Duke's Travels

I've reached a new low

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:26:00 +0000

HELSINKI, FINLAND.- I apologize in advance if you this post is too technical for the musically illiterate.

I've recently discovered that my vocal range has gone down one whole note. My lowest note used to be an A (easiest to reach in the morning before my first coffee), which I was barely able to hold. Now I'm able to reach all the way down to a G, which makes those Pink Floyd songs a lot more fun to sing. Still works best before the morning coffee.

And now, to celebrate I'll be learning the Crash Test Dummies' legendary song Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm. That first 'Mmm' is indeed a low G.

I'm coming for you, Barry White!

The Weight Delusion

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:45:00 +0000

HELSINKI, FINLAND.- Back in my beautiful Finland after spending 4 weeks back in Mexico. And I have to say besides spending lots of quality time with my parents and seeing a few friends, this was a pretty uneventful visit.
I will say that I ate more Mexican food than I've ever eaten and by the end of the trip I felt like the fattest person on earth. But - oh surprise - I came back to realize I, in fact, had lost 200 grams.

Yes, that's right. I was in Mexico 4 weeks and I'm talking about my weight.

Move along now. Other blogs to see.

Duke

Viva Mexico!

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:11:00 +0000

PUEBLA, MEXICO.- It's been 20 days, more than halfway through my trip back to my homeland, and I've been missing Helsinki since day one.
Seeing my parents has been great, and it's been a much needed trip since my mom is ill, and my being here has really helped her out. My parents rarely go out anymore, but I've managed to take my mom out for several walks, the movies, a coffee, and took them both out to an Italian restaurant for their 26th Anniversary.

I've seen old friends, played with a couple of great bands, and eaten loads of Mexican food. At this point I should consider letting the airlines know about the extra weight I'm coming back with. Not to mention the loads of tequila that Mike and Tiina want me to bring back. At least they didn't ask for weed. I'm sure Mike got enough down in Colombia last week. Plus Mexican weed sucks; I've heard.

It was Mexican Independence Day! And I couldn't find anyone to party with. Yay! Had to watch the whole thing on TV. Oh well. Next year's the 200th Anniversary of our Independence. Maybe I'll have to come back for that one.

Stop Socialism in America! Sign the petition!

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 07:40:00 +0000

The Teabagger Socialist-Free Purity Pledge

I, ________________________________, do solemnly swear to uphold the principles of a socialism-free society and heretofore pledge my word that I shall strictly adhere to the following:

I will complain about the destruction of 1st Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 1st Amendment Rights.

I will complain about the destruction of my 2ndAmendment Rights in this country, while I am duly >being allowed to exercise my 2ndAmendment rights by legally but brazenly brandishing unconcealed firearms in public.

I will foreswear the time-honored principles of fairness, decency, and respect by screaming unintelligible platitudes regarding tyranny, Nazi-ism, and socialism at public town halls. Also.

I pledge to eliminate all government intervention in my life. I will abstain from the use of and participation in any socialist goods and services including but not limited to the following:
Social Security
Medicare/Medicaid
State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)
Police, Fire, and Emergency Services
US Postal Service
Roads and Highways
Air Travel (regulated by the socialist FAA)
The US Railway System
Public Subways and Metro Systems
Public Bus and Lightrail Systems
Rest Areas on Highways
Sidewalks
All Government-Funded Local/State Projects (e.g., see Iowa 2009federal senate appropriations--http://grassley.senate.gov/issues/upload/Master-Approps-73109.pdf)
Public Water and Sewer Services (goodbye socialist toilet, shower, dishwasher, kitchen sink, outdoor hose!)
Public and State Universities and Colleges
Public Primary and Secondary Schools
Sesame Street
Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children
Public Museums
Libraries
Public Parksand Beaches
State and National Parks
Public Zoos
Unemployment Insurance
Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services
Treatment at Any Hospital or Clinic That Ever Received Funding From Local, Stateor Federal Government (pretty much all of them)
Medical Services and Medications That Were Created or Derived From Any Government Grant or Research Funding (again, pretty much all of them)
Socialist Byproducts of Government Investment Such as Duct Tape and Velcro (Nazi-NASA Inventions)
Use of the Internets, email, and networked computers, as the DoD's ARPANET was the basis for subsequent computer networking
Foodstuffs, Meats, Produce and Crops That Were Grown With, Fed With, Raised With or That Contain Inputs From Crops Grown With Government Subsidies
Clothing Made from Crops (e.g. cotton) That Were Grown With or That Contain Inputs From Government Subsidies
If a veteran of the government-run socialist US military, I will forego my VA benefits and insist on paying for my own medical care

