MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010
ASIA, in a nut shell.
Yes it's true, I am a lazy blogger. Better late than never though, right? So I've spent this entire week recovering from my Asian jet lag. I had no idea it was going to be so brutal! But the tour was well worth the sleepless nights and daytime grogginess. We started off in Singapore. Singfest was pretty impressive I must say. Sharing a bill with Kanye West was not something I ever thought I'd be able to claim. The best part was when Kanye ambushed the airport golf carts we had reserved to shuttle us to the baggage claim. But who is going to question the guy wearing sunglasses at night (indoors), right? thanks for making us walk Kanye!
Tokyo, I must say, is brilliantly cartoon-like. I don't think I've ever seen so many bright colors and smiley faces on one city block in my life. All the girls look like living dolls. Speaking of dolls, i stumbled upon a store that was reserved for doll WIGS specifically, and there was a LINE to get in. this may have been the first time in my life that Ive been truly culture shocked. I loved it.
i think the thing i appreciated most about Japan was the work ethic. no matter where i went there was a sense of urgency to assist me. from the hotel workers to the cab drivers to the guy behind the counter at Mcdonald's (so what, i was craving an egg mcmuffin.) i don't know if i was just over tired , but i had an emotional moment at mcdonalds that morning. mikey was my witness. i felt so overwhelmed by the amount of pride that the Japanese take in their work that i started to cry when the guy behind the counter ran from the back to help me, stapled my bag with great care and efficiency, and passed it to me with two hands and a smile. im sorry but that just doesnt exist in america.
enough about emo-Nicole. Summersonic blew my mind. The audience was practically silent, but I didn't take it personally as I had been forewarned that this is customary. I got really self-conscious on stage because I coughed and I swear the guy all the way in the back row (there were probably 15,000 people) could hear me. We could hear Jay-Z's performance on a distant stage in between each of our songs which was pretty cool because I really wanted to see his show! I had a chance to see A-Ha perform "Take on Me" in Osaka, pretty amazing. He's still got it.
The two club shows in Tokyo were off the hook, and i rarely use that terminology. For whatever reason, the first night at studio coast felt like my best show with the Pumpkins to date. energy-wise we were spot on, and for as quiet as Japanese audiences generally are, this audience knew how to rock it out. at one point during the opening band, mikey went out into the audience and headbanged with everybody, it was quite entertaining i must say!
I had THE BEST sushi ive ever had in my life at the fish market in tokyo. it was simply tuna sashimi with green onion over rice, but it was so fresh and delicious. no words to explain how i feel about the food in japan. the ramen killed me, in the best way possible. the transportation situation was a little trickier than i imagined it would be. i gave up on the subway and took cabs everywhere. i really felt like i was in the movie Lost in Translation. We had a grand old time shopping in Harajuko, a bit overwhelming with all the lights and people screaming into megaphones to promote their stores, but good.
we had a couple of days off before the show in Seoul, Korea. i spent most of my time at various temples. i felt instantly at peace upon entering the buildings. the energy just makes you feel like no matter what you are dealing with at that time, you are going to be ok. and the world is just fine, and people are generally good, and you should be grateful for life and everything the universe has given you. it was definitely a good way for me to keep myself in check. not to mention the buildings themselves are absolutely stunning.
Korea was awesome. everyone in the band was really excited about korean bbq with the exception of myself, seeing as i dont eat beef. but that's alright! the show in Seoul was a great way to end the tour. Korean fans like to take lots of pictures and give you crazy gifts like candy that looks like it might be a bomb. we had a great time there, although we spent a good portion of our time in the underground mall at our hotel. you can't help yourself. it's so accessible!
in the end i think i was most impressed with Tokyo, probably because it felt like i was in a magical fairy tale land where dolls come to life and garbage does not exist. seriously, i did not see a speck of trash on the street. we had a fantastic time overall. Mexico City is next. I have a hunch it's going to be a wild one. then Sunset strip music fest, followed by the 2nd U.S. run. i will try to post more often. im new in the blog world, so cut me some slack . : )
i will post some photos from tour either here or on my facebook page. thanks for reading.....see you at the shows!
xo N
Posted by xocoleyf at 11:58 AM
THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 2010
Ten things I love about Singapore
1. the sunrises
2. curry Aman
3. hand-feeding mantarays
4. foot massages
5. the architecture (for example the leaning towers)
6. 24 hour malls in Little India
7. jade necklaces
8. no gum chewing
9. prostitution is legal but not stripping (?)
