by Gregory 'Bassie' Jackson
Back in Aspen… and happy to be here… truly… it was quite a journey… these past few weeks… been through every sort of weather pattern you could imagine… don't think we aren't tough… cause we travel in a huge tour bus… ummmmmmh… sometimes it's many many hours… so many hours… that you get tired of laying in your bunk… of sitting down… of standing up… it takes some imagination… and concentration to make the time go… and stay focused… yeah… no joke y'all… we are a bunch of soldiers up in here… smile… big up to Spear… and the band… yeah…
Jackson, Wyoming… we went through some wicked storms… the road from Bozeman… closed… snow… blizzard… standing outside a post of park rangers… had to take a ten hour de-tour… and as we made our way… what do we see… but a car… sliding outta control right at us… if it wasn't for quick work on Tom's behalf… well… I won't go into that… we got through it with a bit of a dent on our sweet silver bullet… but she's fine…
We drove all day… into the twilight… and arrived in time to set up… and jump start the show… but as usual… the Spear vibes… just lit us up… and by the end of the show… we kept dancing… out in the audience… till well into the night… dancing… and having a great time with the folk in Jackson… a funny moment was when we arrived to the club… and realized there was no dressing room… Spear was laughing had us rolling too… we just said… ok… and went to the stage… set up… and waited for the rest of the men… and got the ball rolling…
The next day… misty morning… ice and snow… flurries… easing outta town on the silver bullet… Micah plays some Tom Waits on the system… as most of the men sleep… its still dark out… early hours… I can still hear the lyrics… "I got money to spend on my baby… yeah…"
The road to Calgary… what a trip… from the coolness… the cold and mists… suddenly a burst of huge sky… sunshine… and warmth… yeah… amazing…
Calgary was a sweet gig… the hotel across from the venue… always sweet… and what a treat… they knew how to sweet us up… want to know… curious… ok… simply hire a yardie to fire up the skillet in the kitchen and have some fish… and rice and peas… and maybe some chicken too… for the men… after soundcheck… you should have seen the happy faces… Tedo served us up nice… fixing heaping portions… leaving himself last… oh Tedo… take care of yourself too bro… smile
From Calgary to Eureka… and more weather patterns… amazing… we drove through Rogers Pass in Canada… its along the border… from Calgary going to the coast… Seattle way… yeah… beautiful land… mountains… snow peaks… and cool crisp weather…
Mr. Rodney riding co-pilot with Tom… and us… between the lounge and our bunks… mostly in our bunks… but those moments in the lounge… viewing pleasures… sweetness… rivers… tall trees… and hills… mountains… life…!!!
Rode into Eureka… seems the weather couldn't make up her mind… we got in under sun… but the mist rolled in… I recall it was a sweet gig… nice system… John Brown's Body joined us too… nice youth… opened up…
Seattle… cool vibes… let me tell you… big Bro'… James Smith… happy man… why you ask? seeing him with his beret to the side… locks dripping down his shoulders… and with a cup of coffee… Seattle coffee mind you… well… its a picture of bliss… smile… chuckle…
Some of us got the internet bug… check sylvan… real natty… yeah… first time on the net… now he walks up into soundcheck with printouts of e-mails… and Cecil… can't stop him… he's clicking away next to me hear… can't forget Prof… he's got a new G3… and is glued to that baby… likewise James… we got some internet brothers up in here… Tedo… when are you going to get on board man… even Gene got e-mail… Gene who is on riddim guits…
Seattle… wicked show… hot though… so hot we were all covered in sweat… me… down to my boots… yeah… but I love it that way… means there is some vibes up in there…
Portland… nice show… again the weather was a mixed bag… some of us where coming up with a bit of a cough… noticed more tea being consumed… and a bottle of this and that in the lounge area… Virgo is sipping some Mexican roots drink… Spear does the roots drink too… good stuff… even seen Tedo smiling with some Guiness mixed up with this and that… but maybe that is for something else… smile… I took a sip…
Ashland… Portland… and Sacramento… back into the heat… yeah… and a sweet show… should have seen Cecil… driving them wild on the left side of the stage… Mikey on drums says he can't watch him too tough… says it throws his riddim off… we laugh about it… but Cecil got some moves… original… I'll leave it at that… chuckle…
Eukiah… now that was sweet… nice cafe place set up for the Spear movement… intimate… Tedo fired up the skillet and set us up for dinner… nice to sit down as a band… and enjoy some food… and some cool drinks… and later… to play some pool… and have a few laughs…
Chico… what a show… I mean… it was ramming… the sound system was something Virgo dreamed about… power… power… power… the ground was shaking by the time we closed that one… and the weather… sweet like honey… ever watch Virgo dance as he mixes? what vibes…
Greetings Mrs. Rodney… San Francisco… almost a homecoming… Mrs. Rodney and many other friends…!!! Backstage… nice vibes too… Muta and Pato Banton… others… nice flow…
Onward to Santa Barbara… nice weather too… lots of our peers… its always special to be on a bill with our peers… man like Bunny Wailer… last day of the warmth though…
We hit the road… and drive through the desert… yunno… like in the movies… cactus and all that… nice laughter and vibes on the bus… we enjoyed a Spear show recorded in Germany… 1981… Mrs. Rodney rode with us… and shared little tid bits… about that time… we all enjoyed that… yunno… sometimes you have to remember where you came from… its true… she reminded us… that Spear has built this business through hard hard work… and experience… I respect him so much… he teaches us a lot… if we are willing to keep our minds open… the man… the music… the vibes… nothing comes easy… being on the road… is simply an example of that…
Durango… cold… and rain… ummmmh… more colds springing up… the soldiers holding things together… nearing the last leg of the tour… we want to end hard… and with heavy vibes… got some pep talk from the boss… its important… yeah… being with y'all… the people is pep too… meeting on the street… in shops… and other places… is very uplifting… and regarding this humble journal… I give my respect to everyone who has encouraged me… thanks… thank you everyone…
signing out… going to get some tea… and work on this cold a bit more… its 3:20… sound check in a few hours… lovely sweet Aspen… yeah…
stay tuned for more…
guidance and protection as you make your movements…
jahloveeternal…
Bassie… Gregory
