Min blog
LIDT OM SAS-REKLAMEN...
Jeg fik lige lyst til at skrive et lille indlæg, nu hvor SAS-reklamen har set dagens lys!
Da jeg i sin tid så de første reklamer med Uffe Ellemann og Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, var min første tanke, at det var et modigt og enormt forfriskende tiltag af SAS at lave så filmiske, rolige og subtile reklamer, uden snak og stort set uden logoer, og da de spurgte mig, om jeg ville være med til at lave den næste film i rækken, var jeg faktisk ikke et øjeblik i tvivl.
Jeg har sagt nej til en del reklamer i tidens løb og holder mig som hovedregel fra alt, hvad der ikke har noget med mit arbejde (musikken) at gøre, men konceptet og historien sat sammen med, at jeg i mit arbejde er ivrig, glad og tilfreds bruger af SAS, gjorde dette til noget andet.
SAS' brand har en dejlig dybde og tyngde, der skaber mange associationer for mig; jeg får faktisk en hjemlig følelse i maven, når jeg i alle mulige sammenhænge støder på SAS ude i verden.
Aah, at stige ombord på en flyver et sted derude og få stukket en dansk avis i hånden sammen med et "Go' morgen!" Det er noget værd, når man har været for længe væk hjemmefra...
Så hjertet var med, da vi skød den lille film. Og det var i øvrigt noget af en oplevelse!
Vi skød langt mere, end hvad der er presset ind i det lille minut. Jeg synes, den er blevet rigtig flot, men da jeg så den første gang, tænkte jeg mest på alle de fede scener, der ikke var kommet med.
Alle de kostume-skift, udendørs scener i iskold styrt-regn, stavren rundt på alt for høje hæle i alt for små sko etc etc etc. Men sådan er det jo.
Lidt ligesom når man i studiet arbejder en halv dag på en lille detalje, som man selv synes er helt fantastisk, men som man véd, kun hunde og flagermus vil lægge mærke til, når pladen er færdig...
I alle tilfælde var det rart at blive rykket lidt ud af rutinen, hvis man da på dén måde kan tale om rutine i mit liv. I år har jeg indtil videre, i kronologisk rækkefølge, været 3 uger i L.A., et smut i Danmark, en tur hele vejen rundt i Tyskland, en uge i New York, en uge i Berlin, endnu en uge i New York, en uge på vestkysten - L.A., San Fran og Seattle - endnu en uge i New York, et smut i Texas, i Chicago og så en sidste uge i Det Store Æble, der var ved at være grønt, da jeg tog derfra. Måske lidt mere om det inden længe...
Nu har jeg været hjemme i Århus for at øve med Steffen Brandt, som jeg starter duo-tour med i morgen. Helt sikkert mere om dét snart.
Hér bare lige en afrunding af SAS-tingen. Som sagt en skøn pause fra at bruge ørene og dejligt at arbejde SAMMEN med et team af folk og ikke være chef! :)
Faktisk ret skønt at være på udebane og bare skulle gøre, hvad der bliver sagt!
Det var måske værd liiige at tænke lidt over, Lady T...
HER KAN DU SE DE TO FØRSTE FILM
"Næsten Alene Igen" Tour - Dag 13: midtvejs-fest
En uge er der gået siden sidst. Det hele sejler, og tiden flyver afsted - som den skal, når man er på intens turné...
I aften er min 14. koncert på 15 dage. Det er ikke så tit, man ser så pressede turné-skemaer - alene fordi man skal passe på stemmen - men min har heldigvis kun godt af at synge, så hvis jeg ellers kan lade være med feste igennem og stå og råbe i dunkle baglokaler ud på de små timer, er det ikke noget problem at spille hver aften...
De sidste par aftener har vi spillet relativt små og rigtig hyggelige koncerter på Fyn i Rudme og Kerteminde; dén slags steder, hvor enthusiastiske medlemmer af den lokale musikforening blandes op med byens unge for at "se giraffen", og hvor flertallet typisk ikke kender musikken på forhånd. Det betyder selvfølgelig, at man ikke får den samme hujen, når man starter et "hit", men det betyder til gengæld, at de ikke er kommet med en låst forestilling om, hvad de vil have ud af aftenen. Det kan være en fantastisk oplevelse at overvinde nye folk og give dem en uventet oplevelse!
Det har været et par dejlige aftener, hvor vi nok faktisk har spillet vores bedste koncerter, til trods for trætte kroppe. Det kan faktisk være en fordel at være lidt træt, fordi man giver sig hen på en anden måde...
Mandag aften i København var en lidt underlig oplevelse. Vi havde spillet næsten 10 koncerter inden da, og jeg gik på scenen med ro i maven og en klar fornemmelse af, at intet ku' gå galt.
Men allerede et halvt minut inde i første nummer, hvor jeg er alene på scenen, blev mit tommelfinger-plekter fanget på en streng på guitaren, og jeg gik i stå i en lille sekund. Jeg kunne ikke høre guitaren tydeligt nok på scenen, så jeg har sikkert spillet alt for hårdt og forceret, hvilket kan være grunden til at dén slags sker.
Publikum har helt sikkert ikke tænkt over det overhovedet, men det mindede mig om - med et lille stød - at musikken er skrøbelig, og at jeg ikke bare kan gå ind på en scene og regne med, at sangene spiller sig selv!
Midt i tredje nummer forsvandt AL lyden så på scenen, og vi hørte kun os selv som en mudret genklang fra den store sal. Vi spillede koncerten med diverse tekniske problemer, men kunne heldigvis også nyde musikken og ikke mindst det dejlige publikum undervejs.
Helgi kom til at lave en joke, som han siden har fortrudt bitterligt - uden at jeg vil gå længere ind i dét! :)
Og på et tidspunkt fik vi rodet os ud i noget snak, der fik mig til at grine, så jeg nær aldrig var kommet igennem vores duet, Walls. Jeg var ved at gå helt i panik over, hvordan jeg skulle nedkæmpe latteren og finde tilbage i den rette stemning!
Det er faren ved, at vi nu er så trygge på scenen og ved hinanden, at det er oplagt at joke - nogle gange lidt rigeligt...
Alt i alt en go' og tankevækkende aften.
Vejle, Skive og Horsens sidste weekend var også nogle super-fede koncerter. Fredag i Vejle var J-Day, så der var fest i luften! Skive om lørdagen var ikke mindre festlig - som en lørdag aften i Skive skal være! Søndag i Horsens havde vi siddet hele eftermiddagen og snakket om Island og krisen og alle mulige lidt tunge ting, og det gav en helt anden rolig og eftertænksom koncert.
Det er interessant, som dén dag, man lige har været igennem, kan blive et objektiv, man ser musikken og stemningerne igennem under koncerten...
Nu er vi på vej på scenen i Hørsholm.
Right now I'm mostly just...
...updating a bit on Twitter.
www.twitter.com/tinadico. ;
"Almost Alone Again" Tour 2008 - Day 6
The gig in Esbjerg was good. Only minus was that their famous backstage massage chair was broken (our guitar shoulders are already starting to ache for a good rub) but hey, apart from this - as always - it was lovely to be there: great staff, room and crowd, the country's best humous, beef in chocolate/chili gravy and all that...
Helgi had his brand new album sent to Esbjerg - he'd never seen it before so this was a great moment to observe.
He's just recieved 5 stars in Gaffa for his album "For The Rest Of My Childhood"... It's out NOW!
We also got 5 stars for our concert the other night, by the way! Probably the most flattering live review I've ever had so wer're very pleased!
The next morning him and I went to Esbjerg Gymnasium to play for half an hour, on our own but also backed by some of the students: a guitarist on On The Run and two girls on backing vocals on Break Of Day, Room With A View and On The Run - 'twas great!
It was my third visit there and it's always such great fun! It's great to play to teenagers - especially when you feel you actually manage to get through to them. I remember the impact music had on my life at that age - when I was still open, before grown-up life hardened me!
This time it was live on the radio and followed by several interviews for the school paper, website and presentational video.
They're really passionate about these events - great school!
Helgi loved it, too! He was impressed with the solid wooden floors and the beautiful Danish 70s designer lamps, hanging from the ceilings:
"It's a school, for God's sakes!"
