Down in LA….

The woods are lovely dark and deep/But I have promises to keep/and Miles to go before I sleep/and miles to go before I sleep.

-Robert Frost.

Honey where have you been? Good to see you again!

-The Angels.

I cant even tell you where I have been.I mean,Its been over a year and all my journals scan the same to me at this point.Not that that is much use to anyone who ever took the time to read this shit….or am I flattering myself again? Hellooooo! Anybody out there?

Ok brief rundown and then I will tell y’all the fine arsed fable of how I shored up in Laguna Hills and am in the midst of making an album with some of my Heroes….

Only Me I swear to God.

Did Europe again last year and recorded another album.It was good.On a personal level I was shattered.Got my heart stomped while still in Australia and sadly had to exit what I thought was a real keeper of a relationship.Better off alone and carrying my crushes and longings is the path for me.I have enough troubles with my own addictions and compulsions without having to deal with anyone else’s.I was beaten down and a woman that I swore that I would never become.Rebuild or die.I really got my heart,that was semi whole when I gave it,handed back to me in about,fuck,I dunno? A MILLION fuckin’ pieces….I could not stay.

So I didnt.I wrapped aformentioned heart in an old Stooges teeshirt and got back in the van.

I spent most of my time in Hamburg in the gym where I whittled 17kgs off my frame and got mean again.That is what serves me the best.We played alot of good shows and as always I met alot of good people.

December found me back out west in Sydney Australia rethinking my moves and living in the garage out the back of Metz-o-rexic and Lilli Whitetigers house.I Hung the whole summer with My big Brother,Worked my ass off,fucked around with my knives got a heap of new ink,did a boot camp and then got a message out of the blue from LA……

I met Michelle Meldrum through Gene Hoglan last year at a thrash movie thing.We went to the bathroom together and bonded.”Cool chick!” I thought but then again all the people that Gene has ushered into my life over the years have always been just that.Quality and cool as all getout.I didn’t really think much more of it as I was about to go into the studio with Rob Hill to lay down what was to become “Treason songs” Never has a title been more appropriate unfortunately….My head was fully in the game.Ross ran the advance for Germany,Mikey made a break for San Francisco and Pointy rolled joints,put me down and absconded from any emotional responsibility….

Then like I said.Germany all year the home in December.

Fast forward to January this year when I get a message from Gene.The man is busy so its always nice to see his name on my screen.I thought that it would be some kind of cool rock trivia of maybe something on our beloved Stevie Wonder (“Lately” is our song if ya care…)

“Hey darlin! Do you Want to come out and play the NAMM show with Meldrum? Moa has left the band…”

Well fuck! I mean,what an offer! It was in 2 weeks and as I had only just made it home I said that I couldn’t do it but it opened up into a flurry of emails between the 3 of us.I have always wanted to get my rock on and swing it and to be in a band with Gene was a dream…I swore to myself before I left for Europe the last time that what ever came up I would take it.

And I have.

Robert John just left.Check his shit out.He was G’n’R’s photographer for years and he just shot me sitting on the floor of the studio that I am living in while recording the new Meldrum album.Me with my posters of Bowie,Aerosmith and the Beatles on my wall.A picture of me and Blackie rocking out on stage together.Photos of the usual suspects and all my teenage shit that grounds me as I roam the world.A Custom Zakk Wilde bulls-eye guitar cradled in my arms…And I am playing again.I am so well taken care of and encouraged to do my thing out here that I look for the hidden camera all the time.

I mean,A positive studio experience??? Moi????

As Dawn our manager would say with her beautiful brooklyn voice ‘Get OUTTA here!” And its amazing to me…I had to challenge myself.Throw different shapes.

And here I am.

That’s the brief version.I have been wanting to get back in the ring with my “Whitetrash” for sooo long.I cant even tell you.I know that this is somewhat sparse and not as full of the somewhat floral crap that I usually roll with but its kind of like trying and wanting so bad to fall in love again.I have been strung out for my honesty over the last year or so and I did not want to bring that kind of headshy avoidance to my writing.Christ! Who am I kidding,its gonna show up but I want to temper it.I have so many control issues when it comes to people and emotions trying to guide my hand.I don’t stand for it.Never have….

As the computer that I am on right now is in the studio and I still have mad sleep issues even after working out almost all day and recording all night I know that I will be venting up here yet again REAL soon.

[“I even changed the color of my eyes,I didn’t want to be what I had been with him…All new and improved…”]

Nice to be in California again.I am running all the time and loving it.Lots of Clutch and AC/DC to get me sweating.Michelle comes home and we record up until 9 or thereabouts.Gene calls me “One L” which has just been shortened to “Elle” most of the time now.I’m cool with it.2 Michele/Michelle’s in one band is a pain in the bahakas anyway you wanna run with it.

I am the same where ever I go.Its the structure that I have to have.There is a whole food market down the road and I have room to train and write and sleep.That’s me all taken care of.No lie.I am that easy to please.I gotta keep an eye on the condition of my condition all the time out here.I think that Americans put trans fat in the water.

I’m gonna go and Chill before I run,yoga,what not.

Like I siad please excuse this creaky effort back into the frey.Or not.You know that in the long run I don’t really give a fuck.Before I go I have to thank all and sundry in the tribe who write me and support me and what not.Who understand that I am a holiday uncle at best and who respect my silence and absences as much as my noise.

SF4L.I’m in for the long haul.But y’all know that from the start.

M

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