I will not tour socialist government buildings like the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

I pledge to never take myself, my family, or my children on a tour of the following types of socialist

locations, including but not limited to:
Smithsonian Museums such as the Air and Space Museum or Museum of American History
The socialist Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Monuments
The government-operated Statue of Liberty
The Grand Canyon
The socialist World War II and Vietnam Veterans Memorials
The government-run socialist-propaganda location known as Arlington National Cemetery
All other public-funded socialist sites, whether it be in my state or in Washington, DC

I will urge my Member of Congress and Senators to forego their government salary and government-provided healthcare.

I will oppose and condemn the government-funded and therefore socialist military of the United States of America.

I will boycott the products of socialist defense contractors such as GE, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Humana, FedEx, General Motors, Honeywell, and hundreds of others that are paid by our socialist government to produce goods for our socialist army.

I will protest socialist security departments such as the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, Department of Homeland Security, TSA, Department of Justice and their socialist employees.

Upon reaching eligible retirement age, I will tear up my socialist Social Security checks.

Upon reaching age 65, I will forego Medicare and pay for my own private health insurance until I die.

SWORN ON A BIBLE AND SIGNED THIS DAY OF ____________ IN THE YEAR ______________.

___________________________ ___________________________

Signed Printed Name/Town and State

I am a Frankfurter

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:33:00 +0000

FRANKFURT, GERMANY.- It was 2005. Marillion was on tour, and I based my first trip to Europe on seeing Marillion in concert. My flight landed in Frankfurt, so the airport was the first thing I ever saw in Europe. Frankfurt is also the city where I met Marillion for the first time, and where they first kindly put me on a list so I could come see their show; after all, I did come all the way from Mexico just to see them.

Today I'm back in Frankfurt, and about to take my flight to Mexico City. I survived yet another RyanAir flight, and arrived in Frankfurt-Hahn airport. Now, the first part of the name is a bit misleading, since the airport is nowhere near Frankfurt, but eventually I got there and met up with my ex-girlfriend Veronika, (now married with 1.5 kids), whom I hadn't seen in 5 years. She was kind enough to pick me up from the bus stop and take me to Wiesbaden, where she lives. We spent several hours catching up, while I was (naturally) having a döner kebab, and said she'd probably have time to meet up on my way back. Hopefully next time I'll get to meet her little boy Freddie.

Yesterday I made 2 decisions, which could have gone very badly for me. First I took a taxi from Tampere to the airport, and now I'm sure that if I had taken a bus I would've missed my flight. And second, I decided to book a hotel room instead of sleeping in the airport, and now I'm glad I did. I need my rest, I'm not 21 anymore. AAAAAAH! I'm not 21 anymore!!!

Ok, I'm all done with my German breakfast. I did my best to keep it under 1000 calories. Mexico, here I come!

- Duke

Carlin Quote of the Day 1.6

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:05:00 +0000

'I wonder if a classical music composer ever intentionally composed a piano piece that was physically impossible to play, and then stuck it away in a trunk, to be found years after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy.'

- George Carlin

Musings from the center of an iron giant

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:24:00 +0000

TURKU HARBOUR, FINLAND.- From the desk of cabin number 6520 type I, Duke, this week's troubadour for the Viking M/S Isabella, a once glorious party vessel, now hideously overrun by old farts. Yeah, I ran out of poetic sounding terms at the end there. (Yes, party vessel IS poetic!) Thing's have not been terribly interesting lately, but I'm so incredibly bored that I just have to let it out on a blog post.
I've got 2 days left on this week's Isabella gig, plus 2 days in Helsinki to pack, buy souvenirs and do some last minute errands, and then it's off to the land tacos and mole for 4 weeks! They also have Domino's and Burger King which I'm really looking forward to as well. Yeah, yeah, it's not Mexican, but they don't have those in Finland.
Two more days of being completely ignored by tired, drunk, old people and I'll be free like healthcare in Canada. Oh, today's Saturday! So, it might not totally suck tonight.

