The good, the bad and the ugly

I can’t tell you how relieved I was to pack up and get out of Nashville!

I have nothing against the people; they were as patient with my Britt accent as anywhere else I have lived in the US. They really were mostly kind and helpful. A few friendships were made, some lasted some did not, you cannot please everybody.

But the weather! It was cold and wet when we were there and I kept hearing about how uncomfortable the humidity would be during the summer months. Steve had lived in the dry warmth of Hollywood, CA for 30 years. There are two things that make my man very grumpy, the first is being hungry and the second is being cold.

We did create some lovely music there; ‘What’s Going On’ was recorded there as was ‘Just One More Chance’ but that was against all odds as we had to try to record vocals and acoustic guitars in between the thumping of footsteps on the hardwood floors upstairs in the other apt.

Seven of the eighteen months we were there we were away on tour of course. So, all in all I now see it as a stop gap. Nashville was not for us, Steve was never going to break into the session scene there, between his non country, rock reputation and his poor eyesight meaning he could not read charts it was probably a lost cause. 

We found a new friend in Squeeky the tabby cat (she found us) but had to say goodbye and re home her when we took on the tour. She was missed greatly when we got home in December. 

But, the desert was calling and we found ourselves a house and an area in Phoenix that we love.

Last year’s tour has faded into the distance now, the good, the bad and the ugly of it all. 

Of course we have lots of reminders on YouTube plus this blog and we have no regrets.

I hope the 'Welcome 2 My Nightmare' album and the live DVD's from last year continue to do well, reminding people of Steve's contribution.

I think it is a testament to the strength of our relationship that we got through that tour without breaking up or at the least strangling each other or anybody else come to that!

I had to put my business on hold all of last year but I have been very lucky to be able to pick it up from where I left off. I am back running Custom Pouch USA, supplying transmitter pouches to the UK again and there are projects here that require me to design and source products for the company I had worked with before the tour. When they need a unique promotional item, I come up with the design, find a place to get it made and Bobs your Uncle (do you have that expression in the US?) I come up with a finished product.

On that subject, I will take the opportunity to express my opinion on the other side of the coin regarding this huge issue of having things ‘Made in the USA’.

I so want to have all the items I am sourcing made in the US but I have encountered problems that might surprise you and they could answer why there are still such a lot of people seeking out China.

I have four items on the go, one is made of rubber and I have been able to get that done here in the US with a great deal of help from the manufacturer. But, it has been an upward struggle with the others.

I have called countless companies for quotes and samples and up until recently I have received either no response at all or promise’s of action then nothing.

I do not want to have to contact China but unfortunately there may be instances where I have no choice or the product will simply not get made.

Buck up America, China is chasing your tail with their efficiency and enthusiasm for getting things done.

You cannot afford to be complacent and unprofessional. Ok, soap box chat over.

Phoenix is wonderful, yes, you have to work around the extreme heat and I have a strict routine for when I leave the house, sun screen and parasol in hand.

We are going to the gym four days a week, it has been a bit of a shock for me as I have been particularly lazy and let myself gain about ten pounds (ok, it was more), we both intend to lose a bunch of weight and stay healthy. On our assessment at the gym I had to do something called ‘the plank’, this is where you lie flat on the floor then push yourself up by your elbows holding your body straight for as long as possible. Steve did 38 seconds and I managed a pathetic 7 seconds!!!Yes!  I need to work on this.

I am excited at the prospect of getting my children Holly and Mathew over in October, it will only be for about ten days but I think they will be itching to get back to their friends after that, we lead a pretty boring life compared to them!

We do have abundant peace and quiet here, oh the joy of that after last year.  Steve is happy in his new studio room, his hippy, spiritual Deacon Cave where the walls are covered with Indian bedspreads full of intricate patterns and earthy colors. He has settled into recording but I am sworn to secrecy on the tunes other than ‘What’s Going On’. He will not rest on his laurels (is that another Britt only phrase?) and is stretching beyond what he has done before, pushing his playing in directions that will surprise and hopefully please both old fans and new.  His unique style continues to mature like a fine wine, I can hear that, particularly after seven months on the road playing so many shows but that does not mean he is regurgitating licks from the past, I know how proud he is of his work over 40 years but he is always looking for new ways to make his guitars speak.

Ok, that’s the update from Huntersville, we are happy, healthy and still in love, what more needs to be said (:

March already!

Time is flying by here in Nashville, the man and I have been very busy creating music that we hope will put a smile on peoples faces.


