Tuesday, October 16, 2007

The LA Ink episode that shows me getting my tattoo finally aired. So now I get to show the photos from that fun event. I'm still loving my tattoo but I don't think I'll be getting any more. I mainly got this one to cover the discoloration on my shoulder from a burn. Everybody thought it was a tattoo. They just couldn't figure out what it was. So I figured I might as well make it official and just get a tattoo there so people wouldn't keep asking me, "What is that a tattoo of?"

This new journal photo was taken by Gregory Storm before I left the west coast. He's an amazing photographer and I'll definitely be using him again!

My UK journey began in Bristol. I stayed at the same flat that I was in when I visited in June. The fish are all doing well and the tarp that was around the building has been removed, I'm happy to report. This time, I was prepared. I had information about the weekly farmers market and went there and picked up fresh organic fruits and vegetables and fish.

I got a lot of writing and recording done because I had the place to myself with no distractions. My internal clock is totally out of whack, so I was up every night in Bristol until the sun was about to come up. I'd sleep for about six hours and then get up and go for a walk about the city before returning to the flat and working on music.

The next leg of the journey involved staying with DFT, a friend of the family, at his flat in Central London. He has a murphy bed in the livingroom that we opened out and that's where I slept until it was time to head to Paris and Geneva. It's a really cool flat, with one of those old fashioned elevators that you see in the old French movies where you have to pull the gate closed when you get in. The first couple of times I used the elevator alone, I forgot to pull the gate closed when I got out, and got scolded by DFT. That did the trick because I didn't forget any more after that.

My first night in London, DFT and I went to Under Solo. There was a jam session going on there. Lots of musicians got up and performed. Most of them are currently out gigging professionally and just stop in there on Tuesday nights for a bit of fun. Chaka Khan's sister, Taka Boom, was there and I got to hang out with her. She got up and sang two songs. Her voice is amazing. The audience at Solo knows and loves her so she got lots of respect from her fans, of which I am now one. I didn't even know that Chaka Khan had a sister, let alone that she sings! I wanted to get up and sing but because DFT and I got there late, it was too late to add my name to the list of performers. I did get to do some background vocals for another singer though.

The next day, I went out walking to explore the neighborhood. As I was standing on line waiting for my turn at the cash machine, I got into a conversation with two girls standing behind me and the guy standing in front of me. It's very cosmopolitan, like New York City, but with nicer architecture, and just about everybody has a British accent. Unlike New York City, there are not a lot of tall buildings, which is quite nice. DFT said they have some kind of zoning law in London that doesn't allow the buildings to go over a certain height, which means you get to see the sky when you look out of your window.

I went to an open mic at Ain't Nothin' But The Blues and got to sing four songs. It's a pub so there was a lot of beer swilling and the audience was a bit rowdy. I had a heckler in the audience. As I'd finished the second song and was about to start on the third, he yelled, "Highway to Hell!" "What's that?" I asked. "Highway to Hell," he yelled again, "by ACDC! Sing it!" "What," I said, "you want to sing Highway to Hell? Ladies and gentlemen, when I'm done, this gentleman is going to entertain us all by singing Highway to Hell." Everybody laughed at him and that shut him up for the rest of my performance. That's the problem with singing in pubs. I've decided I'm over that whole thing. From now on, I'm only going to sing in venues where the people are there to hear music, my music in particular. Venues where I'm not trying to be heard over drunken pub goers who want to hear cover songs that they can sing along to.

One of the open mic singers was from the states as well. He was in London working as the Assistant Director on the new Batman movie. He played guitar and sang some Bob Dylan songs, which the audience loved. After, he and I fantasized about opening a performance venue in London.

Later that night, I went to 93 Feet East to see my friend DFT play bass for a singer, Corrina Greyson and the G Spot. (That's the name of her production apparently.) After the show was over, DFT and I took the tube back to the flat. Like New York, there were a lot of people riding on the tube although, unlike New York, it stops running shortly after midnight. DFT used to live in the USA and then he got married and moved to London. The marriage didn't work out but he grew to love London and decided to stay. He loves London and tried to convince me to live there but I was missing the states and looking forward to being back home among friends and family.