Man, this was a boring post. But at least it was short. ;)

- Duke

4 more years!!

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:17:00 +0000

HELSINKI, FINLAND.- Back from the blogosphere grave! I've reached a new low in my personal blogging life; 2 months without so much as a paragraph, note, blurb, mental fart, Carlin quote or random musing. But at least I can celebrate my comeback with some good news. I received my new visa a few weeks ago. I was wondering if I'd just get it for one more year or a whopping three years for good behaviour - I got neither - or BOTH, come to think of it. FOUR more years of residency, courtesy of the Finnish Immigration office! Yay!
Four consecutive years of Finnish residency also means that the next visa will the big one; the permanent visa. Is this a good time to get more serious about learning the stupid language?

Ehkä.

- Duke

Carlin Quote of the Day 1.5

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:25:00 +0000

"In Los Angeles there's a hotline for people in denial. So far, no one has called."

from Napalm & Silly Putty (2001)

How to be a Finnish audience member

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:02:00 +0000

If you're sober:

Sit as far away from the stage as possible and avoid all eye contact with the artists. If you absolutely must sit near the stage, always sit with your back to them.
Never be the first one to applaud. If nobody applauds after 5 seconds of silence, you may go ahead, but very very softly, looking really embarrassed.

If you're drunk:

As soon as the artists begins playing, grab your beer and start dancing right in front of them. If both your hands are free, proceed to air-guitar, always making eye contact with the artists looking for some approval. Bring your friends.
Request 'Paranoid' repeatedly, even after the artists have told you that they don't know it. Anything by Hurriganes is also an option.
If you have a harmonica, kazoo, or anything that makes some sort of percussive noise, by all means, take it out and jam with the artists from your seat. And no, it doesn't matter if you don't know the songs, or if you don't how to play the thing.
When the artists are having their much needed 15 min. break, this would be a good time to tell them the story of how you used to play guitar 20 years ago/were captain of a ship/were a founding member of Hanoi Rocks, etc.
Request one of your favourite songs. Then, when the artist starts playing it, go take a piss/talk to your friends/go outside for a smoke.
If the artist does not know the song that you requested, he probably needs you to refresh his memory. Sing him the first few minutes of the song while everybody waits.

Let me know if I missed any important points. :)

Duke

Bill Maher on the Swine Flu

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:37:00 +0000

"You know how many people have died this year already from the regular normal flu flu? Let's call it the flu flu. 13,000. 13,000 people died from that. The swine flu? One. What does the flu flu have to do to get some attention, fuck a goat?"

- Bill Maher's monologue on Real Time 5.5.2009

Cruising with the stars

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Sun, 17 May 2009 18:14:00 +0000

NORTHERN BALTIC SEA.- Greetings from the M/S Isabella! he regularly scheduled troubadour got sick, so they called me up to fill in at the last minute. Now, every now and then on these ferries they'll book local celebrities to perform. In the past I may have mentioned Dingo, one of the biggest Finnish bands of the 80's, now mostly living off of the memories, but still able to sell out the entire ship.

Anyway, this week I was not scheduled to play on the Isabella, but the regularly scheduled troubadour was ill and I got called in at the last minute. I wasn't thrilled about it, but I just moved into a place with no furniture and I could really use the money. This week the celebrity performer was Koop Arponen, winner of the 2008 Idols competition. I'd never heard of the guy, but I knew that he would pretty much be stealing my whole crowd, since I play at the same time as the bands do.

My few run-ins with Finnish celebrities have been a bit dissapointing, so my default thought is that they'll be stuck-up assholes (Veeti Kallio comes to mind), but this time I was wrong. Koop and his band showed up to my gig while they were waiting to perform, and were a great audience, singing along to most of the songs. I only managed to catch part of their soundcheck, and unfortunately I missed the gig, but I looked up some YouTube videos of Koop, and he's a pretty good singer. I may even pick up his album. :)

I brought my camera along, and as usual, did not take any pictures of anything. I gotta hire myself a photographer.

