We gave our concert in San Francisco last night. It took place in The Shoreline Amphitheatre. Some twelve thousand people were there and I was told some of them were from Google. Google is practically next door.
Just like in Red Rocks we performed two “new” songs, this time Aeroplane and Mother Heroic. My part in the former was originally played on a marimba, but one of the vibraphone voices on the electric piano is exotic enough. The last bit, a really tropical melody on the marimba heard in the distance in the original version always gave everyone a laughing fit when we rehearsed it. This time we decorated it with really loud jungle sounds!
As for Mother Heroic, it is one of my favorite Björk songs. Unlike the other quiet songs Björk sent me last fall, this one I didn’t want to change at all. So my accompaniment last night was exactly like in the recorded version. It is so pure and exalted in its simplicity.
Incidentally, our first rehearsal of Mother Heroic was just one hour before the concert last night!
My personal flag has been fixed and the Qabalistic Tree of Life is now in its correct position, i.e. not on the side. When Björk sang Declare Your Independence I noticed several people waving their own flags in the audience. That was great! I hope more people will do this in the future. Raise your own flag!
It was fun to have Einar Örn play the trumpet solo in I Miss You. He was absolutely wonderful.
All in all we had a fabulous time during the show and Björk was simply fantastic. And the party afterwards was lively. In the coach, as we were driving towards Eugene, Andrea Helgadóttir, Björk’s make-up artist, insisted that I let her give me a pedicure! She then put black nail-varnish on my toes, with Mark Bell assisting, holding my toes and blowing on them to dry the varnish. Surely a fitting end to a day in San Francisco…
Entries (RSS)
May 21st, 2007 at 7:24 am
♠♠ ♠♠ ♠♠ ♠ ♠♠♠♠ ♠♠
♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠♠ ♠
♠♠ ♠♠ ♠♠♠ ♠ ♠♠ ♠♠
May 21st, 2007 at 8:24 am
Playing ‘Mother Heroic’ on the tour was fabulous! Does that mean we will hear other b-side-material? I just sooo hope for ‘Foot Soldier’!
May 21st, 2007 at 3:46 pm
Peace and blessings on your travels
Kevin
http://prisoner-of-gravity.blogspot.com/
May 21st, 2007 at 5:52 pm
does anyone know the set list for the shoreline show?
May 21st, 2007 at 6:48 pm
sure, try the gigoraphy, great resource for such infos.
meow
May 21st, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Such an amazing show! Thank you for being there! I am so pissed we missed Ghostigital, however. But the flames, the lasers, your astounding keyboard playing, the neat new music “toys” on display, and of course, The Voice! We had so much fun. I am sad you left SF so soon, however. My fiance was hoping we could invite some of the entourage for Icelandic horse rides on the beaches of Santa Cruz. Alas, well on your way! Oh, and I pointed out your flag to my partner. I had read about it in your earlier blog, and was glad to see it so clearly in view. Good luck, and godspeed.
May 21st, 2007 at 9:37 pm
——♠♠–♠♠—♠♠—♠—♠♠♠♠—♠♠——–
——-♠–♠—♠–♠–♠—–♠—-♠♠♠———-
——–♠♠—–♠♠—♠♠♠.–♠–♠♠–♠♠——-
May 22nd, 2007 at 4:12 am
I flew from Mexico city to San Francisco just to see the show, I’ve been a huge fan since I was 17, now I’m 27 and I have to thank Bjork and all the staff for such an amazing performance it was a long time waiting to see her but it was worthed, I cried, laugh, scream… I will never forget it, you guys made me feel things I never taught I could. Thank you. And please tell Bjork to come to Mexico.. There are thousands looking forward to see her.
May 22nd, 2007 at 8:51 am
Bravo to all the performers! This was my first live Björk sighting and first ‘pop’ concert. I too enjoyed Einar doing his trumpet solo. Mother Heroic was a suprising coincidence.
May 22nd, 2007 at 3:54 pm
♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪
♫Björk♫♪♫
♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪
May 24th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Thank you so much for coming to the Bay Area. I had meant to compliment you during the afterparty but I was too shy. Your keyboard playing is immaculate! And thank you so so so much for keeping up this blog. It’s so nice to get a behind-the-scenes look at a bjork tour. Mil gracias por todos