Sunday, 12th December 2004

10.31

The Last Day.

Room Quite Acceptable, Hotel Mostly Acceptable, Santiago, Chile.

This, my third room of our recent stay, is now Quite Acceptable. It is at the back of the hotel, on the other side to the major building works, and where the all The Team and The Three Gs should have been put on arrival. Currently, the other two Gs remain on the front side, overlooking the construction. But since they are both Gringos, and no-one would expect an Englishman to complain, why not stick them all over the noise?

The first room was unacceptable, the second fucking unacceptable. And the front desk lied about the hours of construction work – it'll end soon! Sunday is a late beginning! Pooey pooey to that – construction ended last night at 22.00 & began this morning at 08.30. Pooey pooey! again.

View Much Better I…

View Much Better II…

My challenge, on this occasion, was not in accepting & dealing with the levels of disruptive noise, a pointed stick in itself, but in stirring from my customary lassitude & repeatedly addressing the problem until it was resolved.

Today's performance is the final G3 performance & a finish to my life as a touring player: I am hoping to turn it from a finish to an ending. It is not possible, from my own limited personal resources, to conjure a completion: a completion requires a certain something else.

Farewell O Gigster!…

17.35 The final lobby-call for a soundcheck & not even possible to climb into The Happy Gigster's Van without pestering. Formulated en route to the venue…

Three Reasons To Stop Touring:

1. Regular, if infrequent, hotel rooms over or adjoining construction areas.
2. Fans waiting in the hotel lobby: the worst of these are clueless former Guitar Craft characters.
3. The driver/runner putting on the van/car Noise Pollution Unit and, when asked to turn it off, selects another station & then turns it up (a recent feature of several drives to venues).

18.20 National Auditorium, Santiago.

Venue +G1…

The Final Soundcheck…

Mr .Drummer + Friend…

Mr. Drummer + Friend + G1

His Last Bow: Part One…

His Last Bow +G1…

His Last Bow: Part Two…

Final Running Order…

01.36 Room Quite Acceptable.

The Farewell Tour ended at 23.50 on the evening of Sunday 12th. December 2004.

And, on this last show, equipment problems. Somewhere along the way, the Lunar Module's right-channel limiter got knocked, boosting the input level to clipping & frizzing during Soundscapes. Then, on Joe's set & for the G3 Jam, the guitar side of the module kept dropping out. Does it matter? Well, probably for the Soundscapes, but I'll have to check John's recording. This drew my attention partly away from the music. But, I incline to the view that stuff happens & the player deals with it.

The audience were remarkably generous & patient. Steve & Joe's sets were both superb, among the hottest of the tour. Alejandro Silva joined the G3 jam on Going Down. He is a superb player & I felt honoured to be on the same stage.

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