D'Angelo 2012 Tour Diary, Day 3: N**gas in Paris, Pt. Une
D’Angelo’s first tour in a minute (and a HALF) kicked off in Sweden Thursday and the (in)famous Tina Farris, AKA GoodTimeGirl here on Okayplayer, is back on the road with R&B Jesus again. GoodTimeGirl is Roots family to the core; she tour managed the Legendary for years and has since worked with everyone from Lil Wayne to Nicki Minaj to Will.i.am and Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas. She also plays a mean bass. To keep up with her adventures, visit her highly entertaining blog.
I've come to enjoy writing my blog in the hotel lobby. This one has an amazing piece of artwork in it. I'm trying to get D down here so he can play this thing. It's amazing. If only we could have had THIS piano in Nashville in 2000; Loews Hotel lobby, Pinos birthday and D came downstairs and played "Sign O' The Times" cover to cover on piano with ?uestlove on drums - with an old fashioned glass. I know Kelo has that footage somewhere.
But Alas we have no ?uesto and no Kelo...only this Euro trash DJ banging bizarre electro trance music in my head. The ride last night was from hell. First it was freezing, then it was stifling, then we had to get on a fucking ferry...for 10 minutes. And then we arrive to beautiful Copenhagen.
Wonderful rehearsal today. D worked the backgrounds to my utter delight and guess what...it worked. Way to lead the band, man! We're still in search of HIS solo, which is exciting. Just throw anything out there, man...I can't tell you all of the songs we HAVEN"T done but suffice to say I have my own playlist that I play in the hotel room. Artless, Roxanne and I had a sing-a-long to them last night until the 2nd bus driver told us to shut our pie-holes in German. I don't speak German but I can pretty much tell what 'shut your pie-hole' means.
I wore my 3rd hat on the tour tonight as Wardrobe Maven. Two shows and it's time to wash some funky clothes. Everyone else throws their stuff in the bag...I collect Mr. Archers. I lay out his wifebeaters and rosaries, his hats and hang up his jacket. And when the show is over...I give him the clean clothes to wear. And now I need the dirty ones...
"D....gimme yo pants."
"Scuse me?"
"I need your pants. Can I take your pants?"
"Oh you can take my pants........lemme get your pants."
"I'm wearing a skirt."
But I digress...
So while THEY take the Amistad I and II through 3 countries for 16 hours, I'm flying my ass to Paris....my second home. I'm gonna happily wash all of the band's clothes...and D's pants.
Some girls have all the luck.