http://www.thehoneybrothers.com//blog/post en hoyt@thehoneybrothers.com Copyright 2010 2010-04-12T19:41:33-05:00 http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/thb_heads_south/ http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/thb_heads_south/#When:19:41:33Z Hey all! Andrew here.  I’ve been remiss in not writing sooner – but busy with good things. Nothing like being in a van with WiFi for some catch-up time! We’ve returned from magical trips through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama.  We were lucky to pass through New Orleans during Mardi Gras, and we spent a couple extra days winding up and down over as much gumbo and beignets as I’ve ever seen in my life. A friend of mine opened a great venue called Sound Café – it was the first time I got to play there. From there we crossed into the chitin’ circuit, stopping off for homemade chitlins (our tour manager, Ace, is a chitlin’ connoisseur, if ever there was one) en route from Shreveport to Biloxi. Another high point: we got to see Merle Haggard in concert = the real deal. South by Southwest in Austin was impossibly busy, but there’s nothing like running into friends from all over the map - even NYC friends who are always on the road – it’s surreal to finally see each other in another city other than our own. We crossed paths with Balthrop, Alabama, The Chapin Sisters, Saadi, Amber Rubarth, and some friends from Ireland, Dark Room Notes.   Our new record will be coming out someday soon - thanks for your patience! Alright, am pulling into the Holland Tunnel, so I’ll sign off for now - Yours, Andrew Vladeck AKA Dory Honey 2010-04-12T19:41:33-05:00 http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/adventures_of_power_coming_to_theaters_-_the_honey_brothers_movie/ http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/adventures_of_power_coming_to_theaters_-_the_honey_brothers_movie/#When:17:32:19Z Watch the trailer here: www.adventuresofpower.com Starring Hoyt Honey and Honey duContra, music by Raw Honey, with some harmonica by Dory Honey and a character named after Dr. Carl Honey! Spread the word on Twitter, Facebook, email, and from the highest tower! 2009-10-06T17:32:19-05:00 http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/sleaveless_in_seattle_west_coast_tour/ http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/sleaveless_in_seattle_west_coast_tour/#When:21:18:10Z Dory Honey here.  The Honey Brothers got off to a great start in Seattle - playing a show under the space needle!  The sun broke though the clouds for our set, prompting our band to go “Sleaveless in Seattle”. We woke up to a lovely review in Seattle Times (Click to read) left in front of our hotel room doors which we passed around the van. Portland, Eugene, Sacramento, and then a highlight - playing the Power to the Peaceful Festival in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park!  We had an amazing set of drummers from a brazilian band join us on stage.  A beautiful concert, a lot a great progressive messages, good politics, and aromatherapy.  It was hard to not get a contact high from standing in front of that audience.  The fog rolled in, indeed! Until next time, pardner,  Dory Honey, AKA Andrew Vladeck.  And for more bits from me looky HERE. 2009-09-13T21:18:10-05:00 http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/all_over_the_map/ http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/all_over_the_map/#When:20:49:10Z Dory Honey here.  This summer has us playing all over the USA like some warped Where’s Waldo wandering minstrels. The Honey Brothers kicked off our first shows since coming out of the studio with spate of rad festival gigs beginning with the inaugural Wanderlust Festival. We loaded in by tram to the top of Squaw Valley for the new Music/Yoga festival that excelled in good vibes and physical beauty (both the landscape and the people-scape). We shared the stage with favorites such as Andrew Bird, Broken Social Scene, Kaki King, Sonya Kitchell, and Amanda Palmer (who joined us on stage for a rousing yet curious “We Are The Champions”). (New Music Exchange). You can rock harder at 9,000 feet because the air is thinner. This festival is sure to be sold out next year… so be advised!   We rode the plane back east with half the performers, singing “American Pie.“ Then off to All Points West, where I was delighted by Vampire Weekend and The National (oddly, both bands have people who went to the same college as us Honey Brothers), and most of us slogged through the sumptuous mud in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. As soon as our set was over we had leave for Osheaga in Montreal. We encountered Fleet Foxes and Arctic Monkeys, at the Canadian Border crossing station at 9 in the morning. I haven’t seen so many quiet, bearded, rockers in a linoleum tiled waiting room in my entire life. If we only had our friends in The Giraffes and we could have had our very own indie rock zoo.     