Duke.

PS. Oh yeah, Miss Finland was on the cruise as well. A bit weird-looking up close. Meh.

Stolen mobiles, playing pantless and moving out (and in)

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:37:00 +0000

HELSINKI, FINLAND.- AAAAHHHHH! What a busy month! In less than a year I went from never using a calendar for anything, to 'can't make a fuckin' decision without looking at my calendar'. I finally found time to write an entry while on a train to Turku (sweeeeet!). Here we go:

Let's start with the shitty news; my new super cool mobile phone was stolen. I didn't even have time to blog about getting a new mobile, when it was just taken from under my nose in some tram. The perp never answered the phone, of course, and I was stupid enough to not lock it, so it was an easy steal, and he'll be enjoying that mobile until I found out who he is and strangle him in front of his children.
Have you ever been in a bar watching two sexy musicians play an enconre with their pants down? Not lately, you say?? Well, then you missed the Rock Delusion gig at Porvoonkadun Baari, where we promptly dropped our pants (that's trousers for you limeys) at the kind request of Tiia and Anna, who promised to drop their pants first; and when two cute girls say they'll drop their pants, we'll pretty much do anything. I bet you're hoping there's a picture of that, and yeah, maybe one or two will surface on some sensationalist magazine sometime.
Vappu, Vappu Vappu! Ok, for my non-Finnish readers, Vappu is the big Spring party in Finland. If you thought Finns couldn't get any drunker, then you should experience Vappu at least once. It was my first time this year and I wouldn't mind going through it again. The Rock Delusion played a full-band gig at a pub called Henrik, which got really full despite being far away from the center. Always a blast to play with the whole band. RAWK!
On the same day I was enjoying Vappu, I had to move out of my flat, which Heidi and I shared for 6 months. She'll now have a new flatmate, who I'm sure will be a lot cleaner than I am, which will make her a happy cocktail-nazi. My friend Scott told me about a flat for rent that was announced on the Jolly Dragon forum, so I called the guy up, looked at the place, and signed the contract a day later. I have a new flat! I'll have more details on the next post.

Phew! Well, that covers most interesting things from April and a bit of May. Maybe now I'll be able to get back up to date, I know you worry about me if I'm not blogging ALL the time.....not!

Duke

P.S. Porcupine Tree is coming to Helsinki in October! Whoohoo!

P.P.S Oh, yeah, and I got a new mobile.

Carlin Quote of the Day 1.4

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:15:00 +0000

"One nationwide chain that owns over a thousand radio stations conducts weekly telephone polls asking listeners their opinions on 25 to 30 song hooks they play over the phone. Hooks that the radio people have already selected. Hooks are the short, repeated parts of pop songs that people remember easily. Depending on these polls, the radio chain decides which songs to place on their station's playlists. Weeks later, they record the hooks of all the songs they're currently playing on their stations across the country, label them by title and artist, and sell that information to record companies to help create more of the same bad music. They also sell the information to competing radio stations that want to play what the big chain is playing. All of this is done to prevent the possibility of original thinking somehow creeping into the system.

Let me tell you something. In the first place, listening to music someone else has picked out is not my idea of a good time. Second, and more important, the fact that a lot of people in America actually like the music automatically means it sucks; especially since the people who like it have been told in advance, by businessmen, what it is they're supposed to like.

Please, save me from people who have been told what to like, and then like it. In my opinion, if you're over 6 years of age, and you're still getting your music from the radio, something is desperately wrong with you. I can only hope that, somehow, MP3 players and file-sharing will destroy FM radio they way they're destroying record companies. Then, even though the air will probably never be safe to breathe again, maybe it will be safer to listen to."

from 'When Will jesus Bring the Pork Chops?'

Why can't it always be Tuesday?

