A rough start, or rather a "no start" to the Tour in Cape Town! A late night breakdown in the airport parking lot lead to a couple of expensive tow jobs. One starter, one battery, one alternator, one beer, and then I was rushing over to Plumstead to visit my pals at Paul Bothner Music.
For almost a decade of shows across South Africa I've been happily partnered with Paul Bothner Music, better known across the land as Bothners. Africa's biggest music retailer, these folks have provided me with the quality production gear I need to roll across the country playing show after show in places big and small. Wayne Shelver is my promotions guy who sets me up every year. Here we are at the Bothner's warehouse facility reviewing bins and banners and cables before I head out into the Little Karoo. The new, 15 inch Thumpers are the lightest bins I've ever carried– and they sound great. They pack even better in the Merc than the R&R's we've used in previous years.
I must say I like the Nomad stands, and the cool bags they pack in. My North American tours never seem to have these– and I'm thinking that I must get some of these for ease of carry on that side. The nice thing about these carry bags is that they also hold the mic stands– and their whole mess of floppy feet– and it all carries in and out gracefully. When you play as many shows as I do, small things like this can add up to save hundreds of carries over a tour, and the gear packs neatly and easily. If you can save two carries a day over an eighty show tour, believe me– you're very grateful! Security being what it is, sometimes the production gear is moved three or four times daily.
From Bothners, it was a just in time journey out to Matjiesfontein. Get off the National Highways, and the roads get smaller, and dustier– and the places and the people become more interesting, too. From here, I pointed the Merc south, into the near outback, for a show at Vlieland. I knew I was taking chances with the tyres as I spent hours driving on the gravel in 38 degree heat. Even on the blacktop bits between the trails: these roads are hot: sticky: you can burn yourself touching them: and your tyres can separate into masses of torn belts and twisted rubber. I'd already pushed mine through Ladismith, Calitzdorp, over the Rooiberg Pass to Van Wyksdorp, onward to Oudtshoorn, and beyond, towards Willowmore before that happened. Well, one tyre– but that was more than enough!
The Rooiberg is, I should add, a beautiful Karoo drive.
This time around I knew that the spare took different bolts than the regular wheel– and I actually had these bolts in a bag in the glovebox, too! The change went smoothly when the wheels were blocked down tight. It's amazing how fast one can change a tyre when it's hot desert, and you've got guitars and a PA system piled next to you on the side of the road. I knew it was time for new tyres, but the excitement of replacing the starter, battery, and alternator had got in the way. The people at TyreMart, Aliwal North, installed a new set of tyres for me a couple of days later. I got some high end tyres for about a third of the price they would have cost me in North America: thank goodness! It's a pretty nice drive now, and I've got a few more bits on order from The Old Merc Guy in Port Elizabeth.
Ah, here we are! Packed in at the Overlander Bush Pub, and now looking for Savanna! Show ready. I'm a red wine guy, but when I blow in to set up on a hot, South African afternoon: Savanna! Damn, I could use an endorsement deal with them!
And doing what I actually do best! Songs and stories! My Secret Stories tour continues. This pic taken at The Station, in Calitzdorp.
Lastly, my product of the moment. Some things are simply too good to pass up. What you really need to keep the Tours going is Money. This "Show Me The Money" soap will no doubt keep the cash coming: brown money stuffed into duffle bags and lugged across the dusty landscape. Stay tuned as the Tour rolls across southern Africa!
