Robb Johnson and David Rovics, US tour Options

[Pete]

Just to say I'm on the road in the US with these two geezers, and if anyone in who can get to one of the gigs sees this, these guys come highly recommended.

The gigs are all listed at www.davidrovics.com, but basically we are in, amongst other places, Maine, Boston, Seattle, Eugene, Oakland, LA and Phoenix over the next 12 days.

Cheers all

Pete

[Pete]

It's a bit sad to have to respond to your own post, but there ya go.

The tour is going great, and we've got New England sorted now. Good on ya, Boston.

Seattle, Eugene, Oakland, LA and Phoenix coming. Imminent, in fact. And yes, I *am* recording every gig (possibly not wanted here, but it'll be a classic).

Btw first-ever performances at Tolpudle from four blokes: Leon Rosselson, Robb Johnson, Billy Bragg, David Rovics.

Same year. Lots of you were there.

Three of these four are confirmed this year - here's hoping we can get all 4.

Pete

[Jon]

good work, Pete!

[Braggtopia!]

Pete - when are you bringing those guys to Oz ? And tell Robb to bring Maggie Holland too - I'm listening to a lot of her stuff at the moment.

[Braggtopia!]

It's a bit sad to have to  respond to your own post, but there ya go.

...and I thought you were used to the Guestbook (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[Pete]

David Rovics would I am sure love to go to Oz. With Robb I have do some serious arm-twisting just to get him out of West London, but I'm sure he could be persuaded.

Seriously, if anyone has any contacts for venues / promoters in Oz they would be much appreciated. I sort-of know the people at Candle and Croxton, but that's as far as it goes.

And yes, Maggie H is deal cool. Some smug geezer from Brentford did her website :-) She will be supporting Bill at the Bristol gig btw (Tiger Moth).

Pete

[Heather]

You're responding to your own post because I was too disappointed to bother writing. I would enjoy seeing Dave Rovics, but I really want to see Robb Johnson. Yet one more Brit who can't be bothered with the middle of the country (sour grapes, not to be taken seriously).

This post has been edited by Heather: Feb 26 2005, 05:01 PM

[JeffAgain]

yeah, I agree w. Heather...Robb Johnson would be great to finally see live....yet those East Coast gigs are too far for me. Oh well..lol....

I recall I was such a big fan of Dick Gaughan... I waited for years before I got to see him...thought Id have to travel to Chicago at least...yet he ended up playing Dayton! That was a hoot!...he didn't tone down his political content one whit, either!

[Beryl the Peril]

Three of these four are confirmed this year - here's hoping we can get all 4.

Pete

is Robb confirmed for tolpuddle at last! ???

[Pete]

Yeah, I'm aware that the centre (and indeed other parts) of the USA have been missed out on the tour, but hopefully next time. It's taken about two years of pressure to get him across at all, but after the great gigs he's played and the marvellous people we've met, hopefully there will be a repeat at some point, though probably not this year.

The gigs have besically been where David Rovics (an organiser second to none btw, as well as a superb songwriter) has major contacts, but I'm sure any ideas for the future will be happily considered.

Yours in Seattle (I think)

Pete

[JeffAgain]

Interestingly enough I see from Rovics' schedule hes' playing Athens, Ohio, later in the spring!

Pete, I had no idea you where travelling in the 'States! I hope you enjoy your visit..it sounds like you are...

[Pete]

Maximum respect to David Rovics. The only geezer on the planet who could organise a tour like this, book the venues, make the contacts, drive the car, and write and perform brilliant songs too.

An unnerving experience: the 500-mile journey down Highway 5 from Eugene, OR to the AK Warehouse in Oakland, CA. Robb and David writing new songs simultaneously. The only disconcerting thing for the bloke in the back of the car (me) was that David was driving at the same time as writing down the new lyrics…

Fuckin’ top man – look out for the David’s upcoming tour with Atilla, which is coming soon, his appearance at the G8 protests in Edinburgh, and also a gig with Robb and Leon Rosselson at a venue in London to be arranged. This will happen, stand on me – I’ll keep you posted - and seriously needs to be flagged as UNMISSABLE.

Incidentally, if you think you’ve never seen David, you actually might have: he was the guy who supported Bill on his first performance at Tolpuddle, and features in the muddy video bootleg of the event.

If anyone fancies a more down-to-earth meet-up this coming Saturday, Robb (armed with about 8 new songs written on the tour) is playing The Cellar Upstairs in Euston/Somers Town, London.

Pete

[Pete]

And while I don’t want to turn this into my blog, I also got to meet the wonderful Jim Page in Seattle. If you don’t know his music, you should start now http://www.jimpage.net/

Also from Seattle (now officially the capital of radical USA for me ) is a guy originally from Arkansas, known as Desert Rat. I don’t think he is very well known outside the Seattle area, but he is totally on the radical folk scene there (plays banjo and writes lyrics to die for). I have the “Seattle coffee house” bootleg, from where he, Robb, and David just turned up and started playing one afternoon last week. The owner was great – “free concert? OK!”

Fucking brilliant. Check him out if you get the chance.

You should also check the Prince Myshkins http://www.princemyshkins.com/ whom I had also never heard of before, but are superb. That was Olympia, WA, I think…

Pete, far from bored with the USA

[Pete]

Whoops. Desert Rat is from Tucson, not Arkansas. Just in case anyone noticed.