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 09:28:00 +0000

HELSINKI, FINLAND.- Renewing a visa is not my idea of fun. The paperwork is not that difficult but the queuing is more boring than watching golf in slow motion. Fortunately, not this time. I ran into Eliso, a lovely Latvian girl that I met almost 2 years ago on my first Jolly Dragon meeting. We had our queue numbers, so we went down to the bar, where time seems to go a lot faster than in a room full of immigrants with 5 screaming children each.
Eliso organizes music showcases and as we were having a beer she asked if I would be interested in playing in one the shows in Cafe Mascot, a place where young people with good musical taste hang out.
I sat there picturing the usual places where José and I play - middle of nowhere, dodgy bars with aging, unemployed, alcoholics who just wander around like zombies, and get in your face to ask for Deep Purple or Hurriganes songs.

"We'll do it." Took me about half a second.

To give things an even more familiar feeling, one of the other performers was Mad Ice, who's not only a great and popular performer in Finland, but a very warm and friendly human being. I met him while playing on the streets when I first arrived in Helsinki, and have been in touch ever since.
The Rock Delusion had the honor of opening the evening with our upbeat crazy shit we like to pull, and had a fantastic response from the audience.

Some cool pictures were taken, and you can see them here.

Over and out.

Carlin Quote of the Day 1.3

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:15:00 +0000

"You know sometimes, at a busy cocktail party, when you're telling a group of people a story, a few of them may become distracted, and you lose their attention? So you concentrate a little harder on the ones who are still listening? You know that feeling? And then, because it's a lively party, a few of them drift away? And as your audience slowly peels off one by one, after a while you wind up addressing any person you can find who's willing to look at you. Even the busboy. And then you realize the busboy doesn't understand English. Isn't that awful?
Sometimes, a person some distance away from you will say something you can't quite understand, so you ask them to repeat it, and you still can't make it out. You try two or three times without any luck, and by then you're getting embarrassed, so you pretend to understand, and just say, "Yeah!" so you can be done with it. Later, it turns out they said, "We're coming over tonight to remove your wife's ovaries. Will that be alright?"

Brain Droppings, 1997, p.45

Carlin Quote of the Day 1.2

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:40:00 +0000

"I don't like porno movies. They piss me off. First they show a great-looking naked woman who starts playing with herself. And while I'm watching, she sort of becomes my girlfriend. And then, suddenly, in walks a guy with a big dick, and he starts fucking my girlfriend. It pisses me off."

- Napalm & Silly Putty (2003) p.8

Carlin Quote of the Day 1.1

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:31:00 +0000

Last week when I was in Amsterdam I made the best purchase I've made in years - A 890-page George Carlin compilation. 3 books in one, a must for Carlin fans. Never has a book made me laugha s much as this has and I have barely read 10 percent of it.
So, if I may, I'd like to start what I hope will be a tradition in my blog: to share my favourite quotations from teh great George Carlin's book as I read them.

Here we go! Quote #1:

"People say, "I'm going to sleep now," as if it were nothing. But it's really a bizarre activity. "For the next several hours, while the sun is gone, I'm going to become unconscious, temporarily losing command over everything I know and understand. When the sun returns, I will resume my life."
If you didn't know what sleep was, and you had only seen it in a science fiction movie, you would think it was weird and tell all your friends about the movie you'd seen.
"They had these people, you know? And they would walk around all day and be OK? And then, once a day, usually after dark, they would lie down on these special platforms and become unconscious. They would stop functioning almost completely, except deep in their minds they would have adventures and experiences that were completely impossible in real life. As they lay there, completely vulnerable to their enemies, their only movements were to occasionally shift from one position to another; or, if one of the 'mind adventures' got too real, they would sit up and scream and be glad they weren't unconscious anymore. Then they would drink a lot of coffee."
So, next time you see somone sleeping, make believe you're in a science fiction movie. And whisper, "The creature is regenerating itself."

- from 'Brain Droppings' (1997) p.56

Coming Up Next: A World Without Mice

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:21:00 +0000

Here's a fun thing to do the next time you're watching TV: Try to look for someone using a computer mouse. And I don't mean reality shows, cos as we all know, that's way TOO real. I'm talking about shows like CSI or 24 where the characters are using computers a lot of the time. You always see them typing away, and all the information comes up in a very clear and easy way (of course, the government would never use Windows), AND without the use of a mouse. What is this, 1987?

