Sounded to good to be true at first, but turned out to be ear candy galore. Clapton and Beck touring together. Ahhhh. Like butter. I was asked to go to Madison Square Gardens for both shows to give complimentary massages since I am the boss; to heal a few band members and it was insanely cool, as usual. Being in Jeff Becks presence is always FUN and I talked to Eric in the hallway a minute about “the fussball match” we had in Berlin years ago. He remember and laughed (well I got the first four goals, then he wiped the floor with me, I never got another goal in three straight games). He was looking as handsome as ever. Like a fine wine he just gets better.
One thing about MSG is it’s like fort knox- takes FOREVER to get in, even if you are on the list and WORKING there. But I guess they have to be that way, since 9/11 and all.
Also, stars are not as personable when they are backstage at MSG. Everyone acts like a machine there, like they are on stage, even when they are backstage, but then again, it IS Madison Square Gardens. I prefer when they play smaller venues; then they relax more, let their hair down and really have fun and let loose. It seems they are surrounded by press at MSG and have to keep their “star suit” on you know?
I was there for the Jeff Beck camp so I didn’t see much of the Clapton show at all but I HEARD it all. I am partial to Beck, I feel he stole the show, but that’s just me.
I don’t have the Clapton set list, sorry. This pic below is from the time Eric whooped my ass at fussball (table soccer). He is a wizard at that game. Hardly anyone has ever scored against me let alone won, but Mr. Slow-hand WILL win against anyone, it seems. He is the best at it. Seriously. Not sure about this tour, but last time he had a fussball table on tour with him, a really professional one, had a leveler and all.
Enter Rhonda Smith, Becks new choice for BASS. Let me just say she is MILES better and cooler, kinder, funnier, funkier and more talented then his last bassist. I don’t wanna hear how “young and cute” his last bassist is. She isn’t that young; she is 26, she is just SHORT which makes all of the horny fucks in the audience think she is “so young” and cute. Age and appearance don’t matter when it comes to playing bass and Rhonda, in my opinion, is AMAZING. Nice choice Jeff!! Rhonda toured with Prince for YEARS. Check her out:
One of the highlights for me those two nights was seeing and talking to Mr. Roger Waters again. He stood near me while watching the last few songs of Jeff Becks set at the 2nd show. Seems no one else recognized him but me when he came out to watch. We talked after the show and I asked him if he remembered the massage I gave him in Berlin and he said “how could I forget that?”. Gave him my new laminated flyer. SWOON!! I was massaging the drummer in one of the backstage lounge rooms and Roger walked in and joked “Oh I see you’ve no time for my massage Dot. Cheeky git” and we all just had a giggle. Told him it would just be five more minutes but Roger left. Ugh. I wish there were two of me.
Dance Recording: "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows," Justin Timberlake, Nate (Danja) Hills, Timbaland & Justin Timberlake, producers; Jimmy Douglass & Timbaland, mixers.
Electronic/Dance Album: "We Are the Night," The Chemical Brothers.
Bluegrass Album: "The Bluegrass Diaries," Jim Lauderdale.
Traditional Blues Album: "Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas," Henry James Townsend, Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins, Robert Lockwood Jr. & David "Honeyboy" Edwards.
Contemporary Blues Album: "The Road to Escondido," JJ Cale & Eric Clapton.
New Age Album: "Crestone," Paul Winter Consort.
Contemporary Jazz Album: "River: The Joni Letters," Herbie Hancock. Jazz Vocal Album: "Avant Gershwin," Patti Austin.
Jazz Instrumental Solo: "Anagram," Michael Brecker, soloist.
Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group: "Pilgrimage," Michael Brecker.
Large Jazz Ensemble Album: "A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)," Terence Blanchard.
Latin Jazz Album: "Funk Tango," Paquito D'Rivera Quintet.
Latin Pop Album: "El Tren De Los Momentos," Alejandro Sanz.
Latin Rock or Alternative Album: "No Hay Espacio," Black:Guayaba.
Latin Urban Album: "Residente O Visitante," Calle 13.
Tropical Latin Album: "La Llave De Mi Corazon," Juan Luis Guerra.
Tejano Album: "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," Little Joe & La Familia.
Norteno Album: "Detalles Y Emociones," Los Tigres Del Norte.
Banda Album: "Te Va A Gustar," El Chapo. Traditional Folk Album: "Dirt Farmer," Levon Helm.
Contemporary Folk/Americana Album: "Washington Square Serenade," Steve Earle.
Native American Music Album: "Totemic Flute Chants," Johnny Whitehorse.
Hawaiian Music Album: "Treasures of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar," Various Artists, Daniel Ho, George Kahumoku Jr., Paul Konwiser & Wayne Wong, producers.