Steve is working on his own album but as he likes to do a couple of different projects at once to keep things fresh we decided to do a cover song together with him doing a new arrangement in his own unique way.
I cannot tell you what this first track is yet, but I can tell you that the song was written in the 1930's,  we have finished it and the result is awesome. The initial reaction from the first few people to hear it has been very encouraging so much so that we now have a list of tunes that we think would work with the same production and may even make this a joint album project.

Of course we are lucky to be even here! We had a storm come through last week that scared the pants off me....nearly!
We watched the 'storm tracker' on TV during the morning and I realised that a huge pile of dark grey cloud that was randomly dropping the odd tornado was heading right for us. We were right in it's path!
It probably seems a bit over the top and rediculous but I gathered some important paperwork and various other beloved items in a briefcase then put that in the hallway which is the safest part of the building. Steve suggested we have the bedcover with us and to put on our coats as he was worried the windows might blow out, the tornado siren was wailing.
I could not help but imagine what it must have been like in a World War II blitz, this would have been a common occurence and it was not a good feeling at all.
As the storm went over the shopping area where we buy food and have our regular Starbucks I was thinking what if our precious recording gear got damaged? That is our lifeblood, although of course it probably would have been more pertinant to think about the whole building being picked up and put down a quarter of a mile away like some poor souls had to deal with in other towns.

We sat together on the edge of the coffee table staring at the TV screen ready to move to the hallway and put it on mute a few times as Steve said we would probably hear a tornado before we felt it. Then the hail started, the sky was literally throwing icy rocks at us, every now and then a few would hit the windows directly and we both expected them to break but they held fast.

Within a few minutes it was over but I spent the next 20 minutes thinking there was a surprise tornado about to rip through the apt. It took my heart rate a little while to get back to normal and I thought, what the hell are we doing here!!!!! I suddenly missed the warmth and calm of Phoenix.

Getting back to the music, we will keep you abreast of developments but the important thing at the moment is for us to make the best recordings we can, with the best performances and production possible. Anyone who has listened to Steve's production skills on 'Empty Spaces' will know that whatever comes out of Huntersville will be a joy to listen to.

Home Sweet Home

Well, it has been an exciting year, too darned exciting if you ask me!
Around the world one and a half times, I almost forgot what it was like to wake up in the same bed each morning but I did get to see an aweful lot along the way.
I saw iconic sights like Red Square, I saw poverty in Istanbul, I saw AC fans lining up in the wind and rain to see their hero. I saw old theatres in Europe and the US that held dusty secrets and I had many a breakfast laughing my sox off with my man and the boss.

Now we are at home, we have kicked off the Rock and Roll boots, put our feet up and got back to watching Jeopardy and Lawrence Welk on TV (my UK friends will have no idea who that is, sorry).

We are back creating MUSIC!

I have already started to write new songs and Steve is busy recording a track for me to sing that will surprise a few people I'm sure. 
The response to his statement that he will not tour with Alice this year has been humbling and full of encouragement and understanding for his decision. At the same time we launched his new website, it is classy, easy to navigate and interesting and it will get even more interesting when he starts putting up entries for his new 'blind blog'.

He will no doubt have things to say that will raise eyebrows or bring a smile to readers faces. He also wants to put up some short audio clips from our travels and more in the future. They will be 'sound pictures' of some of the people, streets and amazing buildings we visited or will visit, for other sight impaired people to share.

It was Valentines Day today so here is the poem that Steve wrote for me in 2005, my old romantic!

I surely love you like the dew loves a rose
Love fills my heart like the snot in my nose
We are a team, like a horse and a cart
Our love will last like a long silent fart

Here is a link to his new website: www.stevehunter.com

The times they are a changing

A word from me:

Steve does not make decisions like this lightly as those who know him well will be aware.
When he does something he always does it to the best of his ability; his soul, passion, honesty and spirituality is why he plays guitar like he does.
His integrity as a person and a player is well known in the music industry and amongst many other things including his humor, that is why I love him so much.  

He will never be a speed player but if you want your heart torn from it's place with emotion or set free to fly like an eagle then he will deliver. If you want a guitar tone that can make the hair stand up on the back of your neck and sound like chocolate dipped in a deep earthy red sauce, then he is the man.

When I listen to his solo on 'I Am Made Of You' and his work on things like 'Hymns For Guitar', I know where that comes from because I am lucky enough to be with that dedicated spirit every day.

There are things we will miss and things we will not miss but we are thankful and grateful for the journey and both looking forward to the rest of this year and whatever it has in store.  


