30 May 2006

The long hard road

It's been quiet on the blog for a few days. Sorry about that. Apart from not having internet access at the venue in Milan or Rome (!!!), my brand new MacBook Pro 17" laptop was stolen from one of the dressing rooms after the Zurich Show. Along with it, an external hard drive containing all the raw photoshop template files for the ZPZ mini-site and miscellaneous graphics and other projects. To say I was gutted would be an understatement.

If you live in Zurich and happen across someone trying to offload a MacBook full of Zappa photos, Vai photos and other music related goodies, please contact us. I would like a chance at personally cutting off the guy's hands who thought it was okay to come take something that I use to earn a living with.

In other ZPZ tour drama, poor Dweezil jammed the index finger of his left hand in a door on the bus during our long ride from Italy to Belgium. The bus lurched forward in traffic, and Dweezil's hand was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now his nail is completely black. If there's an upside to the story, it is that his finger isn't broken, and while it is painful, he is soldiering on like a trooper and still able to play. I had the idea that he paint all his nails to match, but somehow that doesn't strike me as Dweezil's style.





The shows in Italy were great, although lighter on the crowds than previous nights. Those who came seemed to love the show. Dweezil came out to the barricade after the show in Milan as the audience was leaving, to sign autographs and have pictures taken with fans.

Tonight's show in Belgium was totally amazing. Over 4000 screaming fans packed into the Forest National and the show was spectacular. The band played one of their best shows of the tour thus far. Dweezil was in top form despite finger injury; Steve laid waste with some incredible solos, and Terry, fresh for a few days away from the ZPZ tour, was exceptional. It also goes without saying that the rest of the band was incredible. I took some great photos, which I'll get in front of your eyes as soon as posible.

The fans chanted so loudly after the show that Dweezil took time to come out and sign autographs from the stage. I was blown away by how much they appreciated the show, and how excited they were.

Until Manchester,

Mikey
Zappa.com Webmeister

POSTED BY MIKEY AT 2006-05-30 10:18:57

26 May 2006

Like Clockwork

Fresh from a day off, the band have just stepped on stage and are careening through another exquisite first set.

I'm camped out under the stage and everything is vibrating in time with those frenzied little notes, all underpinned by the rhythmic complexities being generated by the feet and hands of one Joseph Travers. I was up in front of the stage moments ago snapping a few photos (one of which I've added for your viewing pleasure). Tonight's show is a smaller venue from those we've been in so far on this tour, so not all of the Z-shaped lighting rig would fit in the venue. It makes taking photos a little tricky too because many of the lights are above the stage and pointing right into my camera lens...

The audience tonight is shaping up to be one of our craziest, and they were cheering like mad from the get-go.

Off to capture more of the show!

Mikey
Zappa.com Webmeister

POSTED BY MIKEY AT 2006-05-26 14:15:24

24 May 2006

Budapest, yo!

Well, well, well...we just finished the fourth of four shows in a row here in Budapest...WHEW!!! We're all a bit weary, but it was another great show full of fun and surprises. A few of us had a chance to see the city earlier today before soundcheck and it was beautiful!

As always the show tonight was amazing. Dweezil had some new hand signals for us on "King Kong," Aaron took another burning solo on "Inca Roads," Steve ripped "Zombie Woof" and Terry appeased the audience with "Punky's Whips" yet again. Oh yeah, it's Pete's birthday now. He is one baaaaad mutha.....SHUT YO MOUTH! I'm talkin' bout Pete!

I keep saying this to the guys, but I have to say it here too. I am amazed on a daily basis by traveling, playing and hanging out with such an amazing assortment of fine people. This is a love thing and you can really feel it. The band, special guests and crew all work together to make this thing happen. I'm constantly humbled by everyone's musicianship. And personally, I can't imagine hanging out with a group of more hillarious, loving and insane people!!!! I'm now insane. It's going by too quickly so I'm trying to soak it up every minute. We're off to Zurich soon for a well deserved day off and then we're at it again! Thanks to all of the great audiences we've had and I'm looking forward to all of the great ones to come!

Love to y'all, Scheila

POSTED BY SCHEILA GONZALEZ AT 2006-05-24 17:09:27

23 May 2006

Greetings all from the shadows of stage left!

It’s hard to believe the European leg of the tour is almost half over! Everything’s been going by so quick, including the actual shows - which, even though they’ve been clocking in at close to 3 hours - feel like they’re over just as we’re getting warmed up. And with the crowds as cool as the ones we’ve been playing for, it’s tough to leave the stage.

This entire experience has been incredibly surreal. As a guitarist, to be standing on stage with Dweezil - whom I’ve always admired and thought was a premier and underrated player - and Steve Vai (who, let’s face it, is one of the last great guitar heroes) is pretty mind-blowing. Add to that Terry Bozzio - one of my favorite drummers since first hearing him on Zappa In New York when I was 13-years old - and Aaron, Scheila, Joe, Billy, and Pete (hands down some of the most talented musicians I’ve ever met or played with).