Montreal was my favorite show of the sojourn. We played in the most wonderful deluge, to lovely, spirited people. Beforehand our manager reassured us we wouldn’t get electrocuted playing in the rain, which helped us enjoy playing in what was effectively one gigantic communal shower. As it was my bandmate DS’s hometown, he made sure we warmed up with some good food - Schwartz’s - and we made sure we got lost in the old city in search of French brunch. These were our first shows in a while, and were thrilled be what people had to say. (Montreal Gazette).   Now we’re getting geared up for Seattle’s Bumbershoot in September and West Coast Tour (Interview in NO DEPRESSION), AND RECORDING A NEW RECORD!!!   Until next time, pardner,  Dory Honey, AKA Andrew Vladeck.  for more random bits looky HERE.                 2009-08-21T20:49:10-05:00 http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/a_weekend_in_copenhagen/ http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/a_weekend_in_copenhagen/#When:16:53:18Z Andrew here.  We spent a week this past weekend in Copenhagen.  At least that’s what it felt like: one big, glorious week.  Perhaps it is due to us sleeping in installments, when we could, thanks to jet lag, sound check, obligations, bar-hopping.    It helped that we refused to get off of “New York Time” for the brief weekend we were there - so when once again we found ourselves ordering another round of drinks at 6 in the morning (for the second time in as many days) it was easy to convince ourselves that it really was only 11 at night in NYC.   Besides, as city was even more electric in these pre-dawn hours, so we were extremely grateful to have jet lag on our side, and took full advantage.   I didn’t expect that level of raging from a relatively small (compared to nyc) - Scandinavian city.  Hoyt’s friend Asger traveled with a jovial entourage and led us into our first night with cans of Carlsberg beer on hand (legal to drink on the street) as we hopped to small, smoky bars (legal to smoke indoors) - reminiscent of the East Village in the pre-Guiliani years.  Further fueling our disorientation was the eternal timelessness of the old city - “The City of Spires.“  Our hotel overlooked this skyline and ancient university library, whose 17th century design, in the absence of electricity, allowed for enormous, stately windows and for us to watch students studying and (as our manager deduced) for them to observe us walking around naked after getting out of the shower…  yikes!   And then there was the dreamlike quality of the light - a glowing white neon comforter of clouds that saturated all hours of the day evenly, so that in between naps and coffee we couldn’t tell what time it was.   And then there was the legions of commuters riding mid-century English road bicycles.  Old Raleighs, in puzzlingly mint condition, with painted chrome, high handlebars, fenders, wicker baskets and little blinking lights.    Copenhagen, it turns out, is the most bike-friendly city I’ve ever seen.  People ride these exquisite, vintage bicycles and leave them willy nilly along the streets squares, if locked at all, locked to themselves by an inconspicuous clasp on the rear tire.  The appearance begs a spirit of trust and comfort.  At least I thought so.   This detail of the city - the charming multitudes of bikers - was something I was so endeared by (more than the koalas of Australia) that I couldn’t cease my over-effusive spouting until compelled by my brothers’ spiteful mockery.  But here, in Blogland, no one is safe.We were given a tour of the city-unto-itself, the Christiana artists commune neighborhood, where people lived in what Carl Honey observed to be giant dog houses.  Whimsical, clapboard cottages, the kind Snoopy might live in if he was a sculptor with dreadlocks and bought his hash from the open stalls in the local market.   Our lovely tourguides were two Danish friends of Asgers, who rapidly became friends of ours.  One with the undeniably awesome name of Elvira, and a delightful, sharp-edged spirit to match, and another who graciously led us around, though limping, as she was still recovering after being bitten by a fucking SHARK, acquired while exploring the Galapagos. (Can you dig that, 2,000 miles from the nearest hospital?). We occasionally took turns giving her piggy-back rides as we hopped around the neat Christianshavn neighborhood. These is good people!  We felt that way about so many of the Danes we met.   That’s why it was hard to call it a night, especially since we could count the hours we had left in Europe…   But I digress - we were there for music, after all!   Forgive me for not getting to this point sooner, but you already knew that, didn’t you.  