Hello from my bunk in the tour bus, somewhere between Philadelphia and New York.
This is one of the easy journeys. America is so vast, some of the treks across states seem to take forever but this one is a comparative doddle.
It’s been such a fabulous week here in the US.
Performing in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry is a wonderful experience for any musician.
We had such a great time there. There is so much country music memorabilia around in the dressing rooms with photos of almost every country star who has performed on that stage.
I know how lucky I am because people who are big country fans would love to experience it.
Yvie’s fondness for country music
To be honest I have a fondness for country music. My Dad was a Jim Reeves fan and he used to play his cassettes in the car, so when I hear music like that it reminds me of my lovely Dad.
I was also exposed to more and more country music when I worked on America’s got Talent. The story telling style really can get to you emotionally. I’ve become a big fan of Carrie Underwood who seems to have taken the baton from a lot of the older traditional stars since she rose to fame when she won American Idol in 2005.
Also, Brandi Carlisle is a favourite of mine. She I suppose, would be described as a folk singer or perhaps alternative country but she has the same emotional story telling style I love.
So, this week, we have also done shows in Atlanta and Washington DC and tonight we were in Philadelphia. These US shows are all sold out and the fans queue all day to be as near to the front as possible so they can be up close with Lewis.
On our days off I really try to see the sights like I did in all the European cities.
I always feel a bit guilty if I haven’t taken advantage of the chance to see the world and just spent the day being lazy in my hotel room.
Trying something new
In Atlanta which is where the headquarters of Coca Cola are. We went on a tour of the World of Coca Cola exhibition.
It was so interesting to see all the original coke bottles and adverts. I remember my favourite one from when I was a child. Wasn’t it the New Seekers who sang “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)” and then it ended up in the advert with the lyrics “I’d like to buy the world a Coke”.
That one really stuck with me. It shows the power of advertising. And this is all because a chemist called Dr John Pemberton developed a recipe in downtown Atlanta in 1886 for a new drink which was so full of caffeine it was said it would relieve headaches and give you energy and so coke was born! Little did he know that’s his little drink would have world-wide popularity still to this day!
Afterwards we spent the day in a beautiful Atlanta park. My friends were hiring electric scooters but I was a bit nervous of the speed they go. However, they say to do something that scares you everyday. I very rarely push myself to do scary stuff but I decided to have a go.
It’s so much easier than it looks and I will most definitely do it again.
Whizzing about in the relative safety of a park with no traffic around is definitely the way to do it if you are a “scaredy” like me or haven’t tried it before.
As much as I realise how much fun they are, I’ve shared my views with you about how dangerous they are on roads. I still have the same feeling that they are better away from cars.
Documentary highlights pressures of fame
Coincidentally this week, Paris became the first European city to ban e-scooters. In a referendum 89% people voted for the ban. Other European cities have been watching this result closely and it will be interesting to see if any follow suit.
This week Lewis Capaldi’s Netflix documentary “How I’m feeling Now” is out.
It’s a hard watch as it shows how the pressures of fame have really impacted on Lewis’ mental health but as Lewis himself has said, if you invite a documentary team to be with you, there is no point in then not letting them see everything in your life, warts and all.
Expect a few tears along the way.
I have only seen clips so far, so I’m going to get a box of tissues and maybe watch it tonight.
I’m a bit over emotional at the moment from being away from home and sleeping on the bus so I will probably be sobbing my way through it.
Have a good week everyone,
Yvie x
