Hello again. This is Part II. After a day off before the Detroit show I am dropped off to visit my grandparents in Troy. Grandparents are approaching 90 and don't get too see me so much so it was nice to see them for a bit, even though unfortunately I missed the Ann Arbor picnic. This too bad because in Michigan the weather was sunny, windy and gorgeous. Unlike in Chicago where there are flood warnings and no chance of a picnic. Feeling a bit nervous driving into Detroit because that's where my Papa grew up and insists on scaring me half to death with horror stories. It was fine though, apart from the bizarre steam rising from every sewer. Maybe it's more of a Dad thing to ensure proper behavior. Anyways, the State Theatre was absolutely gorgeous and very posh, incense in the girl's (painted pink!) bathroom. Plus, all the security guards called me "baby girl" which was nice. 10 May 2002 Detroit Fuck This Shit There's Too Much Love Woman's Realm Waking Up To Us Wandering Alone If You're Feeling Sinister String Bean Jean Seymour Stein The Loneliness of the Middle Distance Runner The Model Babylove cover Simple Things The Boy With The Arab Strap Fox In The Snow Don't Leave The Light On Put The Book Back On The Shelf Like Dylan In The Movies The Wrong Girl Dirty Dream #2 Encore: Time of The Season Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying The Detroit show is better than Montreal and Toronto. Maybe it was the Friday night feeling. Perhaps this has something to do with Struan's love of baseball and dislike of hockey. Poor misguided lad! He said he didn't understand all the fighting in hockey. I'm in my familiar spot of being up front and right. These cute twins are to the left of me. Struan asks if they know each other and then invites them onstage to help out for Dirty Dream #2 and they dance up a storm. There is dramatic moment when tour manager Neil (a cutie by the way, but evidently not the Neil that we all know on this list) is congratulated on the birth of his daughter Annabelle. Champagne is divided on stage and one bottle is given to the audience. Sadly, the bottle never quite makes it to me. Paul waves his swirly light, now programmed at my urging MICK AND STEVIE ROCK (Actually, I wanted 'STEVIE IS A ROCK GOD' but Paul said I'd have to spin that one). Paul calls out for more Rush and Struan says 'not you again!'. Mick manages to read the lights and gives up a thumbs up. I was so pleased they did an encore, I know it's not their thing, but you still feel a bit unloved when the lights go up immediately and the roadies attack all the equipments within seconds of walking off. Time of The Season was great. I love Stevie's psychedelic dancing. Didn't Struan once say that him and Stevie were stuck in the 60's and didn't care? We went to the after party, this warehouse out in the middle of nowhere. I was worried because a schoolfriend I've known since I was 7 was supposed to show up so I could stay with here. I drink too much cheap watered down beer and then, suddenly, I see KEN CHU in front of me! It felt so good to finally recognize someone else in the crowd of stylish boys and girls. Chris spins a fantastic set, lovely old soul records. We never have any clubs that play that in Ottawa. All of the band members are there in the corner except Struan who is probably getting a good night's sleep. My schoolfriend finally appears! I am overjoyed. She doesn't know B&S really, but kept seeing all these boys from highschool that she had crushes on which was amusing. Had their hair styles improved? She kept daring me to speak to Mick, but there was always some girl by his side, deep in conversation. The music is great though, and I am more than content to dance with Ken and my friend Amanda in the corner where the band is. Some random boys hug me saying they love Canadians. A lot of people are not sure where Ottawa is. Some girls from Toledo are amused by my 'ehs?' in conversation. That cutie Ree shows up with Amy and the Alabama boyz so there is a good Sinister front. The Dirty Dream#2 dancing twins also make an appearance. Stevie runs to the middle of the room with Richard to dance for a few minutes. That boy loves to dance. After I'd been leaning on the wall next to Stevie for a while I finally shake his hand and tell him how amazing he's been at shows and then leave for Ann Arbor with the CHU. Falling asleep at 4 in the morning, we wake up early to make it to Chicago by noon. I am amazed at Ken Chu's speed. He zips down the I94 and we are in Chicago in record time. There are amusing billboards on the way. My favourites: "KNOW JESUS, KNOW LIFE. NO JESUS, NO LIFE" and "THERE ARE 10 THINGS CARVED IN STONE --- GOD " 11 May 2002 Chicago Fuck This Shit Dirty Dream #2 Woman's Realm Waking Up To Us Wandering Alone The State I am In Dylan In The Movies Jonathan David Don't Leave The Light On Seeing Other People Judy Is A Dickslap Judy And The Dream of Horses The Boy With The Arab Strap You Made Me Forget MY Dreams The Loneliness of the Middle Distance Runner Dog On Wheels The Wrong Girl There's Too Much Love Legal Man The Boys Are Back In Town