|

















































































































































































































|
|
|
|
1. So now you're
home...Have you had time for reflecting on the last tour? |
|
|
DC... Not
really...there's plenty of time for that...Most important is
for me to relax in the moment & the loving embrace of my
Family...I've missed them immensely, as you can
imagine...& I need to reconnect with Tahoe...which isn't
difficult, as it's one of my favourite places on Earth!
I'm trying to get up on in the mountains for my
walks...hikes...There is an immense benefit for me as a person
when I commune with Mother Nature...Indescribable...I go up
there with problems...& return with solutions...'Tis a
magical place, I tell you!
|
|
|
2. How did this
last tour compare with previous tours? |
|
|
DC... It
was the hottest tour I've ever done!... Both in temperatures
& performances!... Also, this was by far the most
successful tour in terms of the amount of people we played to
since I returned to performing live in 2003...
The consistency of the shows...the camaraderie with the band,
our crew & assistants...Everyone pulled together
admirably...Memorable moments...many magical evenings in the
company of friends...Mmm... where have I heard that
before!...No matter...it's still true! We overcame most of the
challenges, real & imagined, that come out of the blue to
try & stop the momentum...We did it, Baby!
Man...we are blessed with a great crew...A GREAT crew...the
best! We never stopped moving forward...even against the most
adversarial & difficult situations...Onwards &
Forwards!... The motto of the Snake...
|
|
| 3.
Everyone I talk to hopes you will keep this line up...There's
a lot of people who feel this is the best Whitesnake yet... |
|
DC...
I would love to keep this band together...& it is a
remarkable chapter for Whitesnake... People welcome the
individuals more positively now than ever...& quite
deservedly so... & yes it is a superb chapter of the
band...I'm thrilled with them...
I love working with each of them on a personal level...
great guys... & also, more importantly, as a band... I
hope the circumstances support us continuing... it's a ton of
fun!
|
|
| 4.
There have been so many musicians thro' Whitesnake...Are you a
hard man to work for? |
|
| DC...
No... I work with me every day... I'm a breeze to work with!..
It's the others!... Ha Ha!
|
|
| 5.
Let's backtrack a bit to pre-tour preparations... how long did
you and the band rehearse before heading off to Japan? |
|
DC...
To be honest, I'm the worst for rehearsing...the less the
better for me...Fortunately, my band are more professional!...
It was probably a week in LA... I had to keep zipping across
town to check on the mixing of the forthcoming live
album...so, I was pretty busy...
For me it's a matter of getting my voice open & physically
prepared for the vocal thrashing it's about to undergo on the
road... For the guys, it's getting re-familiarized with the
songs...discussing what we fancy playing along with the
'necessary' songs in the set...& messing about with
arrangements to keep us from 'going thro' the motions'
onstage...It must be fresh...& we all take it very
seriously...
|
|
| 6. What
about the merchandise? When does the design process for the
t-shirts and programs begin? |
|
DC...
My partner & I...the famous Two Cool Coyotes...are
normally messing around year-round with ideas for
designs...Updating the more popular designs...We work with a
great design team at Signatures, the merchandising company
we're involved with...They're headed by David
Seltzer...another veteran who certainly knows his trade... The
tourbooks are most definitely a labour of love for us...but,
great fun to put together...Doing the layout is the most work
of all the merch stuff. Some of the players are easy to pick
pix of...some not so...We always try to keep the ensemble
happy, but, unfortunately, we don't always succeed!