The beauty in these shows is about the people and the places.   We played a gigantic party, sponsored by our friends who are designers for “Chicks with Guns” (yes, that’s the real name of their line).   We played right before the famous Danish rapper Jokerum - old school hip hop in Danish.   You can’t get THAT in NYC.  I’ll definitely say it was neat to have played 3 continents in one month, and especially to feel us grow as friends and as a band - and this was a fantastic final concert.   It was our manager’s generous assessment was that we were sounding better than ever, in part thanks to his prophetic theory that we would play better if we held off on partying until AFTER the gig. I’m on the plane home, amazed to now be looking at everything from the other side of an incredible couple of months. We’re following the sunset, which is making it last forever. Andrew Vladeck AKA Dory Honey 2009-02-09T16:53:18-05:00 http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/its_only_rock-and-roll_but_i_like_it/ http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/its_only_rock-and-roll_but_i_like_it/#When:16:28:51Z In the van we’re debating the best way to describe the gleeful, beer-curdling, eardrum-bursting response of our Brooklyn audience when, in a lull between songs, we simply exclaimed the fun, rolling syllables “O-BA-MA!“ DuContra isn’t sure how to accurately describe the highness of the pitch. And Carl isn’t sure how to describe the sheer overwhelming power that i witnessed rock him backwards clasping his ears, with a look of fear in his eyes. It was probably most like standing in front of a double jet engine. At 30,000 feet. Yes, we were exceedingly grateful the NYC audience was very much on our side…. but nothing in our set could compete with the ovation for President Obama. Still, we couldn’t complain, as we concurred wholeheartedly, and besides, all the positive energy was harnessed to contribute to a great night playing a sold out show in our hometown. Despite the home-team crowd, perhaps because of it, we found ourselves more nervous than any other of the tour. We all had butterflies in our stomachs. Not just because it was a big, beautiful venue, but mostly because friends and family came out and we wanted to justify our existence. I guess. Either that or it was Philadelphia’s cheesesteak from the night before. But in any event, The Prigs were stunningly joyous and rocking, and kicked the night off in the best possible manner (converting the audience) and made our job easy, thank you very much. I need to recognize the wonderful city of Philadelphia and the North Star Bar. The day started out perfectly with the band live on WXPN and WMMR. Then for some classic Philly Cheesesteak at the Reading Terminal Market. And then just about the coolest rock bar East of the Delaware River. And run by the nicest people. We were thrilled to have our Brooklyn friends in the amazing (new!) band Xylos join us for the first of two nights. By the time we took stage we were all feeling the spirit, and as such gave a very spirited and sweaty performance. Panties where thrown. I think they were Carl’s. I’m not sure. We may never know. It was our first show in Philly, and filled with, well, phillies. There were actual Phillies baseball players there. And lots of young men and women. Really… can’t complain. Last but not least - I’ve played Cambridge a dozen times, so it was especially neat to get The Bothers across the frozen Charles River (quite a sight!). TT the Bear’s, as they call it, made for a perfect inaugural Boston show for The Brothers - a real downhome joint. We invited Noam Chomsky to the show, would have loved to see him nodding his head and tapping his foot on the sticky, beer-bathed floor, but that wasn’t to be this time. But Boston is a major music city, and the Chomsky-less audience clearly demonstrated their enthusiasm. We were fortunate to have an absolutely killer local band open up - Mean Creek. We were also blessed to again have the camaraderie of The Dresden Dolls’ Amanda Palmer, who we had played with in DC. She had us over for dinner to her magical townhouse in the South End where we partook in amazing Thai food and a lively conversation about plastic surgery, Dolly Parton and David Bowie. Amanda Palmer has a slamming new record out - her first solo one. Check it. With that, we officially ended our East Coast US Tour. I must say I favored spending winter in Oz-land, but regardless of hemisphere, and weather conditions, we found our first major foray into the public sphere in two years to be overwhelmingly warm and mirthful. Even though I had to warm my feet with a hair dryer on more than several occasions. You know how i said i was sick of palm trees and perfect weather? I take that back. I’m still trying to thaw