in which Ghosty escapes...

I wanted to post part 2 of the BonJovi/Bruce shows--- I had never seen Springsteen live, now, i am a fan for life. My brother Bill, he was always right...anyway, I have been slowly downloading his library.
“screen door slams...” his words sound like movie directions...

Red came out to one of the Bruce shows, she knew many of the crew as she used to tour- manage Clarence Clemons on his solo project. Before the show, she dragged me into his dressing room, introducing me as her “west coast wife”—well, that cracked everyone up. What a charmer CC was...and when Little Steven came through the door, it was amazing to see how much he was not Silvio in real life...he really brought that character alive for me in Sopranos.
I saw Steve Bing backstage and congratulated him on Beowulf; he just crackles with energy, possibly the most alive man on the planet,

We did the last Bonjovi show at the Staples Center. Sarah and I took the FOH cooler out and then went to find Jack Nicholson’s Lakers seats. We thought we were in the right spot until a building guy came over to us and said, “Nope, ladies, Jack only sits on the floor”...we ran off laughing.

When Jon B arrived, the Lakers girls were there waiting as his car dropped him off, and they did an elaborate routine to one of the B-jovi classics. Trust me when I say, every male in a five-mile radius had heard this was happening and gathered to watch. Those ladies are like walking magazine pages, ads for glowing health.

I was very inspired on those BonJovi dates by the wardrobe and design work of Miss Abby. She came with her very own treasure chest of glittery sparklers, and this is what she was working on. go Abby, go!


She also gave me a bead source here in LA that i plan on infiltrating with Malena, the other gem goddess. stay tuned...


this photo isn’t good of this drum kit, but this is the one i want—silver sparkles...





The night at Staples ended on a high note. I was parked in a different lot than the other crew, and when I went out at 2 am, my little Ghosty was trapped in behind a chained gate. I flagged down a tow truck and they blocked me while I drove down the city street sidewalk and exited off the wheelchair ramp. Ghosty escaped, thank my lucky stars...
i drove away with grateful love in my heart---after an 18 hour day...

So next adventure, after Elton John and Roger Waters, is Duran Duran...i am so ready for the tour bus and the best bonus? My co-editor Eric is also going to be stage manager on the tour. The Oilspot will have a second edition...

Packing for a tour is now so easy and second-nature, i almost don’t have to think about it.
the best thing? i am now sure, and i mean, convinced, that whatever I forget, i didn’t need anyway, or can find out there in the world...

more people in their Neverwear!

You know, I just don't get tired of seeing that cute little sleepy-eyed Neil on different people...
these just came in from the wonderful duo from Baltimore: Ego Likeness, Steven Archer and Donna Lynch:
(who i am going to see at the Knitting Factory in LA tomorrow night 4/17, appearing with Voltaire!)






go check out their website: http://www.egolikeness.com/
there you can also find:
Where's Neil When You Need Him? Released July, 2006 on Dancing Ferret Discs. This tribute CD to author Neil Gaiman and his creations features previously unreleased tracks by Ego Likeness, Voltaire, The Cruxshadows, Thou Shalt Not, Razed in Black, Rasputina, Tori Amos, and many more. Featuring artwork by Dave McKean and liner notes by Neil Gaiman.

BonJovi & Bruce, Jersey comes to LA....

Have been working non-stop the west coast shows of these two east coast mainstays...
Will have time to post photos when I come back up for air...or hope so...

the difference between the two crews is so real as to be tangible. My poor miss Abby was such a valiant princess, sick as she was, the show must go on, her throat was so swollen, it almost looked like a cartoon lump made by a cartoon hammer...I got to see her in action in her quickchange...she is a superhero. Thanks for everything, baby!

it is great to see so many old friends, and the shows are not to be believed.
Yesterday, Tom Morello of Rage against the Machine was noodling around with his guitar in catering for a bit and then he popped on stage with Bruce to guest on "Ghost of Tom Joad"---the crowd was stunned. A true moment.

In the BonJovi set the other night, they launched into "Hallelujah", an exquisite Leonard Cohen song, that Jeff Buckley covered to great success. However, while JBJ did a beautiful job with it, I watched as the crowd wilted in their seats, waiting for "Wanted" --which did end up being the encore. The audience, it seemed, was just not quite ready for a song like that. I was, though. I got chills... In the aftershow crowd, Dolly Parton parted the seas, what a legend she is. I wonder if she got on stage with him, i missed it if she did...