"Going to schools like this and meeting the kids, it brings back so many lovely memories...."
We drove straight to Randers to play a double bill with the duo "Hush" at a closed event. I'll say no more than that the high point of the evening was watching "Walk Hard" on our inflatable bed before the show...
Now we're on our way back to Århus...
Vejle tomorrow...
"Almost Alone Again" Tour 2008 - Day 4
We're backstage after a great show in Nykøbing Mors - the guys are having one last beer before we leave for the hotel. Around us a mess of left-over snacks and drinks. They take such good care of us everywhere. We're so spoilt - and we LOVE it!
Tonight's show was the smallest and most intimate of this tour - only about 125 people in the room, of which one was a critic from Denmark's biggest music mag, Gaffa, so I was informed.He had told the promotor that he'd arrived with the pre-conception that "Tina Dickow is music for high school kids and strongly overrated" but he left the venue with the famous last words: "I was wrong!"
So we're hoping it'll be a good'ne tomorrow!
When asked about tonights show, Helgi hesitates. Snap's "Oops Up" plays in the background. "I like it when you put a lot of people together in a small space... Hot... Sweaty... Music travels well in thick air... My back and armpits were soaked... My vocal chords like humidity..."
We're listening to all 90s dance these days: Snap, KLF, Deelite, Blue Boy and one of my favourites: Gala's "Freed From Desire". Oh, yeah. Who ever said the 90s didn't bring anything good to the table? I'll sometimes - in all secrecy - do a few manic and now-forbidden 90s-steps to get ready for a show. "Sometimes the fastest way to get there is to go fast..."
We're in the car now, on our way to the hotel where I'm guessing it'll be a straight-to-bed - possibly with a small US Election gathering first. What a thriller. Historic times.When we wake up tomorrow The US will have a new President...
"Almost Alone Again Tour" Tour - Day 3
Right! We've got internet in the car so we're gonna try to blog every night after each show!
We just played the third show on this "Almost Alone Again" Tour of Denmark and we're just starting to get into it.
Not that the first two shows haven't been good - it just always takes a bit to work out a good set list and settle into the songs.
There's a lot to remember! I'm amazed at how quickly multi-instrumentalist Helgi has learned everything and already performs it with such ease and confidence!
I've asked him to comment on this evening's show in Vostrup Musikhus, Tarm.
He says: "Glare". I don't know what he means... I rarely do... He's Icelandic - and refreshingly different...
"It was a very concentrated audience", he says. "I remember sitting on my great uncle's floor waiting for my aunt to start reading to us kids. She has a good voice for stories. And I remember the excitement in the air when she took a long breath between sentenses. In a musical journey of stories, tonight's audience were great recievers..."
He says he could ramble on like a beat poet all night about the Tarm-show but I've told him to get to the point: "Thankful," he finishes.
I'm gonna take the less abstract route and tell you about my team on this tour.
There are five of us travelling together:
Musician: Dennis Ahlgren – my musical play mate over the past 10 years, co-producer on most of my records. He plays drums, guitars and keys on this tour.
Musician: Helgi Jonsson – my brand new play mate who I met in Canada earlier this year. He's a classically trained trombone player but also an amazing singer! He sings, plays keys, guitar and trombone.
Sound guy: Rune Duelund who's done my live sound since the dawn of day.
Friend / altmuligmand: Martin Pedersen who drives, sets up, sells merch and makes sure everything flows a bit easier...
We'll be spending the next month on the road and will be sure to update you from the backseat of our black splittervan beauty...
London, 14. august - ny video-blog...
Jeg har lagt en lille film op, der giver et indblik i det seriøse stykke arbejde, vi gør i løbet af en festival-sommer...
Copenhagen, July 20th - Island Hopping With Mel C...
I've been island hopping with the band this week.
We played Samsø Festival on Wednesday - opening slot - and got a taste of the Danish summer at its most unpredictable. During the first few songs the rain started pouring and a strong wind made sure the stage - and all our instruments, pedals and cables - got soaked and for a moment it looked like we would have to stop and call it off.
The power even went for a couple of minutes - but we made it through and eventually made the clouds part and the sun come out.
Saybia played after us - a fantastic set that made me go straight home and buy their latest album!
Mel C aka Sporty Spice played later in the evening. At that point our party, accompanied by the loud chinking of empty bottles, had already moved to somewhere else and we didn't see her show.
We did however get to spend the next morning on the Samsø Ferry next to her and her crew. I wouldn't have thought the Samsø Ferry with it's early 80s decor and worn-down look was a place for a superstar like Sporty Mel but she'd left the private jet in the UK and seemed to enjoy their greasy French Fries with "remoulade"... I don't think anyone on the ferry recognised her.
The day after we went to Bornholm to play a benefit concert for Fair Trade. Lovely day with Christiansø-sild and all female artists - Savage Rose, Anne Linnet, The Storm and Infernal.
Right this minute I'm in the studio with Dennis. We'll finish mixing the eps over the next 3 days before I go to Jutland to support Kris Kristofferson...
London, July 15th - There's something behind the walls - and it smells burnt...
After a week of hanging out in Italy with my brother plus watching a bit too much Sex And The City (which is a fairly new discovery in my life, would you believe it - where have I been?) I'm now on the way to Denmark to play another 3 festivals with the band plus a couple of supports slots for good ol' Kris Kristofferson...
Last weekend I played the biggest ever "Tina Dickow"-show on the main stage at Roskilde festival to about 30.000 people. Radiohead had played there a couple of nights before and Neil Young had stood on the same spot the night before.
I had planned to film throughout the day to do a vlog but I must admit I had other things on my mind with mental preparations, dress-adjustments, interviews with both national radio and the evening news... Plus a couple of photographers on my tail all day!
There will be lots of footage from the show on YouTube before too long, though.
It WAS a fantastic day and an amazing experience - in Denmark this really is a legendary stage and in many ways it feels like one of my biggest achievements so far! It's quite surreal to think back on it now... One minute you're on stage in front of 30.000 people - the next minute you're back at the buffet eating burnt sausuages from the backstage barbecue.
Dennis and I will be finishing the ep boxset next week. Done and dusted. Feels GOOOOOOOD!
I've done a duet with Helgi Jonsson on the third ep "An Open Ending". A song called "Walls".
And if I haven't written it already the whole thing is scheduled to come out in Denmark on October 6, in the UK on November 10 and in America on January 21st, I think.
I might do a couple of shows in New York and L.A. in October in which case I'll make the box available at the shows!
What else is new?
I've been to dinner at the Danish Embassy here in London with the Danish Minister Of Culture, "Brian". He had invited about 20 Danish artists living in London to an informal chat about life over here: What does London offer that Copenhagen doesn't? Are we networking with people in Denmark, sending home some of our new-found knowledge and inspiration? Etc.
I'd never been inside the Danish Embassy before, or any other embassy for that matter, so that was quite interesting. It was like a regular flat, stylish (ol'fashioned) decor, little roof terrace, grand piano, waiters wearing white gloves, looking very serious and unaccustomed to chit-chat with visitors.
I don't know many Danes in London (hell, I don't know many people in London as this city has always played the role of the writer's desert island in my life) so it was nice to meet other people who have left the safety of Denmark to follow their dreams...
Copenhagen, June 28nd - Kløften Festival
I've put up a little vlog from our performance at a small Danish Festival.
It's a bit odd to play these afternoon shows in broad daylight, I'm sure you can imagine. It's quite a different vibe than when your in a venue surrounded by darkness and coloured lights... But good fun!
Next Sunday at 3 o'clock in the afternoon we're playing the main stage at Roskilde Festival which is one of the biggest in Europe, as far as I know. I've heard many stories of bands that have "died" on that stage!
London, June 22nd - Push-up...
Wow, it's been almost a month since I last posted anything! Where have I been?
I have been working on two different video blogs, actually, but they seem to be a bit harder to finish than the recent "on-the-road-on-my-own-with-not-much-else-to-do"-vlogs...
One of them is about... No, wait... Let me start from where I left it off. Might as well...
