Australians first to hear it.
March 15, 2006 07:17 PM
"Like the Actors"
Since you had to wait so long, I'll include the live version at "Roundhouse" in Sydney also. See below.
Hey all you insider friends.In case you haven't figured it out, I have... to me, you guys are insiders. Honestly, Laughing City (including these journals - an extention of L.C) is very off the beat and path. We have over 350 posts per day now and are only 25 away from having 9,000 users. It seems huge - but we're still relatively small; L.C. is full of us who are more impassioned over Eisley's brand of indi-pop rock than the average music junkie who might really get it, but has their own list of favorite bands.
This is our own little culdesak; our neck of the woods... our hood. We're not entirely isolated, of course.. but out there is the freeway; the super-highway; it's called "myspace". That's a very viral market for Eisely. I have to keep up w/ that web portal as well. Not so good, from down under... ha ha... sheesh, just checked; there are over 1,200 friends not even added from just a few days right now. That would bring the friends list to within striking range of 78,000.
I'm not cheating on you.... but I hope you understand that it's the big net... the new "go to" site for all bands. Virtually all the new Australian fans who showed up at sold out shows found about Eisley on myspace; How do I know? I asked them. It was so insane...they all came up and mobbed the band when we arrived in the van in Melbourne... giving hugs and being all smiles... ha ha. it was awesome.
But...anywayz - I am getting to the point. (sorry) MySpace is the super highway; This is home crowd. You guys are committed at a way deeper level. To that end, I reserve the right to provide "Laughing City" fans digital downloads first. Like... new songs. I know the band played them here first..that's to test them out here in Australia so they wouldn't suck by the time they brought them to the US, but... I'm not posting this on myspace. No matter what country you're from, if you're reading this, you're considered an insider.
I just hooked up with the band downstairs in the magnificent lobby of this 60-something high rise hotel - located at the very epicenter of downtown Sydney to ask them about what they thought about me posting this tune.
At first Stacy was like, " hmmm... i dunno; I sorta want it to be like... you know - a surprise, instead of leaking it". But after conspiring and driven by the need for a quick resolve because of growling stomachs, they all reasoned that this particular song might take a few spins before you get it... It's one of my favorites, but it's a slow burn perhaps.
So, they unanimously said, "Yeah, go ahead and put it up...". Then i sadly said goodbye to them as they venured out into the urban scape of this vast city.
I will post it as soon as i get it all edited and tweaked. yes... today. Thanks. boyd
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Time is never on my side.
wrestling with print problems (set list - instore), waiting for QuickTime to bake this .mov, then i still have to upload it and the connection is slow. We leave @ 2:30. I have only 20 minutes. No way i can make it. I'll upload it tonight as soon as we get back from 2nd Sydney show if it doesn't happen now. thanks.
Having Trouble Resolving the ftp url. Something is blocking it - I don't get it. I can be on Eisley.com all day long, but I can't log onto the server w/ user/pass. Now after this big fan-fare about the song, I look like a liar and a bozo. Surely from our hotel in Brisbane... This has never happened before. Apologies.
"It Worked!.... It Worked!!".Since you had to wait so long, I'll include the live version at "Roundhouse" in Sydney also.
This performance is from the first night at Roundhouse. It's a bit distorted because the volume in that room was super loud, but you get the idea.
Like The Actors" - Roundhouse, Sidney March 15th. If i have the date wrong on the video, i'll fix it. I'm rushing through all of this. Thanks.
This performance is from the little pub - headlining show. This small setting reminds me of the early days. I like it a bunch.
Like The Actors" - Small Pub in Melbourne.[i]
MELBOURNE DAY 4
March 14, 2006 02:02 PM
Melbourne was AmaZing
The second show was freakishly wondrous. I think everyone on our little team is stumped. The response was double or triple on the second afternoon show. I don't have time to journal it proplerly right now; we have to catch a plane to Sydney... lobby call is in 1 hr!
Anyway, the short brief is - there was a cresendo of acceptance that built in a way that we're not used to. It felt like an Eisely headlining show in Dallas by the end.. "ONE MORE SONG!!", and clapter and merriment on the highest order. Thank you Melbourne.
Weston is still trying to figure out the shout out's and chanting of his name. He doesn't get how any of you even know his name. He figured you might have thought the band name was Weston or something.
TAKING BACK SUNDAY is also amazing. You know - we always talk about vibe... and how the dynamic of a tour is determined by how much the band's 'gel' or whatever... To give you an idea of how this is going, 3 of them came to Eisely's headlining set at a little club last night. I can tell you... that's not very typical. That's over the top.
We haven't spend that much time with them yet because of the schedule, but so far, it's been great. They're super nice guys; funny, personable... no ego.