Statement from Steve Hunter Feb 11th 2012

Hello all my peeps and fans. I have an announcement to make. I have spent many weeks mulling this over...losing sleep. For many reasons both personal and professional I have reluctantly decided not to join Alice Cooper onstage this year. None of the reasons has to do with my health which is very good at the moment. Nor do any have anything to do with my poor eyesight, because I was able to find wa...ys around my impairment to enable me to perform and play guitar onstage. Nor is Alice any part of the reasons I have made this decision. He is a brother to me and we share a real history. I think it’s time I move on. I have a solo album to finish among other things. I will miss all the beautiful people I met last year. I will miss glancing over to my right and seeing Alice belting out 18 again. I hope you all understand and aren’t disappointed in me. But I think I have to do this. I hope to see you all out there again one day soon. Thanks for understanding and God bless!

A final word

I confess that the last three weeks of the AC world tour went by in somewhat of a blur, therefore I am not going to be able to itemise the shows. Instead I will post some of the final photographs I was able to take and tell you as much as I remember.

There were 14 shows over a period of about 3 weeks, we started in the Soaring Eagle Casino, Mt Pleasant MI, then criss crossed our way across the mid west, a bit of Canada and finished in Hollywood, Florida.
I remember quite a few 8 hour overnights on the bus right after the show but the worst overnights were the 4 hour drives to the next city after a show, by the time you got to sleep it was time to get up and walk in a daze to the hotel lobby for the room key. (If uncle Toby had not laid the room key envelopes out on the table in the bus)

Can you see that?

On the opening night at the Soaring Eagle Casino, we met up with some friends including Darin, Don,  Ken and Katie Szabo, Katie gave me a fab pair of colorful socks, perfect for spotting in the lost sock dept of my bedroom.

The sky in Ontario

In Cincinati, Ohio we had a visit from our good friends Randy McLaughlin and Robin who brought their rising star Wendell the miniature pig! Wendell was adorable, he had his own transport, a little carriage with a zip up front to stop him leaping out and going off shopping on his own! He simply steals the show wherever he goes.
By all accounts Wendell is more intellegent than the average dog, he is house trained and snuggles up in bed.
Like everybody else who saw his cute face and tail, I wanted to take him home with us.

WENDELL



Steve, Robin and Randy

We had a day off in Cincinati, a good time for our end of tour dinner and some revelry. A few brave souls dared to try their luck on the bucking bull in the restaurant and we played a cool game.
After picking the name of a victim from the band or crew out of a hat, we bought that person something relevant and silly then each named present was opened at the dinner. I got some yummy British biscuits (cookies) from our bus driver Taz, relevant to me because it was a standing joke that I would make an English cuppa for me and Steve as soon as we got on the bus after a show, like the pair of old fuddy duddies that we are!

James the sound desk wizard on the bull

Kyler looking like an expert

Steve got the best present possible for him which made us all roar with laughter, the boss gave him a book called Farts Around The World. Steve has a love of this subject that has never waned since childhood and he uses it to full effect both on and off the stage. 

In Atlanta we were joined by David 'Purple' Hayes, his lovely wife Jenny and their nephew Mike. David makes awesome amps for Steve. Jenny is recovering from a stroke so she was in a wheelchair when we got her in to say hello to the boss, he was so kind to her and said "you could Turbo Charge that"!
Steve and I think Jenny is an Angel.  Here is a link to David's website for the discerning guitar players out there: http://www.hayesamplification.com/

We also had a welcome visit from our good friend, guitarist Damon Johnson in Atlanta, he brought his gorgeous family with him and joined the band onstage.

Damon and Steve reunited

'In Hollywood, Florida we were joined by one of Steve's closest friends and supporters. Richard Harold helped Steve when he needed eye surgery for a detatched retina. This was before I was on the scene and I will always be grateful to Richard for being there for him during that difficult time'.

Richard and Steve

Backstage antics on the last show, Chuck and Toby

Here we go, last one.....

What!

Thank you and goodnight

So, just to recap, we made it! Seven months and around the world one and a half times.
I was my husbands eyes, a VIP co ordinator, occasional camera director and occasional Clone! I also gained about 10 pounds in weight!
There are hundreds of Youtube clips of how the year unfolded and of course the new album 'Welcome 2 My Nightmare'.
All this to remind us that The Boss and The Deacon worked together again after 36 years!
My man made it with the help of his specially designed custom Gretsch guitars, glow in the dark tape, Brian his tech, the band, the crew and his awesome determination and talent.
I hope this blog has given you an insight to life on the road. There are so many memories, some good, some bad, I laughed and I cried but every moment was worthwhile.

