A Day In The Life (Touring with Paul McCartney)

by Rusty Anderson

Introduction (by Jeff Price)

A few weeks ago a gentleman named Rusty Anderson was in the TuneCore office - he was in New York for a few days on business, had an album he wanted to get into iTunes, but did not have the computer/net access to do it while he was traveling. As I was introduced to him through a mutual friend, I suggested he just stop by and have Taylor (head of Artist Support) help him out.

I met him here at the TuneCore office and asked him what business brought him to town.  He nonchalantly stated he was playing a gig in New York.  We talk a bit more and he mentioned that he was playing Citi Field.  I was not connecting dots and had no idea what Citi Field was, until two seconds later when Rusty says "You know, the new Shea Stadium".

"Why are you playing at Shea Stadium?"

"I'm lead guitar for Paul McCartney."

I can now officially state I am one degree away from a Beatle.  Something even Kevin Bacon could not have provided (I think).

As we talked further, I learned about how he has played on albums and performed live with other artists such as Willie Nelson, Elton John, and others.

I also learned that he is using TuneCore to distribute his second solo album "Born on Earth" - think raging guitar work surrounded by Cheap Trick hooks and Beatles' harmonies.

Paul made a great choice.

In any event, I asked Rusty if he would be willing to write an article for the newsletter about what it's like to be on the road with Paul playing to tens of thousands of screaming people - A Day In The Life so to speak, and Rusty was kind enough to do so. 

Please meet your fellow TuneCore Artist, Rusty Anderson.

 

(Note from Jeff: the picture was taken by my father - I assume between his fits of high pitched screaming -  of the giant screens that flank either side of the stage at Paul's gig last week at Fenway Park in Boston).

About Rusty:

Rusty Anderson has supplied guitar pyrotechnics live and on recordings for everyone from Regina Spektor to Elton John, Willie Nelson to Gwen Stefani.  Most notably, he has been Paul McCartney's right hand man for the last eight years in the studio and on record-breaking world tours.

Rusty's second solo album, "Born on Earth" is available now on iTunes (distributed by TuneCore).

Check out Rusty's website, his Facebook or Myspace pages, or follow him on Twitter.

A Day in the Life

New York City. August 7, 2009, 11:45 am - today I’m tired as hell (probably a temporary food coma occurrence from a late breakfast). We played at Fenway Park last night and the night before. What a cool, antique atmosphere that venue has. A friend of mine was jealous that we were playing there strictly because he's such a Red Sox junkie. I’m still trying to identify that particular shade of green - I guess that would be Fenway green! Paul was in great voice last night. The high C he belted out on the last note of the last song made everyone in the band look up in amazement.

It appears that I’ll have to try and switch rooms today because my hotel rule of staying away from construction, elevators and babies whenever possible has now been amended to include no intermittent internet and/or phone reception (ah, the digital age!).

I have the next few days off, which is a welcome chance to gather a little moss after a relatively intense grouping of shows, travel and long sound-checking (I even have a chance to write this!). Yesterday I woke up in Boston, got a fantastic, painful & long overdue deep tissue massage. Years of slinging a guitar over one's shoulder has its repercussions. Peter Frampton , who I saw at a show a few years ago (I’m a big Humble Pie - Rockin’ the Fillmore fan), told me he did some sort of traction therapy employing a doorway and a water bucket all because of his 50's, black, 3 pick-up Les Paul custom.

Anyway, after the massage I took a shower, packed up my bags and met the gang in the lobby. I spy my band mates (Abe, Brian and Wix) as well as the fantastic team of seasoned professional tour managers, travel managers, security, etc. - I suppose it's a reflection of Paul’s awesomeness that everyone's happy to be there and rock ready. I also just finished reading Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath and I must say I feel extra-incredibly fortunate to be playing music for a living, much less with Paul McCartney!