I came back from America and did a week of songwriting here in London which, if you were to look at it as an outside spectator, would look like I wasn't doing anything at all.
Aimlesly wandering the streets of my neighborhood, spending hours in various local cafes, listening to music on my too-big-for-my-head-headphones, scribbling in my notebook, phones turned off...
The songs were for the third ep of the trilogy that's coming out later this year. I'd pretty much finished them already but the final touches are usually the hardest. And when I'm at the end of writing an album there's always some intangible, intuitive inner struggle to try and figure out if "the overall journey" contains all the colours and textures I intended or whether there's a song missing / or something new needs to be built into an existing song / and most of all thoughts about arrangements and production.
It's a bit easier with these eps as the whole point of them is to do things intuitively and without too much thought. And also it's only 6-7 tracks on each. But still...
I love creating that journey through a collection of songs and I hope to God "the album" isn't going to die completely by the sword of "shuffle" and handpicking tracks from albums on Itunes...
A week later I went back to Denmark for a day's rehearsal with my band and then our first show of this summer, in Copenhagen. Thousands of people on the loveliest sunny evening - couldn't have been a better start!
After this I had four days in the studio with Dennis Ahlgren, my long-term music playmate. If you don't know already: Dennis and I have produced both Fuel, Notes, Count To Ten and now these eps together.
He plays the guitar in my band but is a skilled studio technician and also plays drums and bass and various other stuff on these eps.
They're fun to do 'cause both of us just jump in whenever we feel like putting something down. And we deliberately work under heavy time pressure. This way, if the song isn't strong enough you hear it instantly and you haven't really got time to "fix it" - you move on, go with the flow, go where the music wants to go... So there's a lot of "killing darlings" which I've become an expert on by now...
Another three festivals with the band - one where I got on stage and realised I was standing right in the burning sun with no sunscreen on and no chance of escape. After 75 minutes my shoulders, arms and feet were roasted and my guitar was at the melting point.
The next weekend - on the contrary - it was so cold I was doing push-ups behind the curtain in high heels and summery dress 5 seconds before going on stage...
That's Danish summer weather for ya...
Anyway, now back to the video blog thing.
One of the ones I'm gonna post before too long is an introduction to my band - who I've played with for over ten years now! - and is meant to take you out on a couple of festivals with us...
We're playing the mainstage at Roskilde Festival in 2 weeks - one of the biggest in Europe with about 100.000 people, I think. So keep your fingers crossed for sunshine on July 6th!
I'll make sure to film...
The other video blog will take you to the studio with Dennis and I for a peek at the recording process and all that. What I've discovered is that it's SOOO boring to watch people in the studio, though, but I'll see what I can do to spice it up!
Anyways, all for now but will be back soon...
Los Angeles, May 25th - "The Manager" + Tour Finale in Seattle
Here's a vlog about me and my manager, Jonathan Morley, who's been by my side for the past 7 1/2 years!!
Also a bit about this year's travelling and finishing my American tour in Seattle...
San Diego, May 16th - Tina + Teitur + Helgi Jonsson
I've played some shows with these two guys in Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto and Detroit and put a little vlog together.
Teitur's got a new album out: "The Singer"
www.myspace.com/teitur
And Icelandic Helgi Jonsson's got the ep "Aska" out + a new album in September
www.myspace.com/helgijonsson
Check them out!
Los Angeles, May 15th -
Just a quicky until I get another vlog put together.
Over this past week I've been in Philadelphia, Annapolis, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Ann Arbor near Detroit, and now L.A. So just another week at the office, really :-)
I've been travelling with Teitur and his band for most of it - great times! You'll see more in the vlog very, very soon if you're interested...
Tonight I'm playing here in Los Angeles. Can't wait, actually! I've got some of my most devoted and lovely supporters here on the West Coast!
Then San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and then back to Europe for a week of hardcore songwriting before I go back to Denmark to start up the festival season + record the 3rd ep!!!
It's only 2 weeks away now and I'm not at all finished with the writing! It's not such a bad thing, though: sometimes good things come out of being un-prepared - at least for a mathematical, perfectionist girl like YOU, Tina Dico...
I can't wait - I've SO enjoyed recording the first two and I can only hope that this third one will be the perfect "Open Ending" to the trilogy... It will, I feel it...
All for now - the minibar doesn't empty itself of Diet Cokes and there's a lovely sunny day in California to enjoy from the air-conditioned inside of the Starbucks around the corner... Looking for lyrics...
Chicago, May 6th - American Tour Kick-Off
+ the week leading up with an Itunes session in Berlin and a video shoot in Paris for Sacre Coeur...
Berlin, April 29th - the gig in Mainz...
Finishing the German tour...
Saarbrücken, April 24th - Kölner Dome and the daily routine...
Still in Germany...
Cologne, April 19th - Der Autobahn, "the party" and other random clips
Now on tour in Germany...
London, April 15th - The Secret and Sacred Art Of Speed-Packing
My two days at home are up and I'm just about to do what I'm best at: packing!
I'm about to leave home for another 5 weeks and I'm quite proud to say I can probably get my stuff together in 20-25 minutes. Concentrated, professional speed-packing. And that's remembering the various adaptors for computer, phone chargers, guitar pedals, guitars, cables, microphone / dollars, euros and pounds / stage clothes, casual, dressed up, high heels, flats, boots / shampoos, conditioners, vitamins and aaaaaall that stuff - my whole life, basically... And most importantly I can pack it into very little space which is of course a key skill in the art of packing.
And what have I been doing these two days? To be quite honest: missing New York. Like crazy... Has it already gotten under my skin...? I'll be back there in two weeks to find out...
But first my German tour. I'm joined now by my good friend and sound guy from Denmark so it'll be lots of fun, I'm sure!
There's a bit more pressure on me in Germany, though, because I'm signed to Universal down there. This means that a lot of people are hoping and keeping their fingers crossed that it will be succesful and that I'll be a star! I'm not used to having to please anyone but myself and my audience so it's kinda strange. But they're all nice people and I'll make sure I don't let them down...
New York, April 12th - Beautiful Beat
I've taken my computer to "The Bean" on 1st Ave in New York's East Village. The cafe is unusually busy on this Saturday. Spring is in the air...
I've got another 6 hours before I leave to go back to London.
I'll only get two days at home, though - barely worth unpacking my suitcase - before I'm off on German tour, then a couple of days in Paris to shoot a video for... yes: Sacre Coeur... And then back to America for 3 weeks to do a full solo tour!
It's another one of those mad periods where I'm thinking "Is that physically possible!!?" but I know once I get started it'll all be ok, the days will roll by one by one, no questions asked, and I'll find myself too tired to be anything but present in the moment which is not such a bad thing...
The thing that stresses me a little bit at the moment is that the third EP is due to be recorded in the beginning of June so the pressure is on to get the songs ready... I'm still looking... But I find that I need my four white walls in London and my local cafe to really get into the zone...
New York hasn't been very helpful. Too much action! I've been here for 10 days now. I've probably been here 20 times before over the past 4 years but always in-and-out for gigs so it's been great to finally piece together all my earlier impressions and get a proper overall vibe.
It really is an extraordinary place and I can imagine that anyone who's lived here and got under the skin of this city would find it hard to settle for anything else. The pace, the energy, the possibilities, the stylishness, the flirtatiousness, the food, the art, the diversity - and the fact that everything is crammed into such a small area that makes it possible to get to everywhere and everything quickly and easily.
You really do feel you're at the center of the everything!
Seductive as it is, I don't wanna fall too madly in love with this place, though, because I realise that what this city has to offer is probably not what is "missing" in my life.
I'm looking forward to the peace and tranquility of my life's desert island that is London... Even if it's just for two days...
My album came out here in America on Tuesday and I went for a lovely dinner and night-on-the-town with "the team" to celebrate. It was great to be here for the release this time - made it feel a lot more "real"!
Went and saw Nada Surf last night, by the way - what a great band! Went home with my palm full of inspirational scribbles - that's always a sign of a good gig for me!
Before I leave today I'm dropping by Rivington Guitars to pick up a Gibson semi-acoustic from '66! I'm in love...
A short round-off of the Bob-tour:
Seattle was unexpectedly nice - A LOT of love from the crowd! I can't wait to go back in May!
