On the Road: Kid Canaveral Take Manhattan

Woo! York

It's the morning after our last of three shows in New York City. We're all a little tender. More on that later. Security has been passed through with the usual swabbing of our keyboard flight case to check it's not a portable meth lab and we're sitting Newark Airport's finest diner.

We got into New York on Friday and collapsed into our hotel in Chinatown before heading out to see the venue we were playing in on the Monday, Cake Shop. We met up with some of our American firends who were in from out of town to see us, and had a number of ill-advised jet-lag beers. It was pretty trippy. Scott woke up
fully clothed next to me. Glamorous doesn't cover it.

We played at Bruar falls in Brooklyn on Saturday night, so named due to the owner being rather enamoured with a certain water feature in Perthshire. It's a great wee venue and we were joined by the heavily jet-lagged Rachel Sermanni, who's also en route to Texas. It didn't affect her performance adversely, however and she
belted out some lovely tunes to the rapturous response of the audience. Our set was a delight to play. The crowd were really into it, especially a particular woman who seemed to have had nought but "mood enhancers" for dinner who decided to repeatedly state what sexual trauma she was going to put Kate and
Rose through. Together.

We tried to squeeze in some sight-seeing during the day, but having to get spare parts and do all the other things associated with touring meant that we didn't really get to see as much as we liked. But that's not why we're here, I guess. I didn't even get to ask anyone if they could tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street.

Fontana's was a bit quieter than the Bruar Falls show, but the crowd were really up for it. It was on the Lower East Side of Manhattan on the cusp of Chinatown. It was the world's hottest venue. We were preceded by a classic metal band who were sans their usual drummer and had replaced him with a 7 piece wind and string orchestra. Not much mental action tonight. Collapse into unconciousness.

Also, I have some beef: New York cab drivers. Kate and I waited an hour by the road with a guitar amp trying to get a cab to Brooklyn to return it. I know what your thinking. They didn't want to take the amp. No. They couldn't be arsed going to Brooklyn. Despite the fact you could see it from where we were standing and the bloody bridge that takes you there was a block away. Honestly, I would've got in a Cab driven by Travis Bickle by the end of it. Meanwhile the other two were swanning about uptown, singing Billy Joel no doubt. It did mean that when Kate and I finally got to Brooklyn we got have a wander round the Prospect Park area and have a drink in a bar with no name that was playing some Belle and Sebastian bootlegs.

After getting shot of the Worlds Heaviest Amp, we headed to Cake Shop for our final Noo Yoik gig. Tonight on the bill was Withered Hand and Rachel, again so it was somewhat of an invasion. We were perhaps a little too intoxicated for this one, but the audience were dancing by the end. That's a good sign, right? It was good to catch up with a very relieved Dan (Willson, Withered hand) after only making it to the States at the last minute due to some well-publicised Visa issues. Kenny (King Creosote) came round after his show at the Rockwood Music Hall and joined us onstage for a run-through of 'Homeboy' to ease us into our backing band duties at SxSW. I do believe he may have drank more than us. It worked though.

We discovered that the owner of Cake Shop's wife was Invernesian and he had modelled his place on Nice n Sleazy in Glasgow. He enjoyed our set so much he insisted on pouring and indulging in many a shot of Jim Beam, Tequila and bottle of Sierra Nevada with us. Kenny, Dan and the four of us ended up totally blootered and eating a gigantic pizza. Had to turn Kenny in the direction of his hotel. So that is why, sitting here in a New Jersey airport we all have a stinking
hangover after a paltry 3 hours sleep. I can't wait to drive to Austin from Houston.

New York was bloody marvellous.

If you don't see any more blogs it's because I've not mastered the left hand drive car and we're all in a Texan ditch.

David x