PS: If you click on a photo you get a bigger version

Red Square and Clones

We are now back in the US about to do the third show on this the final leg of the 'No More Mr Nice Guy' tour with the amazing tour de force that is Alice Cooper.


But, I need to back track to France, Germany and Russia.


We had a hotel right by the town square in Toulouse and as we wandered around we found a busker playing some really good accordion, (Steve had no idea what the word 'busker' meant). For our American friends it means someone playing or doing something for money on the streets, another useful word that never crossed the great divide.


We stopped and listened for about ten minutes and the little chap in his old raincoat was clearly very happy with his audience, beaming from ear to ear he played his socks off!  Steve recorded a few minutes of his great playing as he is intending to put a blog up on his new website called 'My Blind Blog' where he will talk and even 'sound off' on any subject that he feels like plus upload sounds of things and places for other sight impaired people to savor.


We went for a coffee across the street from the hotel but that was not so good, they looked at us like we just dropped in from another planet. We got two cups of coffee that we could have used to lay a road, sat for about ten uncomfortable minutes then left.


I don't remember much about Lyon but I do remember Paris! Paris feels like the New York of Europe to me, it's crowded, bustling and irresistible. The man and I went to the Notre Dame which was awesome, I had been there when I was about 14 but a lot of water has gone under my bridge since then so it felt like I was there for the first time.
A rather interesting thing happened inside the Notre Dame. We were sat in the centre stalls silently contemplating when we heard a cracking noise high above then a few seconds later a piece of glass splattered to the ground a few stalls in front of us, narrowly missing another couple also sat contemplating, it shattered like the glass from a car windscreen...... considering that it fell over 100 feet it could have killed someone but it missed everybody!


An old friend of Steve's came to the show in Paris, Henry Padovani was the original guitarist for The Police and he has the sexiest French voice ever! Steve played on a few tracks of Henry's last album.
He was with another friend of ours called Mark St John and it was great to catch up with them again.


Here is a pic of Steve and Henry Padovani taken that night:

Notre Dame in Paris

The next German city I remember was Bremen, it was really beautiful plus that is the city we had our end of tour dinner with all our German crew and the support act for that leg 'The Treatment' who were all so cool and did such a great job warming up the audiences in Europe.


Bremen

Some of the crew and band enjoying some down time in Bremen.

The guys from 'Treatment' and some of catering crew for Germany

In Mulheim the boss had the most amazing cake given to him as a gift by John Loui, a British chef working in Germany, I put a pic in for you but it really doesn't do it justice, it was simply fantastic and yes, it tasted wonderful!!!! Thank you!

 I was snap happy at the Berlin show, the light was perfect and I got quite a few good shots from the side of the stage.


Here is a selection

Tommy decided to cover a sleeping Steve in sweets backstage.......

From Berlin we flew to Russia for two shows. Steve was surprised to discover how many fans he had  in Russia, there were people waiting to have various albums signed,  the new Alice album 'Welcome 2 My Nightmare' the original 'Welcome To My Nightmare, but also other albums like Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, David Lee Roth and even his own album 'The Deacon', all on vinyl which Steve maintains still sounds the best!



We did manage to get to Red Square, how could we have not done that! It was a mile long walk (we needed the exercise) and it was very cool indeed............... actually it was darned well freezing (:
My man hates being cold even more than he hates politics and it took determination for us to get there but it was one of the most historical places on the planet when we were growing up. We recalled how we used to hear about the 'Cold War' when we were kids and being afraid that we would end up in a third world war.
Ironically there is now a huge high end shopping mall down one side, so Chanel and Gucci have replaced Khrushchev, Capitalism has replaced Communism! I still cannot believe I was lucky enough to be there, who would have ever thought it!  Not me that's for sure!


Red Square

The red wall in Red Square

Red Square Coats!

My man makes a stupid face in Paris

The other noteworthy event from Moscow was that Steve fell over on stage during Schools Out! He wanted to venture out to the front on a stage extension and had plotted his path during sound check.
All was well initially, the boss and the band were happily surprised to see him out there and he was having a ball being so close to the fans. But, he moved position slightly and when he turned to walk back to his pedal board he walked right into his monitor....wham!!! Over he went, I didn't see it as I was organizing the balloon winner on the far side.  He got up and carried on playing and later said it was worth it as he had such a good time the rest of the night. Luckily neither he nor his guitar was damaged.


After Moscow we flew home for four days, more about that next time.


Oh, I nearly forgot! There was a extra short clone onstage for about five shows....... here is a vid. Keep a watch out for Chuck giving 'short clone' a bit of a hard time at the end of the song.....whoever could that confused clone be? 