cover Paul, Ken and me go over to the lovely sinisterine JennPB's gorgeous place. It is raining like a bitch so there is no chance of a picnic so we head over the Pick Me Up Cafe instead. There's a large group of sinister kids that grows by the minute. This list is getting so big now my poor old brain can't remember all the names. We were a bit tired from the previous shows and my voice was near to gone, but I realized it was the lovely Mandee sitting at the cafe. It wasn't until later that I found out the sweet girl next to her was Kirsten! I heard their drunken, giggly voices later on at the show shouting out their adoration for Mick Cooke, We love Mick! Yeahhhh Mick! I tried to shout out my appreciation for Stevie but by this time, all I could manage was a quiet STEE! Struan receives a lot of shouts. The cute twins were to the left of me again and Struan recognized them instantly and brought them up again to dance, giving them hats at the end as well. Struan and Stevie did a little Abba style movement during Jonathan David. Judy Is A Dickslap, which Struan had said they never did live, was perfect. Their cover of The Boys Are Back In Town made me feel like my 12 year old self when I saw a Blur or Ash music video. It was so...THE BOYS and only the boys! Belfast Bob seemed made to play that song. Throughout most of the shows he was pretty quiet, hiding in the shadows and going off for cigarettes. The boys completely rocked out, even Chris ran around stage playing air guitar. Paul was completely exhausted so unfortunately I couldn't attend any after show mischief, even with the tempting lure of 50 year old barmaids named Sheri. Oh well, at least I got to sleep with the famous CHU back at the sweet and hospitable Jenn's, and hopefully have captured some of his magic. There was also a dramatic moment with a marriage proposal, I'd met the couple only a few hours before at the cafe, so it was surreal to see that, congratulations Colin and Amy! If I gave you a detailed song report it would leave this mail even longer than it is. There was never ever a bad song performed, and I am completely overwhelmed by their sheer talent as musicians. It is something you really appreciate once you see them live. Everyone switches around instruments, the versatility is amazing. I can understand this annoyance with their twee feyness that the press likes to criticize them for, because it is obvious that they totally ROCK OUT more than anything else. A lot of songs that were merely okay to me on the record simply come alive onstage. Legal Man especially. They bring out these little shakers, sticks and the psychedelic lights. Stevie gives us some theatrics and drops to his knees and sings and points. I don't understand these reports of the crowd not dancing, where I was standing, every night, everyone around me was dancing! Granted, as much movement as humanely possible when you're all smushed together. I have long hair so I have to be careful it doesn't look like I'm headbanging with my dancing, especially next to all those delicate and stylish kids! I think the other thing I realize is how important the other members are in addition to Struan. Some more favourite bits....The Middle Distance runner was fantastic every time. I loved watching Mick dance and his trumpet bits were soooo good live. The Boy With The Arab Strap was a crowd pleaser every time with the hand claps, but also Woman's Realm. At first I thought Chris was doing a weird techno one armed dance until I realized he was shaking a wooden egg thing. Stevie's songs were amazing, the Wrong Girl and Wandering Alone with the great flamenco style handclaps. Paul thinks Stevie plays just like a young Paul McCartney. Paul is almost like a B&S groupie now, knowing all their names. The car ride leaving Ottawa had mostly FLOYD on the stereo, but going back it was mostly B&S. I'm glad they played some of my favourite songs from the Storytelling album, especially the high energy, but short, Scooby Driver. Last night I dreamed they played that Suite Judy Blue Eyes with all the boys harmonizing during the doo de doo de doo bits. I hope everyone has a great time for the rest of the shows, and hello to all the kind people I met on the way. So now I have even more excitement in my life, I'm only back in Canada for a few days before I leave for Scotland to live with a family as an au-pair. I'll be in Winchburgh, which is apparently very close to Edinburgh, even though no Scottish person I know seems to have heard of it! So if you have meet ups and things, (even if they are in London because I'll be taking some trips up there as I only had a small glimpse of the city before) please let me know as I've never lived away from home before and I'll probably get a bit lonely, so please be a dear and email me. Love, Genevieve p.s I'm very bad but I owe some people some tapes from like months ago. I promise they will be sent soon. I haven't forgotten! _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister@missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo@missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+