John's Journal from the Liverpool Trip
Monday, October 11, 2004
Air New Zealand Flight 2 1st class to London. 4:40pm departure. 1st class lounge great @ LAX. Johnny liked being led to gate by attendant and special boarding.
The 3 of us took up all 4 front row 1st class seats. Jan & Jessica were our attendants. Great service and food for the 11-hour light. Johnny slept the whole way. Individual Panasonic DVD players. Watched old and new Manchurian Candidate. Great, nicely presented food. Drank lots of Gatorade(per Foskett). Water glass kept full all night . Around 6 people total in NZ 1st class. Slept well and arrived Heathrow 11am on
Tuesday, Oct 12, 2004
Arrived The Gore Hotel at 189 Queensgate Road about 12:30PM .
Great, artsy, funky, Victorian , theatrical feel. Lunch @ “Bistro 190” at 1:30PM Walked in and heard “Brian Wilson Live in London” playing on PA system. Met our servers Jay & Anna and gave them a copy of “Beach Access” which they promptly put on the PA
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Got up around 1PM and had lunch at Bistro 190. Jay put on “Beach Access” in Restaurant. 4PM taxi to meet Gered and Julia Mankowitz @ Fortum& Mason’s for Tea. Joan got sidetracked buying something and Johnny and I met Gered & Julia in F& M’s formal tea room. Joan eventually joined us for a fantastic traditional English Tea. Julia and Joan got on well and Gered told us about buying a home in Cornwall, and the upcoming HP sponsored show of Gered’s in Paris. Gered gave me new Schwartzkoph published Hendrix book of his photos which he inscribed. Also a copy for Chris. Also catalog of Gered’s photos. Then off to Mason’s yard to Gered’s old office and scene of “December’s Childrens” album cover.
Gered’s old office very cool, in corner between Indica Bookstore and Scotch at St. James club. Mason’s yard office also had rare garage to house Gered’s1930’s 20/25 Rolls Royce. (black & cream)
Then off to Dunhills’ Checked out vintage auto memorabilia and vintage travel clocks and lighters. Johnny bought shirt and tie. We saw Dunhill’s barber shop with “cut throat shave” Coming out of Dunhill’s we were hassled by a street person, so we went back into F & M’s through a different door thinking we wanted to see more of the store anyway. Turns out F &M store was closed and we had entered F & M’s restaurant and walked into the kitchen thinking it was the door to the main store. Back to The Gore.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
9:30AM breakfast at Bistro 190 with Gered so he could see DVD of The Malibooz in NYC for 40th anniversary show. Gered had never seen Chris in action before.
OXO Brasserie for lunch at 1PM. Passed by London “Eye” . At first we had bad seats with obstructed view of Thames and skyline, but were moved to great view seats. Food was excellent and expensive. Server gave us a photo ID brochure to identity buildings along the Thames and London skyline.
Next off to John Bray suit store to get Johnny a suit, but no sale. Johnny took cab back to hotel while Joan & I hit Neal St. on advice of F&M clerk. Bought custom silver ring & bracelet at Crazy Pig. Discussed upcoming Malibooz’ show with clerk since store owner is a musician. Left Malibooz’ guitar pick for the owner. Bought a watch at another Neal St. store and then found great clothing store and bought vintage reissue Doors’ T-shirt and waffle shirt with sewn in T-shirt. .
8PM dinner at Hakkasan on Hanway Alley. Off Oxford St. down alleyway in section where vintage vinyl records are still sold. Amidst old building facades, suddenly modern façade. Well-dressed burly doormen with earphones. Down stairs to basement. Large room with low ceiling. Oriental feel with slate stone walls with shimmering lights on them, low seating and cool DJ. Johnny liked Outside Survivors CD.
Thai, Japanese and Chinese food. Also cool nonalcoholic cocktails. Asian servers, ultra modern stone and glass W/C. Then back to The Gore for tea and hot chocolate at the fireplace.
Friday, October 15, 2004 JOHNNY’S 17TH BIRTHDAY
Walter arrives at The Gore around 11:30AM and goes to room, showers and meets us for lunch about 12:30PM. Wearing Beach Boys Hawaiian, . After lunch take Johnny’s gifts to Gore living room, light fire, and Jay brings cake and cocoa. Bob Marley Birthday card. Johnny loves gifts. Lots of photos. Then rehearsal in our room. Joan goes shopping .
6PM off to the Dominion Theatre to see musical “We Will Rock You” Stop for a quick bite at Burger King where whopper meal is 5GBP!!.
Musical is poor story , but great band and version of “Bohemian Rhapsody”. We have 5th row center seats thanks to Suellen’s agency. Still raining, Johnny goes to meet Jamie Evans and Brawley Nolte at Oxford Circus tube station. Johnny returns to hotel at 3AM with Jamie after cab leaves them off a wrong hotel. Tough night sleeping with loud party at Salon des Art next door until 4AM!
