Bobby Jarzombek.com

I'm writing this update from the tour bus as we've just completed our first 6 shows (in a row) on the Poison/Dokken/SEBASTIAN BACH US tour and I finally have a day off.

Looks like we got lucky and avoided the fury of Mother Nature at Rocklahoma - scary to hear about stages collapsing and stuff. Glad nobody got seriously hurt beyond one broken arm. We dodged the rain again the next day at the Moondance Jam in Minnesota - check out our version of Aerosmith's 'Back In The Saddle' and some of the other videos that are already floating around on YouTube.

The Poison and Dokken guys have been very friendly and it's good to be on out on the road with them. It's always interesting when you start a tour like this: Even though I've seen a few familiar faces from years past there's tons of new people to meet, including all the band members, techs, sound and lighting guys, riggers, and all the people in production and management that make a tour happen. By now we've pretty much bonded with everyone who's along for the ride. In the immortal words of the mighty Sister Sledge: "We Are Family!"

Before the tour started we needed a day of rehearsal to work out a few things. Sebastian arranged for us to spend a couple days at the Fontanel Mansion, built in 1988 just outside of Nashville, TN by country music superstar Barbara Mandrell. Man, this place is amazing - what an awesome way for us to get it in gear for the tour! If you're curious - check out a couple of links on the place HERE and HERE.

A couple nights ago on the bus, Sebastian popped in the 'Roadrage' DVD that's part of the expanded version of 'Angel Down', out July 21 through Demolition Records in the UK (they're also doing a vinyl picture disc,packaged in a double gatefold album sleeve, with an A3-sized poster!) and as an FYE exclusive at all FYE stores nationwide this summer. I hadn't seen it yet but I gotta say the DVD came out pretty damn cool! There's footage of us rehearsing, doing pre-production for and recording 'Angel Down' out in L.A., as well as 5 live songs - 'American Metalhead' (Detroit, MI - Palace Of Auburn Hills), 'Stuck Inside' (Mt. Fuji, JAP - Udo Music Festival), '(Love Is) A Bitchslap' (Calgary, CAN - Calgary Saddledome), 'By Your Side' (Calgary, CAN - Calgary Saddledome), and 'You Don't Understand' (Winnipeg, CAN - MTS Centre) - filmed with multiple cameras on the 2006 North American tour with Guns N' Roses. Good stuff!

Last but not least, I'm once again a full-fledged Texas boy! Just before I left for the tour, my wife Carol and I made the decision to move back home to our hometown of San Antonio. We had been living in L.A. for almost 6 years. We moved to the West Coast back in 2002 when I was doing a lot of work with Halford. I knew that Rob would rejoin the Priest guys eventually but I thought it would be a great opportunity to broaden my circle of contacts by being in L.A.. Although Carol and I enjoyed our time there, SA has always been "home" to us and it's great to be back there with our families and friends. I'm looking forward to getting back and setting up shop with my drums and recording equipment as soon as we get a break from the road.

Catch y'all later.

* with Poison only
^ with Bret Michaels
+ Sebastian Bach only