Late one night a tornado blew through London. I heard a sound coming from the kitchen and when I opened the door, I saw that the window was barely being held onto the window frame. The wind was slamming it into the top of the house. Everything was being blown about and torrential rain was coming in through the open window. I grabbed onto the bottom of the window frame to try to hold it closed and screamed for DFT to come but he had his bedroom door closed and must have been in a deep sleep because he didn't hear me, so I held on and fought the wind and driving rain to hold the window closed until the wind began to die down. I was afraid that if it slammed against the top of the house again, it would shatter.

Fortunately, the tornado ended without any serious damage being done. The next day, surprisingly, was a beautiful sunny day. One of DFT's friends came by for a visit. He's mainly a bassist but also plays guitar and gave me a lesson in how to play harmonics and do percussive strumming on the guitar, which was very exciting. I've made a commitment to myself to practice every day.

The following Tuesday I went back to Under Solo. I got there early enough to perform. I don't particularly like doing cover songs, so when the band was just making something up and jamming, I got up and made up a song over what they were playing. It was a lot of fun and I think I started a new trend there because when I was done, the host got up and made up a song over something else the band played whereas before he'd only done cover songs.

DFT doesn't have wireless Internet and monopolized the computer, which made it difficult for me to go online and check messages, etc. So I decided to go out to the local Internet cafe. Unfortunately, their Internet was down so I walked to the library but they didn't have wireless and the only way I could go online was to use one of their terminals, which didn't really work for me. Fortunately, I discovered that the local pub has wireless and for the price of a cup of tea, I could surf all day and all night until closing. So every day, I'd go to the pub and spend time on my laptop.

One day I was talked into doing a pub crawl. I thought, what the heck. I'm in London, let's see how the Londoners live. So I joined a merry bunch of revelers and we went from pub to pub having a nip. I was totally pissed (drunk) by the end of the night and now I don't have to have that experience ever again. I made it back to DFT's place and fortunately he was not there to see the condition I was in. However, I decided to put on my kitty cat outfit and he happened to come home while I was waltzing about with my ears and tail on and insisted that I wear it to Under Solo. It was a big hit and by the end of the night, even the women were coming up to me telling me how much they loved the ears and how they were going to get a pair.

My last night in London was a blast. DFT was hosting a music night at 3one7 and asked me to come and perform, which of course I was more than happy to do. I contacted some of my local MySpace friends and we all made plans to meet at 3one7 at about 9:30 PM. It was nice to meet them in person. I did a short set of 7 songs which were well received by the audience. I even added a cover song for those who'd had a bit much to drink and just wanted to sing along. And sing along they did. I look forward to the day when my songs are so popular that I don't have to sing other people's songs in order for the audience to be able to sing along.

So now I'm back on the west coast, in Los Angeles for a couple of days but leaving tomorrow to head up to San Francisco to work for a week on a music project. I can't believe that this year is nearly over. It seems like it just whizzed by so quickly. I have lots of exciting things lined up for 2008, including a new album! I can hardly wait!

More soon...

© Daughter of the Sun. Reprint by permission only.

Sept 8, 2007- I spent six hours being detained, against my will, at Heathrow Airport in London, an experience that, until now, I'd only read about; something that I thought only happened to people who fit the "terrorist" profile. More...

August 4, 2007 - It's been quite an adventure being back on the west coast. first off, I heard that The Learning Channel (TLC) show, Miami Ink, was doing so well that TLC decided to have a second version in LA and call it LA Ink, of course. They were taking applications on the TLC website. I'd been thinking about getting a tattoo for a while to cover a burn mark that I have on my shoulder, so I thought, if I'm going to get a tattoo anyway, why not do it on television?! More...