And while we're on the subject how come when Jack Bauer asks someone at CTU to cross reference the name Bahir Nsabirhinasumamishian no one ever goes "Erm, can you repeat that?" or "How do you spell it?"

And when do these people go to the toilet?????

For the Future Me

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:00:00 +0000

HELSINKI, FINLAND.- Again, I'm lagging behind on the blog posts. And this usually happens for 2 reasons: 1. There's nothing happening in my life that is interesting enough to blog about, and B. Too many things happen in a few days and it's hard to blog about all of it in detail, so I end up with too much too write about, and end up never doing it.

And I'm trying my best because of one person in particular who is reading this right now... Me. There are so many wonderful parts of my life that my memory has already taken care of erasing, twisting, inventing and enhancing. As soon as the events in our life are stored in our minds, the brain start the process of digesting them into parodies of themselves. That's what are memories are, just a more interesting (or just completely different) version of what really happen.

This weekend I watched 2 movies that I had not watched since I was a kid, that I have great memories of. One of them was The Last Starfighter, which I also had in a audio/storybook version. I was reminded of this movie when I read an article about an urban legend involving an old video game called Polybius, and thought that it sounded much like the premise of this movie.
Watching it again broght some nice memories, but of course as an adult the movie just seems pretty cheesy and boring.

The other movie was The Three Amigos, which I watched so much as a kid I had it practically memorized. I remember this film making me literally roll on the floor laughing. Now that i saw it again, I didn't think it was half as funny, of course. I even forgot the Singing Bush/Invisible Swordsman scene, which was my favourite scene. It did take me back to my childhood a bit, though.

If this kind of thing happens to me with memories of only a few years ago, (I already read past blog entries and have no memory of ever writing them) I can't help but thinking about how it's going to be when I'm in the old folks home, cos I'm sure that's where my bastard children are going to put me in. So I'm making an effort to write down exactly what I was feeling during these times so that my future self will be able to remember what he went through as a young man, and so he can tell long and boring stories to his hot 80-year girlfriend in the home.

So, sorry Future Me, I still haven't posted about the Marillion Weekend, I hope I'll get around to it soon...

Marillion Weekend 2009: Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:54:00 +0000

PORT ZELANDE, ZUID-HOLLAND, NETHERLANDS.- The 2-year wait had ended. It was time to do my pilgrimage (airgrimage?) to Port Zelande in South Holland for the Marillion Weekend 2009. Surprinsingly, Jose agreed to come with me, even though he was not a Marillion fan; but he figured a few days in Amsterdam and a couple of good concerts wouldn't hurt. Also, for the first time ever in Europe, I took a non-budget flight! Ah, yes, I'm moving up in the world... *puffs cigar*

We arrived at Schipol International Airport and made our way to the Meeting Point, where some volunteers would be waiting to herd us into the bus that would take us to Port Zelande. Little did I know one of the volunteer was Diana Alvarez of The Web Spain, whom I met for the first time in 2005 when I first came to Europe to see Marillion in Germany. We met yet again during the last Marillion Weekend in 2007. I ran to give to Diana a big hug, and while we were catching up I noticed that one of the other volunteers was staring at us; an old-looking, bearded fellow. He finally found a moment to say, 'Hello Duke.'
Oh. My. God. It was Andy.

I don't think I've mentioned Andy in this blog before (I never got around to blog about lhe alst Marillion Weekend). Hands down the coolest new friend I made during Marillion's Not Quite Xmas tour. He'd always be around before or after the shows for a friendly chat, or to yell out 'Ocean Cloud!' when I was busking outside the venues. He runs the Web UK, Marillion's official fan club, as well as the Marillion Museum exhibit at the convention, in which he rummages through the Racket Club to find some vintage goodies to display for the fans. I think pretty much everyone loves Andy, and those who don't will get a dirty look from me. If they want to fight about it, he's on his own, I'm afraid.
But this couldn't be Andy. His father, maybe. But yeah, indeed it was him somewhere underneath that big beard, and little did I know that his beard would become such a positive center of controversy, but that's another blog entry...

