Download Festival with Dr. Dot and her Dot Bots and a bit of Belfast

So I was invited by Slipknot to come to the Download festival in Derby England to set up backstage and massage them and they even let me bring two Dot Bots with me, Tyler and Lucy. We arrived one night early and stayed at a hotel near by. Lucy had her niece with her the first night, Mya and it was fun being Aunt Dotty all night, bringing her out to eat and spoiling her. She is a tough little girl, reminds me of myself when I was her age in many ways, not just the way she looks.

Michelle, or “Tyler” as she likes to call herself and Matt, a VIP tour manager we know and love.

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Slipknot LOVES the Dr. Dot massage team, they get massages from us at pretty much every stop of their tours, we love them too. WILD music I tell ya!

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Even Catering was rockin’ out ^ All the bands that played the 3 day festival signed this poster – who the fuck knows who ended up getting it. Lucky bastard.

Continue reading “Download Festival with Dr. Dot and her Dot Bots and a bit of Belfast”

Staind in Berlin on Super Bowl Sunday 2009

The Staind show was moved to Huxleys Neue Welt as they sold so many tix they were too big for the Columbia fritz club. 

Aaron does NOT mind people filming their shows. He showed me loads of videos of his band on youtube and said I could film what he calls the "last song" as in, he comes out for the encore alone, with an acoustic guitar and sings without a microphone or amp, nothing, just singing. Takes a while to get the rowdy crowd to be quiet so they can hear him sing.. The song he is singing in this video is called "Intro" 

 

STAIND "INTRO"

 "thank you to the people in my life
for putting up with me
and thank you for the time you sacrificed
all on account of me

[chorus]

for all the times i didn't say
the times i didn't say
for all the times i didn't say
the times i didn't say

fuck you to the jaded and the fake
like to see what you would do
fuck you and the judgements you make
we're not all perfect just like you,
like you, like you

[chorus]

all the times i didn't say [x2]
thank you to the people in my life for putting up with me"

 

Aaron stood in the EXTREME cold weather for at least 45 minutes signing autographs for dedicated fans. I got fed up after ten minutes and waited on the bus, I can't stand that cold whipping post weather..brrrrrrrrrrrr Key West, I miss you so!

Once he got on the bus, the whole band, apart from the bassist and the crew all went to the Hard Rock Cafe to watch the Super Bowl.

 

Mike ^ the guitarist, me and drummer Jon and Fran, band video/photographer holding the Pittsburgh Steelers "terrible towel" lol

Mike HATED that towel as he was routin' for Arizona. Jon, Fran and a few others were for Pittsburgh. I didn't give a toss as I hate American Football. Too much padding and stop and go. I prefer Soccer and then Basketball. I don't get why they call it "Football"when they are allowed to use their hands. It's just plain padded Rugby. Padding is for pussies (and bras)

 We were the loudest fucking group in the place. There was NO doubt in the German's minds we were all yanks. (one roadie was from the UK).

 

 For-mentioned ^ roadie, Aaron and production manager/sound man/stage manager, erm, think his name is Scott? Matt? I am bad with names! I communicate mostly with the tour manager who stayed behind with the bassist. BAD WITH NAMES I am. sigh.

That's pretty much all I have in me to write. Hurricane Staind came to town for two days and I am BEAT. It was well worth the fatigue though πŸ™‚

Eagles of Death Metal meet Staind in Berlin

Saturday night (last night) was pretty entertaining. Met up with Aaron Lewis , singer of Staind who is by FAR the Dot Bots favorite client. He gets a massage pretty much every single day of every tour he does and he LOVES our massage team (the feeling is mutual). He is super generous, funny as hell and a good challenge (he expects EXTREME deep tissue, like no other!). Anyways, Aaron had his two hour massage then we went over to the Franz Club where the Eagles of Death Metal were playing.

I have not been to the Franz Club for years, so when we (Aaron and I) got out of the taxi, I asked the very first people I could "which way exactly is the Franz club?" – but I said it in German as it IS Berlin. The guy, looked at me like I was nuts and I said it again in English- and added we are looking for the backstage door to the Eagles of Death Metal. He said "WE ARE the Eagles of Death Metal" ha ha. I didn't recognize the singer, Jesse Hughs, as his hair is longer now..There was a video camera rolling the whole time, but I wasn't sure why- there was a massive soccer game tonight so I just assumed it was the local news, but it was a tv crew following the singer and drummer of the Eagles of Death Metal around outside for some reason, lol. So, I say "I am Dr. Dot and this is Aaron" and he said "I know who you are" and then he shook hands with Aaron and gave me a hug. I was perplexed as I had never met him before and he could not see my Dr. Dot shirt under the umteen sweaters I had on – eh? Guess he knows the Dr. Dot massage team and assumed I was just one of the Dot Bots lol. ANYHOW we all went backstage and had a BLAST.

Jesse Hughes , singer of The Eagles of Death Metal ^

Jesse, Aaron and Eagles of Death Metal drummer, Joey Castillo ^ who also plays with Queens of the Stone Age

Guitarist of Eagles of Death Metal, Dave Catching ^ was super cool to talk to. He played me some OLD Roxy Music on his iPod and I have to admit, I will be looking it up online and buying it. Sounded great. It was before the Talking Heads had formed and you can tell the Talking Heads must have been heavily influenced by early Roxy Music (the Brian Eno connection going on too)

This was taken months ago ^ just thought I would toss it on here again

 

We came so early to the Eagles of Death Metal show and Aaron and I both couldn't be bothered to see the opening act, so we booked it to White Trash for some yummy grub and ARROGANT service. The hostess there pretty much SCREAMED at us to get out of the big booth and move to the tiny table Wolfgang the owner reserved for us. JEEEZE. Even Aaron could not believe how fucking bitchy they are there. White Trash is fun and the food is great but they are FAMOUS for snotty fucking service. Not kidding. Their french fries are called "Fuck you fries". lol

Took these pics of Aarons new tatt's while awaiting our grub.

 

Aaron had his hands tattooed not so long ago ^ looks mad cool. 

He told me who certain songs of his are about, he said no one knows except him and his band. Felt privileged to know that inside info. I swore to secrecy, so I will just have to leave it in my will. lol

 Ate and ran out of there to make it back in time to the Eagles of Death Metal gig. They still had a half hour before show time, so we had some laughs. Some cute groupies slinked back stage, oooh la la:

Electrical Tape bra. She must be a Wendy-O fan ^

 

Their tour manager, Louie and I go WAY back. I have known him since 1989. He used to tour for YEARS with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Great to see him again. "Rock and Roll never forgets"

Two minutes before show time. Jesse is pumped up and ready!

Drummer Joey waiting til the very last minute to put sticky tape on his drums sticks so they don't slide out of hands. 

 

"The band's on stage and it's one of those nights, oh yeah
The drummer thinks that he is dynamite, oh yeah
You lovely ladies in your leather and lace
A thousand lips I would love to taste
I've got one heart and it hurts like hell
If you can't rock me somebody will
If you can't rock me somebody will"

Rolling Stones

 

 The Franz Club was beyond sold out. This was a special record company gig, super hard to get in if you didn't have a hook up. The band sounded fantastic. VERY energetic. Their intro song (before band comes out) was "Ladies Night" super funk!

Well, gotta get to bed, the Staind show is tomorrow at the Columbia Halle, gotta rest up.

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