Another long drive to Boise, Idaho, where I had the evening off as Bob was supporting Blind Melon. I sooo needed that evening to just chill at the hotel!
Another loooooong drive to Salt Lake City where the gig was so-so. I've never been to SLC before and only 5 people knew me beforehand! (Gotta start somewhere, eh? :)
The last night in Denver was cool. Great venue, The Bluebird, and a nice crowd.
After the show I said goodbye to Bob and his guys. They were driving back to hometown Austin that same night and I was staying at a hotel to fly out to New York the next morning.
It's been lovely getting to know them - I hope we'll meet again, probably at South By Southwest sometime...
Bob wasn't as recluse as I had been warned, by the way. The whole roadtrip was a pleasure and adventure, I got to see some beatiful nature and parts of the country I've never seen before... Yei!
Portland, March 30 - A rundown from a not yet run down:
On the way from San Diego to San Juan Capistrano we stopped by the Taylor guitar factory and got the full tour - really interesting to follow the journey from "block-of-wood" to finished instrument. I would've prefered to visit a smaller, more exclusive company, though. I have to say, there wasn't much musical magic or love of craftsmanship in this factory! They churn out 7.000 guitars a day, if I remember correctly...
San Juan Capistrano was a sit-down crowd and they actually listened!!
Next morning I had breakfast - alone with my beloved notebook - in a archetypal American diner, gum-chewing waitress in uniform bringing out re-fill after re-fill of black coffee and endless stacks of pancakes, milkshakes, burger and French fries - or "Freedom Fries" as they re-named them at some of the government cantinas when France didn't want in on the war!
I got back to my hotelroom 15 minutes before departure but somehow managed to get the guitar out of its case, write the best part of a new song AND record a demo - and I still got to the bus before everyone else...
Short sunny drive to Los Angeles where there was time for a few hours of sheer luxury at the hotel before my soundcheck. The gig was fine! Not too much noise and good, supportive vibe!
Good food with business partners turned friends after the show... Again, I felt like coming back and spending some more time in this strange, strange city... Is it just the weather?
Long, beautiful drive to San Francisco. Endless talks of politics on the bus. You always end up talking politics in this country - it's fascinating to hear "insider" stories and thoughts of the state of the country, its political situation, the war, the power and the seeming complete lack of moral of the big corporations, 9-11, and the constant planting of fear and unease in the population...
On this day the oil companies had collectively put a full-page add in "USA Today" with a threatening:
"WHO WILL REALLY PAY WHEN CONGRESS TAXES OIL?" written across a photo of, guess what!? ...a father holding an inconsolable baby on his arm... Oil companies... - using a crying baby to get their message across?
Anyway, back to rock'n roll...
I checked into Phoenix Hotel which is where we stayed with Zero 7 back in the day. Aaah, the crazy memories! My last ever flirt with Vodka was at the Phoenix and it wasn't all that pretty... :)
The gig at a sold out Independent was great and again, people listened!
5.30 departure next morning and an 11 hour drive to Portland. Gig was VERY noisy but I don't mind so much anymore.
It's great to have settled into a routine - however strange this routine may be. Getting up, driving, checking into hotel, soundcheck, food and gig.
My head starts to relax a lot more than it ever does in my otherwise messy every-day-life where not two days are ever the same.
A bit of routine and the mind goes: "Aaah, ok - this is easy! I'll just let you chill while I take me a little nap then, if you don't mind?"
Still having a good time with the Texas lads. They're super relaxed and fun to be around!
We're driving on to Seattle today... 4 nights to go.
San Diego, March 26th - Step up / Shut up...
A quicky before we drive on to San Juan Capistrano (visiting the Taylor Guitar factory on the way - yeii!)
I spent Monday on my own in Phoenix. Of course I didn't make it to the botanical gardens or the zoo (who was I kidding?) I didn't do much, really... Went for a walk along a not so charming 6-lane road to get to a supermarket to stock up on healthy-ish food for the drives, did a few "office hours" and hung out by the pool...
Met the guys at the venue - 5 of them. Bob, two musicians, a tour manager and a sound guy who also opens each night with a few songs. All really nice guys.
I played my 40 minute set and I don't think anyone in the crowd will be offended if I say that I didn't enjoy it at all! Bob had warned me beforehand that his crowds are pretty rowdy but this...!!
I was reminded how spoilt I've been these past years with my audiences who are always so lovely and attentive! (I love you guys!! :)
Bob put on a really good show - and as a note to all of you: a fan brought him the most fantastic homemade oatmeal cookies and "Bob Bars" (!) - beautifully gift wrapped! ;)
(On second thoughts don't make a note of that - it's actually a bit weird; not that I don't trust you guys but who knows what's been put in there!? Actually, I've been feeling strangely happy since we've started digging into the box...)
The drive to San Diego - which ended up taking us 8 hours - was beautiful, for the most of it. The Shins' "Wincing The Night Away" and JJ Cale's "Natural" as the perfect soundtrack through the desert, dry mountains on both sides, past trailer and windmill parks and an endless stream of truck stops with greasy chain restaurant after greasy chain restaurant...
The gig in the evening at the Belly Up where I supported Nancy Sinatra a few years back (nice place, actually) was equally horrible and I've realised that I've gotta step up on this tour and actually find a way to tell people to SHUT UP! - with humour and charm, of course. So we shall see how that goes tonight!
I don't think I'll win many fans on this tour which is a shame but hopefully it'll be a another healthy challenge in my education as a performer!
After the show I had dinner with some San Diego friends I met when I was here with Nancy so all in all a good day! :)
Phoenix, March 23rd - Roadtrip ahead!
I woke up in London this Easter Sunday morning to heavy snow but 16 hours later (5 hours of taxis and airports + an 11-hour flight) I was lying at a swimmingpool, reading my book on a backdrop of the sun setting on a mountainous horizon in Phoenix Arizona of all places! Still Easter Sunday...
Now I'm in bed with coffee and "Grandma's" vanilla cookies. My body's exhausted but I HAVE to stay awake for another 3 hours to get into the new rythm.
I'll be alone 'til tomorrow evening. I have no idea where I am: somewhere in the outskirts, quite far away from the city center, I think, so I might just go to the nearby "Desert Botanical Gardens" tomorrow, once I've finished cooking at the pool. God, I love this job...
Ahead of me is lies 10 days of supporting Texas-singer/songwriter, Bob Schneider in 9 different cities. We'll be driving everywhere - in the daytime - so it's gonna be quite an exciting roadtrip for me!
Phoenix to San Diego and all the way up the East Coast - San Juan Capistrano, L.A., San Francisco, Portland and Seattle and then all the way to Salt Lake City and finishing in Denver on April 2nd.
Bob Scheider - so I've been told - keeps to himself most of the time so I'll probably be left to my own daydreams for most of these beautiful drives which suits me fine!
I can't wait to get on the road with music in my headphones. Hopefully it'll inspire songs for the ep... Still thinking about it loads...
Count To Ten is coming out over here on April 7th and I'll be in New York for the 10 days following these Bob Schneider-dates.
I'll be sure to keep you posted!
Manchester, March 3rd - My week...
Another run-down of the past week:
Monday I started my UK tour in Norwich. Great start! I enjoyed playing the set - with new songs, the JamMan-pedal and my semi-acoustic guitar that adds a bit of "rough".
I was a bit worried after my recent solo shows in Frankfurt and New York that playing a solo tour would be a depressing come-down after the big tour with full band but NOT AT ALL! I really do enjoy both!
It was great to meet the support for this tour, 23-year-old Irish "Ain", as well as the local opener Sean Seraphim!
Tuesday me and my manager, Jonathan, drove on to Cambridge. I'm in love with this place and I had lots of time to potter around and look at the old buildings.
After the show Jonathan dropped me off at the Radisson Hotel at Stansted Airport.
Wednesday morning I flew to Copenhagen and went straight to "Forum" to rehearse and soundcheck for the Zulu Awards that night. The show went really well - I didn't win but it was a big "victory" for me to be able to get out on that stage, alone with my guitar, in front of thousands of people and national tv without even the slightest hint of nerves. It was quite strange, actually...