We have to go thro' literally thousands of pix...which can be
a little wearing...The good news is my partner & I get on
wonderfully...& rarely lose it with each other...We're on
the same page, as the saying goes...
|
|
| 7. How
much input do you have in the design of Whitesnake
merchandise? |
|
| DC...
100%...
|
|
| 8. How
do you establish the quantity of merchandise needed for the
tour? |
|
DC...
The quantity is dictated by the size & capacity of the
venues we are going to play, so as the tour is put together,
that is the sole indicator...We try not to end up with a bunch
of 2006 shirts going into 2007!
We're pretty lucky that our merch is very popular, wherever we
go...Just ask the bootleggers!
|
|
| 9. Last
year, the tour program had Chinese/Japanese characters... this
year it's Celtic designs. Is there any significance to this? |
|
DC...
Mostly, it's just an attempt to keep it visually
interesting...Fresh...My partner & I are constantly
looking at ways to make the designs interesting & offer
new angles...or, maybe digging something out of the
past...'retro', they call it...& revamping the idea...
Sometimes it works...& sometimes it doesn't pay off as
well as we'd like...However, part of the fun is in the
research...the experiments...When it works, we're like two
kids in a candy store!
We were especially happy with this year's book...It was much
easier to put these things together when I toured once every 3
years...but now, with going on tour annually, it takes a lot
of time & effort to keep coming up with good, interesting
ideas...It's a good, creative challenge...
|
|
| 10. Can
you describe a typical day when you are on tour? |
|
|
DC...
What... & compromise the magic?... Ruin the illusion?...
Ha Ha!
When I’m on tour my day is pretty much routine for the
duration...Workouts...vocal exercise...meditations...&
rest...All preparations for the show...
Days off are usually travel
days...but, a great opportunity to rest my voice...tho’
I’m constantly asked to do interviews... For some reason,
they don’t seem to think that if I’m ‘talking’ all day
isn’t stressful on my voice...but, it is...My poor, ol’
cords take quite a thrashing out there! I am constantly aware
of the possibility that if I don’t take care of my voice,
then the next show, or even the tour could be jeopardized...
I will share with you that I had
arranged some spectacular, unusual days off in Vienna during
the tour...Cindy, Jasper & I stayed there, while my band
drove onto the next city, so my daughter, Jessica, could drive
in from Munich with her two stunning daughters, Georgina...who
is a MAJOR handful, but, utterly beautiful & can get away
with it easily...& for the first time we met our new
grandaughter, Tilda Lily...who is simply breathtaking, of
course!
So, all I hold precious in life was
with me for a few days...& for the very first time ever, I
was an active Grandpa in the middle of a tour!
It also made sense for me to base
there so I could meet with the prospective record company
representatives from Germany...so...a little business was
mixed in with the pleasure...Tho’ I must say, it is a
pleasure doing business with SPV...Their enthusiasm is
infectious...& a very welcome... Very much removed from
the relatively uncaring attitude I see from the major record
companies...
|
|
| 11.
Some people have expressed disappointment that Whitesnake
didn't come to their country. How were the concert locations
chosen? |
|
DC...
Once again at the risk of repeating myself... this aspect has
nothing to do with me...
My Friend & agent, Rod MacSween, puts the word out that
we're going to tour, & promoters get in touch with him if
they are interested... That is it... plain & simple... or,
promoters may open dialogue with him & he sees the
opportunity to launch a whole tour... I think Japan was the
first piece of the puzzle this year...
I promise you it has nothing to do with us NOT wanting to
visit another country & play... or us only playing our
favourite places... it is very simple... you have to get your
promoters to get off their arses & step up to the plate...
& we'll be there... if it all works out, it all works
out... & there is always routing the tour... sometimes it
is impossible to get to a place on a tour that has a venue
that is only available at a particular time... & it may be
miles out of the way for our trucks...
Another instance on this last tour, I saw that Ireland wasn't
on the original tour plan so I asked Rod to look into it... I
love playing & visiting there... but to the best of my
knowledge, there was no invite... Apparently, the promoters
weren't 'feeling the love', Baby... & if anything came
later... it was probably too late to route the tour there...