July 3, 2007 - I had a great time in the UK. The first stop was Bristol, where I met the band, Laid Blak. They just signed with Island Records and are recording their first album. I'm hoping to get at least one co-write in. They performed at two festivals while I was in town. The audiences loved them and so did I! More...

June 5, 2007 - Sunday I had brunch with the sisters. "Are you twins?" I asked the first time I saw the two of them together. "We share the same birthday," they said, "let's just leave it at that." I made blueberry pancakes with strawberry syrup and salmon croquettes. We started with a lovely Zinfandel, so by the time we were halfway through the meal, the conversation had become quite lively. We shared stories about music, relationships, Paris, New York and dermatology. More...

May 1, 2007 - CNC's gone back to Paris and I have the place to myself again. I have to admit that, when I heard all the strange noises outside the house at night, it was comforting to know that someone was sleeping in the room across the hall. These days, however, I'm so exhausted by the time I get into bed that I don't even wake up until the morning. More...

April 16, 2007 - I went to a networking soiree at a posh house in Beverly Hills. My friend TNC invited me, so I went to her place first and we rode to the event in her car. TNC wasn't sure how to dress for it. "It's probably not dressy," she said, "because it's in somebody's home." More...

March 24, 2007 -I had kind of a surreal moment today. I sometimes keep the television on when I'm working on the computer. Just as sort of background noise so I don't feel so alone. Every once in a while, I'll tune in and listen to what's going on. There was a commercial on for a car dealership. When I heard "Sherman Oaks," I thought they'd made a mistake. For one crazy moment, I thought I was still in New York City! I had a good laugh at myself once I realized what happened. More...

March 12, 2007 - I drove down to Chula Vista to perform at Southwestern College's campus. There was a street painting festival going on and students from the college came and painted beautiful pictures while I sang. I was tempted to drive down to Mexico afterward but one of my MySpace friends was performing in Hollywood and I wanted to get back to see her. More...

February 26, 2007 - Let's see; what have I been up to? I went to a party at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood. My friend BGJ was sitting in with a band. It was a birthday party for a girl who's in the television show Scrubs. I danced a lot and gave out some cards of course. More...

January 20, 2007 - It feels like 2006 is just a rapidly fading dream that I had a long time ago. And it's only January. I'm firmly ensconced in Malibu. I have my recording setup up and running and actually finished the vocals and mixed a new song I wrote while in New York, entitled "Whatever." It's one of those fun, singing about nothing songs that the majors seem to like so much. More...

December 27, 2006 - I have much to be thankful for this holiday season. I have my health, a wonderful home in Malibu, a great car to drive around in, food in the fridge, loving family and friends, a new band and my God-given talents. And the stove is finally working at the house, which means I don't have to use the hotplate anymore. More...

November 15, 2006 - What a challenge these past couple of weeks have been. My plan was to go to Santa Barbara last Friday to finalize the details with the transfer of the car. I had to sign the agreement with the previous owner and to go to DMV to register the car, only to discover on Friday that the DMV was closed because Saturday was Veteran’s Day. More...

October 17, 2006 - I was on strike today. I decided that, not only was I not leaving the house today, but I also was not going to take off my pajamas. Fortunately, KBD’s new housemate, RJD, is away for a few days because he likes to have lots of attention and is always strutting around, puffing out his chest, bragging about his latest business conquest. The bad news is, we never got around to going grocery shopping so there weren’t a lot of options food-wise. More...

October 10, 2006 -I went out a few nights ago to hang out again with my new MySpace friend to see her friend perform. I was so proud of myself because I didn’t get lost once on the drive there. By the time I arrived at the Revolution Café, AMS and her friends had already polished off a few bottles of wine. More...

October 3, 2006 - I’ve been in Northern California for nearly two weeks now. I’m staying at KBD’s home once again, in the house overlooking the ocean and the rolling hills. Today I saw two deer grazing right outside the kitchen window. I felt a long way from the overcrowded, noisy streets of New York City. More...