Over the years I've done lots of "therapeutic work" on myself to deal with nerves and find the instruments to control my body and thoughts in these potentially nerve-wracking situations but it was almost like I realised that there's a whole new gear of giving in to the moment, allowing for anything to happen and potentially go wrong, almost welcoming imperfection and thin ice. It made me really happy - it felt like there's a layer of this "job" that I haven't yet dug into...
Needless to say I partied all night!!
Thursday I had my first day off in a over a month... as well as bad hang-overs.
Friday I flew back to London and was picked up at the airport to go to straight Milton Keynes to continue UK tour. Great venue and good crowd!
Saturday on to Bristol where I played Thekla, a really cool, but smelly old boat.
Sunday on to Birmingham to play the Glee Club which is always nice!
And now it's Monday again and I'm in Manchester on the way to soundcheck...
My thoughts are pretty obsessed with the 3rd EP at the moment. I have to write it over the next 2-3 months and I'm trying to get my head around it; looking for "the key", an angle, looking for something familiar in the unfamiliar...
For me it's usually one of the most exciting and frustrating parts of the process of making an album: looking for the music - before actually getting stuck into the songwriting.
It's clear now that I can no longer write songs without having the best part of the words first. I have to know what I want to say... So I'm looking for stories, words...
I find that at the moment I don't feel like listening to slow, melacholic, feel-y, touch-y music which is quite unusual for me. I listen to old uptempo stuff with lots of good musical ideas so maybe this third one will be quite lively... We shall see...
London, Feb 24th - My week: Copenhagen-New York-Copenhagen-London
Here's a run-down of the previous week:
Saturday I did a front cover photo session for the Scandinavian Airlines mag, Scanorama. Great clothes and crazy ideas like me throwing an old guitar directly at the photographer and lying at an iced over swimmingpool in almost no clothes getting attacked by a raven. So cold I could've cried...
In the evening we played the final show of the Danish tour – in a sold out KB Hallen in Copenhagen. I was worried about my voice and also worried whether it would be possible to give the audience an intimate and moving experience in such a big venue but both worries quickly disappeared and it was probably one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had on stage. I actually found myself screaming with my arms over my head when I came off stage which is not something you often see me do!
I would have gotten ridiculousy drunk at the party afterwards if it wasn’t for the fact that I had to fly to New York the next morning at 9!
Sunday I arrived at my hotel on Times Square in the afternoon and went straight to bed – forgetting to turn off the air conditioning which caused me to wake up – jetlagged – in the middle of the night with a terribly sore throat. Great...
Monday I treated myself to room service breakfast, enjoying my 23rd floor view of Times Square, and then on to do a tv show. When I got there, however, it turned out it had been cancelled as had everything else that was planned for me that day (it had dawned on everyone that it was ”President’s Day” which is a day off) so I went straight back to bed and stayed there ALL day apart from venturing 12 blocks north in the evening for a facial for my tired tour-face. Here I met the lovliest elderly woman, originally from Eastern Europe, I’m guessing, who took such good care of me. I will no doubt visit her in the future every time I come to New York. My American substitute Mum!
Tuesday I did the tv and everything else that had been cancelled the day before. In the evening I played a solo showcase, mainly to press people.
Wednesday I had to get up at 5 to do a video shoot for Universal Germany. They’d sent over a couple of guys to film me in my hotel room plus running around Times Square singing ”On The Run”. Again, I was so cold I could’ve cried but hey... Hey! Hey!
In the afternoon I jumped on a plane back to Europe, arriving in Copenhagen Thursday, 14 hours later. Without my suitcase which, as it turned out, had stayed back in New York with my life in it...
I had a photo session the next morning at 8 so I had to go out and buy new make-up and get a hold of some clothes. Jeez...
Friday morning again, I was so cold I could have cried – now on a beach outside of Copenhagen in boots I had borrowed from the photographer’s twin sister and a scarf woven by his Mum. Improvisation...
Straight on to rehearsals for the Danish Music Awards and then a couple of phone interviews with UK press.
Saturday I played two songs at the Danish Music Awards but ”lost” in all 4 categories I was nominated in! The very talented Danish singer/rapper ”Natasja” who died last year in a car crash in Jamaica won in 3 of the 4 categories.
Today, Sunday, I’ve arrived back in London to start my UK tour tomorrow. Now... must... get... some... sleep...
I've realised that work in January / February this year has already sent me to the following cities!!!!!!!:
Copenhagen
Aarhus
Herning
Copenhagen
Munich
Tübingen
Baden-Baden
Oberhausen
Frankfurt
Cologne
Hamburg
Bremen
Halle
Potsdam
Berlin
London
Copenhagen
Esbjerg
Kolding
Skive
Frederikshavn
Ålborg
Grenå
Silkeborg
Aarhus
Frankfurt
Vordingborg
Frederiksværk
Roskilde
Holbæk
Copenhagen
New York
Copenhagen
London
Norwich
Cambridge
Copenhagen
Milton Keynes
Copenhagen, Feb 15th - Magic Of Medication
The last two concerts have been good! Hard physical work - but good fun at the same time! When the voice is struggling you've got to use more "body" to make it come out right and that's actually not a bad thing for the performance. These two shows have been a bit more "rough and rock"!
I still don't know if it's going backwards or forwards (I'm going to the doctor again today) but now I know that tonight's and tomorrow's shows will be fine whatever happens!
I might have to give EVERYTHING!!!! tomorrow in KB Hallen but I'm sure it'll be worth it!
(Even if it means that my tv show plus showcase in New York on Monday and Tuesday will be rough as hell... Hmm...)
Copenhagen, February 13th – The leash tightens
Ok, the voice dryness hasn’t gone away – if anything it’s getting worse... At the show last night in Vordingborg it was OK but this morning I’m starting to get worried. I’ve got another 4 nights back to back, the last of which is 3000 people in KB Hallen in Copenhagen. I DON’T wanna mess that one up!
I’ve gone as far as to text the guy that gave me a magic pill at the tv show earlier in the year. So I guess Steffen was right: ”It always starts with one free pill from a colleague!”
No, actually I just want to get the number for his throat doctor who recommended him these pills – just to get a professional’s opinion.
Later in the day:
Ok, been to the doctor and got LOTS of medication + pictures of my voice chords + a diagram of my voice + a percentage put on my hoarseness...
I’m dead scared of tonights show in Frederiksvaerk. I’m scared I’ll lose my voice comletely!
Frankfurt Airport, February 12th – Panic on 53rd floor
I’m on the way back to Copenhagen to continue the Danish tour. We’ve had one day off from the tour and what better way to wind down than a radio concert in Frankfurt. Yes, I’m crazy, I know, but there are people working hard to set these things up and I don’t like to let them down. Plus to be honest, once I’m in the ”work”-frame-of-mind I don’t really need days off that badly....
The two shows in hometown Århus over the weekend were a blast! 1500 seated each night and GOOD vibes! Buddy Steffen Brandt did a surprise guest performance Sunday night which brought the intensity up another gear...
Monday morning I got on a train to Kastrup Airport to catch the flight to Frankfurt. I arrived late afternoon to play the concert in ”Main Tower” on 53rd floor overlooking the whole of Frankfurt by night. Probably one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever performed! Absolutely amazing – a bit dizzying, though! I could swear the building was swaying...
I was completely ”dried out” from the flight and my voice felt rough as hell. Still, cockily, I decided to start my set with ”One” which has a fair amount of high notes in it – and when my voice broke on the second high note which caused me to play a bum chord on the guitar, I started to panic comepletely:
”Shit, there’s no way I can finish this song!! My voice is going to break on each and every high note the WHOLE way through and it’s gonna be the most embarrasing experience ever! How on earth am I gonna make it through this evening?”
And every time I approached a high note I was sh****** myself!!
I didn’t help that it was being taped for radio and the 80 people in the audience were all competion winners who had never heard me live before and had no idea what to expect. For all they knew, I could be totally rubbish – and I had the feeling that was exactly what I was gonna be...
It’s interesting what can run through your head when you’re put on the spot like that – indescribably unconfortable and STUCK! I actually think I learned a lot from this evening: ways to get back on top and relax into the music however many problems you may have on stage...