Finally, when you factor in that we’re playing the music of Frank Zappa, sung by the great Napoleon Murphy Brock - standing just a few feet from me, no less - the whole thing becomes not only surreal, but downright humbling.

This is music that’s perfect and timeless and I’m excited to be a part of it every night and see the effect it has on you folks in the crowd from my corner
of the stage.

Time to run. We’re in Prague tonite, and I just got the word we’re minutes from going on.

Glad you’re all digging what we’re bringing and I look forward to seeing you on the road!

-jamie

POSTED BY JAMIE KIME AT 2006-05-23 12:41:55

22 May 2006

A Holiday In Berlin

Joe Travers, drummer extraordinaire and knower of all things Zappa was telling me the story earlier this evening about Frank's show here in 1968 where a riot broke out. Aparrently some rebels (or is that "radicals?") that were chanting "Ho Chi Min" during the show, and it started a riot. The barricade was broken down and they stormed the stage. Frank held them back with an ugly chord, and the experience spawned the song "A Holiday In Berlin" (from Burnt Weeny Sandwich).

The show in Berlin just ended with the crowd coming to their feet and rushing to the front of the stage for the encore - but it was of a far more peaceful nature.

It was great to see such a large group of people coming together in appreciation of Frank's music. The Tempodrome itself is also a great venue - with cool tent-like interior.

I have just put up a little video clip of Dweezil's solo during "Inca Roads" from last night's show in the "Videos" area of the ZPZ mini-site. You'll need the very latest version of Quicktime to see it. Stay tuned for more mini-clips soon!

We're off to Prague next, which everyone is really looking forward to.

Mikey
Zappa.com Webmeister

POSTED BY MIKEY AT 2006-05-22 16:58:43

21 May 2006

Pete Griffin Checks In

I can't believe how little this entire tour feels like work. I mean, even after the shows most of us stay up on the bus listening to the recordings and getting excited for the next one. This is our first show after a day off, well, a 17 hour bus trip and a night off in Dusseldorf, and we're all super psyched to get back on stage. Now that we're comfortable with the set list we've been doing we'll be able to change things up a little more, add some songs we haven't played yet, maybe some new hand signals, who knows. I guess you'll just have to come out to a show and see.

It's so great to get such awesome feedback from people who have seen us, especially those of you who also saw Frank and his bands back in the day. Being the enormous Zappa head that I am it's cool to know we're keeping the spirit alive and kicking. See you out there!

POSTED BY PETE GRIFFIN AT 2006-05-21 12:44:34

21 May 2006

An Evening In Dweezildorf

Hello Folks,

After a loooong bus ride from Sweden and an evening off in Dusseldorf last night, everyone seems well rested and revived for tonight's show.

The Philipshalle is located in a beautiful leafy area, and a couple of minutes ago I wandered out to the front of the venue to get a few shots of the crowd coming into the venue. There's a lot of excitement out there. These people are going to be leaving very happy in a few hours.

The band are performing in a big venue with a roomy stage tonight, so one of the things I'm planning on capturing on video is Terry performing "Punky's Whips" - shot from behind his kit. I'm also looking to snag Dweezil's solo during "Inca Roads" as it's been wowing the crowd on a nightly basis. I'll also sneak around various risers and capture the band members rocking the audience.

Steve is off napping in the bus, so I'm off to wake him up now.

I'll see if any of the folks from the band are available to drop by and give your their thoughts. Stay tuned..

Mikey
Zappa.com Webmeister

POSTED BY MIKEY AT 2006-05-21 12:11:31

19 May 2006

Everyone must be hungry....

Hey people, Aaron Arntz here.

Two nights in Scandinavia rocked hard. The crowd in Oslo was maniacally excited and helped fuel us into a redonkulous fury. Many young people filled the front row, singing and chanting. The people of Stockholm also showed up in great numbers to support the music and were treated to the drum battle of the century when Joe and Terry started ritualistically slaughtering drums, slashing them open, bleeding their hearts and eating the heads. Dweezil and Steve also served up a beautiful plate of duet meat, culminating in a shrieking Vai note which tasted of roast glory.

Scheila Gonzalez is always amazing. Delicious little dish.

- Aaron

POSTED BY AARON ARNTZ AT 2006-05-19 16:13:39

19 May 2006

Fifteen minutes to showtime

The Sockholm Hovet is full of excited Swedes tonight, and the show intro film is playing. Hunkered down in the production office with our tour manager and some of the band members checking last-minute emails before hitting the stage, we can hear the crowd going nuts already.

They are in for a treat this evening. More about tonight's show later.

Last night in Oslo was another great show, and what a fantastic and energetic crowd! Dweezil even added two impromptu numbers during the encore as the audience was screaming so loud for more. He was clearly moved by the warmth and enthusiasm the audience displayed, and I can only imagine how rewarding it must feel for Dweezil to present Frank's music to such a dedicated group of music lovers.

