Australian singer-songwriter Marcus Blacke is currently on his first tour of the United States. He’s checking in with us from the road to share some of his adventures on the American road. Read on for the latest update, plus a featured song from his new self-titled album.
It’s Monday here and little did I realize how much is involved in actually arriving at a show in NYC.
Maybe it just seemed longer since our driver endlessly told us how we are going to be the next super star group. But eventually we found the front of the Rockwood Music Hall.
The ride made me remember something: “never believe anybody’s bullshit, but more importantly never believe your own.â€
It’s about 10:30pm when we arrive with a mountain of gear and nowhere to put it. Ryan our booking agent gave us a hand in arranging it.
The show, which was out first American gig, was cool. Jared got on the grand piano, which was a nice touch to the songs that people seemed to be digging.
After the show we met a guy called Aiden. He is a great bass player from NYC who has been to Byron Bay, Australia a few times. It was great to meet him.
At the end of the evening, Jared learns that American beer is 9 %, and his IPA has the room was spinning. But our first show is competed so we are stoked and exhausted from the NYC vibes.
We are staying in Jersey City until the 24th so we head out to see Central Park via train. I manage to take my amp that I “borrowed†for the Rockwood gig back to guitar center.
As much as NYC is a cool place, I can’t wait to hang somewhere a lot more chill.
In Brooklyn we meet up for some friends at a dive bar and have buy one get one free drinks. After being surrounded by cheap tequila and beer, we find dinner at some restaurant.
On that note I bid farewell to the evening and get ready for the next string of events.
We arrive in Washington. We are staying on the outskirts of Dale City. The house we are staying at is not only chill, but filled with cats. I love cats. They are totally not phased by anything. They remind me of Bukowski’s piece on Cats, a poem which helped me write Black Tea.
The mockingbird had been following the cat
all summer
mocking mocking mocking
teasing and cocksure;
the cat crawled under rockers on porches
tail flashing
and said something angry to the mockingbird
which I didn’t understand.yesterday the cat walked calmly up the driveway
with the mockingbird alive in its mouth,
wings fanned, beautiful wings fanned and flopping,
feathers parted like a woman’s legs,
and the bird was no longer mocking,
it was asking, it was praying
but the cat
striding down through centuries
would not listen.I saw it crawl under a yellow car
with the bird
to bargain it to another place.summer was over.
Charles Bukowski
Washington was a nice place. Beautiful city! I checked out some of the local landmarks they were super nice so green.
I wrote this today.
when you get up in the morning
sit in your hot tub filled with prozac
smoking a few cigarettes;
That’s romance.
None of us, any idea,
the movements
the subtlety
the silhouettes coercing you
into lap dances
folding over provocatively
bags of lollies
on the screen.
into nothingness.
Marcus Blacke
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.