Rasputina UK Tour Diary 2nd entry
October 20, 2013 The trip to Leeds was by far much better, we got to see the beautiful country side. It felt familiar, almost like crossing Wyoming. The rolling green hills and flat lands reminded me of the Midwest. We have a van that looks like it has been through some major wear and tear. The middle seat requires extra cushioning to prevent the piece of metal poking through the upholstery from stabbing you. Our bandmate Neil has a funny tradition when he is on a tour. He brings a banana and then photographs it in different places. He has a blog where he posts pictures of the banana. I will try to find it and post it. Apparently it has caught on with some other bands imitating his banana traveling adventures. Thank goodness this time it is an inflatable banana and not a real one. Gross! Sleep has been alright. Sometimes I wish I was a better sleeper. I am full of thoughts about the show and going over all of the corrections I want to make for the next show. I need to stop being so anxious. What is wrong with me? It's England, I should be really happy! I am happy, but I also feel like there is a job to do in the end. Breakfast was different. The traditional breakfast seemed the most safe thing to buy but it had beans? Beans for me are such a funny food. I eat them with rice usually but here in England it is a staple morning food. Also, the brown sauce is interesting. Almost like an A1 sauce but you can spread it on every kind of food. Condiments are a fantastic thing. Costumes for this tour feels tricky. I am not sure what to wear. I feel like everyone has such great fashion sense here. For every show I try to get a feeling for the venue, the town, and that determines what I am going to wear for the night. Manchester was not a corset town. I wore my pioneer trousers with suspenders and my Anna Sui leggings. I made my hair up with feathers and my classic blue makeup look. I am getting very tired of the blue even though it is my signature. With more time I can paint my face better. Melora seems so flawless. She knows her makeup so well and has over time become more natural looking for her shows. The makeup is still exciting with the combinations of colors she is able to combine. I find her to be the mother of pastel goth, with her light hues and Victorian stylings. I cannot wait to meet up with our makeup specialist Lulu who has graciously agreed to help with makeup and teach me how to make the Maori tattoos. My tattoos for the evening were some glittered sun bursts around my eyes and a classic black corset. My hair was again put up in the front with some feathers in it. I left the blue and got comfortable with a dark green. I need to get some more eyeshadow options. Sugar pill cosmetics are a favorite of mine. They are the only eye shadows that show up well on my face. The show went very well for the audience. I was hoping I could get my pedals to sound better, but it went very well non the less. I hope someday to lift the curse that I have with pedals. It is a pain I have endured my entire career. On to Bristol.