out 5 long days after Inauguration, up though a frozen east coast, in a salt-crusted van, passing frozen ice-choked rivers and perma-frosted fields. But you know what they say, Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor gloom of night shall stay these musical couriers from the swift appointment of their completed rounds. Just like Buddy Holly. The sum total of my advice is this: Don’t wear Chuck Taylors in a Northeast January, and Do Get Out and Travel More. Andrew Vladeck AKA Dory Honey   2009-01-28T16:28:51-05:00 http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/dc_yeaaaaaaaabbooooooooooooyeaaaaaaaa/ http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/dc_yeaaaaaaaabbooooooooooooyeaaaaaaaa/#When:23:21:24Z     Andrew here.  I don’t know where to start except to state the obvious rhetorical question: HOW FREAKING AMAZING IS THIS? We took a long walk from the hotel to the Washington Mall, each block more and more people, until every street was jammed. Yet amazingly enough, we ALL made it in timely fashion to stand near the Washington Monument about 100 yards from a “jumbotron” TV. I don’t think we’ll ever be surrounded by such a mass of humanity ever again. Especially such a beautifully cool mass of humanity, all watching TV together. It was like a Super Bowl party, without the lime-flavored nachos and the salty halftime show. As the dignitaries began to approach the crowed cheered each one. It got comical when Joe Biden came on the TV and the everyone cheered - then when they cut to Bush everyone booed - then they cut back to Biden and everyone cheered. It sounded like one big word: “YeaaaaaaaaBooooooooooooYEAAAAAAAA!“   When it came to the speaches everyone got so quiet you could hear a pin drop.   The million people hung on every word. When Aretha sang the national anthem the delay from all the speakers echoed off the monuments and around the mall.   When the preacher came up to off the invocation many hissed and muttered due to his politics, but several people said “it’s alright, let us pray.“  And it was incredibly moving to pray with all of those people for the best for our country, our president, and our world.But i sure could have used a hot toddy.   i think i’m still thawing from standing on the Washington Mall for several hours.   memories grow even fonder as i get feeling back in my toes.Later that night we played the historic 9:30 Club for the Rock the Vote Party.   You couldn’t ask for a better night and a better crowd.  And we all were in awe as the Dresden Dolls took the stage after us.    Afterwards we headed for Red and Black, a totally great bar/venue with super cool staff.   i felt like it was New Years Eve all over again.  a momentous New Year - a New Era, in fact.  And in fact, it is.     it’s funny, I’ve been in NYC my whole life and I’ve NEVER been to Times Square to watch a light-ball get lowered down a pole… and I can safely say I never will.   Same with everyone in the band.   (Hmmm… I probably shouldn’t knock it til i tried it).   The inauguration seemed the complete antithesis - an immensely important and meaningful event with an appropriately immense crowd.  Did I mention how freaking awesome this touring van is?   I’ve toured a LOT in my day, and it makes a big difference to have some nice wheels.   I’m loving it, as does Sonny Honey (Dan Green), who similarly has traveled far and wide.   I mean, you can actually stand up in this van.  And there’s wifi… and we’re touring the east coast… so each city is practically on top of one another.On the way out of DC we brunched at The World-Famous Florida Avenue Grille.   It was jam packed with inauguration revelers for good reason: some of the best hotcakes north of the Potomac.   It was personally thrilling to meet a bunch of people who worked on the Obama Campaign, who were fueling up for their big “Staff Ball” that evening.  Good people, all around.   Honey DuContra INSISTED we sing a couple of old-skool Honey Brother folk songs for the diners…  i tell you, that brother has chutzpah.   Everyone seemed to appreciate “Drunkard’s Lament” - but honestly, I don’t think anything could have ruined the sunny mood inside The Grille.Now we’re in the van driving from our one-night stand Baltimore.    A humble and down-home rock rock experience after the DC thang.   Philly, here we come.   Anyway, parting thoughts, as per DuContra, “FUCK GUANTANAMO, IT’S GONE!!!“       -Andrew Vladeck AKA Dory Honey January 21, 2009 2009-01-24T23:21:24-05:00 http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/miami_more_of_the_same..._palm_trees_and_perfect_weather/ http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/miami_more_of_the_same..._palm_trees_and_perfect_weather/#When:23:19:47Z First off, I need to sign my own mailing list so I know where I’m going next.   It’s been a bit of a mysterly lately.   