Believe me... it's disappointing for me, too... & there is
always next time...
|
|
| 12. Any
unpleasant memories from the tour, disappointments?... |
|
DC...
Yes, unfortunately... I was very unhappy that the organizers
of the Bang Your Head festival didn't fully articulate, or
explain that it was not Whitesnake's fault that we went on
late & had to cut the show short by 5 songs... They had
trouble with their generators, I understand, just before we
were to go on... & while this was being fixed, I happily
had pictures taken with the promoter & the artist who
designed the festival logo, etc... & nobody said anything
about a curfew before the show... or that we would have to cut
our performance so drastically short... so, I didn't find out
until I came off for Doug's solo piece before 'Crying In The
Rain'... I had all these people around me, panicking...
telling me I had to stop before 11pm, or I & the festival
organizers would be charged 100,000 Euros a minute!
As you can imagine, that was rather sobering... so, I said to
Horst... the promoter... he should come onstage with me &
help explain the problem... but, he wouldn't... so, I tried my
best... in my modest German... to tell the crowd the
problem... I felt terrible... I could see a lot of them could
not understand why the headliner only played half a show...
Then afterwards, to be told it was our fault was beyond the
pale... I was most upset by this... The show had started off
great...
Budapest was another sad scenario... we were there... ready to
rock... & suddenly, a huge storm blew in... & I mean
HUGE!... It devastated the stage & the show site... it was
to be an open air show... Man... it was some storm... flooding
streets... I watched helplessly from my hotel window... I knew
it was going to be called off... It would have been impossible
for anyone to perform in those conditions... Our equipment was
soaked... & that's a big problem, as most of it is
customized... We felt terrible for the people who'd traveled
from all over Hungary for the show... just terrible... but
there was absolutely nothing we could do... God Willing, we'll
make it up to them sometime...
The other disappointing thing was seeing so many cheap,
bootleg WS T-shirts out there... I can certainly understand
people wanting something cheaper than the quality we offer...
but, really... it's supporting the bootleggers... not the
band... It was a major problem the further south we travelled...
You see, the money we make from our merchandise is a very
necessary element these days & it helps pay for the band
to actually survive as a band... Very necessary...
We appreciate the support that people give us by buying our
merch, believe me... & I take the quality & the design
very seriously... I have never wanted to rip people off... I
have always tried to give people their money's worth... |
|
| 13. Any
amusing moments to share? |
|
| DC...
Lots!
|
|
| 14. How
did you go about deciding on the set list for this tour? Did
the band members give you any input? |
|
DC...
There are certain songs that have to be in there, or we'd get
our arses kicked!... Yes... the band have input... after
all... they're the ones playing the tunes... It's fascinating
to me how passionate they are about certain songs... Don't
forget it was the band who wanted to do 'Burn'... they'd grown
up with that album... Influenced & inspired by it... so...
why not?... It was not my idea... You never know, sometimes,
what's going to work & what isn't... For instance... we
started off playing 'Guilty Of Love' & for some reason we
weren't connecting with it... It felt kind of 'poppy' to us...
so... Ciao, Baby!
It has to feel right in order for us to present it properly...
|
|
| 15. How
does it feel doing the same songs night after night? |
|
DC...
Fine, really... We mix it up sometimes to keep us on our
toes... & the audience response helps immensely in
inspiring us to do our best... There are times I wonder if I
can be as enthusiastic singing 'Burn' with the same intensity,
night after night, for instance... but, when I see the crowd
react with such appreciation, it immediately makes any
misgivings vanish... Tho' I must say I was rather concerned in
Greece when some people started fires in the crowd when we
started... Perhaps taking 'Burn' to the extreme!... Thanks,
Guys... but, we don't need those 'special effects'!
You must also remember that when I toured years ago, it was
once every 3 years... not every year as we do now... so, there
are certain songs I need to dig pretty deep to perform 100%...
but, hey... that's how it is... There are some songs we HAVE
to play... The hard decision is choosing the other songs...
Also, I cannot stress how incredibly consistent this band
is... Firing on all six cylinders every night... from
the first show in Japan, to the last show in Birmingham...
