been locked in a confined hot space with them for a day I may have been able to take this with a pinch of salt but as it stood it was the last straw for my sanity. I really hate being around drunk people when I'm sober, which is all too often nowadays. I can't explain why it winds me up other than seeing 30 something’s acting like teenagers is kind of pathetic.

The whole experience taught me that a real tour with this band would end in blood shed within 48 hours.

I spent most of Sunday either sleeping or lazing around the house which after the previous days was like drinking champagne and being massaged. It’s funny that I was thinking that going to work would have been a relaxing alternative.

spoke Rob at at 4.54pm | permalink | 0 comments

Sunday, June 29, 2003

Let there be blog

So I finally caved in admitted that it was time I had my own blog.

I wanted to record my life somewhat so I could look back and either laugh or cry as needed. Fortunately my wife Rose is a certified genius on the old com-pooper so I had her make me this blog. As you can already see I have something of a celebrity crush on Milla Jovavich. When I figure out why you can be sure I'll paste it up here

So here is a little history. I was born in the UK in 1973 to two of the most neurotic people who ever existed, mind you they both Jewish so that probably explains everything. My life up until I was 16 pretty much sucked between the fact I was a certified geek, my parents were tight wads and I had enough acne to keep Clearasil in business for the next decade.
When I was 16 two things happened:
1) I got a job
2) I started playing bass guitar
3) I discovered alcohol
I formed my first band a year later and worked with the same lead singer Paul for the next 6 years eventually forming (Cries of) Tammuz who I recorded 2 albums with.

When I was 21 I met my wife Rose. Of course she wasn’t my wife at that stage just an anonymous girl with black hair in a bar. In true fashion on my life I was on a date with another girl when I hooked up with Rose. We got married 5 months later and I haven't looked back since. I often say that getting married is the only intelligent thing I have ever done and makes up for all my other screw ups

In 1999 Rose and I moved to the US (Rose is from the US originally). We live in Federal Way, WA with Oliver the incredible sleeping dog and Nugget the worlds first Dachshund/Satanic demon mix.

spoke Rob at at 10.14pm | permalink | 0 comments