Especially confusing since the past three places we’ve traveled to have had beaches and palm trees and perfect weather.  And quite frankly i’m sick of it.   I miss trying to shovel my car after it’s been plowed in a Brooklyn street with ice so hard it breaks the shovel.   I miss stepping into a quicksand-like puddle of slush on the corner and watching as the edge of my shoe disappears under the brown ice-sludge.   All this sunshine is making me soft and if i don’t get to NYC soon i’m afraid i will turn into a soft, spineless puddle myself.   Somebody, help me.   If i have to have one more pina colada while sitting on the beach I think I’ll scream.  I’m a  FOLK-singer, for fuck sake.   -Andrew Vladeck AKA Dory Honey January 11, 2009 2009-01-13T23:19:47-05:00 http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/los_angeles_mexican_food/ http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/los_angeles_mexican_food/#When:23:17:52Z Landing in LA to more palm trees and good mexican food.  Australia - which was not unlike california, but with more kangaroos, koalas, health insurance, vegemite, and skin damage; and less mexican food, guns, and plastic surgery.   Australia is probably what would happen to California if you lopped it off and let it drift across the Pacific Ocean for 100 years.   Very happy to be hosted by Clark from The Good Listeners.  One of our favorite bands.   He took me to his new favorite old Mexican restaurant.  Let’s see, how many times can I mention Mexican food?   After which I sat by the pool under a lemon tree and watched hummingbirds buzz around as I re-strung my banjo.    I tell ya, one thing Australia and California have on NYC is this:  LIFESTYLE.   They got a nice freaking lifestyle.  Good weather.  Great produce.  And did i mention, mexican food?   -Dory Honey January 10, 2009 2009-01-11T23:17:52-05:00 http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/yacht_rock/ http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/yacht_rock/#When:23:13:24Z Ordinarily we like to have more truffle oil on our procutto before the lobster is served.  But trying times call for desperate measures, and somehow we all made do.   Somehow the band was blessed with a harbour tour of Sydney on a yacht complete with lovely people and good food.   It wasn’t so indie-rock…  more 1970s Van Halen… but i was impressed with how adaptable everyone was in the band to this new environment.     We had a couple of days to kill, and we got some good help.   Our show at The Supper Club was so much fun.  A cool neighborhood.  A ton of great people came out. I’ve had the great opportunity to play gigs BOTH with The Honey Brothers, AND solo “Andrew Vladeck” shows on the same tour.  Pretty neat how that worked out, i must say.   The only hitch has been having to haul a 1,000 pounds of combined musical gear.  Walking through all the airports with two suitcases of gear makes me feel like a prima donna.  But it’s all gear… not wardrobe changes, I swear.    Hopefully the next tour, we’ll have a full wardrobe planned out.  and pyrotechnics.  and fake blood.My first solo show was at The Basement, in Sydney, with fabulous Ann Vriend.    Yet there was something brilliantly pathetic about the way the night began.   The soundman insisted on plugging my board in without a transformer.  When I questioned “going for it,“ he said “it should be fine, but if it starts smoking, we’ll know.“   Well… the power supply melted licketly split.   melted plastic oozing down the stage.   I took that as a sign to 1) trust my instincts; and 2) carry on.It all worked out just fine… in the end, it’s all about the SONGS and not about neato effects, as attached as one does get to them.     That being said, the gig was great, and the soundman was great, and the audience was great.   And Ann Vriend blew us all away - virtuosically amazing.     It was also nice to play Sydney as we got to spend the better part of a week there and I met a ton of awesome people I hope to be in touch with for a long, long time.   They taught me about vegemite and “took the piss out” of just about anything.  And they taught me this curious sport of “jowling.“   -Andrew Vladeck AKA Dory Honey January 6, 2009 2009-01-07T23:13:24-05:00 http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/time_passes_slowly_out_here_in_oz/ http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/time_passes_slowly_out_here_in_oz/#When:23:11:50Z Everything happens in slow motion for the Koala.  I got to see one up close outside of Sydney… too close.  Somehow, it all happened so fast.  It thought my ear was a eucalyptus leaf and took a nibble.  Now here I am I’m moving as slow as a koala.   It’s all i can do to eat, play, and go back to sleep.    