I got me some new Jordans. Reissue Air jordan 3′s to be precise, blue and white. Nike have released a new Air Jordan design every year since 1985. I used to have an original pair in white and grey but I ran them into the ground. I know I know, the collectors out there will be tutting furiously that someone would actually wear such a great work of art and yes they are great works of art.

Nike very astutely reissued the whole Jordan range, well not very astutely, as 3 years ago, Adidas did the same with Superstars (or shell toes as they are known) and they cleaned up. Nostalgia sells

I used to be completely hooked on Jordans. I’d scour the world looking for box fresh versions from collectors, spending ridiculous amounts of money in the process. The first six models (1- 6) are the sneaker equivalent of the first 6 Prince or Stevie albums. You know, everything about them is perfect. And jus like said artists, it all went downhill pretty quick after that. In the case of Jordans, it went all high tech and Tron like. Really Naff. Jordans 1 to 6 were all lovely and B-boy style. My fav are the 4′s but they’re all great in their own way.

Fallen off the wagon again with trainer obsession, although when i think about it, that train spotter need to hunt out the latest and rarest has been in me throughout all aspects, music in particular.
Perhaps the Jordan obsession comes from being in the US so much where, Jordan himself is still mentioned in hush deity tones, along with Pop tarts and the fact everyone used to have a Job.

Jordan famously appeared in the Jam video for MJ, taken from the partly animated film, Space Jam. An obvious attempt by MJ to tap the jock market, about the only market he failed in. In retrospect, the sight of possible the greatest performer of all time flouncing around with possible the greatest Basket player of all time looks a little desperate, like they were both cashing in on the others fame when really they were heroes in their own right and didn’t need to resort to such trivialities. Perhaps he should have done a duet with Springstein.

Theres something very satisfying about a box fresh pair of Sneaks though. I’m not advocating their actions but I can understand the disenfranchised yoof of Britain rioting over the only meaningful currency they know. Would have been nice to have thrown in a bit of Social revolution while they were pinching boxes of Reebok’s (Reebok’s??)

So a decent pair is like a good suit (also a pet obsession of mine), makes u feel 10 feet tall, the male equivalent of the little Black dress.

I love Superstars, Gazelles, Stan Smiths, Rod Lavers, Jabbers, Fleetwoods, Forest Hills, AirForce 1′s, Dunks,Pro Keds and I love Converse but the first 6 Jordan models hold a special place in my heart.

So for most of this year, it seems that I’ve been living in a fog of perpetual jetlag, flying backwards and forwards between the UK and US. My poor brain and body feels its living on a rock in the middle of the Atlantic. Actually that might not be such a bad idea, might get some sleep…

I’m writing this in Boston in the first hotel room of the day. I say first hotel cos we’re moving hotels at 2pm. Manager Rick (he that must be obeyed) decided to put us on the red eye which meant we got in at 6am, checked into one hotel only to move to our actual hotel later today. Least we got a good sleep in and its fine cos we all have massive suites with Grand Pianos and hot and cold running Caviar on tap. Yeah Right!

Tour has been brilliant so far although a ‘tour’ implies a period with a beginning and an end with bits in the middle, like a good story. It seems we started back at the beginning of the year and we’re still going and we will still keep going but you know, thats rock n roll baby. Its the story that just keeps giving. No sleep till Brooklyn, etc, etc.

Mr Scott is in fine voice. I don’t know how he does it day in and day out banging out those notes, lots of sleep and Haribo starmix from what i can see.

We’re playing these songs in our sleep now. After a while and having played non stop, you stop worrying about getting it right, it jus becomes second nature, almost like breathing and thats when its starts getting really good, starts becoming interplay between human beings as opposed to a bunch of musicians playing together. I suppose you could say its like a love affair but that sounds naff. I think its what they call a higher plane or a deeper state of consciousness, something all ‘spiritual’, rubbish word i know but lets face it, its the basis of life as we know it isn’t it? That euphoric feeling you get when you fall in love or eat ice cream? Well its a bit like that on stage right now, you don’t know where it comes from but it feels good. In fact we may just sit on stage and eat ice cream. You could come and join us.

So Boston tonight and then onto NYC for the last shows of this stint that’s seen us play Albany, Austin City Limits, San Diego, San Fran and LA.

Looking forward to tonight as we’re gonna try something new out. We’ve been playing stripped back acoustic versions of the songs since day one. Its great to strip it back to just the voice and the song and then you add in the harmonies and it sounds loverleeee. We wear many hats in g6 but I like it like that, I love the variation.
Tonight we’re going to allow Leonn and Joe to join in as well, doing stripped back versions of what they do normally. Should create a good halfway house between the 3 piece and the full band. Some people prefer the acoustic, some prefer the full band, some love everything. I’m happy either way, as long as your into what we’re doing, then fine by me.
Jus driving past Cape Cod. Is this some new masked crime fighting marine dweller….?
MrD xx

Essential tour equipment, XBox, IPod and trailmix

So here I was on the flight from Albany, NY to Austin, Texas. We jus played Larkfest and what a great gig it was. On our way to Austin where we’re playing at Austin City Limits.