After only 100kms., which in the Netherlands and the stupid motorway traffic means more than 2 hours, we arrived at the Marillion Weekend site in, Port Zelande. The place was just as I remembered it 2 years before, with the huge venue built up just for the concerts. As soon as we were done checking into our room and grabbing something to eat, I told Jose I was on my way to queue. I had warned him that I'm one of those nutjobs who just has to get front row during Marillion concerts (and Genesis in Düsseldorf - yes!!). I don't always get to the front, but dammit, I sure was going to try.

When I arrived to the venue there was a queue of about 10 people, and it was a 2 hour wait until the doors opened. I figured if I was going to make time go by quickly, I'd have to talk to someone. There was a girl standing alone, next to me. She opened up her book and started reading.
"Hey, you don't need a book, you can talk to me", I said. "And all the other Marillion fans."
The girl looked at me nervously. "It's just that my English is not so good." That phrase alone was enough for me to guess where she was from.
"You're from Finland!"
Tuula came over from Hameenlinna, Finland to see Marillion, and was one of only two Finns (that I knew of) who were at the Marillion Weekend. But you know Finns, they don't make a big scene, so it's possible there were more hiding around (until drinking time).

The doors opened, everyone ran to the stage, and I proudly inform that we got to the front row, a little bit to the right of Rothers. Not bad at all, except that the concerts were being filmed and there was a guy standing in front of me with a big-ass camera. Two giant screens started flashing country flags, and it was our cue to yell when we saw ours. I had found out beforehand that they accidentally forgot to add Mexico to the list of countries (even though there was at least two of us there!), so Jose and I decided to yell out when the Finnish flag came up. We were the only people we heard yelling at that point. Of course, England and the Netherlands received the most thunderous ovation, and within a few minutes of that, it was Marillion time!

It was the 20th anniversary of Seasons End, so the album was played in it's entirety, including the B-sides, followed by selected song from their new album, Happinnes is the Road.

The setlist, for those who are interested:

The King of Sunset Town
Easter
The Uninvited Guest
Seasons End
Holloway Girl
Berlin
After Me
Hooks in You
The Space
====================
The Release (Aaaaawesome!!!)
The Bell In The Sea
====================
The Man From The Planet Marzipan
Essence
Asylum Satellite #1
Whatever is Wrong With You
Happiness Is The Road

After the fantastic concert, there was a decision to make: go to Lucy's rock party, or go to Stephanie's prog party. Do you even have to ask? PROOOOOOOOG! Stephanie organized a great prog playlist and held a little prog dance competition. Ever tried to dance to prog rock? It's as hard as it sounds, but Stephanie liked my dancing enough to give me a cute little Marillion dog tag that I wore around my neck for the whole weekend like a big dork.
After air drumming to a bunch of Genesis and Rush, we decided to go check out Lucy's rock party at the Adventure Factory (I know, it sounds like we're at Disneyland), and it was hot! The place was packed and Lucy was playing some amazing tunes, throwing in some old Marillion in between, making the whole place go batshit insane, of course. We also all yodeled along to Hocus Pocus, which reminded all of us of the last convention. :)

There are very few moments in life where one experiences pure and utter happiness, and this day was pure and utter happiness for me. There is something very different about going to see Marillion when they're in town, and going to see Marillion at a convention where every person in the place is a die-hard fan. Singing along with all these people during the concert, and then dancing and going completely crazy with all of them during the afterparty is just an incredible experience. In a world where everywhere you go nowadays is nothing but techno and hip-hop, it's overwhelming to see a whole place full of people cheer loudly when they hear Panama or Market Square Heroes.

And this was just day one...

M/S Isabella

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:49:00 +0000

TURKU, FINLAND.- Hello, reader! After several weeks of complete lack of inspiration, or maybe just nothing interesting to talk about, I finally find the time to write a blog post as I travel from Turku to Helsinki after a week on the M/S Isabella, my first gig on a ferry other than the Viking XPRS. I'm coming to you through the magic of 3G mobile technology, and a very convenient power outlet in my very comfy train compartment. All I need is a fireplace and a butler and I'd be in Snob heaven, looking down on all you commoner riff-raff.