Exceptional players... great band to work with... Inspiring...
|
|
| 16. Why
did you do certain songs in one place that you didn't play
elsewhere for us... |
|
| DC...
Easy... to keep it fresh!
|
|
| 17.
What happened to 'Mistreated'?...Before the tour you were
quoted as saying it was definitely going to be featured this
time... |
|
|
DC... I
started out with it... We played it a few times in Japan at
the beginning... & I just couldn't get into it... It's
hard to articulate, but it was suddenly like trying to get
into clothes that don't fit anymore... Believe me... it was a
disappointment for all of us, as well as some of you... Even
in rehearsals I felt it... but, I thought it would work better
singing it to a crowd...
The band played it marvelously... Doug
was scorching the solo... It was a tough decision for me to
make, as the band were so obviously enjoying it &
committed to getting the best out of the song... I know a lot
of people were disappointed that I ended up not singing it...
but, I'm not prepared to 'pretend' up there... Who knows...
one day I may be able to pull it off... Sorry, it wasn't this
trip...
I think most people realize it's
impossible for us to play everyone's personal favourite songs
from Whitesnake's catalogue in one concert... but, if you are
coming to the show to hear ONE song... then... ooh, we have a
problem...
Also, I've been asked why I didn't do so much a cappella this
time out... Simple... I couldn't hear your requests! After
many years, my onstage monitor guy finally got me to wear TWO
in-ear monitors... My 'hearing aids'!... The difference is
amazing... I can hear the band beautifully... the soloists...
the voices...
Our guy, Barry, is a great mixer, & provides individual
mixes for those in the band who wear the in-ear monitors...
but, as in anything, there is a price... I can't hear one
person calling out for a particular song... Not very well,
anyway... I have a feeling that I will soon be needing an
'appliance', unfortunately, to assist my hearing... My left
ear ain't doing so well... Considering what my ears have been
subjected to over the years... it will be a small price to
pay...
|
|
| 18. The
new song 'Ready to Rock' was very well received when it was
performed. Out of the 4 new songs in the upcoming CD, why did
you choose this particular one? |
|
| DC...
Doug & I felt it would be fun to do one of the new songs
sometimes in the set... & it was the first one we both
thought of... I'm looking forward to playing more new stuff...
It's definitely time...
|
|
| 19. The
new song was only performed a few times during the tour. Did
you decide ahead of time which audiences would get to hear it
live? |
|
| DC...
No... it was a last minute decision... Usually, just before
going onstage...
|
|
| 20.
Speaking of the new CD, you recently signed with a new label (SPV).
How did this come about? |
|
|
DC... SPV
are an excellent independent European company with a diverse
stable of artists & musical styles... including my old
mate, Ritchie Blackmore... They have very, very patiently
waited for me to come around to the idea of making a new
Whitesnake record for several years now... & their
enthusiasm is one of the main reasons I'm going back in the
studio...
I believe they actually care about
music, unlike some of the other larger companies I spoke
with... & that is refreshing enough for me!
I'm looking forward to working with them very much... On this
most recent tour, it was obvious to me that I am missing some
very necessary ingredients to help keep a band like Whitesnake
up & running & moving forward... & that is a
record company that is fully behind the artist & fully
involved in the promotion of the band & the tour... I
didn't see one representative of any of the companies I am
affiliated with in Europe on this last trip...not one...&
they all benefit from my endeavours...
God Willing, the people I have been meeting with at SPV will
continue to be involved with the band & I...they are
exemplary as record company executives...They definitely want
to run with the ball...their enthusiasm is infectious...I
believe we'll do very well together...
|
|
| 21. I'm
a big fan of Def Leppard...How was it working with them? |
|
DC...
It was great!...The guys are kicking major arse...I was very
pleased to see them & work with them...Joe & I have
become e-mail pals...Yorkshire lads, you see... It was great
to see Vivian again, after so many years...
My Missus is a big fan...we're going to see them when they
play in Reno...I'm looking forward to it...
|
|
| 22.
There's a great photo taken by Ross Halfin where you are
standing between Joe Elliot and Lemmy. Was that a spontaneous
photo or did Ross set that one up? |
|
| DC...
