Yesterday I decided to do some private investigation, I invited myself over to mr. Bodin's house on the countryside for a cup of coffe and some chatting. Tomas also played me the "mastered" version of his soon to be released "You are". I can only say, congratulations what an album you've done together with Krappemike, Kimpa and Mackan, even I play a super tiny, small, little part in it, doing some background vocals and some "wailing" and Tomas actually asked me to sing the TFK phrase "There is more to this world" in one of the songs and I'm a well mannered boy, so I did what he told me to do. By the way, the result of my work as a detective turned out a success, now I've got what I need to complete this blogg, with some behind the scenes stuff directly from the source, mr. Don Tomasso himself.
Every hotel is just another hotel, you don't remember any of them. That's just as true as the priest will say amen in the church, except for some, that really stands out. The ones you remember have to have specific qualities such as: "small and cozy", "fresh", "disqusting" or "grandiose and luxurious". One of the worst hotel's I've stayed at was located in Straalsund, former Eastern Germany. The room was like a "classroom" where all 5 of us slept, "super stiff" beds, no paintings on the wall, no flowers, no curtains, no nothing. I think I was the only one to dare take a shower in the morning. What that room looked like, was way beyond what you even can imagine in one of you worst nightmares. The room was freezing cold itself and the water was'nt any better, it was hardly any lights in there and the smell was terrible, but at least you woke up properly. As the iceing of the cake, I can also inform you that the breakfast was a joke. All this is quite remarkable, since almost every hotel I've stayed at in Germany, has been "top class". Another "interresting" hotel, was a one in London. Me and Mike (former TFK bass player now with Eggs and dogs) shared the room. I've never seen a smaller double room. When you opened the door, it was 2 beds with 7-8 centimeters between them, no place to put the guitars or the suitcases. The bathroom was so small, they squeezed in the shower behind the toilet, so to get there you had to climb over toilet, poor cleaning lady! No wonder she skipped our room. After the gig when we got back to the hotel to get some sleep. On my way into the bed I could see, even though I can't proove it, clear evidence of a couple making love in my bed, if you know what i mean. In a situation like this, what do you do? It's in the middle of the night, no reception, you're dead tired and you're pretty drunk. Yes you're right, after some praying you jump into bed, sleep like a baby and hopefully wake up with a smile.
For some reason a small hotel in Luleå (Sweden), has been stucked in my mind since 1990 (I was on the road with Highway Stars). It was an elder pair, who managed to get 4 double rooms out of the top floor of their house. My guess, is that they were retired with grown up kids and used their former rooms as a hotel. In the morning you had breakfast in their kitchen, while she was baking fresh bread to us and she even served us a homemade raspberry marmelade. Another hotel I actually learned to love (I guess I must have stayed there about 10- 12 times between 93 and 95 with Solid Blue) was Hotell Kneippen in Norrköping (Sweden). The hotel looks like Fawlty Towers and the manager of the hotel back then, even looked like a blond and not so stressed version of Basil. It had a sauna, so if we were ready in time we always had a pre-show sauna and a couple of beers. Actually a great way to get a loose feeling before the show.
I've actually managed to catch some 5 star hotel's as well. One of them beeing the one above the theatre in central Quebec, even though we played there twice, I can't come up with the name? The room me and Marcus (TFK drummer at that time) stayed at, had a very expensive look and design with a jacuzzi in the middle of the room integrated in the floor. If you needed to take a leak in the middle of the night, it could end up with you swimming as well! Tribeca hotel on Manhattan was'nt bad either, but the killer one has to be:
Grand Melia Hotel, Caraccas. The reception was as big as a soccer field and looked extremely luxurious. The doubleroom me and Roine stayed at, had a livingroom, one bedroom each, with a bathroom of our own with jacucci of course and details of gold. Outside each bedroom, we even had like a little extra room for reading, working, contemplating or whatever. Even though I know that probably 80% of the population in Venezuela are poor and we were not allowed to walk at certain streets becauze of the terrible crime scene they have, probably as a result of the amount of poor people. If I can manage not to think of that, close my eyes and focus on our visit there alone. I can only say, it's a beautiful country and I loved everything about our stay there. The gig was great and well organized with a full house at a nice theatre. The record store at the shopping mall where we signed autograph's, was packed and the people recognized you as soon as you stepped out of the van. I guess I must have signed a couple of hundred CD:s that day. And now to the result of my private investigation. Tomas had to change his US dollars to escudos. He went down to the reception, he was there alone with this young boy behind the desk. He gave him the money and asked him if he could change it to their currency. He looked at Tomas and off he went. after some 30-40 meters he stopped at the elevator and waved at Tomas. Tomas thought, he was gonna show him the way to a bank or something. Both of them went in to the elevator and went 2 floors down. When they opened the door, it was dirty laundry everywhere and the young boy started to undo the buttons on his costume and his shirt. Tomas paniced and took the elevator straight back to his floor again. Is'nt it always interresting with "language difficulties"?