Also playing on the M/S Isabella last weekend was Dingo, one of the most popular Finnish bands of the 80's, now down to just one original member. One thing that Dingo and I have in common, is that we have the same drummer, so it was a great treat to have them playing at the same time on the ferry.

Wow, this train is going fast...my ears are popping.... ok, where was I?

Ah, yes. Also on the ferry was a band called In the Mood, definitely not your average Finnish dancehall band. These guys really rock, and they really enjoy themselves. Mariina, the singer, is not only beautiful, but very energetic and expressive, and seems to have a handful of male admirers every night (and I heard sometimes even female). Ilari is one of those guitar players that makes you just want to quit playing guitar altogether; a great sound and some great rock n' rolls chops. But most importantly, they are all really friendly people, and I enjoyed spending most of my free time with them.

And of course, this trip wouldn't be complete without one of my signature fuck-ups. It turns out that I read the playing schedule wrong and I ended up playing 1 extra 45 minute set every day! Not that I mind playing overtime, but I was really suffering with my voice this week, and I could've used that valuable piece of knowledge to rest my voice a bit more. But I survived...

The perfect end to the week was receiving an email from the agency that gets me the ferry gigs, congratulating me for the good work, and letting me know that I can expect a lot of work for the summer, this time with José. Oh yeah!

One week 'till Marillion Weekend!!!!

5 Ways People Are Trying to Save the World (That Don't Work)

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 12:14:00 +0000

From Cracked.com, here are 5 popular things that people are doing today to save the world, that are either not making much of a difference, or even causing more harm than good.

My new favourite song!

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:50:00 +0000

Intercerebral ADHD Week

noreply@blogger.com (Duke) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:46:00 +0000

HELSINKI, FINLAND.- This is Duke, back on land. At least I think I am...and I think I am. This past week or so have been really hazy and blurry. Did someone slip me some weed or any other mind/memory-altering substance? Maybe it's the splash of Bailey's that I've lately been having with my coffee every morning. Oh...... that's right, it's just me being hyperactive, forgetful, procrasinational (that a word?) and anxious ALL at the same time. But it hasn't been all stress and ADHD. There have been some moment of notable mention in the past days.

Here's what i can remember from the last few weeks, in a nutshell. Enjoy.

Met up with Tallinn CouchSurfer Barbara, and she took me out to see Tallinn, although mostly, we hung out in Cafes and Hamburger joints. She had to put up with me having a hangover, and had the patience of a saint. She then hopped on board with me on the Viking XPRS for a round trip tour of the Gulf of Finland, and ended up staying over to party all night on the ferry, and became the first CSer to surf my cabin on the boat.
The Rock Delusion had their first gig in Espoo, and once again we came, we saw, and kicked some ass! The place was almost absolutely entirely half-full, and we played what i think is our best show yet. We played as a full band and blew everyone away with our usual classics and our new completely-out-of-the-blue-unrehearsed disco hits.
A Phil Collins Tribute band rolled into town, and I, of course, could not pass up the opportunity to go air-drum to the classic PC hits that I grew up with. I also wish I could say I had a great time and the band rocked. They did not. I was bloody awful and sad. The singer and drummer (the main effin' point of a Phil Collins effin' Tribute band) were completely lost and pretty much made up the whole thing as they went along. Almost every single one of the 12 musicians onstage had their face buried in lyric sheets, especially the singer, who apparently couldn't bother to learn 12 songs for a tribute concert he's probably known about for at least 2 months! Aaaaaarghh! *Breathing* *Breathing*. Kudos to the brass section and the backup singers, who were the only ones who seem to have done their homework. But man, I could've done a better singing job if they had called me up an hour before the gig! With an attendance of about a dozen people and a cover charge of 4 euros, these guys are obviously not doing it for the money, and it's certainly not a labour of love. So, what was the point of this, then? Piss off the fans? Don't you think Phil's music has a bad enough reputation as it is????

Phew! Well, I feel better. Have a good week, reader!