Get the latest straight from Paolo at Bonaroo Festival...
"My plan was to make it to the festival on the Thursday night.. we landed at around 6 pm where we met a few of the franz ferdinand boys at the baggage collection area. Everyone seemed in good spirits and I just wanted to get to Manchester.
"I was led to believe that it was an hour drive max by my trusty fiere Mike Luba and thought Id be having a beer and a dance by 8, however it didn't work out that way.
"We spent around 6 hours on the bus as well as our booze and munchy stop and finally rolled into Bonaroo at around 1.The journey was made a bit easier though thanks to some nice company, a load of millerhigh life, a long ass game of texas hold' em and a contribution from Mr. Willie Nelson himself... His last record...I believe.
"I'd missed my friend Ryan Shaw performing and was unlucky to have just missed Rodrigo y Gabriela but by the looks of the UK festival line ups this year, they wont be too hard to find again. I then found my self in a car back to the hotel that was driven by the same driver that drove the previous bus... It was very confusing ;)
"Friday was so hot and looked like it was going to be a cracker, we arrived at the site at about 10.30 and I had a few interviews to do. It was quite surreal just how many familiar faces seemed to be hoarded in the press area...all of which were slumped over something and melting in the sun.
"There was Lily Allen looking far from amused, Guestlove from The Roots was there, Manu Chao, and Michael Franti, who was stood barefoot in front of me covered in a load of tats. He looked good man, you know... He had a presence.
"All of these guys were on today, as well as the Kings of Leon, DJ Shadow, Tom Morello and his one man revolution, John Paul Jones, Ben Harper and The String Cheese Incident. The thing I love about the Texas festivals is that the fans show this undying devotion to the people like Franti, The String Cheese, and Ben Harper because they are like the festival house bands. Some of these guys go on at 1 am and play a three hour set leading into sun rise, they stage three to four hour jamming sessions together. You get the feeling that for some people, this is heaven.
"I got to sit in at a press conference being held and was sat in between a guy called Dierks Bentley and Michael Franti. I'd never done one of these before but it was nice and easy and a good laugh. Franti was sound as a pound.
"Next was the gig and the tent was slowly filling up... We began with Alloway and the sound on stage was mince. This never changed throughout the gig and despite us having a weird time onstage, most of the crowd seemed to be having it and dancing around like they should.We played about 9 songs from the album, a few new songs, and a couple of covers. It's funny how no matter where you go, if you sing a song about dope they go mental. Coincidence? I think not.
"Afterwards we all felt a bit unsure cause of the sound but then Donny ran over and told me that Tom Morello was into it and I must say I never saw it coming, it settled me a bit.
"I saw a few of his songs which were very poitical and Woody Guthrie-like. It was really different from what Id seen from him before.
"I then did a quick signing, a few interviews, had a go in a batting cage (Hey Batta, batta, batta), did a small acoustic session and managed to hear a few bands in the process, which never seems like the record company's top priority for me at these festi's.
"Bonaroo is a festival where the rules are few and far between, a smile isnt hard to come by and the music doesn't seem to stop. Just like they all should be.
"Unfortunatly I had to leave before Manu Chao was supposed to join us in my friend's bus for patron and paella but thats something for next year, so take it easy and thank you for continuously visiting my site and myspace page. And for making the gigs very memorable ones.
Big Love
Paolo x"
ps. check out these bands and artists that I saw at Bonaroo... Manu Chao ( if you don't already know) James BloodUlmer Michael Franti and Spearhead Mavis Staples ( from the Staple Singers ) Elvis Perkins