first few days of big North America trip
I'm on a dodgy youth hostel computer in San Francisco running out of credit so let's see what I can do in fifteen minutes.
The big flight on Wednesday was quite fine; good telly with Flight of the Conchords (it was Air New Zealand) and Billy Connelly going about northern Canada and free beer kept happening. Merrick and Rich picked me up at LAX and then it was a short drive to their flat in El Segundo. We went to an interesting liquor store for American ale and then veggie food, then quiet night in.
Thursday I was surprised how mild the weather was and then started many curious American experiences. LA is frustrating as you have to drive everywhere, and nowhere decent seems to be less than thirty minutes away. I spotted number plates from different states (not many non Californias) and was surprised that you can drive a car up to six months before you get one. We went to the Getty Center, some large buildings on a hill containing a lot of pre-20th Century art with some interesting gardens. Then later we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Downtown (I learned than downtown doesn't mean the same thing as city centre), which was quite small but had some great stuff by the likes of Rothko, Pollock, Franz Kline and Rauschenberg. Then we missed out on an experimental night due to a planning error then got our later night out at goth/EBM night Perversion, in Hollywood. I was surprised, when on the smoking terrace, to discover that we were on the street with the stars. I saw mainly people I hadn't heard of, but also Stevie Wonder and Chevy Chase. Club was two rooms: EBM room not my thing, but small goth room played some decent stuff. Was quite overwhelmed to discover that all Californian gothics do that excessive performance art dancing, not just the show-offs. The beer was really expensive; more than most London places, and I was on Newkie Brown of all things!
(I am physically incapable of writing a short report, but I still have over eight minutes).
Friday we went for a two hour hike in the Malibu hills, which was lovely and we were lucky to have grey skies and cooler weather. Didn't see any animals except a squirrel and a rabbit, but the plant life was quite foreign and the views were impressive. This expedition took longer than expected so when we got back to El Segundo it was too late to go swimming on the beach. Instead we enjoyed a bit of a walk and messing about trying not to get feet wet, sunset viewing and spotting some curious water birds. Night out was the famous Das Bunker, in some part of town, maybe Downtown, not sure. This was quite good in that it had three rooms: the main was fake EBM in a cheesey big night club style room with awful pole dancing podiums, but downstairs was an old-school room in a bar and then a more industrial room (small, warm and just sofas) so between those two I got some dancing in. Difficult with all those arms flailing about and spinning around!
Saturday we went to the La Brea tarpits where they've dug up loads of mammoths and sabre-tooths; they have a very informative museum set in a small park with several pits still on view, and in some places tar seeps up through the lawns. Then we got some vegan dinner and then ice cream on Hollywood Boulevard, where we saw more stars (including Charlie Chaplin and Godzilla!) and silly people in film character costumes. At night Merrick had to go to work (she deals with TV programmes during the night) so Rich took me to Chinatown, where my friend Tony was DJing at the M/R/X night at Roberto's. This was the best club; one room of minimal electro and synthpunk, the other with death rock and post punk, and a large outside terrace. Good music and good American beer at reasonable prices. Bumped into Doug from Birth! who I met at Lisbon Drop Dead, as well as an Italian DJ who was on holiday like me. They had two electro bands on but sound was shit. Great night, but 2am finish too early.
Credit running out, more later.