Yes... I was talking to the guys backstage at the Milan show
& Ross, who's a good mate of mine... my Southern
Brother... asked for us to pose for a shot...
|
|
| 23. You
seemed to enjoy working with The Answer on the UK tour...In
fact, you were actively promoting them... |
|
|
DC... I
thoroughly enjoyed working with them... I feel they have a
great future, if the necessary opportunities unfold for
them... Great singer... great players...Yes...I had a similar
feeling years ago when I worked with 'Thunder'...
As I said to the guys...a lot will
depend on how much they want success...There are more
challenges out there than ever... You must be strong...
committed... passionate... in order to cut thro'... push
thro'... fight thro' all the bullshit this business can throw
at you... Even people who work with you can steer you wrong,
if you ain't careful... Be true to yourself... You're the ones
doing it... Oh... & work on the kind of songs that THEY
want to play... Songs are the key... You can be the best band
in the land... but, without songs that connect to the crowd...
you're just a good band...
The Answer have all the ingredients... all the elements...
it's just running with the ball now... & God Willing, the
opportunities will happen...
They gave me an iTunes Gift Certificate as an appreciation at
the end of the tour... Unnecessary, but very
thoughtful...& much appreciated... 'Tis a gift that keeps
on giving... Ahh, music... The best!
|
|
| 24.
Which places gave you the best reception? |
|
DC...
Ahh...I know what you're after!... I must say we are blessed
to be received positively wherever we set up to play... It's
amazing... This time out we had the pleasure of going to
countries we haven't played before & the response was
overwhelming!
For instance... we played Beograd... Belgrade... in an old,
war ravaged hockey stadium... An amazing, soulful
atmosphere!... So appreciative... I played there 32 years ago
with Deep Purple... & I sincerely hope we have the
opportunity to return... Slovenia... Macedonia... Turkey...
Yeah, Baby!... I hope they invite us back!
|
|
| 25.
There must have been more excitement than usual in the
countries that waited so many years to see you perform. When
you arrived, were there a lot more press requests than usual? |
|
DC...
Yes...& very generous they were, too...But, to be honest
there are always lots of press requests...It's sometimes hard
for me as my focus is on my work... Please don't
misunderstand, I find 'promo' a necessary evil, most of the
time... like shooting videos... Talking about music is like
singing about football for me...
I try to do as much promotion as possible before the tour so I
don't have to compromise my time on tour... but... it never
works out that way!
I do appreciate that people are interested in talking with
me... it's just when I'm on tour I need all the rest I can get
for my voice...
|
|
| 26. We
heard rumours you were ill for quite a lot of the tour...what
was it? |
|
DC...
Well... the first thing was that food poisoning, whatever it
was, after the Manchester show... What is it about coming back
to my home country???... Only joking, Gang!... If you remember
I had food poisoning at the start of the 2004 UK tour... &
ended up having to reschedule the first night in Glasgow...
Fortunately, we could honour the Birmingham cancellation by
rescheduling at the very end... That's never happened to me
before... having to apologize to the audience that I couldn't
continue... Their response, by the way, was totally
supportive... Incredibly generous, considering... They could
see I was struggling...
Sadly, the same could not be said for the Budapest show...
Hopefully, we'll get back there to play next time...
The other stuff was the usual tour problems... sinus
infections... sore throats... Not bad, as it happens... I've
had tours that have been plagued by illness... My band & I
are pretty heroic, as it happens... Fight thro' the pain!...
There's nothing worse than having to cancel a show... It is
never a decision taken lightly... never...
|
|
| 27.
When you were in North Yorkshire for the Newcastle shows, did
you get the opportunity to visit some of your old stomping
grounds, Saltburn for example? |
|
|
DC...
Yes... I met both my Aunts at my dear Friend, Eugene McCoy's
fab restaurant, the Cleveland Tontine, outside of
Middlesbrough, for a terrific lunch... It was genuinely
touching to see them again... & we had a fine lunch
together.