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Awaken at 1PM and eat at Bistro. Joan goes to Portobello Road and buys antique fur brooch. Everyone stops her to admire her embroidered long coat which she bought in Malibu. The rehearses in our room 2:30-5:30PM and then off to 7PM dinner @ Bill Wyman’s Sticky Fingers which we walk to. On the way stroll by “Magnet” store which is photo op for Walt. Disappointing food and place. Like a bad Planet Hollywood. No sign of Wyman. Walt gets shirt. Head back to The Gore for dessert and tea at fireplace.
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Check out of The Gore (but store a lot of bags there) and head for London Euston Railway Station. Some confusion over room rate at hotel, but intend to clear it up when we return. Either 199GBP or 169GBP per night for main room. Was given 50 GBP Harrod’s gift certificate by concierge Sean, but I returned it in favor of the 169 rate.
Arrive at London Euston at 11:30AM for 12:35PM Virgin train to Liverpool. Find out train is actually at 1:55PM! But there is room on the 11:35AM train, which is just about to leave. We run to train, but conductor won’t let us on because our tickets are a special price and non-transferable. Virgin trains 1st class lounge doesn’t open on Sundays until 2PM (our train is at 1:55PM!). Ended up buying lunch and finding great seats to hang out in a cappuccino bar. Johnny falls asleep.
Confusing finding seats on train but finally settled into 1st class and train leaves right at 1:55PM. Virgin train to Liverpool does not go high-speed and no steward service on Sundays. Supposedly free drinks, but when we went to Club Car told only small size water and then one bottle per ticket!
Slept, read, talked and watched “Hard Day’s Night”. Also read Beatles’ Recording notes. 4 ½ hour trip, but still fun. Arrived Liverpool Lime St. station at 6:30PM. Immediately recognized Lime St. station from HDN DVD we just watched.
Initially booked into Sir Thomas Hotel. Call on cell phone to confirm while we were on train to find out we had been moved to Gladstone Hotel. Then received cellphone message we were moved again to Premier Travel Inn (like a Holiday Inn). At last great water pressure and lots of hot water, unlike The Gore.
Checked in and then we all walked over to The Cavern to check out the stage setup. Bought Cavern memorabilia and went over to The Grapes. Photo op, but too smoky to eat so we went to nearby restaurant. Everybody nice and young Liverpool girls gave us their booth. Realized we needed bigger amps for BBC, but relieved Cavern had 3 guitar amps. (We initially thought Johnny would have to play 12-string through a bass amp.) Saw large posters for IPO on walls around town, but no brochures as of yet. Rough sleeping that night, with loud band members partying in next room until 4AM.
Monday, October 18, 2004 BBC RADIO & SHOW AT THE CAVERN.
Awake around noon, Johnny sharing our room. Walt and I are off to Dawson’s Music store to borrow amps for BBC performance. Meet John of The Mags at Dawson’s. He lends us 2 small amps, Yamaha and Roland cube. Also glad to see IPO brochures are out and we grab some. Walk to Mathew St and get recognized by Steve at Beatles’ store. Look through Cavern Mall complex and check out memorabilia there. Cool, custom “beat clothing” store with custom made Beatle boots. Eat lunch at Beatle themed restaurant there. Walt has margarita pizza and I have quiche. Head back to hotel for rehearsal with our borrowed amps at 2:30PM. Joan walked around Liverpool while we rehearsed. She bought fake-fur collar.
6PM leave for BBC Radio Merseyside. Our taxi driver, Norman, is ex-drummer of The Concords. Tells us about 60’s Liverpool and Pete Best. At BBC meet producer Grace Eden and interviewer Claire. Everyone super nice and happy to have us. On the air at 6:45PM we are the only band on BBC for the opening IPO Night. We perform “California Days “ and The Call of the Wave”. With interview we’re on about 15 minutes. Also live Internet stream and Grace sends us a mini disc of show.
Taxi to Cavern. Driver has just heard us on the radio and shows us building he used to work in during the ‘60’s when his female co-workers would all go to The Cavern to see The Beatles’ lunch show.
Welcomed on reaching The Cavern and go back stage to read info, tune up and check outlets. We are happy to see they have 110V strip so we can power our effects. We see David Bash who welcomes us. We are playing in back room where Paul McCartney played his millennium concert. This is the only stage with filming capabilities. We arrange for videotaping and our stage requirements.
9:20PM THE SHOW!!!!
David Bash gives us a very nice intro and off we go!
SURFIN’ & DRIVIN’
CALIFORNIA DAYS
SURFIN’ GHOST
MAGNET & STEEL
THE CALL OF THE WAVE
308
GOIN’ TO MALIBU
HOT SUMMER NIGHTS
Great response from audience and come off stage to meet Sweden’s The Rhinos in dressing room (Byrds sound with Hollies harmonies). They are exuberant over how great our show was. David Bash comes back and asks us to play again the next night and Saturday night. We consider this, but not possible with schedule and to get Johnny to Heathrow by Wednesday afternoon. The 3 of us sign the dressing room ceiling and come out to the floor to find BBC Radio’s Spencer Leigh waiting to speak with us. Spencer, who is author of “Twist & Shout” book on The Cavern is there to review the concert. He is ecstatic over the show and says “it’s great to meet legendary people who actually play well.) Spencer says next time in Liverpool he wants to do a full 2-hour show with The Malibooz on the BBC.
