Richard Stuverud writes about the tour
The Tribe After Tribe tour of 2006 was a quick one, however the measure of time while on tour becomes a bit surreal and in fact it makes you feel as if you live out side of time ... for the most part, most of the time.
Let's back track into the desert where the rehearsals took place. Under a blazing sun by day and under a billion stars by night. It was amazing to work up the set in such an intense environment. The magic of being in Joshua Tree inspired all of us musically as well as providing a great place to hang out and watch the moonrise. Tt really felt like we were a family which made the tour experience that much more enjoyable. But sometimes on the road to joy there are wrong turns and bumps along the way. Overlooking the expiration on my passport, was that very wrong turn! Miraculously, with the help of my soulmate and a few friends, I was able to get a new passport within 2 days to meet up with the band on the day of the first show in Berlin! That first Weizen beer with Robbi just hours before show time was an incredible toast, with a little embarassment on my part for the oversite and the jubilation with a little luck to make it to the gig on time was an unbelievable feeling. We rocked that night needless to say.
Day 2 ... 5 a.m., the faint sound of Dr. John can be heard in the front lounge of the tour bus that we were sharing with Norwegian rock sensation WE. I could tell from this moment on that WE were in good hands with WE! These guys were the nicest vikings you could ever meet. So hospitable, so into music, love and family and of course a good smoke. They empowered the exotic .. and rocked very well!
Hamburg even under gray morning skies was a refreshing sight. Reeperbahn and beyond, Hamburg was great. Dinners with WE and Thorsten from Rodeostar management was good fun. To have Mexican food served by East Indians in Northen Germany in the company of Norwegians was to say nothing in the least, pretty damned exciting!! Could any American band with a South African singer / guitarist ask for anything more? The good. The bad. And the globalization. It is incredible how connected we all are ... namaste...
On to Frankfurt, with our good friend Andre Wilms at the helm of a happy smile carrying not one, but two djembes. it was such a welcomed sight. Thomas our pecussionist and desert shaman was more than delighted. The drums that night took on a whole new form. Amrita's pre-show chant evolving into a state of bliss was mind blowing as we provided a brief hand drum intro to the show. Robbi was also on fire this night as so many nights. I could tell he found a little heaven on earth performing with this band and being on stage with his love.
Vienna is like a kiss to a tormented soul. Very much appreciated, because there is nothing quite like having a cup of coffee contemplating life at St. Stevens cathedral on a sunny day. There is also nothing quite like opening for former UFO Michael Schenker and his ... group. Despite the lack of enthusiasm from this particualr audience during our set, backstage Michael was appreciative and suprized when I told him my friend Mike McCredy of Pearl Jam is a huge Michael Schenker fan. He actually smiled. That night was also really cool for us because we were blessed by a blind hungarian drummer who happened to be a huge Tribe fan. We invited him on stage ... made him smile ... made us smile ... it made the night. Music heals. And it really is the answer to all the ills of the world.
Innsbruck was beautiful. The alps. The fresh air ... and the shots of the meister with WE! A short tour, long on love, with some sweat and tears in between. It was great to meet new friends and to travel with friends. I think that is the essence of the Tribe experience, for everyone to feel that they are a part of the performance. As a drummer i've personally never felt the way I feel when I am playing with Robbi and the revolving tribal mates. It's really beyond words. It sounds a bit emotional, but that's just it, it really is about emotion at the end of the day. The best part about Tribe After Tribe is the after and what comes before ... and what comes after again ... the circle of life! Hope to see more of Germany and the Balkan states next year.
Peace after love
Richard
P.S. I was secretely rooting for Germany in the World Cup .. yes it's true!
