Now that I've had a chance to carefully read Don's excellent Q&A, I have some specific comments to make:
Originally Posted by
Don Henley
Touring has always been mentally and physically draining, regardless of how it's done. That's just the nature of the beast. No matter how glamourous and exciting it may look from the outside, it's hard, gruelling work and it takes its toll. Still, it beats the hell out of a 9 to 5 gig. All of us in this band, even in our worst, weariest moments, are deeply grateful for what we have. We've been extremely fortunate - but we've also found that the harder we work, the luckier we get.
The daily schedule is a bit different for each of us. The goal, on the road, is to sleep in for as long as possible because we work primarily at night and we need our energy to peak then. However, no matter how late we went to sleep, most of us are up well before noon because of our other job - parenting. Also, there is a lot of band business that must be addressed in the daytime. I start my day with a good, strong cup of coffee and then go to my laptop where there are dozens of e-mails waiting. I initially check in with my own office and then I check in the with the Eagles' management office in LA. On a typical day, I will exchange 30 or 40 e-mails and phone calls with our manager, plus more e-mails to family, friends, my charities, etc. If we are on the road, I go to the hotel gym in the early afternoon and spend about two hours there doing aerobics, weights, stretching, etc. The band usually leaves the hotel at mid-afternoon to go to the venue. Soundcheck normally begins at 4 p.m. Dinner for band and crew begins at 5 p.m.
We all have our own, personal rituals that we do in our dressing rooms before every show. Timothy and Joe do voice exercises. I ride my stationary bike for half an hour and do a little more stretching. Glenn often takes a nap or watches a sporting event on TV to relax. He's very knowledgeable about sports; he's an avid golfer. Most shows begin at 8:15 p.m. because we like to wait until all the audience members have found their seats.
I love hear about the personal rituals of the band! And who knew that Don spent so much time at the computer? I love that he admits that, no matter how grueling the touring is, it still is better than a 9-to-5! It shows he's still grounded.
Originally Posted by
Don Henley
We're getting along just fine, thank you. But even when we're not getting along, even when there is turmoil within the band or the organization, we don't take it onstage with us. Our job is to give the fans the best performance that we are capable of, so we make every effort to leave our personal problems behind - at least for the three hours that we are performing. That's an important aspect of being a professional - not bringing your problems to work with you. The fans expect and deserve our best - every night. Our problems should never be their problems.
Well said!
Originally Posted by
Don Henley
The Internet - the digital revolution - has changed everything and soon there will probably be no more CDs - no physical product to hold in your hands. But music - the good, the bad and the ugly - will continue, although it appears that, in the near future, no one will get paid for writing and recording it. The only way a professional musician will be able to make a living will be in live performance - and that's certainly going to weed out a lot of the fakers. The teeny-bop acts and the talent-less rock bands will continue to come and go. They'll get their 15 minutes in the limelight, but eventually the public decides what is real and meaningful and what isn't. You can't fake it for very long.
There was an article recently about music from iTunes, and how little acts like the Eagles were getting royalty-wise from it. The quote:
"Irving Azoff, the manager of numerous high-profile acts including
the Eagles, says that a few years ago he presented the band with a financial analysis showing that their royalties to date from iTunes sales were far lower than anyone expected.
Guitarist Glenn Frey did some back-of-the-envelope math of his own. 'His comment was that it amounted to 39 minutes on stage in Kansas City,' Mr. Azoff recalls with a chuckle."
Originally Posted by
Don Henley
While love songs, of one kind or another, make up the bulk of our material, we do occasionally venture into socio-political territory, but we don't delude ourselves about influencing public opinion. We're just basically reporting; we're reflecting our culture and people can make of it what they will. We're not trying to tell them what to think or how to live their lives. We don't have that kind of influence.
How refreshing!
Originally Posted by
Don Henley
As battered and corrupt as it is, planet Earth is still a miraculous, awe-inspiring place, floating in an unfathomable universe. But I don't think people look up very much anymore. We all seem to be preoccupied with ourselves and our earthly issues, as petty as many of them are. I wish that every person on Earth could travel up to the International Space Station and look down at this little, blue planet. The human race needs a new perspective.
Amen to that.
Originally Posted by
Don Henley
After this tour - more touring. We will do this as long as people want to come and see us. There will be some solo projects, if time allows, but, right now, the Eagles come first.
More Eagles, more solo (if there's time) - YES!!!!
Originally Posted by
"Don Henley
We want our fans to know how much we appreciate them and how grateful we are for all the years of support. They are the reason that we continue to do what we do.
Aw, how sweet!
What a terrific interview.
New Brunswick Show
'I must be leaving soon... its your world now'
. That's probably why it looked to me like Timothy threw his tie. Ke62035, you were some lucky to be so close to them. I thought about leaving the bleechers to try & get closer in front of the stage but I was afraid that I would get down there & not be able to see as I am quite "vertically challenged"
. I really envy you.
Thanks for reporting on the concert happenings that I missed.
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