Everyone in the band and touring entourage have been enjoying reading your reviews in our new "Re:views" forum. Please keep them coming!

I'll be checking back in after tonight show - and hopefully have some thoughts from members of the ZPZ band.

Mikey
Zappa.com Webmeister

POSTED BY MIKEY AT 2006-05-19 12:46:33

18 May 2006

News From Norway...

We're backstage in rainy Norway right now. The band is on stage doing soundcheck and jamming a little. They've just launched into "Peaches", and I can hear Dweezil and Steve's guitars singing perfectly together.

The venue here in Oslo has a Spinal Tap-like backstage area that some of us have already found ourselves lost in while innocently looking for catering. The adventure was worth it though, because today's culinary offerings are excellent.

Last night in Denmark was another amazing show. I filmed much of the first set from right in front of Dweezil, and ended up with some great closeup stuff. I really enjoy watching Dweezil play, and for those of you coming to future shows, you're in for a treat! Particularly memorable last night was his solo during "Inca Roads" that left me with a lump in my throat.

During the part of the show where Terry joins the band, I filmed from the side of Terry's kit. Now, let me tell you what a rare treat it is so see Terry performing at such close range. It goes without saying that Terry is in a league of his own when it comes to drummers, but watching him actually play is equally exciting visually as well as aurally. The way Terry cuts through the air with his sticks and the way he hits the kit is a sight to behold (and to feel!)

Meanwhile on stage the band is rehearsing "Cosmik Debris" and I can hear Steve Vai tearing through a solo and now Dweezil is offering a blistering response...

It's time for me to head out to the auditorium and shoot some photos for your imminent viewing pleasure (as long as this internet connection holds up a little longer..)

Mikey
Zappa.com Webmeister

POSTED BY MIKEY AT 2006-05-18 11:01:07

17 May 2006

We Are Underway......

Vaultmeister here, with ZPZ past the starting gate. Here in Copenhagen, Denmark ready to eat some dinner & get ready for the second show. I have to tell you what an absolute thrill it is to be performing on the same stage with Terry Bozzio after listening to him for so long. He has been a part of my drumming since I can remember, and now we are playing "The Black Page" together. Unreal. Steve is a delight to be around. Napoleon is in great spirits as is the rest of the band, I think this tour is going to be very special to all of us. We hope it's as special to the people who attend the show, especially the ticket holders from last year. Things are off to a good start & looking forward to the experience ahead. Here's to a fab tour....HOTCHA.

See you on the road,
Joe Travers

POSTED BY JOE TRAVERS AT 2006-05-17 10:38:48

17 May 2006

Amsterdam Aftermath

We're in Copenhagen today, and after a long busdrive yesterday, followed by a hotel with impossible-to-connect to internet, I'm taking time to post some photos from the first show in Amsterdam on Monday.

It was a long day. The band rehearsed from around 10:30 in the morning in preparation for the first show - ironing out any areas of concern and polishing all the extra-tricky parts.

At around 5:30, some VIP ticket holders came in to witness soundcheck and were treated to a mini-concert by the band - including such gems as "Echidna's Arf," "The Black Page 1 & 2," "St. Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast," along with two songs they didn't perform during the concert: "Eat That Question" and "Imaginary Diseases." Dweezil then spent a little time signing autographs and meeting the audience.

The premiere ZPZ show was incredible and judging by the audience's reaction, they loved every minute. While I've been lucky enough to witness Dweezil and the band rehearsing, last night they took it to a whole new level and approached each song with a faithful, exciting intensity.

Dweezil was on fire and watching him play unison lines with Steve was a real treat. At one point during the show, someone in the audience threw a CD up on stage and inadvertently hit Dweezil with it. I'm not sure why people think that a band will listen to their music if they throw it on stage. Those CDs always get put in the trash, or kicked out of the way. Frank of course would have probably stopped the show. Dweezil handled the situation with grace, and security removed the thrower. Steve joked from the side of the stage "Hey! That's one of my CDs!"

Well, that's a quick show rundown for you. I'll try to have one of the guys from the band write their thoughts on the first show too. Stay tuned for that. In the meantime, I'm posting a photo of Dweezil during soundcheck. I'll also have new photos in the FZotos section (the Z is silent)...

Enjoy!

Mikey
Zappa.com Webmeister

POSTED BY MIKEY AT 2006-05-17 09:39:45

14 May 2006

Welcome to the ZPZ Tour Blog..

Hi Folks,

Welcome to the ZPZ 2006 Tour Blog. We'll be bringing you regular reports, pictures and video from the road on the Zappa Plays Zappa - Tour de Frank. We'll also have different band members and special guests posting here from time to time too - so check back often!

See you on the road,

Mikey
Zappa.com Webmeister

POSTED BY MIKEY AT 2006-05-14 08:04:25