G'day Everyone,
How's your form?
I am writing this letter from what is supposed to be sunny Los Angeles but is, in fact, bloody freezing.
Ok first some housekeeping. Over the next few weeks we are going to be adding performances from live shows and little bits and pieces for the last year, so make sure you keep coming back and checking out the sites for new downloads and to leave flattering messages!
I primarily want to say hi and to thank everyone for their support for my album and all of the shows that we have done in the last year and a bit. It really, honestly, has been an overwhelming response and I am happy to say that I really enjoyed it. I want to make special mention of my band Andrew Morris, Bedge, Matt and Duano. They helped to make the year fantastically fun and exciting. Check out Moz's new album Valleys, which was recorded at my place. Matt has one coming in the next few months.
It was, in retrospect, a pretty strange 'year off' from Powderfinger duties. I do feel like I learned a lot about writing and performing, and hopefully I can inject some of that into the band when we get back into action this year.
Secondly, I especially want to thank anyone who donated their time, money and/or effort to the Youngcare cause. That support, has also been astonishing, but when so many people are so willing to contribute, it demonstrates that it is a cause whose time has come.
I am staying here in Hollywood until March to record a new album with my 'real' band Powderfinger (www.myspace.com/powderfinger or www.powderfinger.com). We are working with an American producer called Rob Schnapf who has previously worked with Beck and Elliott Smith amongst others. I must confess that Los Angeles has in the past, not been my favourite place in the world, but so far we have been having a ball……sampling many of the local beverages and failing to hide our disappointment at the 2am closing time. We have found a beergarden on Sunset Boulevard, which is our own little piece of Queensland in America.
Also, there is a large Hispanic population here, so it gives me a chance to practise my, admittedly poor, Spanish. Pity poor Alma, who cleaned my room here for the last two weeks. She has been subjected to some very poor Spanglish by me, spoken in a thick Madrid/Brisbane accent! However she has filled me in on a couple of Mexican insults that I might test out next time we are back out on the road. Be warned!
I can strongly recommend any of the Central American soap operas that are jam packed with the usual amorous dramas, murderous plots, deceitful entrepreneurs and generally shady characters, but are somehow more appealing when one can only understand about half of what is happening.
We started recording last week and everything is coming along nicely. We are really looking forward to getting out on the road this year and playing these new tunes.
Ok champs, until next time……………lots of love ……..Adios …………….
Bernard xx