Every hotel is just another hotel, you don't remember any of them. That's just as true as the priest will say amen in the church, except for some, that really stands out. The ones you remember have to have specific qualities such as: "small and cozy", "fresh", "disqusting" or "grandiose and luxurious". One of the worst hotel's I've stayed at was located in Straalsund, former Eastern Germany. The room was like a "classroom" where all 5 of us slept, "super stiff" beds, no paintings on the wall, no flowers, no curtains, no nothing. I think I was the only one to dare take a shower in the morning. What that room looked like, was way beyond what you even can imagine in one of you worst nightmares. The room was freezing cold itself and the water was'nt any better, it was hardly any lights in there and the smell was terrible, but at least you woke up properly. As the iceing of the cake, I can also inform you that the breakfast was a joke. All this is quite remarkable, since almost every hotel I've stayed at in Germany, has been "top class". Another "interresting" hotel, was a one in London. Me and Mike (former TFK bass player now with Eggs and dogs) shared the room. I've never seen a smaller double room. When you opened the door, it was 2 beds with 7-8 centimeters between them, no place to put the guitars or the suitcases. The bathroom was so small, they squeezed in the shower behind the toilet, so to get there you had to climb over toilet, poor cleaning lady! No wonder she skipped our room. After the gig when we got back to the hotel to get some sleep. On my way into the bed I could see, even though I can't proove it, clear evidence of a couple making love in my bed, if you know what i mean. In a situation like this, what do you do? It's in the middle of the night, no reception, you're dead tired and you're pretty drunk. Yes you're right, after some praying you jump into bed, sleep like a baby and hopefully wake up with a smile.
For some reason a small hotel in Luleå (Sweden), has been stucked in my mind since 1990 (I was on the road with Highway Stars). It was an elder pair, who managed to get 4 double rooms out of the top floor of their house. My guess, is that they were retired with grown up kids and used their former rooms as a hotel. In the morning you had breakfast in their kitchen, while she was baking fresh bread to us and she even served us a homemade raspberry marmelade. Another hotel I actually learned to love (I guess I must have stayed there about 10- 12 times between 93 and 95 with Solid Blue) was Hotell Kneippen in Norrköping (Sweden). The hotel looks like Fawlty Towers and the manager of the hotel back then, even looked like a blond and not so stressed version of Basil. It had a sauna, so if we were ready in time we always had a pre-show sauna and a couple of beers. Actually a great way to get a loose feeling before the show.
I've actually managed to catch some 5 star hotel's as well. One of them beeing the one above the theatre in central Quebec, even though we played there twice, I can't come up with the name? The room me and Marcus (TFK drummer at that time) stayed at, had a very expensive look and design with a jacuzzi in the middle of the room integrated in the floor. If you needed to take a leak in the middle of the night, it could end up with you swimming as well! Tribeca hotel on Manhattan was'nt bad either, but the killer one has to be:
Grand Melia Hotel, Caraccas. The reception was as big as a soccer field and looked extremely luxurious. The doubleroom me and Roine stayed at, had a livingroom, one bedroom each, with a bathroom of our own with jacucci of course and details of gold. Outside each bedroom, we even had like a little extra room for reading, working, contemplating or whatever. Even though I know that probably 80% of the population in Venezuela are poor and we were not allowed to walk at certain streets becauze of the terrible crime scene they have, probably as a result of the amount of poor people. If I can manage not to think of that, close my eyes and focus on our visit there alone. I can only say, it's a beautiful country and I loved everything about our stay there. The gig was great and well organized with a full house at a nice theatre. The record store at the shopping mall where we signed autograph's, was packed and the people recognized you as soon as you stepped out of the van. I guess I must have signed a couple of hundred CD:s that day. And now to the result of my private investigation. Tomas had to change his US dollars to escudos. He went down to the reception, he was there alone with this young boy behind the desk. He gave him the money and asked him if he could change it to their currency. He looked at Tomas and off he went. after some 30-40 meters he stopped at the elevator and waved at Tomas. Tomas thought, he was gonna show him the way to a bank or something. Both of them went in to the elevator and went 2 floors down. When they opened the door, it was dirty laundry everywhere and the young boy started to undo the buttons on his costume and his shirt. Tomas paniced and took the elevator straight back to his floor again. Is'nt it always interresting with "language difficulties"?