[Editor's Note: Most fans think that the life of a touring band is a strange existance, and they're right – but not always in the way they might think. Sure – there are strange scenes and moments to experience, but sometimes touring can be a more personal journey. In Alain Johannes' case, he's already been around the world as the bassist in Queens Of The Stone Age and as the guitarist in Eleven – but his current tour through South America is a different excursion entirely. This time, Johannes is touring in support of his debut solo LP Spark and, not just that, he's currently touring South America; where theguitarist has not been since childhood. It's an exciting time for Johannes that only he could capture best so Ground Control has offered him the platform to share it. The following is an account of Johannes' journey and his raw impressions of it in his own words.]
Letters Home – Notes From The Road With Alain Johannes, Part One of Four.
K. Got to airport 3 hrs before flight. Easy check-in but then realized I forgot my smokes. Got one off a pensive dude who seemed glad I interrupted his train of thought. Joey C arrived and we chatted about my Amoeba show and how exciting it is to play South America. My first time, Joey's second or third.
Troy arrived next and the three of us went through security easy peasy. Had Lo Mein and eggplant sandwiches at the Lounge. Somewhere between delicious and horrid. Decided to take a couple photos:
Everyone was trying to do a rabbit hand puppet. Not very well. I can tell the difference.
JHo, Dean-O and Dennis are elsewhere having a decent bite. Time to head to the gate. I get on a bus that takes me to a plane. I get in my seat and have to give up my precious Cigfiddle 'cause my row has all the emergency stuff in the compartment so there's no room. The stewardess said she'll have it up front and I realize how screwed I am if something happens to that instrument. There's literally no way to replace it. Especially not the day before the Santiago show. I carry it in a backpack 'cause I don't wanna check it and I'd have to if it had a proper case. It'd be too long. Glad I abandoned my original idea of using Tuba and Vocal.
The hydraulics seem to be working…
Which always cheers me up…plus I got a very exciting desert screensaver on the entertainment doodad…
Off to Santiago via Lima (as you do). Yummy Chilean Cab.
…Not a bad buzz as far as pressurized ones are concerned.
The closest to Mexico City I've been since I was 12…
It's a shame it's so f'ed up, lovely place and lovely folks. Getting a bit of a melancholy gonna listen to some Django on my IPod. That'll fix me right up.
Stopping for an hour in Lima. Staying on the plane.
In Santiago Chile!!! Where I was born. I'm back after 45 years. Ha!
Off to sleep.
Sent from my iPhone.
This is Part One of Alain Johannes' Four-part South American tour journal. Click here for Part Two, click here for Part Three and click here for Part Four.
