matt's new diary

[Pilam76@xxxxxxx]

5 July 2002
Matt's Diary 4 & 5 July

July 4th 2002b Itbs Thursday so it must be Sacramentob&b&
9 am. Itbs really strange. REALLY strange. I have lost complete track of
where we are, what day it is and whether webve got a gig tonight or not. I
donbt know if itbs the events of the past week or just a general lack of
sleep but all of a sudden itbs just hit me. I know deep down that there is a
gig tonight but I couldnbt tell you where. Strange.
4 pm. Now driving to the gig at the Shoreline from San Francisco with Bill
Curbishley and Paco (part of the tour crew). Itbs about a 2 hour drive and
we
have some weird, wonderful and comical conversations along the way. On the
whole everyone seems pleased, well, as pleased as they can be, with the way
things are going. The reviews have been good and the audience response has
been fantastic. Everyonebs leaving straight after the show tonight to miss
the traffic on the drive back to SF. Itbs straight off stage before the July
4 fireworks go off and into the cars.
Showtime. Itbs a good crowd tonight. The Counting Crows have got lots of
people to their feet (as they have on all the shows) and got everyone into
that summery, abandoned mood. The stage is really high which means Ibll have
to shoot from the sides of the stage tonight. The gig at Shoreline had the
smallest pit in the entire world and you could only really get the local
video crew in. This one is just too high! A couple of people came up before
the show to talk about the website and the book, which was nice.
In the programme notes I mentioned how the band have a knack of notching up
another gear just when you think theybve reached a peak. They did that
tonight. When youbre lucky enough to see all the shows itbs easy to become
blasC) about them. Many people do. But they did go up another gear tonight. As
a six piece they have now gelled, with each member not just working their own
area but responding and feeding off each other. The band is growing.
Pete was in particularly fine form, whilst Roger is, in my opinion, singing
better than he has for 20 years. Thatbs not being detrimental to his
performance in those intervening years but he is just surpassing himself.
Pete and Roger are obviously the front men but (and Ibm as guilty of this as
the next guy) we shouldnbt underestimate the role played by Rabbit, Zak,
Pino
and Simon. Zak is the powerhouse thatbs allowing the band a new freedom.
Hebs comfortable with and, more importantly, relishing the responsibility he
has. Rabbit is putting in some great fills and Pino, whilst understandably
still feeling his way, is imposing himself on the band, quietly but
impressively. Simon is also adding a lot to the dynamics in a quiet and
unassuming way.
The setlist remained the same and I donbt think too many people would
disagree with the necessity for that. In the London rehearsals the band tried
out a number of songs, including the two new ones and I wondered whether
webd
get to hear them eventually. Maybe thatbs for the future.
For me the highlight (among many) of the show is the encore. Again in the
programme I wrote about how Sparks has the ability to move me somewhere else.
Tonight it did just thatb&b&..to the back of the stage! No, seriously
although
I did watch the encore from the back of the stage (having packed up ready to
shoot away) it was one of those magic nights I wrote about. It didnbt happen
to me, almost, but not quite, but from the back of the stage I could see the
audience and could see that it was happening. That really pleased me. The
music still has that power. I didnbt doubt it for one minute.
Got back to the hotel in SF at about 1 am. Stayed up for a couple of hours
looking at photos and choosing some for the site and put up the fan reviews I
received. Got to bed just after 3 am.
Friday 5th July 2002
Alarm went off at 7 am to remind me to get up and catch a flight to Seattle,
a day ahead off the Gorge show. Met Bobby Pridden and Jim Singleton (the Head
of Security for the tour) at SF airport. Jim drove us to the hotel, in what
was the most beautiful three hour drive I think Ibve ever had. At last
Ibve
seen something of the real America. No skyscrapers, just open rolling land,
except for the fast food joint peppered along I90! For the first time in a
week I feel peaceful.
Matt
Moses Lake
July 5