set this dance alight

funny. how something that starts out as a joke - and everyone knows it's a joke...turns into something else. ever so slightly. even. not that i care, not really. 'nuf of that.
i was listening to saturday's alright for fighting by elton john in my car on the way home last night and was surprised at how much i was diggin' it. a few years ago, well, many years ago, i put together a band of misfits and we collectively formed a band called pepe deluxe. pepe deluxe was borne from the idea that most rock shows were boring, and they were and mostly still are. pepe deluxe was made up of members of snfu, doa, the roswells, the hard rock miners and me..we wanted to bring back the fun in music, to have something happen that you could go home and tell your friends that you saw this great band...a band that not only played well, rocked out and knew their shit but that brought fun back into it. our gag was that pepe deluxe - which was me - had written many of the world's most popular rock and roll songs, but due to contract problems and not being credited on songs he never got the credit he deserved and sadly none of the money. the people he wrote songs for became rich while he toiled away in mexico with his brothers. then one day he decided he wanted the world to hear the songs the way they were meant to be heard and he assembled his brothers, my band, and they went out on the road and played them. their songs. his songs. their way. along with the music margaritas were made on stage by our man dan devloo and dave fortune...a big wheel now in the world of rock and roll promotion in this town. the drinks were given out to members of the audience. we also shaved heads on stage to anyone who felt they needed it. one time when we played the medicine ball - a charity event put on by bob rock - i challenged bruce allen to come up and get his head shaved for charity...he declined.
i loved that band. we were good. maybe too good to be called a true fuck band. the songs were great too...lovin' touchin' squeezin', cheap is how i feel, call me, start all over, some bob seger, etc...and saturday night's alright for fightin'...that song is so great. i know it's classic rock but...listen to it. the lyrics alone kill it.

"A couple of the sounds that I really like
Are the sounds of a switchblade and a motorbike
I'm a juvenile product of the working class
Whose best friend floats in the bottom of a glass"

you should dial it up and really listen to it, the phrasing, the guitar sound, all of it. goodness.

ok. they're wrapping it up on set. the last day, the final shots, the end of production of this thing we've been sweating over since june or so. the corks will be flying soon and hands will be shook, kisses made and taken, and that'll be it. all over but the cryin'...and i'm sure there will be some of that too.
i wanna thank the kids at the office - jerry, nicole, natty, jenn, carmen and leona as they helped me along the most on this thing...there are too many others to name that helped as well...so thanks. my boys here, of course, were great!

g. xo