Hello again,
Hope everyone is well. I just got back from the Tonight Show with Jay Leno
taping. It was GREAT!!! Here's how it went: (I'm not sure when they took
commercials near the end, so you may see this stuff or may not have)
The guests were Russell Crowe, the inventor of that new 2 wheeled scooter
device, and Sting. Russell had frantically arrived seconds before he was
supposed to go on stage, and I think he literally ran from the car to the
stage! Anyway, it came time for Sting's segment. The curtain rose...and
behold! I must say that the studios are MUCH smaller in real life than
they appear on TV; there really aren't any bad seats in the house. The
band sounded great, playing Set Them Free. There's a new bass player - I
wonder if he'll be at Vegas too. Kipper waived to me during the beginnng
of the song (you may be able to see this on TV, I'm not sure), and overall
everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The tech guys (Hopps, Ravi,
Jimmy, etc.) were all busy getting things set up right to the point they
went on stage. After the song is when things really got good. Sting
waltzed over to the interview area, and soon they were all playing on the
scooters. It seemed very impromptu, with Leno even quickly talking to the
producer saying "are you sure this is OK?" Sting picked it up quickly, and
even started doing some acrobatic moves on it...you could see the athletic
prowess! After that they returned to talking, but while all that commotion
was happening Sting did something I thought was very cool. Unseen from
camera, he walked over to the band and put his hands in a sort of prayer
and gave a little bow. Really cool.
We all saw a tech guy put Stings little tenor Spanish guitar behind the
sofa before the show, so we knew something was up. The rest was really a
blur. He pulled out the guitar and played a beautiful song I'd never heard
(but I'm sure some of you....Fred?..Jer?...have). The great part was that
for the audience it was all live, direct sound. I must say that I've never
heard Sting's voice UNamplified, and I have even more respect for him now.
Then, as only Sting can do, he finished and returned to his silly, boyish
character. When you watch the show, try to see this. It happens in a
flash, and is one of the things that make him so unique.
I'm saving the best for last...at the end, they were all playing on the
scooters again. The guests and Jay had to gather in front of the stage and
do a quick promo - "Hey everyone, watch blah blah tonight..." THEN, as Jay
and Russell were chasing around each other, Sting picked up his guitar and
started playing the James Bond theme!! Even in the right key...perfectly.
It just goes to prove how good his "ear" is and his overall musicanship.
Unfourtunately, I don't think this made it onto the air. So it was my
treat, I guess, for driving 2,000 miles. :)
See you in Vegas!
James
