Sinister: My Canadian Tour Diary

[Genevieve Wesley]

Hello Sinister! Time for REPORTING BACK.

Although I am sad to see my mini-trip of Belle and Sebastian it is nice to 
be back in the land where the only thing anyone cares about is the 7th game 
in Toronto tomorrow. Oddly, I will only be here for a few days before I 
leave for Scotland. The rain seems to have followed me from Chicago, it's 
Tuesday and STILL RAINING. I'm sure the rain will continue to follow me to 
Scotland as well. Perhaps some of you are bit overwhelmed with all these 
tour reports but hell, it's my time to live baby! I might confuse some 
details with other shows, so forgive me.

7 May 2002 Montreal

Le Pastie de la Bourgeoisie
Dirty Dream #2
Magic of a Kind Word
Waking Up To Us
I Love My Car
Consuelo Leaving
Scooby Driver
Stars of Track And Field
The Model
Leonard Cohen song
I Could Be Dreaming
The Boy With The Arab Strap
Slow Graffiti
Family Tree
I Know Where The Summer Goes
Dog On Wheels
The Wrong Girl
There's Too Much Love
Legal Man

There was that rush and slight nauseous feeling in my stomach before they 
came on stage. So excited! I get up to the front but very far right so Mick 
is right in front of me. Gorgeous Struan in tight slacks and tight "I'm With 
Them" arrow t-shirt. He must be aware of the notoriety of his arms. Before 
playing 'I Love My Car' announced that it was their prog number. Struan says 
they play a game in the bus naming Rush albums. Struan tells a story of a 
rat in Montreal chasing him down the street as he was late for the show. My 
appreciation for Stevie and Mick increases a million times. Stevie is a very 
funny guy, his awkward movements, pushing glasses up on nose, and witty 
onstage banter. He starts talking about journalists and does his impression 
of a London journalist holding beer, grumbling "fucking twee pop, play some 
fucking rock". Struan tries to speak a little bit of French and updates the 
audience on the Habs score. I love Mick's dancing so much, the little sway 
and handclaps. Sarah sang a Leonard Cohen song that was absolutely lovely.

8 May 2002 Toronto

The State I Am In
Sleep The Clock Around
Wandering Alone
Dylan In The Movies
She's Losing It
Dirty Dream #2
Fuck This Shit
Seymour Stein
The Loneliness of the Middle Distance Runner
Waking Up To Us
Satisfaction cover
Magic of a Kind Word
The Boy With The Arab Strap
We Rule The School
Family Tree
Put The Book Back On The Shelf
String Bean Jean
The Wrong Girl
Woman's Realm
Legal Man
Me And The Major

In Toronto it is freezing waiting outside in the line-up. My voice was 
starting to go a bit in Montreal and it's getting worse. By Chicago I will 
sound like a 70 year old woman who smokes 5 packs of Marlboros a day. Kool 
Haus is unlike the other theatre style venues, it's just a big warehouse 
style room. The Aisler set open again, very nice. The bassist always smiles. 
Again, I get up to the front far right. Struan originally wearing a little 
jacket and bundled up scarf. Paul has this little laser thing you can twirl 
around and the words show up in a circle, so he programmed BELLE AND 
SEBASTIAN to light up. Struan notices this, comes right down (so close!) and 
takes it, asks for the house lights down and spins it around. The wrong way 
at first, (he's left-handed). Struan wonders if this a 'Toronto' thing. He 
comes back down to give the light to Paul but a very excited girl thrusts 
some picture in Struan's face. After a few too many drinks Paul keeps 
screaming out for them to play some Rush. Mick finds this amusing I think. I 
notice another button on Mick's stylish shirt has come undone. Isobel seems 
much better in Toronto than Montreal, she's dressed up a little (plastic red 
jacket, very salon blonde shiny hair) and there is even a flicker of a smile 
when someone calls out her name. A girl from the audience is invited on 
stage to sing and they cover Satisfaction, Stevie doing an excellent job 
with the rest of the lyrics when everyone else seems to forget besides 'I 
can't get none'.

Loving Mick's dancing and clothes, the Stevie theatrics, the session 
musicians helping out during Legal Man, Struan's ease in front of the 
audience, Belfast's Bobs "urban mullet" that stays in place. Struan also 
does some crazy dancing, especially during There's Too Much Love.

_________________________________________________________________
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