Tom Reports From Dubai and Bangalore
Aero Force One
June 21, 2007
Dubai and Bangalore...
It’s a bit like a reunion. Maybe it’s my imagination but there’s quite a “welcome back” vibe from the fans. While we’ve been away we’ve been doing a lot of touring in The U.S., Canada and Japan so our basic skills have gotten better. There’s a lot of ways that we play the songs that are different and, I hope, better, than the way we did ten years ago or however long it was since we played Europe. We’ve been looking forward whipping ‘em out.
I keep talking about how amazing and ironic it is that we’re playing in the Middle East, India and even in areas that used to be behind the “iron curtain”. Dubai was off the scale. The magnitude of what they’re doing there is staggering. The entire city is under construction. They’ve made it a priority to shoot higher and dream bigger than almost anywhere in the world. I thought the Japanese were into futuristic architecture but I think Dubai is giving them a run for their money. I mean that almost literally because making money is what that city is all about. I mean that in a positive way. It’s like a lot of other areas of the world where people are having a taste of what they’re lives could be like and how much better off they could be and they’re not holding back. They’re gung ho. They’re going for it. One of the main things I liked about Dubai was that all different types of people from around the world could be there and let national, ethnic and religious differences be put on hold in the name of simply getting stuff done.
While we were there we went out for a dune ride in the desert. We piled into big SUVs and headed out of the city. I expected a scenic relaxing taste of the Arabian Desert. We turned off the highway and headed out into an ocean of sand. The dunes were really high and steep. At one point we rode along a ridge that dropped off to the right like a cliff. I thought our driver, Jafar, was cutting it kind of close but I figured he must be experienced enough so that he wouldn’t get too close and fall over. The next thing I know he spins the wheel to the right and suddenly we are diving straight down over the edge. I thought we were going to roll for sure. Next we charged straight up to the crest of another dune flew over the edge and dove. Everybody in the SUV gasped except Jafar who had a big smile on his face as he casually spun the steering wheel cranking it back and forth to counteract what would have had us standing on our heads. Just as we went over the top he whipped the wheel to the right so we were sideways on the slope. Every sphincter in the car tightened up for dear life. After a few minutes it became obvious that we weren’t going over but I had a hard time convincing most of my brain that we would stay upright.
When we finished the dune thing we stopped at a campground where they had tents set up with oriental rugs and hand woven cushions. In the center of the camp were long low tables where we would later have a buffet of freshly grilled food. I sat there looking at the desert, as the sun got lower in the sky and the heat mellowed. I had a moment where I realized how hard it must be for the nomadic desert people to give up this lifestyle. I felt like I could have stayed there staring at the sky all night. It was a deeply moving, soul inspiring taste of the paradise of being at one with the infinite embrace of nature. Plus I got to ride a camel.
The show happened a couple of days later with the desert making it’s presence known in the form of heat, sand and a red full moon. The crowd was a mixture of westerners, Arabs, Indians and Southeast Asians. It was a cool feeling to have our show be part of this new melting pot. We could forget whatever scary stuff was on the news and have an awesome time focusing on music.
The next day we slogged to the airport for the flight to Bangalore India. It went by pretty quickly and we all tried to anticipate what our first time there would be like. We had done a lot of advance press for this one and were told that people were looking forward to our show. It was confirmed the minute we walked through the airport. Suddenly we were surrounded by a huge group of fans and press people blasting us with cameras, pens, voices and autograph signing paraphernalia. We did our best to keep up with the chaos and give back the energy.
After 10 quick minutes we were on our way through the chaos of Bangalore’s traffic. They have these little vehicles called rickshaws. They’re not the old kind powered by a human. It’s like a big motorized tricycle. The driver sits at the front and up to two people sit in a seat behind him with a big yellow hood coming up and over their heads. The motors are tiny. The exhaust pipes are about the width of a garden hose. They swerve back and forth while making a sound like a bumblebee with a hard on.
Everyone beeps their horns all the time. At first I wondered why, then I realized that if they didn’t the whole scene would go out of control and melt down. There were cows by the side of the road. There were donkeys pulling carts. (I forgot to ask if they were called Asses). However you describe Bangalore, it’s a place where everyone has somewhere to go and something to do. It’s a city on it’s way up and nothing’s gonna stop it.
We got to our hotel, the Taj West End, and an entire new spectacle began. Two guys on horseback dressed in electric blue silks met us. They led us down a paved path surrounded by a lush cultivated jungle. We ended up at the end of a cul-de-sac where some of the rooms waited in low buildings tucked into the exotic vegetation. Suddenly we heard drumming coming from around a corner and the next thing you know our eyes and ears were assaulted by the spectacle of about ten or twelve guys playing hyper animated beats on big single drums they carried in front of them. They were dressed in colorful silk outfits and had obviously done this many times because they were tight. They played together really well and gave us inspiration to do the same when it was our turn the next day. As they banged away people from the hotel put leis around our necks of some kind of really strong smelling flowers. It reminded me of our first trip to Hawaii years ago. Maybe it’s a tradition in both places. All I knew is that they smelled really good. Meanwhile the drummers formed up into a pyramid and kept playing just as tight as before. You could see and hear the work they must put in at rehearsal. Good inspiration.
