| Maximo Park Diary Entries |
| These are diary entries by Maximo Park members from the Official Maximo Park Website. |
Back In The USA: Part Two |
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| 18 Sep, 2005 |
Hiya,
I am fumbling across a keyboard in a hotel in Tucson, Arizona. My eyelids are droopy after 2 days on 4 planes to get to Nashville and back. Another day, another swimming pool. We arrived here late in the afternoon as the sun was gradually disappearing from sight. The bottom of the pool was discoloured and had algae-esque stains on its surface, as if years of dirty feet had been scraped across it. Dead wasps floated by alongside feathers and flies.
We are only 64 miles from the US border with Mexico, the site of so many Cormac McCarthy novels that I have pored over and disected. If we had more time here, I would like to wander into the desert and look at the contorted, rocky lanscape, imagining myself as a character in Blood Meridian or All The Pretty Horses.
One day, I would like to play in Mexico. I have read a fair bit on the region as part of my studies in a former life...
We came to America to support The Bravery who reach bigger audiences out here. There has already been a latenight Prince singalong on their tourbus, which, apparently, ended up with me wearing a pink wig, but nothing has been proven.
One of my favourite moments so far was when Dunc and me played our electric guitars outside the venue in the car park in Santa Ana. We have both aquired tiny amplifiers that strap to your belt and The Bravery were bemused when they walked past us on the way to their soundcheck. I am sad to report that the same car park was the scene of an injury to Mr. Tom English during an overly competitive game of basketball. Tom has since been wheeled about in a number of airports by our tour manager, Neil, much to our amusement.
It seems that the American guests of the hotel from which I write have a habit of coming in and downloading their favourite R n' B songs before proceding to sing along with them in a rather saccharine manner. Great.
My train of thought has well and truly been broken now (third time lucky for the new Mariah carey song), but I will amble onwards.
San Francisco was a highlight as far as gigs go because it was a sell-out and so many legends have played there. Lukas was telling me how impressed he was by the Pete Townshend photograph in the foyer, where the Who guitarist was leaping through the air, but I was too busy to see it. I rushed to the show after playing an instore with Dunc at the massive Amoeba Records store. We made it up as we went along and I nabbed a few free CDs including the new Sigur Ros and Devendra Banhart albums. Also in attendance was our new friend, Alissa, from the band Vetiver. They make lovely, acoustic-based music, and their LP features the guest talents of Joanna Newsom, Hope Sandoval and Devendra himself.
Just now, in the dark of this outdoor motel complex, my head was filled with the song Blue Moon from Big Star's Third album. It is very beautiful. The air is so warm, like a giant hairdryer is switched on somewhere.
We came here from The Mercury Music Prize ceremony, which was friendly rather than competetive, thankfully. Our management tried to steal a massive poster of our album cover and we played a ferocious version of Going Missing. At the end, there was a cameraman kneeling next to me training his lens on me, sat down at our table, which was the only point where I genuinely thought we might win. Still, although our aim is to reach as many people as possible, there are ways and means of doing it that attract less initial attention. We are just glad to feature on the list and have people talking about the merits of our music. The best man won, and it was a pleasure to say so to his face beforehand. I love his quivering voice and his daring approach to making music. I wish I had put a bet on now!
Waste Land, one of our new songs is out there now, which we recorded and mixed in less than 24 hours for the War Child charity. The song speaks for itself, as does the name of the charity, which helps kids born into circumstances they could not do anything about. If you have spare money then buy the album, which will be out in about a week or so.
Anyway, I will stop before this becomes pure information...
Take care out there,
Paul And The Park |
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