Aarhus, February 6th - Back on the bus and Helmig...
Just about to get back on the bus after two days off from the tour.
On the first day, though, there were two charity events in my hometown - one for a friend and colleague who lost everything in a fire on New Year's Eve and one for better conditions for people with mental and social difficulties in Århus - and of course I was happy to take part.
At the latter I did a couple of duets with the Danish pop icon Thomas Helmig which was fantastic! Absolutely lovely guy!
A few people have commented on my last blog, saying they thought life on the road was rather more glamourous than the picture suggests. Have you not learned anything from my diary notes over the past couple of years?!! :)
Ok, truth be told touring in Denmark IS pretty glamourous at this stage. I don't feel completely comfortable about it but there are actually people taking care of EVERYTHING around me.
I don't have to worry about "Where's my guitar?" "Did I remember to buy picks and strings?" "Is everything going to be ok?" Everything IS going to be ok - I just have to get on stage and sing...
I jump off the bus, go to our dressing room and cry out "Where are the celery sticks!? And could somebody get my suitcase from the bus?! NOW!"
Nah, of course not. (Well, maybe sometimes...) But there are 10 of us on tour and they're all my dearest friends through the past 100 years so it's all like the ol' days:
Table tennis, loud music and "fiskefillet med remoulade" in sleazy harbour joints. Only now with nicer hotels, extensive snack buffets, slightly better wine and a lot more free liquor...
Frederikshavn, February 3rd - Action packed...
LATE night in Skive last night after a good show...
Action packed hangover-day today: one of my guys mooned the support band when we past them in our bus on the way to Frederikshavn... (Are we ever gonna grow up?)
We arrived in Frederikshavn quite early and decided to follow an old man on a moped without his knowing... A very exciting way to see the city!
He lead us down to the harbour where we hoped to find a good "fiskefillet med hjemmelavet remoulade" - but the charming and very promising "Futte's kantine" (photo) was unfortunately closed for the Sunday...
Skive, February 2nd - 3rd night
We had a really good start in Esbjerg the other night! About 1000 people and lots of good vibes!
Yesterday we drove on to Kolding where we spent most of the day at the venue playing table tennis and pool - a regular day at the job in other words...
We made a few changes to the set and it all flows a bit better now...
Esbjerg, January 31st - And the tour begins
I'm in Esbjerg in the South-West corner of the Danish mainland. Record-breaking storms are tearing through the streets of this otherwise quiet city but I'm warm in my hotel bed.
"A day at the office" before I leave for the venue in a couple of hours. We set everything up yesterday so it's all ready and sounding good - so for once tour start won't be hectic and stressful!
Looking forward to trying out the new set with the full band!!
London, January 19th - Here we go...
Ok, 2008, here we go!
It's been a while since I've blogged in English but now I'm back! (Undskyld til jer danskere, der helst vil have med æ'er, ø'er og å'er!!)
Now the new international site is up and running and Count To Ten is about to hit the unsuspecting English and German speaking parts of this world... Probably not like a massive cascade of worldwide fireworks, I suspect, more likely like little feet tip-toeing across a soft carpet but nevertheless! I'm looking forward!
I've just done 5 days of radio promo in Germany. Cruising up and down the autobahn with my speed devil of a press woman, Karin. She's working wonders in Germany and it's proving to be such a lovely place to work - great people!
I hit an all-time low half-way through the week, though. Groggy from what already felt like thousands of radio interviews in Munich, Tübingen, Baden-Baden, Mannheim, Frankfurt, Oberhausen and Cologne, I'd forgotten to place my liquids in my suitcase, flying from Cologne to Hamburg, so security took my favourite deodorant which I'd gotten from Santa in the boot I'd put in front of the fireplace at my Mum's on December 24th! You're thinking "It's just a deodorant, for God's sake!" but no! It was my favourite and it's only available in Denmark and on The North Pole!
Anyway, that wasn't all because when I got off the plane, I'd left my wallet in the pocket in front of my seat and Lufthansa told me it was no-where to be found. But the plane was packed with business men in suits! Would one of them lean in to grab a wallet on the way out? There was lots of money in there as well as credit cards and my driver's license.
Losing my driver's license could be a sign that I need a new one, though. I'd had it for 12 years and the photo was me, 16 years old with dreadlocks...
From Hamburg on to Bremen, Halle, Potsdam and Berlin before the work was done.
Now back in London for a breather. A bit sick of hearing myself talk about myself so I think I'll shut up and listen for the next couple of days...
13. januar, München - Så går den ikke længere...
...med at futte rundt i dejlige Danmark og spille smart til tv-og velgørenheds-shows og lege med folk-musik i kælder-studier...
Den næste uge skal jeg for alvor på arbejde. Jeg har 5 promo-dage i Tyskland, hvor alting er planlagt ned i aller-aller-mindste detalje, på minuttet. Da In The Red kom ud i Tyskland lovede jeg mit team hernede at lære tysk (jeg havde fransk i skolen), men jeg kan endnu ikke sige meget mere end "tak" og "farvel"! Lidt pinligt!
Hele ugen har jeg min tyske presse-dame ved min side. Vi skal omkring Baden-Baden, Frankfurt, Køln, Hamborg, Bremen og Berlin, og det er hende, der skal køre bilen på die eller der autobahn, uden tvivl med speederen helt i bund. Det giver som regel en håndfuld nærdødsoplevelser om dagen.
"Don't worry, Tiiiina, I'm a safety driver," plejer hun at sige, når hendes uventede ryk rundt i banerne med 250 i timern, får mig til at gribe efter armlænet. Kryds fingre for mig!
9. januar, København - "Sæson-start"!
Så er jeg sgu tilbage i studiet... Denne gang i en villa i København; et rigtig lækkert sted med alt hvad, der skal være af knapper, blinkende lamper, indviklede computerskærme, tusindvis af ledninger mellem tusindvis af stik, små højtalere, store højtalere, medium højtalere, masser af dejlige instrumenter, masser af sort kaffe og så byens bedste sandwiches og koldeste colaer om hjørnet...
Dennis og jeg er tilbage på vores faste pladser, og han sidder netop nu og finpudser lidt på de 7 numre, han og jeg har indspillet over de sidste 2 1/2 døgn, mens jeg sidder i baggrunden med et glas rød og funderer over, tjah... livet, I guess...
Jeg sidder og lytter til sangene og spekulerer på, hvor de mon er kommet fra? Det er sært, som de springer ud fra de mindste sprækker i mit liv og bliver til noget andet og - forhåbentlig - større og langt mere poetisk, end dét, de voksede ud af.
De tager lynhurtigt deres eget liv!
Vi indspiller til en "EP" = en skive, der i længde ligger et sted mellem en single og et album.
For et års tid siden besluttede jeg mig for, at jeg ville lave en trilogi af EP'er - både for at have noget nyt med mig, hver gang jeg tager på en tour i England eller USA, men også for at give mig selv plads til at lege på en måde, som jeg ikke rigtig tør på mine "rigtige" plader, fordi der er større pres på.
Den første - "A Beginning" - lavede jeg, også med Dennis, sidste marts og nu har vi så indspillet to'eren. Tre'eren laver vi i løbet af foråret, og jeg regner med, at hele molevitten kommer ud samlet i efteråret som én stor musikalsk legestue - et spændende mellemspil tror jeg bestemt, det bliver!
Der er jo sådan set allerede kommet rigtig godt gang i det nye år.
Jeg startede med Sportsgallaen i Herning. Det var lidt en hård omgang, fordi min krop havde valgt "sæson-start" til at præsentere mig for en grum forkølelse, og når man skal på tv foran et par millioner danskere og ikke har for 10 øre kontrol over sine stemmebånd, finder man pludselig sig selv i de mærkeligste diskussioner med hjælpsomme kolleger: "En vidunder-pille fra Australien, siger du? Som normalt bruges til at hjælpe heste-fødsler igang, men som også kan bruges til at løsne op i slimhinderne?" osv...
Jeg endte med at få en pille af Søren Sko, en mildere model, og det hjalp helt enormt!