The jungle that the hotel sits on has over 8000 different species of plants on its 22 acres. It was cool the way it was cultivated without looking to perfect a la Beverly Hills. I’ve been known to stare at trees and other objects before but this time I was mesmerized. My eyes could hardly keep up with all the trees I had never seen before. Some of them were huge and over 100 years old.
For the next three days we could hardly move without someone being there asking if there was something they could do for us. Being in India was a bigger deal than I expected it would be. We had done a lot of press in advance of the show so we knew the excitement level was up there but this was more than we expected.
A lot of the news coverage went out over the whole country, which was pretty exciting considering there are about a billion people there.
This swell of frenzied excitement carried us for the next two days all the way up onto the stage. Since this was our first time playing there and also because we’ve been anticipating this for so long we wanted to really give it to ‘em good. The crowd was so over the top it made us feel really relaxed which is when we really play good. I know I’ve mentioned this before but its fun to feel that in a new exotic place like India.
We started the show with Taste of India especially for that night. We haven’t played that song in years but when we did our press conference in Dubai, there were journalists and radio people there asking if we would play it. How could we turn down a request like that?
Considering it’s been so long, it went down really well. We got through it right and made it cook. I could feel the satisfaction the band felt in kicking it out there and all the irony of finally coming to India and playing that song.
The next day was all about sitting by the pool, exploring Bangalore and for me, playing a little tennis on their funky red clay courts. The guy I played with was really good but he did a good job of letting me win a game here and there without making it obvious he was giving me a break. We went out looking around checking out the local stores. I got some really cool stuff to send home including some nice duds from a local designer named Manoviraj Khosla. Joey got some too.
I forgot to mention that earlier in the day we spent an hour hanging and taking pictures with an elephant. Her name was Lakshmee and she was 18 years old. I was a little taken aback by her incredible size and the fact that her curious trunk could have wound up in some awkward areas. Once we spent a little time we realized what a warm hearted animal she was. She was actually cute in spite of the fact that she weighs as much as a bulldozer and could pop your head with one foot. After an hour we had to be finished because she had a “prior engagement.”
It feels good to be able to say that we finally got to India and left our mark. It meant a lot to us that we played a good show and made a connection with some really awesome people.
TH
More Photos: (here).
June 21, 2007
Dubai and Bangalore...
It’s a bit like a reunion. Maybe it’s my imagination but there’s quite a “welcome back” vibe from the fans. While we’ve been away we’ve been doing a lot of touring in The U.S., Canada and Japan so our basic skills have gotten better. There’s a lot of ways that we play the songs that are different and, I hope, better, than the way we did ten years ago or however long it was since we played Europe. We’ve been looking forward whipping ‘em out.
I keep talking about how amazing and ironic it is that we’re playing in the Middle East, India and even in areas that used to be behind the “iron curtain”. Dubai was off the scale. The magnitude of what they’re doing there is staggering. The entire city is under construction. They’ve made it a priority to shoot higher and dream bigger than almost anywhere in the world. I thought the Japanese were into futuristic architecture but I think Dubai is giving them a run for their money. I mean that almost literally because making money is what that city is all about. I mean that in a positive way. It’s like a lot of other areas of the world where people are having a taste of what they’re lives could be like and how much better off they could be and they’re not holding back. They’re gung ho. They’re going for it. One of the main things I liked about Dubai was that all different types of people from around the world could be there and let national, ethnic and religious differences be put on hold in the name of simply getting stuff done.
While we were there we went out for a dune ride in the desert. We piled into big SUVs and headed out of the city. I expected a scenic relaxing taste of the Arabian Desert. We turned off the highway and headed out into an ocean of sand. The dunes were really high and steep. At one point we rode along a ridge that dropped off to the right like a cliff. I thought our driver, Jafar, was cutting it kind of close but I figured he must be experienced enough so that he wouldn’t get too close and fall over. The next thing I know he spins the wheel to the right and suddenly we are diving straight down over the edge. I thought we were going to roll for sure. Next we charged straight up to the crest of another dune flew over the edge and dove. Everybody in the SUV gasped except Jafar who had a big smile on his face as he casually spun the steering wheel cranking it back and forth to counteract what would have had us standing on our heads. Just as we went over the top he whipped the wheel to the right so we were sideways on the slope. Every sphincter in the car tightened up for dear life. After a few minutes it became obvious that we weren’t going over but I had a hard time convincing most of my brain that we would stay upright.
When we finished the dune thing we stopped at a campground where they had tents set up with oriental rugs and hand woven cushions. In the center of the camp were long low tables where we would later have a buffet of freshly grilled food. I sat there looking at the desert, as the sun got lower in the sky and the heat mellowed. I had a moment where I realized how hard it must be for the nomadic desert people to give up this lifestyle. I felt like I could have stayed there staring at the sky all night. It was a deeply moving, soul inspiring taste of the paradise of being at one with the infinite embrace of nature. Plus I got to ride a camel.
