Bad Manners On Tour 2011

Let's see, where was I? Oh yeah - Operation "Heavy Manners," my undercover assigment to infiltrate this secretive and nefarious "Ska" operation is proceeding as planned. I've gained their trust but at what cost? The amount of drink, drugs and cleaning fluid one must imbibe to keep up with the Bad Manners crew is quite staggering. An abstainer would raise too may suspicions. As my spiritual guide Mighy Sparrow would say, "in for a penny, in for a pound."

Please burn the above and continue reading as we...

...struggle to get out of Manhattan and get up to Western MA to play a show in Foxboro. Somehow, despite plans and contingencies to the contrary, we find ourselves racing to make our show in Foxboro. My friend Mark Olier, who I haven't seen in over 10 years, is driving from Springfield. We're in constant contact with the production staff at the venue, and when we're 5 minutes away, someone tells us we'll be able to play if we can set up quickly. When we arrive, it's obvious another agenda is at work: the turnout is soft, and the promoter is looking for excuses to cut his losses. We are cut from the bill. It takes all of 30 minutes for us to line up a show in Boston proper, where we should have been booked in the first place. O'Brien's sticks us on a bill, and all the people that came to see us in Foxboro turn up. We sell the place out. Jolly good show!

Here's some video thanks to Grant Thayer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=incCAXsM5aQ

We hang out for a while at this guy Dave Tree's silkscreen shop, but an afterparty without single girls is too much like the Bad Manners RV. The people are all cool, but as the beer runs out, we run out of gas and head back to our hostess Jenny's place. She hips me to the coffee shop where I can get a soy latte and the cupcake store with vegan options. In the morning, I locate both. Showered and caffeinated, I somehow don't feel like punching someone in the face today...I love everybody, even Angry Frank!

The bathroom in the RV still doesn't work, but this information apparently hasn't "trickled down" to everyone yet.

Hey, go on over to the "tour dates" tab - I've updated the thing!