Zydeco or Cajun Music Album: "Live! Worldwide," Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience. Reggae: "Mind Control," Stephen Marley.
Traditional World Music Album: "African Spirit," Soweto Gospel Choir. Contemporary World Music Album: "Djin Djin," Angelique Kidjo.
Polka Album: "Come Share the Wine," Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra.
Gospel Performance: "Blessed & Highly Favored," The Clark Sisters; "Never Gonna Break My Faith," Aretha Franklin & Mary J. Blige (Featuring The Harlem Boys Choir).
(Tie.) Gospel Song: "Blessed & Highly Favored," Karen Clark-Sheard, songwriter (The Clark Sisters).
Rock or Rap Gospel Album: "Before the Daylight's Shot," Ashley Cleveland.
Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album: "A Deeper Level," Israel and New Breed.
Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album: "Salt of the Earth," Ricky Skaggs & The Whites.
Traditional Gospel Album: "Live — One Last Time," The Clark Sisters.
Contemporary R&B Gospel Album: "Free to Worship," Fred Hammond.
Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: Love (The Beatles) George Martin & Giles Martin, producers (Apple Records/Capitol Records).
Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: "Ratatouille," Michael Giacchino, composer. Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: "Love You I Do (From Dreamgirls)," Siedah Garrett & Henry Krieger, songwriters (Jennifer Hudson).
Musical Show Album: "Spring Awakening," Duncan Sheik, producer; Duncan Sheik, composer; Steven Sater, lyricist (Original Broadway Cast With Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele & Others).
Musical Album for Children: "A Green and Red Christmas," The Muppets.
Spoken Word: "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream," Barack Obama.
Spoken Word Album for Children: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," Jim Dale.
Comedy Album: "The Distant Future," Flight of the Conchords.
Instrumental Composition: "Cerulean Skies," Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider Orchestra). Instrumental Arrangement: "In a Silent Way," Vince Mendoza, arranger (Joe Zawinul).
Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die," John Clayton, arranger (Queen Latifah).
Engineered Album, Non-Classical: "Beauty & Crime," Tchad Blake, Cameron Craig, Emery Dobyns & Jimmy Hogarth, engineers (Suzanne Vega).
Surround Sound: "Love," Paul Hicks, surround mix engineer; Tim Young, surround mastering engineer; George Martin & Giles Martin, surround producers (The Beatles).
Classical Album: "Tower: Made in America," Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Tim Handley, producer; Tim Handley, engineer/mixer (Nashville Symphony).
Orchestral Performance: "Tower: Made in America," Leonard Slatkin, conductor (Nashville Symphony). Producer of the Year, Classical: Judith Sherman.
Engineered Album, Classical: "Grechaninov: Passion Week," John Newton, engineer (Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Bach Choir & Kansas City Chorale).
Opera Recording: "Humperdinck: Hansel & Gretel," Sir Charles Mackerras, conductor; Rebecca Evans, Jane Henschel & Jennifer Larmore; Brian Couzens, producer (Sarah Coppen, Diana Montague & Sarah Tynan; New London Children's Choir; Philharmonia Orchestra).
Choral Performance: "Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem," Simon Rattle, conductor; Simon Halsey, chorus master (Thomas Quasthoff & Dorothea Roschmann; Rundfunkchor Berlin; Berliner Philharmoniker).
Chamber Music Performance: "Strange Imaginary Animals," Eighth Blackbird.
Small Ensemble Performance: "Stravinsky: Apollo, Concerto in D; Prokofiev: 20 Visions Fugitives," Yuri Bashmet, conductor; Moscow Soloists. Classical Vocal Performance: "Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs," Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (James Levine; Boston Symphony Orchestra).
Classical Contemporary Composition: "Made in America," Joan Tower (Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Nashville Symphony Orchestra).
Classical Crossover Album: "A Love Supreme: The Legacy of John Coltrane," Turtle Island Quartet.
Short Form Music Video: "God's Gonna Cut You Down," Johnny Cash.
Long Form Music Video: "The Confessions Tour," Madonna.
Recording Package: "Cassadaga," Zachary Nipper, art director (Bright Eyes). Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: "What It Is!: Funky Soul and Rare Grooves (1967-1977)," Masaki Koike, art director.
Album Notes: "John Work, III: Recording Black Culture," Bruce Nemerov, album notes writer.
Historical Album: "The Live Wire — Woody Guthrie in Performance 1949," Nora Guthrie & Jorge Arevalo Mateus, compilation producers; Jamie Howarth, Steve Rosenthal, Warren Russell-Smith & Dr. Kevin Short, mastering engineers (Woody Guthrie).