10. the giant ferris wheel
Posted by xocoleyf at 1:31 AM
THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2010
sometimes we fall down on stage.
it's happened to me before. except i didn't pass out. i seriously didn't realize that billy had blacked out, i assumed he tripped over a cable or something. i didn't know until he told us after the show. poor B-dawg. we all have tour wounds on some level though. mine comes in the form of a bruised and tattered wrist from the friction against my bass. it comes with the territory i suppose. today we had a day off in nashville. i bought some cute shoes from a store called posh (i'm slightly embarassed that i even walked into a store with such a terrible name). i'm pretty certain i'm developing a shoe fetish. i've already bought 3 pairs on this tour. wait til we get to japan. eek.
went dancing last night for kat's birthday with the bad city and kill hannah boys. the place was cheesy but we made the best of it. thank god for a day off today. i was in need of some serious recovery. today was very chill. i went to a late lunch with kat and saw "inception" with mikey. quite a mindfuck of a movie, but everything leo is in as of late is a mindfuck. checking out some guitars at a music shop billy wants to go to in the morning. then heading to knoxville for the show. side note: has everyone seen the double rainbow guy on youtube? pretty hysterical. what does it all mean?
Posted by xocoleyf at 9:47 PM
FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2010
Wohhhh! We're halfway there...
Wohhhh! Livin' on a prayer! that's my usual karaoke song choice, or sweet child o' mine. depends on my mood. anyhoo, we're halfway there, halfway through this tour that is. i can't even process how amazing it has been thus far. the shows have all been incredible. the reviews are so encouraging. the audiences are rocking my socks off. and i really feel like we are getting our moves down at this point. everyone is in good spirits and having a grand ole time. we've been going out to band dinners/lunches, hanging by the pools, shopping and paddling the dragon (aka my and mikey's fave way to pass time). it's been so inspiring to hear all of your positive feedback from what you have seen/heard of us as the new lineup. so thank you for that. looks like Freak has been hitting the airwaves and doing well. so well that we are currently adding dates to the tour in order to support it. I have no problem with that! i really feel like we are on the right path here and the momentum is really picking up. i'm so grateful that i get to be a part of this incarnation of the band, i feel right at home. we're not going anywhere......
Posted by xocoleyf at 9:21 AM
WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2010
I always feel like somebody's watching me....
I shared this at the pre-show set we did yesterday (for the first 20 people in line), and i'm pretty sure they all think i should be locked up. I'm not going to try to make this into a campfire ghost story or anything, I just want to share what is fresh on my mind. I've always been hyper sensitive to spirits but I've never had any experiences where the energy has been physically aggressive with me. We were staying at this amazing hotel that was built in the 1800's, so you know there's going to be some some history there. I felt uncomfortable upon entering my room, but I was super tired, so i did my best to brush it off. Just as I was drifting off i heard a sound like someone was rifling through my bag. Again, I'm exhausted so i really don't want to deal with anything supernatural at this juncture. Ten minutes later, something falls in the bathroom followed by more rummaging around in my belongings. at this point i have the covers up to my neck and i'm paralyzed by fear until 2 hours later when the sun comes up and i have the wherewithal to open the curtains. Satiated by the daylight, i drift off to sleep again. I don't know if you've ever experienced a night terror, but they are incredibly vivid. Here's the reason people probably think i need a lobotomy. I felt someone lift up the covers and lay in bed next to me. I repeatedly pushed whatever it was away from me, shouting NO over and over. What I recall distinctly is that i felt a spine, like i was pushing on someone's back. this went on for what felt like 2 or 3 minutes, until i felt it had left. i think i could have opened my eyes but i chose not to. the last thing i remember, and the moment that resonates, is feeling someone on top of me pushing my shoulders into the bed. there you have it. call it what you will but it was real enough that i refuse to stay alone for the next few nights! how's that for a tour adventure?
Posted by xocoleyf at 8:50 AM
SUNDAY, JULY 11, 2010
yeah. im "blogging"
i am only starting a blog because i want to be one of the boys. all of the boys in the band are tweeting and blogging so i feel a bit pressured to put myself out there the way that they do. but i guess it could be interesting depending on what kind of trouble we get ourselves into this tour. j/k we're so well behaved. i literally watch soap operas in my hotel room during the day and play my bass like a good girl. i think i've had 3 drinks this entire time. i love the rock-n-roll lifestyle. it's nerdy just like me.
Posted by xocoleyf at 1:16 AM
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