After our last tour together in 2013 and what turned out to be the last tour of his career, I told Joe I would archive the update emails I had sent from the road and post them.
He said, "That's a good idea, Nick."

About halfway into what turned out to be thirteen years in his band as keyboardist and then music director, I started writing regularly—first to family and a small group of friends to digest the experiences that constant travel can sometimes wash into a blur. Over the years the list expanded to almost a thousand people. The first twenty posts here are the original update emails in chronological order.

I post these to honor Joe and all who worked with him. There are more stories to write. I will continue to gather them and post from time to time and to invite others to contribute.

Come visit frequently, hang out if you want and get to know my experience of this great artist and true gentleman, Joe Cocker.

In Respect, Gratitude and Love,
Nick

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Fire It Up Tour 2

Greetings from Zurich today, after an amazing string of cities since the last update, including Amsterdam, London, Paris, Prague, Salzburg and Vienna.

Life on the Road can have an overall calming effect. It may take a few days or even weeks, once a routine of no-routine is established and the old home-bound ones fall away.  Hotel beds that change almost nightly, or in the case of the crew, sometimes no bed at all.  Each place has a best place for coffee, a regional wine, a meal of unique pride. In Germany it can be a sausage or a beer, in Austria it's the schnitzel.  Regions in France are as defined by their cuisines as are differing countries. The no-routine of being available to these nuances can be a calm center to appreciation, the finite x and y of relishing the infinite.  

Norbert's shots from the Hamburg show...


Norbert #2...


It's always great when the days off decide to cooperate. This is London!


Soundcheck, Hammersmith Apollo, London. Joe's microphone.


James from Lighting and Charlie from Catering keeping things running smoothly...


Mel from Production, Our Guardian Angel...


Jason, guitar and backline tech in his office...


Stuart from Lighting waiting for it to break again...


The routines that emerge— living out of a suitcase, a bunk on the bus, a wardrobe case at the gig— are the daily rituals around personal items and activities.  Simple pleasures in returning to a book or a blog, brushing teeth or brushing up on Bach after soundcheck become little sanctuaries of private time, as the schedule is now coordinated and running like a clock. Each of us, band and crew has a job to do and no one is an island in the whole of things. And the whole if it is Live and Real Time, epitomized in the darkening of the house lights and the opening music rising out of the cheers of the waiting audience. No one gets to do it over. Each moment is here and past in a downbeat. It is the way Life always is, but perhaps a little more in evidence on the Road, at least for those of us who find the calm in the storm. 

Stuart's sanctuary, once the tour work is done for the day...


Stuart painting #2...


View from my hotel room. Checked in at 3am. Checked out at 3pm...


Thanks to all who responded on the last update. Give me your news as you see fit. Please reply without the original attachments, if possible. Thanks.

I know we are inundated with information these days. If you'd rather not receive these emails, please reply to that effect and you'll be taken off the list pronto. 

Wishing you strength of body, clarity of mind and an open heart.
Keep rockin'...
Nick

Nick Milo
Music Director, Mad Dog Touring
www.Cocker.com
www.Milomon.com


(Photos by Norbert Fimpel and myself)
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