September 10, 2006 - It’s almost midnight and here I sit in front of my computer still. I didn’t go out today. I don’t know if it was cold or hot but I do know that it was sunny because I sat near the window as I worked, so that I could feel the sun on my skin. More...

August 20, 2006 - Friday night was my performance at The Alphabet Lounge. There was a nice turnout, although about one third of the people arrived almost at the end of the performance. More...

July 7, 2006 - Yesterday was my show at The Talking Stick. I thought I’d get some photos of my performance but unfortunately TDJ arrived just as I’d finished my last song. I only performed a few songs. More...

July 3, 2006 - I’m in my own bedroom at TDJ’s apartment. My own little slice of Heaven. I’m sleeping on an air mattress on the floor in what is technically TDJ’s office/recording studio but who cares. I have my own bathroom and I can sleep as late as I like. More...

June 30, 2006 - I think I’ve worn out my welcome with NAP. Fortunately, I spoke with TDJ yesterday and his other houseguests have departed, which means that starting today I can stay in his extra bedroom. He’s my only friend in California that I haven’t met through MySpace. More...

June 24, 2006 - So I’m in Los Angeles, the city of broken dreams and make believe. I’m staying with a wonderful family, thanks again to MySpace. NAP is a singer, a wife and the mother of two absolutely adorable (and exhaustingly rambunctious) children. More...

June 8, 2006 - I am loving life right about now. I’m in Northern California in a little town near Sausalito with a population of about 200. I posted an ad on Craigs List saying I was willing to exchange administrative services for room and board and, lo and behold, I got two responses the very next day. More...

May 3, 2006 - I just got in from playing in the subway station. I like the F line at the 23rd Street station... More...

April 24, 2006 - I found a numerology site and, according to their calculations, I’m at the end of a cycle. I‘ve past the harvest and I’m about to lay down new seeds I guess to prepare for the coming Winter. More...

April 10, 2006 - I’ve been spending a lot of time online, working on my MySpace page, making new friends through MySpace as well. By the time I get to California, I’ll already know lots of folks there. More...

April 2, 2006 - I can’t believe it’s April already. The year is nearly half done, although some more optimistic than I am at this moment in my life would say the year’s barely begun. It just seems that time is marching along faster and faster each year. More...

March 23, 2006 - Not much new to report. Still laid up with my broken toe. More...

March 16, 2006 - What a week it’s been! A broken toe, post-Philly drama, TTT came into town, west coast tour in the works, April concert to plan, new band. More...

March 10, 2006 - It was a pretty smooth drive with almost no traffic even though we left the city at 5 o’clock. We reached Philadelphia at about 8 o’clock. It reminds me of a lot of other small towns I’ve been in, like Troy and Albany. More...

March 8, 2006 - This evening I’m off to New Rochelle to perform at a Habitat for Humanity fundraising event. I’m taking CDs, which I will autograph and sell and donate half the proceeds to Habitat for Humanity. They’re going to New Orleans to rebuild some of the homes that were destroyed by Katrina. More...

March 2, 2006 - I am so over the cold and ready for the Spring. It’s hard to believe it’s right around the corner. The groundhog saw his shadow last month, which supposedly means Winter is hanging around a bit longer but I remain ever hopeful. More...

February 25, 2006 - Another late night… What else is new? I performed at Bellizzi’s tonight. Two sets. I ran through my entire arsenal of songs and even threw in a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s song, “True Colors.” I don’t really like doing covers but the woman who hired me for the night asked me to and you have to give the people what they want, especially when they're paying. More...

February 19, 2006 - Another all nighter… My plan was to get into bed by midnight at the latest but I wound up staying up and setting up my page on MySpace. It turns out there’s another artist with my name (Setra) who’s already on MySpace so I couldn’t use my own name. I had to sign up using Daughter of the Sun instead. It took a while to upload the music and the photos, once I figured out how to do it. More...

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