We then check out several bands including The Halflights and The Rhinos. Then we meet some fans and sign autographs, buy t-shirt and pickup money from our CD sales, and leave Cavern.
As we head out we meet IPO co-organizer Jean Catharell from The Liverpool Scene and partner with Jackie our Beatles tour guide from 2002. She loved our show and will tell Jackie what she missed. Steve from Beatles Store attended show and took a bunch of photos. He kept asking for Christmas tunes while we were on stage.
On leaving club I see large IPO posters on big masonite boards. I ask doormen if I can buy a poster. At first they say just peel it off the masonite and take it, but the poster starts to rip as I remove, so they say just take the whole thing board and all!
Back to Premier Travel Inn with another Liverpool ex-musician “scouzer” who regales us with tales from the heyday of Beatles’ Liverpool. Walt & I have tea in hotel restaurant and de-brief show. Good sleep.
Tuesday, October 19th 2004
Up at 10AM to return amps to Dawson’s and off to Lime St. Station. Lots of daytime photos there. 12:15PM Virgin bullet train to London. Notice one car is named “Michael Palin”. This time great 1st class. We are the only ones in 1st class and have 4 stewardesses for the 4 of us! 2 seats facing each other with table in between. Headphones with music in seats. Lots of food, tea, etc. This time 2-hr trip to London. Arrive London Euston Station at 2:45PM and drop Walter off at his Queen’s Gardens hotel. Johnny, Joan and I head back to The Gore and check in. We’ve been upgraded to the Miss Fanny Suite. Johnny & Joan head out to Neal St. to exchange birthday jewelry. I unpack and settle into Miss Fanny Suite and then meet J & J for dinner at Italian restaurant in Piccadilly. We then walk up to movie theatre and see The Motorcycle Diaries
Back to The Gore and photos of The Miss Fanny Suite which is very Victorian with floor to ceiling wood paneling. 4-poster bed with heavy velvet drapes. Bathroom has huge wooden “throne” for a toilet with pull chain flushing. Lots of room photos including Johnny “on the throne”.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Awaken 1PM and lunch at Bistro 190 (still raining). Off with Johnny to Heathrow for Air New Zealand flight #2 non-stop, 1st class to LAX at 4:40PM. Leave Johnny to 1st class lounge at 3:30PM (He wants to be led to gate from 1st class lounge again.) Back to The Gore to change clothes and head to National Portrait Gallery for “Women In Travel” exhibit. We were told at hotel that the museum was open until 9PM, but if actually closes at 6! Great exhibit, but had to rush through.
Our dinner reservation at The Wolesley is not until 8PM so we head over to The Marquee Club in Leicester Square for their Jimi Hendrix exhibit. We stroll by kleig lights and barracade for opening ceremonies of London Film Festival later that night. Crowds are already gathering in the rain. Arrive at Marquee Club to find that exhibit is closed for the day. I start talking to the lady at the door and tell her I am a musician from Malibu, leaving town tomorrow, and really wanted to see the show. I give her my Malibooz Music card and she takes it to the club manager who opens up the exhibit for a private showing with a guide. Free, cool exhibit and then off to The Wolesley for dinner.
The Wolesley is located next to The Ritz Hotel on Piccadilly St. Even though we have an 8PM reservation they let us in at 7PM. New restaurant from King & Corbin who founded The Ivy. This is latest London in-spot. Great huge space with 20ft ceilings, huge chandeliers with cool bulbs. Gold-leaf painted trim with recessed lighting on vaulted ceiling. Also oriental writing and vases. Combination of traditional British and Oriental . Great menu hamburgers to exotic entrees Joan has a burger and I have crab hash with buttered spinach. Desserts Ameli chocolate cake and espresso pot de crème. Back to The Gore and pack up.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Breakfast Bistro 190. Goodbye to Matthew, Anna , and Caryle. Still trying to figure out the bill. Limo to Healthrow for12:30PM UA flight to DC. Finally, we were able to both get 1st class on the 12:30PM flight UA great 1st class loung at Heathrow. Tons of food, drinks etc. TV, and Mags. Bought a Hamley bear for Kathryn. Joan shopped and handled VAT rebate. Fantastic UA 1st class modules. Extremely comfy with personal screen with 6 movie choices plus HI-8 video player built-in. Also noise canceling headphones. Total flat bed seating with enclosure. Good food, but not as good as Air New Zealand. Great British tea with scone before landing. Watched “Little Giants’ on my DVD. Comfy but didn’t sleep; too much to do.
Rainy arrival DC 1 hour late.