Today, we're all flying together... bands/crew... a massive human air and gear cargo. I jokingly termed it: "The Taking Back/Eisley down under" tour. Bassist - Fred really liked the notion.
I WILL deliver way, way more pics... and as soon as we can slow down long enough, some clips! For now... I just have to say that Melbourne people are cool...fashionable, the city is beautiful, the food is verociously tastey and the coffee is the best we've had.
Cheers.
boyd
Here are a few pics but I'll be back with many more. thanks!!!
MELBOURNE DAY 2
March 13, 2006 12:29 PM
FIRST SHOW DAY!
Ever fly a jillion buzillion hrs and sleep most of the way cuz it's dark and weird and you're hanging over the shimmering sea cloaked by billowy grey clouds so you begin to question your mortality and the cosmos and mostly... your smallness?
Well, enough about that. The aftermath is - you think you're caught up on sleep, but the trouble is, you've inverted days and night, so while the sleep surplus chamber is full, the memory mattress still thinks you're supposed to be asleep with the rest of your peeps back home who are still living out the yesterday you should be in - only experienced "time travel" so you're never going to get back that day... and you don't care because you can't really figure it all out.
All of these pics are from the hrs that passed after we landed and arrived in Melbourne. You can see by everyone's expression how listless and comatose everyone is... We were chill in the heat.
But, by 7:00 pm that night, we we unexpectely tilted; like, we checked out with out warning.... almost simultaneously. I was watching a movie... i slumped down and woke up at 3am. I found out the next morning that the same thing happened to everyone.
MONDAY MORNING
Most importantly, I found the most amazing coffee shop next door to the Medina hotel we're in. OMGarsh... I'm still reeling from the splendor of that latte. (btw - large = very small here) Their large is like Starbuck's smallest.... and 2 shots. They told me, "Quality over Quantity" and i was made a believer.
I quickly drug the band up after working for 3 more hrs on the WB e-blast that i'm still not finished.... (dedicated to YOU first) and we filed down there like little American idiots seeking unknown Australian breakfast and a round of Latte's for everyone. You should have heard the moans of ecstasy from everyone as we sipped. Stacy said it eclipsed our favorite shop in Seattle - "bauhaus". Sorry, you lovely North Westerner's - it's here... but since we can't come here often, Bauhaus is still number one.
MONDAY NOON
We strolled around and had a little impromtu photo op shoot near the hotel. Sherri has them on her really good, really new camera. I'll dig them out later for u.
After, we came back to the hotel, chilled and were filled w/ busy-ness till lobby call at 4:00. The band worked on their set list which i turned into art and printed. They went over every song on their guitars while I worked on that e-blast.
MONDAY LATE AFTERNOON
At 4:00, a girl named Nicole picked us up, took us to the venue... we met all the cool people from Atticus - Dan and Mike, met Chris Moses - the promoter behind all of this, who got me a cell phone to use locally. They're all amazing.... the vibe is so good here. Everyone is SO nice. I'm not blowing smoke. We all notice how great the vibe is...
BACK LINE gear is always the wild card, but everything was there... what a rellief. NO sound check... scarcely a line check for their set...but I still think it came off well, 'cept for one hitch.. the girls are used to in-ear monitors. The wedges didn't deliver so they weren't happy w/ vocal performances.
Our FOH engineer will be w/ us for all the TBS shows; he's really good... a great ear and knows how to dial in the big sounds. It will only get better... Hope some of you will make it to the SHOW TONIGHT!! (see previous info)
I have to get ready. Will post video and more pics. Just wanted to journal a bit of the day yesterday since today is seamlessly beginning. thnx. boyd
MONDAY NIGHT - THE FIRST SHOW
You guys leave comments. I'll give my review soon.
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AND THAT WAS THE LAST WE HEARD FROM HIM.
It's really been hard to keep up. No Y-Fi at the venues, and typically, once we get picked up from our hotel, there's no opportunity to work or get on line. Schedules are tight. Sorry guys. At this moment, I have a short amount of time to pack and be in the lobby - as we fly out to Sydney around 11:00. The last few days have been really amazing... a whirlwind of little successes.
MONDAY NIGHT - THE FIRST SHOW....
The crowd - packed, 18 overs, were very die hard "Taking Back Sunday" fans, but response to Eisley was strong - building as the set rounded out with a couple of powerful songs. I know there are already reviews from some of you guys in Laughing City, so I don't really need to spin this thing very "boyd". Anyone snooping around from the Australian market will see community and find what their countrymen think about Eisley. Plus, I'm extrememly pressed for time.
I wish i could spend the last minutes here in Melbourne getting a clip up, but there's no time. I have to answer emails and top this off.
HOPEFULLY HE'LL RETURN AND THROW DOWN SOME WORDS AND PICS.