Internal US flights are like getting a bus to the other side of town. None of this boring passport, customs rubbish. Up you go and down you come.
America is built on travel, its no biggie for them to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles, where us Brits, being a small island, moan if we have to go 200 yards up the road for a pint of milk.

To relieve my boredom, I ventured into the onboard magazine where, to my delight, I found that my need for retail therapy could be fulfilled with these wonders of the commercial world, all readily available in the inflight Sky mall catalogue.
Remember these are all genuine products that people have conceived, designed and manufactured. Some people really have too much time on their hands:

That’s right. It’s a helmet for hair loss and its hands free!!!
Now don’t get me wrong, I feel for those folic-ally constrained but surely a helmet is the last thing you need for hair loss? What about the chaffing? Can you imagine going round to a mates and having them open the door wearing that?
Anyway. why bother worrying about hair loss when you can impress the girls with one of these?

Who wouldn’t want a bloody great big statue of the Yeti in their garden? You could put it next to this

Yes its a screaming zombie man coming out of the ground. Just what you need for those Cheery sunny weekend barbecues with the kids.
And right next to that how about this to set off your spiritual calm

Its a wolf, with its cub in its mouth and its standing on a rock. The rock is, i think, for stabilisation otherwise said wolf may well fall over in high winds.
And while your enjoying your zen like state, what better then to lounge in your boudoir in these

They are sweat pant or ‘lounge pants’ cunningly disguised to look like ripped jeans. Yes, you too can relive the 80′s fashion in comfort.
Why Lounge, when you can sit and play chess, Thomas Crown style, at, or rather In, your very own table and chairs disguised as a bookcase.

I always wanted to sit IN a bookcase playing chess or scrabble with someone like Faye Dunaway.
And when we’ve finished and I need to pay the bill, then look, I’ve got one of these.

Yes it’s an electronic credit card holder and distributer, which also protects against demagnification. Ouch!! We all need one of these, regardless of the fact it makes you look like a parking warden. Just think right now, there are credit cards in all our pockets suffering from demagnification. Who would have thought!?!
But wait, what is that I hear? Is it the sound of an anxious dog?? What he needs is a Thundershirt!!

Actually it’s Spanx for dogs, a really tight T-shirt that cuddles them while they wear it.
Perhaps it’s all that horrible sitting on grass, something that dogs absolutely hate. And what do they hate more then sitting on the grass? Why getting wet in the rain of course.
Well now your dog can rest in comfort. Not jus one dog but as the picture shows a whole litter of pups can wait patiently on their bed cos pups never run around do they?

When you finish cuddling your dog you may feel the need to dive in for a cleansing swim but no, your denied. Why? Well your wearing your sunglasses and of course every self respecting sun worshipped knows that a swim with glasses is a recipe for disaster. Well now fret no more cos what you need are these!!

Sometimes I lie awake anxiously wondering what I would look like if I had a moustache. Well now no more!!

So there you have it. Suffice to say, I’ve bought all of this stuff and having it shipped to my Beverly Hills mansion.
Yes it’s all red carpets, champagne and limos in the world of G6.

We did fly through this lovely sea of Cotton wool though

<

How many times have you heard someone talk about the One?
He’s the One,
I’m waiting for the One,
I know she’s the One, I can feel it in my bones.
So how do we know that the One is the One? Is it because we feel it in our heart? is it because we feel it in our brain? Actually in our bones?

There are many times when I was convinced I’d met the One only to be disappointed when it all fell apart. Perhaps the One is a feeling you get at the beginning, the bells and whistles part of the attraction.

Perhaps it goes deeper then that.
I believe in the One, not jus as a person but as a rule of all.
The One is familiarity, it keeps you grounded. It keeps you safe. You can venture off but you need the One cos it always brings you back home, back to the place that always makes you feel secure, the One place you can go back too.
Always go back to the One.

William ‘Bootsy’ Collins made his name as the bass player with George Clinton as part of Parliament and Funkadelic (check em on You tube if you’ve never heard) he plays his own custom bass guitar that he calls the Star guitar with multiple outputs that can sound like anything you want it too.
I had the honour of working with him once and he taught me so many valuable lessons but that’s for another time.

Actually Bootsy started playing bass at the age of 17, in the band of James Brown, Mr Dynamite, the hardest working man in showbiz.
James introduced him to the concept of the One. You can do what you want as long as you always coming back to the One,
The One, coming back to your home, coming back to where you feel safe and secure.
Once you know it and hear it then there’s no going back.
Your connected.
Next time you listen to any music count the one and listen to whats going on around it.
You’ll feel goooooooood

I’m here….

Oi oi!
This is TommyD, aka Mr Buttons, aka Mr Jack, aka the other one, aka Big Bear, aka Papa D, aka turn the amp down it’s too bloody loud. No idea why I have so many names, maybe it’s because I have so many heads

This is the space where I’ll be posting stuff up. Some of it will be G6 based, stuff about recording and touring, some will be stuff that I think is Boom or entertaining, or not, insights into the world around me and some will be jus me ranting. As some of you know, I can rant!
The worlds a great big assorted fruit bowl, either your eating fresh or you get the mush at the bottom.
Listen and learn and it’s super fresh all day long

Amen to that.