The show happened a couple of days later with the desert making it’s presence known in the form of heat, sand and a red full moon. The crowd was a mixture of westerners, Arabs, Indians and Southeast Asians. It was a cool feeling to have our show be part of this new melting pot. We could forget whatever scary stuff was on the news and have an awesome time focusing on music.
The next day we slogged to the airport for the flight to Bangalore India. It went by pretty quickly and we all tried to anticipate what our first time there would be like. We had done a lot of advance press for this one and were told that people were looking forward to our show. It was confirmed the minute we walked through the airport. Suddenly we were surrounded by a huge group of fans and press people blasting us with cameras, pens, voices and autograph signing paraphernalia. We did our best to keep up with the chaos and give back the energy.
After 10 quick minutes we were on our way through the chaos of Bangalore’s traffic. They have these little vehicles called rickshaws. They’re not the old kind powered by a human. It’s like a big motorized tricycle. The driver sits at the front and up to two people sit in a seat behind him with a big yellow hood coming up and over their heads. The motors are tiny. The exhaust pipes are about the width of a garden hose. They swerve back and forth while making a sound like a bumblebee with a hard on.
Everyone beeps their horns all the time. At first I wondered why, then I realized that if they didn’t the whole scene would go out of control and melt down. There were cows by the side of the road. There were donkeys pulling carts. (I forgot to ask if they were called Asses). However you describe Bangalore, it’s a place where everyone has somewhere to go and something to do. It’s a city on it’s way up and nothing’s gonna stop it.
We got to our hotel, the Taj West End, and an entire new spectacle began. Two guys on horseback dressed in electric blue silks met us. They led us down a paved path surrounded by a lush cultivated jungle. We ended up at the end of a cul-de-sac where some of the rooms waited in low buildings tucked into the exotic vegetation. Suddenly we heard drumming coming from around a corner and the next thing you know our eyes and ears were assaulted by the spectacle of about ten or twelve guys playing hyper animated beats on big single drums they carried in front of them. They were dressed in colorful silk outfits and had obviously done this many times because they were tight. They played together really well and gave us inspiration to do the same when it was our turn the next day. As they banged away people from the hotel put leis around our necks of some kind of really strong smelling flowers. It reminded me of our first trip to Hawaii years ago. Maybe it’s a tradition in both places. All I knew is that they smelled really good. Meanwhile the drummers formed up into a pyramid and kept playing just as tight as before. You could see and hear the work they must put in at rehearsal. Good inspiration.
The jungle that the hotel sits on has over 8000 different species of plants on its 22 acres. It was cool the way it was cultivated without looking to perfect a la Beverly Hills. I’ve been known to stare at trees and other objects before but this time I was mesmerized. My eyes could hardly keep up with all the trees I had never seen before. Some of them were huge and over 100 years old.
For the next three days we could hardly move without someone being there asking if there was something they could do for us. Being in India was a bigger deal than I expected it would be. We had done a lot of press in advance of the show so we knew the excitement level was up there but this was more than we expected.
A lot of the news coverage went out over the whole country, which was pretty exciting considering there are about a billion people there.
This swell of frenzied excitement carried us for the next two days all the way up onto the stage. Since this was our first time playing there and also because we’ve been anticipating this for so long we wanted to really give it to ‘em good. The crowd was so over the top it made us feel really relaxed which is when we really play good. I know I’ve mentioned this before but its fun to feel that in a new exotic place like India.
We started the show with Taste of India especially for that night. We haven’t played that song in years but when we did our press conference in Dubai, there were journalists and radio people there asking if we would play it. How could we turn down a request like that?
Considering it’s been so long, it went down really well. We got through it right and made it cook. I could feel the satisfaction the band felt in kicking it out there and all the irony of finally coming to India and playing that song.
The next day was all about sitting by the pool, exploring Bangalore and for me, playing a little tennis on their funky red clay courts. The guy I played with was really good but he did a good job of letting me win a game here and there without making it obvious he was giving me a break. We went out looking around checking out the local stores. I got some really cool stuff to send home including some nice duds from a local designer named Manoviraj Khosla. Joey got some too.
I forgot to mention that earlier in the day we spent an hour hanging and taking pictures with an elephant. Her name was Lakshmee and she was 18 years old. I was a little taken aback by her incredible size and the fact that her curious trunk could have wound up in some awkward areas. Once we spent a little time we realized what a warm hearted animal she was. She was actually cute in spite of the fact that she weighs as much as a bulldozer and could pop your head with one foot. After an hour we had to be finished because she had a “prior engagement.”
It feels good to be able to say that we finally got to India and left our mark. It meant a lot to us that we played a good show and made a connection with some really awesome people.
TH
More Photos: (here).
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