The video was removed....sorry. 

The Jason Becker Story

This documentary needs to be finished, it will be amazing as you will see from the trailer.
Jason is kind, smart, funny and strong, stronger than anyone we know and he is like a brother to Steve.
Jason and Steve were working together on the David Lee Roth album  'Little Aint Enough' in 1991 when Steve noticed Jason was walking with a limp. The limp turned into ALS.


Created by Indie GoGo (Jesse Vile and his team in London, San Francisco and LA)


You can help get this project through post production and out to the public where it needs to be!

Here are the links for more information: 

 http://www.indiegogo.com/NOT-DEAD-YET 

http://www.JasonBeckerMovie.com/

The Homeland

I wanted to write about the UK part of the tour as we went through the cities but got too darned tired! So here is a synopsis of our time in my homeland.


We actually went to London from the Netherlands first because the boss was recording some TV shows, this meant that we had time to get to Camden Market and buy some cool hats. I got two and the man got three, add them to the others and we now have a fine collection of hats between us, as the Queen might well say "One can never have enough hats"....oh well maybe she never said that but you know what I mean.


There was a snack bar there with the coolest seating arrangement....see below

Sheffield was the first show, the place was heaving and all went well. I took a couple of silly pics backstage (see below).  I was excited at the thought we would be going to Bristol the next day, I would get to see some of my closest friends and my children Holly and Mathew.


Tommy and Chuck backstage in Sheffield, look at those tatts!

Me and the man, and no I do not have my fingers up his nose! I was trying to stop him making a silly face.

I wanted to get as much time with my kids as possible so the idea was for them to get to Bristol from Torquay around the same time as we got there from Sheffield which was supposed to be 2pm.
In fact we got there at 1pm, giving more time for the boss and Ori to shop and time to get acquainted with the venue and find catering which is always the priority for me and my man.


It goes without saying that the reunion with my children and old mates was the best part of the day for me, we spent some time talking and laughing then going for something to eat whilst Steve got some rest before the show. My small circle of close friends in England are very special to me, they put up with me living in a far off land and I always feel relaxed and at home in their company.

Dan, Holly, Deborah, Steve , Colin, Tim and Mathew:

The band and the boss were fab as always that night and my friends were impressed despite not being huge followers of AC before the show they were firm fans after the show....of course!!!!!


Steve's self adopted nick name is Skoop Doggy Do and Holly has started calling him 'Old step skoop' which is hilarious. Saying goodbye to everybody was horrible but I start working towards being in one place with them again as soon as the last one is over.


Next up Birmingham,  it was a bit grey and wet there although the show that night would warm everybody up. We were joined by the New York Dolls or as my mum called them "The New York Dollies", (and were they all girls she wondered).  They stayed with us until Glasgow and were brill. Guitarist Earl Slick is an old friend of Steve's and both players decided to make sure they keep in closer touch next year.
My good friend Tony Brinsley drove up from Devon to see us here, Steve and I spent some relaxed time with him before the show. He was another friend who was not sure if he would enjoy the show and ended up loving it.....of course!!!!!


A view of a damp Birmingham from our hotel room.

We saw a great deal of the AC fans from 'SickthingsUK' on all these shows, they never cease to amaze me with their loyalty to Alice and the band and I eagerly looked forward to spotting them in the front rows of every show and meeting up afterwards.
I have gained new friends on this tour through both Sickthings from all over the world and Facebook and now we have left for the rest of Europe I will miss their happy 'Sickthings' company.




London was next, Alexandra Palace is amazing with it's history both grand and eventful.
It was Halloween and we were joined by Arthur Brown who at 70 years of age was simply fantastic. Steve had done a great arrangement of Arthur's big hit 'Fire', a three guitar assault on a great song, Arthur himself jumped and rolled about like a teenager. 
Arriving on stage with his hat on fire, he and the boss were clearly having fun along with the band.

Manchester was a great show, they really know how to rock there.
I was back on old stomping ground for a lot of these venues as I had done them as a backing singer with Gary Numan in the 80's. For some reason they seemed a lot smaller, especially Manchester which had been the closing gig of the tour with Gary in 1984.
Fun memories all round for those times and it was good to be back again with my gorgeous man and the AC band.


Last but not least was Glasgow before we left my homeland for Brussels and beyond.
Goodbye England but only for now, I will be back!


Pics from the Glasgow show below.....

There's a chicken on the loose!

Chicken meets the boss!

Oh oh Chicken in trouble!

Steve with the lovely Tanja, our friend and helper on the European leg of the tour. We will all miss you, xx

Tanja with Tommy