Also, I hadn't seen Eugene, or his Wife, Barbara, & their
children for maybe 10 years...The kids are all grown up!...
Amazing... & they've grown beautifully & are all doing
wonderfully... It was an absolute treat for me to see them,
& doing so well... His daughter Mary is a working
actress... His son Eugene is in the musical Mamma Mia in
London... & Rory is acting in a movie about Dunkirk
they're shooting in Redcar, of all places...
After lunch we visited my closest Friend, Tony Z & his
gorgeous Missus, Linda, at their exquisite home for tea &
whatevers... It was exceptional company... a stunning
Yorkshire day... Simply breathtaking... An excellent diversion
from my normal tour activities... & most welcome...
It was at the last minute I decided... also, under orders from
my Wife... to go to Saltburn after all these years... After
losing my Mam, I visited all the places I'd lived & grown
up, as I had a strange feeling I was cutting the connecting,
umbilical cord to certain aspects of my past... the ties that
bind... & I'm glad I went there...
First, we stopped at the home of some
dear Friends of mine I hadn't seen for many years &
surprised the buggery out of them!... In fact, I think the
Angels were at work that day, as it was Chris's birthday,
& I turn up like some goofy, singing telegram out of the
blue!...A real treat...& photos to prove it!
We drove down to the beach & had an early dinner of dressed crab at the Ship Inn...Splendid fare...a pub I was never old enough to drink in when I lived in
Saltburn!
A rarified day I will never forget...It unfolded perfectly...
Another treat for me being in my beloved North of England, was having the great pleasure to reconnect with my dear ol’ pal, Mac Mason & meet his beautiful wife, Wendy, after the second Newcastle show...Oh, & Ravishing Roz & her huz, the Infamous Body Artiste, Russ Pool, a rogue if you ever saw one, made a very welcome appearance as well, just before taking their marriage vows again...She brought me a Yorkshire Tea Loaf...Utterly sinful, & devoured that very night by Christie, KJ, Sascha & me...Nothing left but crumbs the next morning!
All in all, it was a very emotionally charged, fulfilling time for me in my old stomping grounds...& hard to leave, to be honest... |
|
| 28. Did
you enjoy playing those big festivals this year? |
|
|
DC...
Absolutely...but, the security fences were placed too far away
from the stage...At times I felt I was performing for the
security men!
I much prefer being able to physically
connect with the crowd...When they're so far back I feel it
necessary to project much more...It's more tiring & not as
satisfying...
I can understand security concerns, but 12 to 20 feet is quite
the chasm!
|
|
| 29.
Adrian Vandenberg joined you on stage at the Arrow festival in
Holland. Which songs did he perform with Whitesnake? |
|
|
DC...'Here
I Go Again'...after all, his solo is on the most successful
recorded version...The place went crazy...& justifiably...Adje
should be designated a Dutch National Treasure...
A dear Friend...He's welcome up there
with us whenever he wants...
|
|
| 30. We
were happy to see Reb get his own solo spot at last... Did you
enjoy what he was doing? |
|
|
DC...
Totally!... He ripped the joint to bits!... He was in such
joy... Reb Unleashed!... Yes... I was very happy he was
shredding his heart out...
I must bring something to your
attention... I was trying to shy away from too many individual
solo spots, to be honest... Most of you who have followed me
thro' the years know that from Purple on there have been a lot
of free form solos going on...a LOT!... & usually, some
people complain... or go to the bathroom... but, I enjoy my
players stretching out... as long as it doesn't go on forever
& bore the pants off the crowd...
Reb & Doug just light it up...
& their pleasure shines thro' to the audience... Such
incredible players...
|
|
| 31.
What was the story on the new necklace...Was that a rosary you
were wearing? |
|
| DC...
The necklace was a gift from my Japanese promoter,
Naoki-San...I like working with him, very much... & I
really liked the piece... The rosary was a gift from a fan...
I just slipped it on before going onstage... & liked
wearing it... Of course, I mean no disrespect to the Catholic
faith... It felt good to wear...
|
|
| 32. We
saw some different girls with you this time out... What
happened to Christie Lee? |
|
|
DC...