Anyway, I jump back in to Ghosty, my trusty little car from Miles & Malena, to drive to Anaheim, yet again, for the last of the Bruce shows...tomorrow is the last of the BonJovi dates up here, and then next week, Kanye West, Elton John (OOO!) and a week of Roger Waters rehearsals...this i look forward to with all my heart.
oh! and Drew will be in town with Mary J. Blige...and JayZ (big pimpin’!)
more soon from the back lounge....i miss my tour bus!
ps Here is a wish for best travels to our miss Red, she embarks on her Megadeth tour today, take good care of Mr. Mustaine, Ace, he is a national treasure...***

snow, antiques & popcorn....

have been home about a week, from one weather extreme to another:

from:


to:


although there is no snow on the ground, Batman still insists on being under the covers here at home...it’s been a little chilly, which is the way i like it...



now Quiche’s little bengal kitty, miss MIM, she likes danger:



things are very different where Quiche lives, they give you free popcorn in the grocery store (is this heaven?):



she took me to the best antique store (yes, she scored this telephone, which must become a prop for our next movie, cause i can see the movie poster now, very Hitchcock...)



problem is, while it works, it doesn’t give a ring, which i am sure is fixable, any thoughts?

we found poison:



a parking meter:



and can you make out the round green & cream Viking ship tray in the middle distance? yes, i brought that home in my suitcase...don’t remind me that it got a wee bit dented, I must ask Odin for his forgiveness...



the ladies that work there have a Pavlovian response when miss Quiche FabLo walks in the door. they start planning to enjoy big expensive dinners & pay off credit card debt...
because she comes in swift & sure, “Why, that will be perfect in the romance room, how much, you say? hmmmm, i’ll take it!” and my head will pop up from the antique coin section or the silkscreen glass section and say “Quiche! what are you buying now!!!”
she’ll just giggle and everyone is happy.

and this? i found this beauty for Drew...
and for six bucks, a complete score.
not a dent to be had...



if things don’t work out here for me in LA, this could look like home to me:



thanks Quiche, again, for everything!

do puppets dream of plasticine sheep?

I am reporting today from the greater Portland area---from the film set of Coraline, Neil’s newest book come to life on film. This beautifully odd story about "other mothers" and secret doors is being made by Henry Selick @ Laika. Henry, who created the amazing Nightmare before Christmas, Tim Burton’s vision, had a cocktail party for Neil where we met his family and many of the Laikans who have been working so hard for so long on the film. To make about one minute of finished film, can take up a week of time, maybe more, all told. (this is approx, mind you)



Here is a photo of our resident DJ Harry, Henry’s son, who was responsible for the beautifully diverse & surprising music at the party. I met Heather, Henry’s wife, who was a fascinating woman, a gracious hostess and very devoted to her man. The house was studded with art and props from the films that Henry has created, i am so in awe of his vision and talents. The first thing I saw when i walked in was an original Mark Ryden painting, *sigh.




Yesterday we went on a studio tour of construction and sets (there are over forty active sets!)
We were on hot sets that I did not photograph, sensitive properties that are not yet to be released to the public. What I can say, this movie is going to be ageless, transcend the years, the set of the "other house" and the glittering sky there is one thing i will always remember....A dream sequence waiting to be dreamt.




This is where Maddy made quite a splash as the on-air correspondent at the behind-the-scenes DVD extras etc

Maddy interviewed Henry & her Dad and the wardrobe lady, Deb and the head of puppets, George---
she was a natural, had no hesitation in going after the question, making sure she was looking at the right camera, everything went so smoothly. Here she is having her hair & make up done...









This is Shelley, Henry’s amazing assistant, & girl Friday and superwoman, Look at her tights. Astounding. She & her man Kevin came out to see me on the Tool tour, so it was her turn to show me her town, her gig & her way around the magic. Ask Lorraine, she will testify. (And our FabLo’s standard bar is set so very high.)

Shelley fed us breakfast & she fed us well.

However, during the filming i heard a rumbling that i thought was an errant cell phone...it turned out to be head of marketing’s stomach growling. It was so cute, she and i shared a moment of levity on the completely quiet & serious set.

Right now i am sitting next to Boss while he does a signing for the crew of Coraline, an internationally mixed bunch. They have been working so hard on the film, and it gives them a chance to meet the mind from which such a story sprung. Neil, as always, was very generous with his time, for a sincere thank you to the crew.