[Pete]

This is the song David Rovics wrote whilst driving the car - and yes, he did, really.

Not fucking bad IMHO.

Btw Robb and I had David in hysterics at a truckstop when we ordered wine, as the only alternative was Coors or Budweiser. Or orange juice - hey, we're West Londoners... We were both brought massive plastic glasses of cheap and nasty Californian white at $1:50 a time. Ah, memories.

Cellar Upstairs, Euston, tomorrow.

Pete



When Johnny Came Marching Home

David Rovics

He got off the plane and looked at no one
He walked down the tarmac in the direction of nowhere
He followed the sun as it was setting
Glad to be done with all the bloodletting
There were no banners for the proud and the few
Just workers in airports that do what they do
Fuel up the planes, unload the bags
Along with the coffins all covered in flags
When Johnny came marching home

The town he was from was a dead little place
So he looked for a job somewhere off-base
In this city of pawn shops and hotels and bars
Gas stations, strip clubs, highways and cars
He went to a dive, ordered a beer
Said turn the music up loud so it's all that I hear
Try to rewind, turn back the years
Stop the explosions between my ears
When Johnny came marching home

The jobs were all shit and the beer it was cheap
And besides there was no other way he could sleep
Still the screams and the guns would wake him at night
And he was always on edge and ready to fight
And when he closed his eyes he would just see the face
Of a woman he killed in a far-away place
Over and over, the white of her eye
And her final and terrible terrified cry
When Johnny came marching home

After just a short time his health fell apart
With an ache in the joints and such a thump in the heart
And the doctor just told him it's all in his head
But he couldn't stop drinking or get out of bed
And with no place to go but the wrong way
It was a shock to his ears when he heard himself say
Over and over to anyone within range
Hey mister, can you spare some change
When Johnny came marching home

[Pam]

Hadn't noticed this thread before....

Jeff, I've talked to David and will be recording his gig in Athens. I can't make the Cincinnati show, but I think he will only have a short set there anyway.

I also gave him hell for not bringing Robb to the Midwest. He promises to try to get him here next time. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[Pam]

No Robb Johnson here, but there is an interview of David Rovics. The interviewer was not very skillful, but David has some interesting things to day about the war, the environment, and activism.

http://www.iconoclast-texas.com/News/11news01.htm

[matt w]

Just noticed from Attila's site HERE that him and Dave Rovics are to be touring together June time, a few dates out of the UK as well. The place their playing closest to here is apparently a restaurant! Rock and roll and chips and peas.

[Pete]

For anyone interested… Robb’s mini-album “Letter From America” is now available for free download from www.robbjohnson.co.uk. This comprises eight new songs written on the tour, and they provide an excellent document of it, from Maine to NYC via the West Coast. If you’re going to try one to test the water, I’d recommend “Almost the Homecoming Queen”, a beautiful song written about one of the air hostesses on the flight from Detroit to Seattle (!). The political songs are pretty shit-hot too…

David Rovics wrote a few new ones on tour also (whilst steering the car with his f*cking knees), but as far as I know they haven't been recorded yet.

Some of my recordings from the gigs on the tour will shortly be appearing on www.archive.org, which incidentally is a superb site containing all manner of stuff available for free download. Just type in the name of your favourite artist and off you go…

For people in the UK and Ireland: don’t forget that David Rovics is touring here in June, mostly with Attila the Stockbroker but with some solo gigs too, as Matt W mentions. Details at www.davidrovics.com and www.attilathestockbroker.com. There is also (hopefully) going to be a gig featuring David, Robb, and LEON ROSSELSON, but this is as yet unscheduled.

Pete

[Pam]

David's in Athens, OH tomorrow nght. I'm so there!

[Pete]

Have a great time Pam (you will of course), and let us know how it goes, please.

Pete

[Pam]

David did a great show last night. As always, lots of good music and politics -- what could be better. We spent a little time talking about upcoming actions as well as mutual acquaintances. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

I got an excellent recording, plugging my Powerbook into the soundboard. I'll probably get it online sometime in the next few weeks. (I can't get to it right away because I'm doing all the print media for the folk festival right now.)

The only bad part of last night's show was part of the crowd. It was a free show so a significant number in the crowd was gathered around the bar drinking, yelling, and generally ignoring the music. I'm glad I was able to hear the show through my earphones as I recorded! If you were sitting up front, the noise from the back wasn't too bad, though.

I have no idea where David gets the energy to keep the pace he keeps. Granted he had a little rest for this show, having been in Athens the previous day, too; but he thinks nothing of a 10 - 12 hour drive followed by a show and then back on the road the next day for another long drive to the next gig. And this is not just for a a few weeks -- it's most of the year. He just lives on the road, relying on the generosity of people to provide lodging. Absolutely amazing!

Really, really, really. If he's in your areas you have to see him. David is no poseur. He absolutely believes and lives the words in his music. Plus he's a hell of a nice guy.

[Pam]

This should probably be a new thread since it isn't an American Tour, but I doubted it would get a great deal of discussion so left it here.

David Rovics (who was just in Denmark) will be touring England again with Attila the Stockbroker, June 4 - 13. He'll return for Glastonbury June 23- 25. He's also going to the G8 protests in Glasgow, July 2 - 7. A few other dates, including one in Wales are also scheduled. Check out his website for more. http://davidrovics.com/

If you see him, tell him I have his Athens CD ready!

This post has been edited by Pam: Jun 1 2005, 01:03 PM