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Topic: I'm Off To Europe! |
Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 21 Oct 2002 8:02 am |
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| I'm cuttin out of here tonight for a two week tour of the Balkans with Kevin Banford & The Bakersfield Boys.I'm going to Slovenia,Macedonia,Kosovo and Bosnia with some time off in Frankfurt.I've played with this guy before and he's got that West Coast thang I love so much. There's still some shooting going on over there but other than that,it should be fun. I'll be back.... -MJ- |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 21 Oct 2002 11:20 pm
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Have a good 1 Micheal + be careful
let us know how it went when you get back
i imagine you'll be playin' for US troops ?
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Steel what?
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2002 11:01 am
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| I made it to Frankfurt and I'm posting from an internet cafe....so far so good. The beer sure is good around here. Onward to Bosnia! -MJ- |
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Paul Graupp
From:
Macon Ga USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2002 11:38 am
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Michael: Do make it back safely !! I mean where else would we get serious mind benders like:
A sort of recycled smalltown beer joint, hillbilly trailor park, bass fishin'; possum eatin' version of the Marshall ( I wanna be the Alman Bros) Tucker band !!
Such literary treasures are far between and few in number IMHO !!
Regards, Paul   |
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kevin ryan
From:
San Marcos, California
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Posted 22 Oct 2002 12:19 pm
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Well when you get there make sure and ask "yoshedno coladno pivo moleam" that means in serb-speak...."Can I please have another cold beer"
Sorry to hear your going with kevin banford..maybe he's "mellowed" in his old age...say hey to Jeff...Have a safe trip Michael...kevin |
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2002 12:44 pm
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| Quote: |
| "yoshedno coladno pivo moleam" that means in serb-speak |
I think that means "You have the face of a pig." |
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Greg Vincent
From:
Folsom, CA USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2002 1:56 pm
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Hey Mike-
Have a great trip --say hi to the Bakersfield Boys for me!
-GV |
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jerry wallace
From:
Artesia , NM (deceased)
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Posted 22 Oct 2002 3:29 pm
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Hey Mike, let me know how those Folks over there like the sound of my/your TrueTone pickup.. 
Good luck and have a great time Mike..
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Jerry Wallace-2001 Zum: D-10,8+6, "98 Zum: D-10,8+8,Nashville 1000,Session 500 ,Session 400 head only amp,Tubefex,ProfexII, Artesia, New Mexico
http://communities.msn.com/jerrywallacemusic http://www.jerrywallacemusic.com
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2002 8:41 pm
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| Thanx guys I'll try to check in as I go. I'm told there is various internet access along the way. -MJ- |
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Brandin
From:
Newport Beach CA. USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2002 8:58 pm
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Mike, I hope you remembered to pack your 'white shirt' and 'tie'.(That's an inside joke.)
GB |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 23 Oct 2002 6:51 am
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MIke,
Do the hotels you are in have those cool sock washers in the bathrooms ?
Who is subbing for you on the Raven ( I think thats her name) gig ?
Have fun and stay warm.
Bob |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 23 Oct 2002 9:46 am
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| Quote: |
| "yoshedno coladno pivo moleam" |
"Yo no soy puta" is also a good one to know.