We walked in the sprinkly rain from the hotel to a sushi bar, w/Merrilee, Neil’s literary super-agent who came in from NYC to see the progress. A nourishing meal of fresh fish & rice, and good conversation.



This is Maddy about to eat the chocolate pig that Laika left for her in the hotel room.




Speaking of hotel,----- yesterday I rode up in the elevator 9 floors chatting away with the ever-lovin’ SHaQ! SHaquille O’Neal...in town to play w/Phoenix against Portland...
He asked me if i was from Portland, i said, no i am from where you once where....hmmmph. man, he really is tall. More photos tomorrow, i can’t download the ones i just took of the signing line, until we return to hotel. Tonight we see lots of old friends, and i am looking forward to hanging out with Nancye & William on my last night in Portland...
then off to the frozen lands. I will get my winter fix & my Quiche & MiM & Princess & Misty fixes.
xo

oscars & wallet chains

ok, in this town, oscar fever is no kidding around.
especially after the three month writer's strike...
hollywood needed some flash & some infusion of cash that parties & prep will bring.



i know the oscars were last week, but i have been a little bit behind & now playing catch-up. been working some of the Eagles rehearsals at the Forum--witchy woman!

two days before the oscars, Drew took me down to the site for a look at the set-up.
the sky was stormy, but sun was giving a strange light. We took the roof off of Ghosty and drove over to the hollywood & highland complex.



After a wonderful lunch of sushi & shabu shabu...




we did the oscar exhibit, where they have everything a movie fanatic like me could desire. some of the Hitchcock storyboards from "the birds".


a tv news crew was filming while Drew did his acceptance speech. this year he didn't knock over the podium, he was ready for the short leash they had the (very heavy) award on.


and so. diablo cody won an oscar, good for her. it confirmed my belief that really you can accomplish magic if you put your mind to it. i wasn't such a huge juno fan, the dialogue felt a very self-conscious to me, a hipper-than-thou scene. i thought the stand-out performance was jennifer garner. so very still in the role. go little elektra.
anyway...we looked out over the red carpet, and watched the lighting techs & riggers get things ready for the event.




oh, and look at the wallet chain Drew made for himself...



true confession, when he first told me he made jewelry, i secretly steeled myself...what if i didn't like what he made? but no, i love his chain mail work, it is beautifully crafted.

going to make a webpage for him to sell his work, he has some gorgeous designs. for christmas we got together on a pair of earrings for his sister Heather, i want to make more jewelry with him...!



Malena wants him to do a chain mail line for her collection (malenacollection.com)
here she is wearing some of the jewelry we did for her line...

new orleans to LA in 3 days....

we did it.
from mardi gras to superbowl to home.
here are some photos...
i flew into New Orleans on thursday,
on the plane with me? hulk hogan.
just so happened he was to be king of bacchus.
my airplane was nuts, they were all taking photos of the old wrestler.
who knew how popular he was? didn't realize....

Red picked me up at the airport
and we went into town.
weather conditions cancelled the first parade of the weekend,
so we went across teh street from our hotel to meet
our friend judd in town wtih kevin costner,
who was representing the endemyion (sp?) crew.

beads were being thrown from balconies.


we went to the dungeon, where Red got proposed to.



next day we got up and had a little gumbo in the quarter before pushing off.


this one is for the psychic mlle. Malena:



we headed off on the I-10 west and stopped off to see Miss Abby, home on a break from bon jovi tour.
she took us to the LSU campus to introduce us to Mike, the tiger, who was snoozing in the sun. he stole my heart:



we had perfect sandwiches here on the recommendation of Scotty:



we mostly followed the bad weather, here was the fallen sign of our cheap hotel in texas:



then we stopped in the caves of sonora, for a little tour. peacocks greeted us in the parking lot, fearless birds.



the caves were warm, humid and dark. our guide was very imformed, and i had never really been that far into a cave before.
he said that the show caves were very controversial because of man altering nature. i understand that argument, but i was very grateful to have been able to visit a site like that.
look:





this was called the horseshoe lake--my favorite spot in the cave:




the hotels were different than on tour, our shampoo came in soy sauce packets:



it was a good and easy trip for the most part, we stopped and photographed things all along the way.
we saw a serious accident in phoenix, right as the superbowl was starting, hope they are ok.
the sunsets were beautiful and we only ran into some rain in california...





the skyline coming into hollywood, home sweet home: welcome to LA, Red.