on the buses
i fucking crack myself up
on the bus george our merch guy complains to me :
all that frickin’ weed you smoke steve is giving me a sore throat
me : shut up man …you should be fuckin’ payin’ me for shmokin’ my stash..!
wow being on tour is weird i tell you
extended adolescence popping up in new places everyday
today we are in buffalo and its cold and clear
we go down starbucks and i suck down some huge caffeine hit
wow i am dislocated and adrift
people ask me how its going
man i don’t know what to say
its totally surreal
people come along and they venerate us
we have a sold out theatre last night in PA
but buffalo aint looking so good
we meet people on dialysis who listen to the church getting their blood changed
we get surgeons who listen to the church whilst stitching up your flesh
the people clap and cheer and we get many standing ovations
the good old blurred crusade…
who woulda thunk it all that time ago in mansfield street rozelle
the good old blurred crusade
quality then quality now
real songs thought out and planned
i’m proud of my old self for dreaming it up oh so long ago
nice work too particularly by p koppes and b clearmountain
who bring such lovely musicality to the thing
well it still sorta stands up all these years later
and the people seem to enjoy it
a bit clunky in parts but still a nice valid thing
with its own aesthetic and mojo
everyday is a day of madness trying to find food and fit things in
do yoga and get in a walk and blah blah blah
the band is pretty tight now playing wise
the crusade unravels so smoothly
its sad but i hope i never have to play it again tho in its entirety
i’m pretty much over it now
so many new possibilities
so many new songs to be written
and new musical adventures to be had
its unbelievable touring and sleeping on the bus most nights
its disorienting and all that kind of thing
makes you lose track of everything
everything builds up to the show
you go on you play
you have a pre gig drink you nibble at the chips
guitar doesn’t weigh a thing anymore
my fingers whizz around the fender bass like its a toy
so ridiculously confident the damn thing almost plays itself
so there you are
walking down a quiet suburban street in kentucky
or stumbling off a stage in new hampshire
or in the truckstop urinal with the earth still moving beneath your feet
you’re singing your words you’re playing your bass
people clap boy that makes you smile
the fans are so kind and so dedicated
sometimes its better not to meet them
sometimes tired sometimes full of a wild energy and enthusiasm
you have lost your locus kilbey
you are now along for the ride
nothing makes sense and why the fuck would it?
it doesn’t matter this is a rocknroll tour
you been doing it forever forty years worth sir
plucking that old bass guitar same as ever
you meet people you see people you talk to people
look!
a woman yelled to her husband as i dashed into the bus last night
look ! its steve kilbey and he’s escaping ..quick!
but i hit the door code and suddenly was in the quiet darkness of the bus
the driver sat there chewing on something and smiling
good evening sir and how was your show this evening?
what can you say?
the crowd stood up and applauded us heartily
and all the other implications of the nights show
but yeah gee it went good
that will suffice for now
it makes you feel like everything and yet nothing matters
we are here to play our lovely music and thats our only purpose
4 shows left by this time next week I’m already home
where a burst water main has destroyed all my electronic gear and sound system etc
wow happy times ahead
and my teeth are in bad shape and they need more than i have
my old english teeth not doing as well as other bits
in some ways ridiculously healthy due to yoga and swimming and veg eating
in some ways I’m crumbling apart altogether
so we are all getting on you never know when its your last chance to see us
yes i am devastated by princes sudden death
i was only envying him the other day
thinking that man has more youthfulness and talent than a person should have
and now this
i was envying a man with only weeks left to live
and thats a fucking message from the universe right there folks
any of us at any time
who would have thought bowie and prince would go just like that?
their genius and youthfulness could not save them
can we mere mortals grok this tho ?
man i am so sorry because prince was a fuckin’ genius no matter what
he should have lived till he was a hundred
i feel its ludicrous he should be taken so soon
and trump and clinton battle it out out there
is this the best you got america? these two cartoon buffoons?
obviously i love bernie
yes my people i love bernie
does he still have a chance?
and prince is gone
and i’m in buffalo parked outside a club waiting to get in for me shower
us australians we love our daily shower
and man the world is crazy
and wow that shower will feel good
and wow
goodbye