I've got to learn how to spell...[This message was edited by chas smith on 25 October 2002 at 11:19 AM.] |
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 23 Oct 2002 10:12 am
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| After two days of flyin,I'm now sequestered at Camp Able Sentry which is adjacent to Skopje airport. All the cats around here are packin serious heat 24 hours a day.They even bring thier M-16s into the internet lounge in the day room and prop them against their computers while they surf the net and send e-mail - in fact there's one on either side of me as I sit here.We've been told to stay on the sidewalks because there's still a lot of UXO (unexploded ordanance) buried here and there.We were supposed to go into town (Skopje) tonight and party but there was a demonstration/civil unrest of some kind today and it was deemed better to wait till tomorrow night to put ourselves in harm's way. Excitin' huh? I still haven't played my first lick of steel but that will happen tomorrow. And yeah Brandin I did bring my white shirt,bow tie and hat. I also brought a brand spanking new Nash 1000 which I'm dyin(poor choice o'words?)to try out. See yall later - I'm gettin kicked off the computer by a strange cat with a large automatic weapon.... -MJ- |
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Greg Simmons
From:
where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 23 Oct 2002 11:27 am
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| Quote: |
| "Yo no soy puda" is also a good one to know. |
qu'est-ce que c'est puda? [This message was edited by Earnest Bovine on 23 October 2002 at 12:27 PM.] |
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 25 Oct 2002 4:38 am
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| We played our first gig and except for a couple knucklehead arrangements and the fact that we got a last minute sub bass player who's never played country before,it went ok.After the gig we went into town(Skopje)and went to a few bars and sat in and played some blues in one place.In front of one bar we were accosted by a gruop of 7-10 year old street urchins who wanted a handout and were literaly trying to put their hands into our pockets.No amount of verbal abuse even fazed them and it took three blocks and going into another bar to finally shake them with their hands all over us the whole time.This morning we were issued kevlar flak vests and helmets and traveled by military convoy into Kosovo where the tension noticably increased once we crossed the border. Once in Kosovo,both of our Hummer escorts whipped out their 50 cal guns and had a guy manning it riding with his head sticking out the roof hatch.Here in Camp Bondsteel,we're being billeted in tents much like the "Mash" variety with latrines and showers 50 yards away down a mud path between rows of other tents...We'll be here for the next couple days and will be playing here and a couple other bases within Kosovo.Show bidness at its finest... Wish me luck. -MJ- |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 25 Oct 2002 5:02 am
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Thanks for the update Micheal
what you are discovering over there comes as no surprise to me.
if it was'nt for the troops needing a little divertissement, what could bring you to go play in such a region ?
i reckon it'll teach you a few things and make you play the Blues better eh ?
Good Luck Bro'...
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 25 Oct 2002 10:23 am
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| Wow, makes one appreciate how easy we've got it over here. |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 25 Oct 2002 1:22 pm
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| This sounds like my dream gig. |
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Bryan Landers
From:
Burbank, California, USA
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Posted 26 Oct 2002 8:38 am
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I'm glad I found this post. Hey, Mike. I called your house and managed to get the house keeper to tell me you were gone before hanging up on me ("Mr. Michael is no here..."). Went out to Viva last night...rest assured Mr. Bovine's holding down the home front with Cody. I heard a bunch of new tunes since the last time I was there. When do you get back? Are you subbin' for Brandin? Get home in one piece, Buddy!
Bryan |
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Greg Vincent
From:
Folsom, CA USA
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Posted 28 Oct 2002 8:46 am
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Hey Mike,
How are you liking your Nash 1000?
-GV |
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 28 Oct 2002 10:55 pm
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Johnstone here...
I'm checking in from Ramstien AFB where we hung out for a day off. My flu is finally starting to subside and perhaps I'll survive this gig after all.The Nash 1000 is a fine amp and it seems to have a little more power than my Session or Nash 400.I flew in from Kosovo yesterday on a C130 packed in like sardines with about 100 troops in full combat dress with full kevlar/automatic weapons,etc and we had to sit in canvas web slings in 100 degree temperature and 160 DB noise levels for 4 hours - and the bathroom is basically a bucket.I'm off in a few minutes to Bosnia for about 4 days of gigs there.This is truly an experience I won't soon forget. Signing off for now.... -MJ- |
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Jason Odd
From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 29 Oct 2002 5:17 pm
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C130 troop transport, so basically no insulation for noise. Ow.
You got some earplugs for those parts of the trip Michael? |
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 30 Oct 2002 2:55 pm
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| Just got done with our gig in Eagle Base here in Tuzla,Bosnia. It's basically an abondoned Russian Mig base and the housing is decent.We went out last night on the town(Tuzla)for food and drink. The beer is pretty good around these parts - and the country in general is a little more upbeat and less culturally melancholy than Kosovo.We now have a 40" Mercedes tour bus with dual armed Hummers escorting.Tomorrow we start working our way across the country stopping at a couple more bases ending up in Sarajevo at Camp Butnir.Hope we don't hit a land mine on the way. Later -MJ- |
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Gene Jones
From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
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Posted 30 Oct 2002 3:57 pm
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Michael, just in case they move you by train....in the Korean DMZ they pushed two flat-cars in front of the Engine to take the impact in case of a mine on the track!
Sleep well! www.genejones.com |
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