ON THE ROAD WITH ROAMING PHOTOGRAPHER ROSAMOND NORBURY
This January kd invited me to drop by while her new band was rehearsing in preparation to take the show on the road. From her description, the new hand sounded so good looking - I couldn't wait.
On Monday afternoon I turned up at a deserted looking building on the Exhibition grounds … I realised I was in the right spot by the abundance off dogs in the vicinity. Inside, at the end of the arena, stood a bandstand set up much as you see at her concerts, with kd sitting on a wooden chair bathed in a pool of light, facing her musicians, a black sheer curtain at her back. Never one to let a photo opportunity go, I started shooting. This was a rehearsal in every sense of the word - staging, lighting, sound and music with everyone working out their part of the show. I'd angle up to shoot a particularly appealing shot only to find the light cut off as I shot .. I learned to take these shots fast!
kd greeted me warmly and introduced me to the band, explaining I'd be shooting and resumed rehearsal. Dogs would wander by here and there and kd would continue singing while patting and scratching the passing parade - total professionalism with a low key attitude. I turned up every afternoon to shoot - each day getting more and more comfortable until it felt just fine to walk right up on the risers to take close-ups.
Ben was at the rehearsals to oversee the musical direction before passing that job on to Darrell (being a new father, Ben had decided not to go on the road). Ben was always there as a force, but never forceful. The whole rehearsal period had a feeling of good natured work - but work done, none the less.
Later that week the band and crew travelled to Victoria for more rehearsals and tow shows. After rehearsals everyone would meet at the YMCA to play basketball. The performance in Victoria was the first time we all got to see how the show would work in real life. From the kabuki opening to the final bow all that rehearsing had worked, it was a compete show. It was then kd asked me to join them on the North American leg as the tour photographer.
On January 29th, everyone flew from their home towns into Minneapolis - right into the middle of the coldest winter in recorded history! Cold outside but the dressing rooms and audiences were warm. Minneapolis is Davy Barry's home town, so we met the whole family after the show: David's wide, tow kids and mom and dad - then onto our new home - the tour bus.
Road manager Dan gave us the rules of etiquette for the bus, then we were off. The 'band' bus also carried Jesse, the masseuse: Bea, the backstage co-ordinator; and Dan. Our first night on the bus - I found out later - was not normal. Sleeping in my bunk, I found it getting colder and colder. I thought to myself, "These musicians must be made of something special - this is too much for me!" When I pulled in to Madison at 4 that morning, I discovered the generator had broken down from the record cold. It was fixed the next day and I discovered the fun and comfort of tour bus travelling.
kd also loves to travel on the bus but, unfortunately, most of her mornings are spent in hotel rooms giving interviews, so she generally has to fly to the next town. On a few occasions, if the distance wasn't too great, she would travel with us and join in on "bus games". As a general rule, Sam is found playing Sega games in the rear lounge - kd was particularly good at the Sega golf! Up front the video monitor would feature a movie, while Jesse, Larry and Darrell rose the challenge of a game of scrabble.
On other occasions, Julie and Debra would put on a CD and try to teach me, a hopeless Canadian with two left feet, how to dance. If the band had new material to work on, they would all meet at the front of the bus with guitars, bass and min amps to work on songs. It always amazed me to see how truly professional they are - able to listen to just a few chords and know the key of the song and all the notes - and to be able to go with just one run through and play it perfectly the next time.
Larry, if given a string to pluck, never stops practising. On the bus he'll stand in his own private studio - the toilet - and play his mandolin or violin so not to disturb the rest of us. Once we arrive at the theatre, Larry can be found in some far-flung room practising again. Randall will also find a room away from the crowd to set up his drum kit and play.
At the theatre, the crew sets up from the early morning to late afternoon. Theatres are really shells with kd's crew hauling the lighting, sound equipment and staging equipment from town to town. By 4pm, the band arrives for soundcheck. Each theatre has different acoustics and size requirements, so this s the time for fine tuning. kd will generally arrive as the band is running through a number - all of a sudden from the musical framework will emerge "the voice". kd likes to move around the stage a lot in performance, so Jerry, the sound monitor engineer, makes sure the sound is consistent from wherever she is singing - from on top of Darrell's piano to out in the wings. Sometimes, just for a joke at soundcheck, kd will sing in a phony operatic voice, or like Elvis, or flat. Then it's time for dinner - all you can eat - and time to find a phone to call home.
As show time approaches, kd receives her massage from Jesse, the band heads for their dressing room to check on their wardrobe laid out be Bea, and Julie and Debra apply their make-up in the girls' dressing room. There's actually a lot of running between dressing rooms as John and Randall come by for help with their nail polish or to borrow hair pomade. kd stops by to check on the band and I might snap a few photos as kd puts the finishing touches on her hair.
Just before the show begins, Rene, the stage manager, comes to collect the band to take them on stage. Bea collects the girls to help them with their sound monitors and last minute wardrobe checks. The stage is dark, audience in their seats, and kd goes to each member of the band for a hug and a word or two. Darrell sounds the gong three times, kd starts to sing, the kabuki falls, and it's showtime!