Den kære Steffen B var selvfølgelig ikke sen til at tage pis på situationen: "Det starter altid med en enkelt pille fra en kollega! Den første er gratis, men inden Søren går, har han været henne og spørge dig, om du skal have et par stykker mere, nu mod "symbolsk" betaling!" :)
Men altså... jeg klarede mig igennem showet med skindet på næsen - det var alt, hvad jeg kunne tænke på dén dag!
9. december - Denne unge piges redning... (Klumme fra magasinet "Downtown")
"Hvem er du?"
lød oplægget til den første danskstil, jeg skulle skrive på gymnasiet. Jeg sad dér i farfar-undertrøje, røde velourbukser og fodformede sandaler og havde kun lige fået afviklet en kæmpe manke af fedtede dread-locks, der i et halvt år havde været det synlige (og lugtbare) tegn på et åbent ungpige-sind i flagrende identitets-krise.
Jeg var sådan en teenager, der sad hjemme i kælderen med min guitar og skrev sange om forelskelse så dyb som Colca Canyon og eksistentiel fortvivlelse så glohed og sydende som en McD-frituregryde. Og alt var i det hele taget bare noget værre rod af drenge og komplekser, høje hæle og Always Ultra, franske filosoffer og litmus-papir, konjunktiv og accent grave, Svend Åge Madsen og virkeligheden som en fortælling, Bob Dylan og Tracy Chapman, krudtugle-pilsnere og pap-rødvin, trods og tvivl.
Og så slyngede de Gudhjælpemig sådan en opgave efter mig?! "Hvem er du?"
Ganske givet tænkt som en nem lille teaser til at skyde dansk-faget igang, men for mig var det den største opgave, jeg nogensinde var blevet stillet og - var jeg overbevist om - nogensinde ville blive stillet. Et livsværk, der skulle indfange hver eneste af de tanker, jeg nogensinde havde tænkt i én enkelt sandhed og forklare alt om mig, mit væsen og min plads i verdens-altet på godt og vel 4 sider med linie-afstand 1,5.
I fjorten dage sad jeg og stirrede på en blank skærm - når jeg da ikke lå på min seng og funderede, så det bragede. Jeg greb det an ovenfra, nedefra, fra siden, skråt, historisk, filosofisk, humoristisk - og lige meget hjalp det. Til sidst gjorde jeg noget, jeg ikke mente at have gjort før: jeg gav op. Den pligtopfyldende skole-pige; stræberen; hende, der ku' det hele; den fortvivlede teenager - gav op.
"Jeg véd ikke, hvem jeg er!" hvæsede jeg melodramatisk af skærmen...
Jeg afleverede en undskyldning og et forsøg på at forklare, hvorfor jeg var blank, og ved undskyldningen lagde jeg et lille digt om svirrende atomer sammen med en novelle om første gang, jeg stod på en scene og sang. Lige præcis dét kunne jeg sætte ord på - lige præcis dér havde jeg følt, at alle tanker, jeg nogensinde havde tænkt blev til én enkelt sandhed og forklarede alt om mig, mit væsen og min plads i verdens-altet på bare et øjeblik, i bare én enkelt tone. Lige præcis dér, 15 år gammel, iklædt militærstøvler og grå-stribet pyjamas på en lille scene på Kulturgyngen i Århus med to projektører, der lyste helt ind i min hjerne og brændte al tvivl og tristesse væk, blev alting lige pludselig så uendeligt ligetil.
Det var sgu nok dét, der blev denne unge piges redning fra det glohede, sydende teenage-kaos af tanker og trods. Og i de femten år, der er fulgt efter, er det også musikken, der har holdt mig gode venner med det levende "nu" og har kogt litmus-prøver, billig vin og Sartres kvalme ned til en overskuelig følelse af bare at være...
Så spørg mig blot igen, nu hvor jeg lige er fyldt 30: "Hvem er du?"
"Jeg er en (k)ærlig pige, der godt ka' li' at synge, klimpre lidt på min guitar og skrive små sange, nyder at gå ture, se film og læse bøger, er dårlig til at lave mad, men go' til at køre bil. Og resten kan du vistnok læse i Kraks Blå Bog..."
London, 25/9 - Er du klar til den helt store omgang name-dropping??!!
Så vil jeg nemlig lige fortælle lidt fra de sidste par døgn:
Jeg starter med den største oplevelse - i går eftermiddags skulle jeg spille til en reception hér i London i forbindelse med Amnesty Internationals "Make Some Noise"-kampagne, som jeg har været en del af.
Yoko Ono har foræret Amnesty rettighederne til at lade kunstnere verden over indspille John Lennon-sange, hvor overskuddet af salget går til Amnestys arbejde i Darfur.
Jeg har indspillet "Working Class Hero" og var blevet bedt om at synge sangen til receptionen. Jeg havde forventet et stort arrangement, hvor mange hundrede mennesker ville "kigge forbi" i løbet af eftermiddagen og forestillede mig, at Yoko Ono måske ville vise sig i et fjernt hjørne af lokalet i 2 minutter og så forsvinde igen.
Men da jeg ankom, så jeg til min store skræk, at det var et lillebitte konference-lokale, hvor hele bagvæggen var dækket af kameraer fra verdens-pressen - deriblandt CNN. Der var sat ca 50 stole op i rummet - forestil dig et typisk mødelokale med gulvtæpper, lavt loft, hvide vægge og blackboard på endevæggen - og så en 20 cm høj scene med et intermistisk lydanlæg. I sig selv skrækindjagende, fordi belysningen i denne slags lokaler er helt kold og alt-udleverende - dvs minus stemning og ingen mulighed for at gemme sig for folks blikke.
Det viste sig, at jeg var den eneste, der skulle spille, og da eftermiddagens program på 30 minutter gik igang, var Yoko Ono blevet plantet midt for på forreste række, godt halvanden meter fra dér, hvor jeg skulle stå og synge "min" John Lennon-sang.
Nu skrev jeg jo for få dage siden, at jeg ikke længere bliver nervøs, men denne eftermiddag - dét er jeg ikke for fin til at indrømme - gik jeg rundt i gangene og råbte "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck..... FUCK!!!"
(Det skal siges, at fordi jeg havde regnet med, at det ville være et løst og casual arrangement, havde jeg selvfølgelig drukket igennem aftenen før, så mine tanker var tømmermands-sloppy og usammenhængende, og jeg havde heller ikke lige fået tjekket, om teksten til nummeret stadig sad der...)
Da jeg gik på scenen, sagde jeg: "My heart... Is beating... Very, very fast right now... (hvilket affødte lidt spredt medfølende latter) Last night I was at the Royal Opera House in Copenhagen, singing to the Danish Crown Prince and every top musician in the country and I didn't think it could get any more surreal than that. But this... I'm very honoured to be here today and I'm very honoured to be a part of this campaign... (og hér tog jeg så mod til mig og kiggede direkte på Yoko...) And thank you Yoko for giving us the opportunity to sing these songs..."
Og så spillede jeg Working Class Hero, som om det gjaldt mit liv. Da jeg kom af scenen og havde fået et klem og nogle rosende ord af Yoko på vejen ned, rystede jeg som et espeløv - og jeg fældede faktisk en tåre 5 minutter længere henne i programmet, fordi det hele var så rørende og smukt og trist og verdens-freds-agtigt...
Bagefter (efter at Peter Gabriel også havde været henne og sige tak for sangen!) var jeg inde og få taget et par billeder med Yoko, og hun fik sagt flere søde ord og tog pludselig fat om mine hænder og kiggede indtrængende på mig og sagde: "You know I don't say this to everyone, don't you? I'm very opinionated when it comes to people singing John's songs. But your interpretation made me cry..."
SÅ tror jeg nok, mine arme - i overført betydning - røg op over hovedet. Jeg havde ikke drømt om, at det ville være så stor en oplevelse... Men det var jo Yoko!!! John Lennons kone, for fa'en...
Efter sushi på Nobu med nogle hjertevarme Amnesty-folk, var der tilfældigvis Oh No Ono-koncert på en lille klub i Camden, så alt i alt en godt pakket og helstøbt dag og aften, trods tømmermænd og nerver.