Christie started the tour with me... Japan thro' 'til the
Glasgow date... We had always agreed on the first two
months... The longer I stay on the road, it becomes more
difficult for Christie to be away from her family & her
other professional activities... She is a very popular massage
therapist & a Pilates instructor, & has quite a
substantial clientele who miss her terribly when I spirit her
away for too long...That includes my wife, Cindy, who misses
her massage work big time!
Christie was gracious &
professional enough to seek a replacement for her after her
two months with me...As you can imagine, it's quite a
demanding & somewhat intimidating role to fulfill... after
all... Christie & I have worked incredibly well together
for over 10 years now...so, to come in to replace her is very
daunting... However, we found a charming & very
accomplished assistant in Karie... or KJ... She did
exceptionally well under some very difficult
circumstances...but, she pulled it off very well & very
satisfactorily for someone thrown headfirst in the deep end!
Joya was my new wardrobe girl &
some may remember her from the Meet & Greets we did during
the 2005 US tour... She was the coordinator & impressed
the buggery out of me with her professional approach, her
people skills & her work ethic... She is excellent & a
very welcome addition to the WS Family...I hope she enjoyed
working with me as much as I did with her...
|
|
| 33. You
were at Heathrow on the 10th of August to return home to the
States...How was it? Were you scared to fly with all the
threats? |
|
|
DC...
No... I was determined to get home... I was ready!
Well, as most of you know, I subscribe
to astrology & I knew we were still going to be in the
afterburn of a very, very 'fluffy' Mercury Retrograde...so,
interestingly, I wasn't expecting it to be smooth, let's
say...Tho' I didn't expect quite so much drama... I first knew
about it when I received a call from my good Friend, Tony
Z...who told me to turn the news on...
Our Tour Manager, the exceptional
Gideon Hogan, rose way above the call of duty that morning to
ensure we all got on our flights, against all the odds...a
definite mention in dispatches for that lad...
Once we cleared security & after
having every single piece of our hand baggage taken from
us...including bottled water...I saw Heathrow at its most
empty...A very strange feeling, I can tell you...Anyway...we
were in the lounge watching the news & keeping an eye on
the arrival & departure screens...& seeing every
single flight, in & out of London, cancelled...APART FROM
OURS!...Unbelievable, thinking back on it... As it happens, I
had a perfect flight...I was interviewed by CNN when I cleared
customs in LA...this woman, very dramatically asked me how I
felt flying on such a day with all the threats of
terrorism...I told her, quite honestly, that NOTHING was gonna
stop me getting home to Family...
I was told there were 4 airplanes
flying over the Atlantic that day...all three of them had
members of the band & our crew on them!... "Snakes On
A Plane!!!"... Obviously,
nothing can stop these Snakes, Baby!
|
|
| 34.
"Be safe... be happy... and don't let anyone make you
afraid"... you have been making this statement at the end
of your shows since 2003. Is there any particular significance
to this? |
|
|
DC...
Yes...for a bunch of reasons...but, particularly when most of
our elected representatives seem to be doing their best to
keep us in fear so, they can get away with shredding our
liberties in broad daylight & control us
easier...Absolutely...
If you’re a student of history, you
can see similar approaches have been used forever,
unfortunately...by church & state...& bullies, of
course...telling us it’s for our own good...
I appreciate this is an age of
increased terrorism...but, to sacrifice so much for some
‘new’ agenda to supposedly keep us safe is unacceptable to
me on every level...
Risk is part of our everyday lives & we should be
suspicious of anyone who tries to control us thro’ fear...
Actually, I see a lot more people
waking up to some of the nonsense that’s being perpetrated
on the premise of our safety...the smoke & mirrors...the
distractions...
We have to get on with living our lives...regardless of what
others are trying to achieve, or if your partner in a
relationship is abusive, or doesn’t appreciate who you are,
or what you’re trying to do with your life, or compromises
what makes you happy...
Our freedom of choice to live our
lives as we want should never be compromised...so...as much as
you can in this day & age...stay safe...Be in
joy...Oh...& I wish You All LOVE, too! (.) |
|
|