The antidote is to kiss a dolphin… lucky for me since on our tour up the Gold Coast we stopped by Sea World and oddly we each got to do just that (to the same dolphin, poor girl).   You’d think the humane society of Australia should be notified.  All in a days work, I suppose.But seriously, time passesss sllooooowly when you are on the road.   I don’t understand it exactly.   I don’t think it has anything to do with Einstein’s theory of relativity (which I don’t understand), though all this time flying 600 miles/hour around the world has probably slowed my internal clock by at least 4 seconds.    But all the indulgences of the tour have probably aged me by 5 years.  Keith Richards said recently that he’s spent “5 years playing music and 40 years waiting around.“   Word.  That is probably a generous estimate.    -Dory Honey January 2, 2009 2009-01-03T23:11:50-05:00 http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/the_gold_coast_you_were_fantastic_we_were_fantastic/ http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/the_gold_coast_you_were_fantastic_we_were_fantastic/#When:23:10:30Z That was the concert-ending phrase at the end of an Oasis concert recently, as overheard by DuContra.   The Honey Brothers had adapted it in our own way to apply to everything, starting with the flight (“It was unbearable, we were unbearable”).   Our moment with the most rock potential came with the Oddesey Festival on The Gold Coast of Australia.   It sure is something to play to a big, beautiful green field.  It’s another thing to play to a field with people on it.  But we played first, and it was a gorgeous night, though troublingly large bats flew overhead, we couldn’t complain.  We had our band Meteorologist Liz and her friends the Dozzi Sisters in the audience.  The sound was great (thanks again, Steve Winders).  And then we had to high tail it to another gig in Brisbane to usher in the New Year.   Which by that time, thankfully, everyone was so sloshed that it made little difference that I played half the show with my banjo tuned to a minor chord.  Not a propitious (or professinal) start to the new year, but no one seemed to mind.  Except our manager (fair enough).  Though in fact, Carl Honey said he thought my soloing was the best of the tour.  He should be drunk more often. My favorite show of the stint was playing Bread & Butter with the Dozzi Sisters (known on myspace as Doz).  Australia’s answer to one of our USA favorites, The Chapin Sisters.  That is, super talented singing, writing…  and super easy on the eyes.     I got to grace the stage for a solo set.  And shortly after got Sonny Honey and Honey DuContra up for some songs.   A fun lovely chill evening.  And can i mention:  the things Ozzies do with Pizza - shocking!  But forgivable (goood). - Andrew Vladeck aka Dory Honey December 30, 2008 2009-01-01T23:10:30-05:00 http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/tales_from_down_under/ http://www.thehoneybrothers.com/news/post/tales_from_down_under/#When:16:06:09Z We had our first gig in Bondi Beach.  I was shocked by how many people came out to see us, and very grateful for how supportive they were.  That show will live in infamy for several reasons.  There was Hoyt Honey’s remarkable performance.   On the second song, Hoyt, in good spirit, and wearing a dashiki, dashed across the stage, tripped on my guitar cable and crashed into the drums, breaking a rib.   And then there was I’ll call the Tambourine Incident.   About 20 minutes after a great gig I returned to the stage to collect my belongings.  By that time the supportive audience had kindly lifted a bunch of our things.   What was actually adorable how the sweet kleptomaniacs approached me for a photo or the like.  One girl was wearing my scarf… another had my harmonica…. another our recorder and drumsticks.  And still another with my tamborine.   They all kindly returned our belongings except the tambourine, which wound up in the hands of a surly, strapping gent.  Who refused to return it.    I must confess,  it’s taken me a minute to understand the Aussie sense of humor.   I think I was that failed to appreciate how the inclination to “take the piss” (to jokingly razz someone) can be dangerously heightened when fueled by a lot of drink:  It get’s elevated to a whole ‘nother level.  Add an inferiority complex into the mix and things can get touchy pretty quick.    Hence my imploring him not to steal our tamborine, and him briefly wrapping his fingers around my neck.   It was quite a surprise, and very humbling.  But all’s well that end’s well and we got our tambourine back only to be repeatedly lifted after every single show by more adorable, effusive kleptos, who reminded me they couldn’t help it, as it was in their blood, decended as they were from 18th-Century penal colony thieves.  My kind of people. -Dory Honey December 28, 2008   2008-12-29T16:06:09-05:00