Tømmermændene var naturligvis champagne-hangovers fra aftenen før i Operaen. Hvordan det gik med at spille, har jeg stadig ingen fornemmelse af. Jeg kunne som forventet ikke høre meget af, hvad der foregik på scenen, men det var nu alligevel sjovt at stå der. Siden er der røget et par emails frem og tilbage mellem onkler og tanter i min familie, hvor "Ritt Bjerregård" har været oppe at vende i diskussionen af min frisure. Min mor har nøjedes med at kalde det et mere "modent" look.
Som jeg fortalte hende, var det Dicte, der satte mit hår under en pludselig frisure-krise 5 minutter inden show-start, og jeg synes egentlig, hun slap godt afsted med det, selvom der måske nok ikke var meget rock'n roll over det.
Anyways, det var name-dropping, vi kom fra og ikke mit hår...
Bagefter var der en slags reception / fest for VIPs, hvor jeg endelig fik hilst på Mads Mikkelsen (!) og så selvfølgelig på Frederik og Mary. Og det var faktisk lidt større, end jeg havde regnet med at møde Frederik. Han har en fantastisk ro og udstråling - måske primært i kraft af sin titel, men jeg bilder mig ind, at det er mere end dét... Jeg drømte om ham samme nat - men det vil jeg undlade at komme ind på hér...
Og så var der selvfølgelig også lige ham dér mit-aller-største-idol-inden-for-nyere-tids-musik, Damon Albarn, som også bare hang ud og drak sig fuld ligesom alle os andre.
Men fik jeg hilst på ham? NEJ! Og det skortede ellers ikke på muligheder - ved flere lejligheder i løbet af aftenen vil jeg nærmest sige, at det var uhøfligt, at jeg ikke sagde hej.
Men hér måtte jeg for anden gang i mit liv se mig besejret af min egen stolthed eller akavethed eller frygt-for-at-virke-som-en-groupie eller hva' fa'en, det er, jeg er oppe imod.
Det samme skete, da jeg mødte mit næst-største-idol-inden-for-nyere-tids-musik, Beck, i Los Angeles for nogle år siden. Han var gode venner med Zero 7-folket og hang ud backstage efter én af vores koncerter. Og hér var det helt sikkert røv-uhøfligt af mig, at jeg ikke hilste, men jeg kunne simpelthen ikke!
Så dér er lige noget, der skal arbejdes lidt på dér, Ms Dico... Dér...
Nu er det er tirsdag aften, og jeg er lige kommet hjem fra et møde med Yoko Onos advokat, som gerne vil repræsentere mig. Han repræsenterer blandt andet en hel masse døde mennesker som John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Miles Davis - og nu altså måske også mig... Hmm...
København, 22/9 - Kronprinsen og Yoko Ono på et enkelt døgn!
Jeg skal spille til uddelingen af Kronprinseparrets kulturpris i Operaen i morgen aften. Jeg har lige været derude til lydprøve - wow, hvor et sted!
Salen er helt fantastisk flot, og udsigten fra kantinen i toppen ind over byen og over Holmen er ligeså overvældende!
Jeg skal spille On The Run med Henrik Halls band. Jeg bliver ikke nervøs ved dén slags længere, men jeg må indrømme, at der er en del ting, der kan gå skævt i morgen! Lyden på scenen er meget rodet og høj - jeg kan ikke helt høre, hvad der foregår - og bandet har jo egentlig ikke spillet sangen mere end en håndfuld gange. Så det bliver spændende!
Som sagt er jeg heldigvis ikke nervøs; kronprinsepar, andre prominente gæster, pressen og landsdækkende tv til trods. Det har godt nok ændret sig meget de sidste par år! Det må være fordi, jeg ikke længere kræver det perfekte af mig selv. Det behøver ikke sidde i skabet og være fantastisk hver gang - jeg kan sagtens leve med at levere noget lort ind imellem...
Ikke at jeg regner med, det bliver noget lort i morgen, selvfølgelig! Jeg er sikker på, det bliver en stor oplevelse og en flot aften!
Jeg glæder mig helt vildt til at møde Damon Albarn fra The Good, The Bad... / Blur / Gorillaz - han er én af de musikere, jeg beundrer allermest!
(Ih, tak for den bums, jeg lige har fået på hagen...)
Mandag morgen flyver jeg til London og tager direkte til en reception, Yoko Ono holder for alle os, der har været med i Amnestys Make Some Noise-kampagne. Jeg skal spille "min" John Lennon-sang live; som den eneste optrædende, af en-eller-anden grund, så der er lagt i ovnen til en ret surrealistisk eftermiddag. Samme aften spiller Oh No Ono i London, så så står den på synths og højt hår!
Jeg overvejer at tage med Vincent Van Gogo til USA om en uges tid. 10 dage i Los Angeles og San Francisco. Jeg har et uventet hul i kalenderen og kunne godt trænge til at hygge / feste lidt med drengene, få lidt sol på benene og måske klemme en enkelt last-minute-koncert ind i L.A. VVGG skal vistnok spille hele 7 koncerter på turen...
København, 4/9 - Armene over hovedet?
De spurgte i går i Aftenshowet, om jeg overhovedet kan få armene ned efter alle de flotte anmeldelser... Det er underligt, men jeg kan helt ærligt ikke rigtig mærke det.
Jeg kom til at tænke på noget, min far, som er tømrer og super-begavet inden for alt teknisk, elektrisk og håndværksmæssigt, sagde under aftensmaden i torsdag, hvor jeg var hjemme i Århus for at spille til Festuge-åbningen.
Han sagde: "Jeg har aldrig kunnet lære noget ved at læse om det i en bog; jeg skal ha' fingre i det for rigtigt at forstå det!"
Mon ikke dét med anmeldelserne er en gren af samme fænomen? Jeg "mærker" dem ikke ved at læse dem i en avis. Jeg skal ud på scenerne og mærke stemningen, høre folk synge med og se dem grine, græde og snave for at mine arme kan begynde at hæve sig...
Jeg har tænkt det lidt videre og overvejet, om det egentlig er sådan med hele mit liv og mit store behov for at skrive: om jeg er nødt til at skrive alt dét, jeg ser og føler, ind i sange for at kunne "få fingre i" følelserne og tankerne; for at gøre dem fysiske via mine stemmebånd og mit guitarspil. Det tror jeg... Der er en vidunderlig lettelse i at gøre en stemning eller en følelse kropslig ved at synge den...
Jeg har fri i dag. Tiltrængt. I morgen et enkelt tv-show. Dagen efter et radio-show i Århus og så et job i Hamburg om aftenen. Herefter drager jeg tilbage til London for en kort bemærkning. Inden Danmark får en TD-overdosis!
Århus, 2/9 - Dagen før dagen
Kl. er 22.23 dagen før udgivelsen af Count To Ten.
Om halvanden time skal jeg ned i Stereo Studio hér i Århus og signere plader, og jeg er sgu lidt spændt på, om der kommer nogen...
Det er jo midnat en søndag - hvem orker dét?
Jeg overvejer lidt at tage guitaren med - synes egentlig, det kunne være lidt hyggeligt at synge et par sange lejrbåls-style, men nu må vi se...
Så kunne jeg også få øvet mig lidt på de nye sange, inden jeg skal i MorgenTV i morgen tidlig! Det er jo altid lidt af en udfordring at skulle spille live på landsdækkende tv, før fanden får sko på. Jeg fungerer utrolig dårligt på den forkerte side af kl. 9 om morgenen.
Efter MorgenTV, som er i Århus på grund af Festugen, skal jeg direkte til København og signere plader i FONA på Strøget og så i Aftenshowet på DR1 bagefter.
Så alt i alt en super-hektisk dag - heldigvis! Det er jo et godt tegn...
Jeg er ellers ved at være godt spaced out af at snakke om mig selv og mit trubadour-liv, men det kan jeg fortælle mere om, når jeg kommer tilbage til London i løbet af ugen og får lidt mere ro på. Så kan I få noget, der ligger lidt tættere på en "sand historie" end alle de interviews, der verserer i øjeblikket. Hvis der altså findes en sand historie...
Off I go...