We get into a few black SUV thingies and drive a short distance to the stadium. Fenway Park, built in 1912, is different because it's right off of Boylston Street, a main drag in Boston, and you have an historic area with shops and bars right next to the venue as opposed to the standard industrial environment set up for 18 wheel trucks, lights PA systems, etc. We drive past the super-fans trying to look thru the tinted windows to see who's in there. We'll usually say hello if it feels right.

We drive in, greet many friends and colleagues (as you could imagine it takes a small high school of people to run a show of this size), find the band dressing room, set our stuff down and go to catering. As tradition dictates, this is pretty much the most social area - even for accountants, lighting screen genius inventors and semi-reclusive musicians such as myself.  The food is all vegetarian and it's fantastic. Kate, the server and sometimes chef is a wonderfully fresh-faced Scottish lass - the perfect interface for "Eat Your Heart Out", the catering company.

I lollygag my way up to the stage and find the band there fiddling about. Sometimes we have a freeform jam, which is always a gas, and sometimes Paul gets there before we initiate improvisation. If I remember correctly, we did have a jazzy jam that morphed into the delta blues. Paul showed up and we hugged and chatted a little as usual. He likes to warm up with a bunch of songs that we mostly don’t do in the set to keep it fresh… testing and getting a sound on all our instruments (basses, drums, electric guitars, acoustics, pianos, etc.).

Except for the sun glaring at us (I’m a bit of a cockroach and prefer the dark cracks and crevices to direct sun) it was a fun and productive soundcheck, as usual. We then went our separate ways. But always seem to find each other in catering (one must be careful not to eat much before a show - in fact Paul doesn’t eat after breakfast on show days!). In most big cities, like Boston and New York, we all have friends and family lurking about that must be tended to. In this case it was one of my best friend’s sister and her man. We hung out a bit then I snuck in a chance to watch MGMT, the opening act, from the stage.  It was great chatting with them the day before…a great bunch of guys. I probably ended up speaking with Ben the longest - being that he is a keyboardist and into FX pedals we bonded over the joys of electronics. Their set was really great. I’m a big fan of their songwriting and it was interesting to hear a more guitar-y approach to the tunes. I thought it had more of a sixties vibe then their record.

After catching most of MGMT's set I ran back thru the crowd to stretch out and get dressed. We have our little rituals of tea and wine and whatever else. We do some vocal warm ups and Paul comes and joins us at some point. This time the stage was light years away from the dressing rooms so we sing and walk our way to the SUV. As we get in the vehicle the gate opens into the street and I see a girl walking and sort of pretending not to look in. And we hear her say, “I saw him! Oh, my god that was him!”

We’re around Paul so much that we sometimes forget the effect he has on people that have never met him. We drive to the stage and get out, walk up the black wooden stairs to the back of stage left. We assume the huddle position - arm over arm - and Paul leads us thru a homemade prayer. I can’t speak for Paul specifically but I would say that none us are particularly religious. Having said that, this ritual has become very important as it aligns us to a higher power and with each other. When Scott, the stage manager, gives us the signal we walk up yet more wooden stairs onto the stage, into the lights and a bunch of screaming concertiers.

Space-time is now altered for the next 2.5 plus hours. I’ve been playing with Paul now since 2001 so part of me is used to this … a stadium full of screaming people, a small club full of screaming people or hundreds of thousands in front of the coliseum (or wherever) screaming. It’s an experience unlike anything else I could imagine, and, believe it or not, part of me is still back in catering talking to the NRBQ guys about cats and Phoenix, Arizona.

Any performer doing big gigs will start to notice that it's sort of a schizophrenic existence because of the drastic energy shift of going from relative isolation to a huge crowd. Paul counts off the first song, “Drive My Car” - Brian and I play the opening guitar riff in unison, Paul joins in on bass, Abe fills and we're off! Wix is playing the cowbell with his foot; Paul and I sing the verse...the tempo's feeling great. I hear Abe and Brian singing on the chorus and Wix's piano riff - it's that great rock and roll feeling. Somewhere in the second song I notice that my mind is getting stuck in tangents. Does that ever happen to you? Sometimes I am 101 percent in the moment like the previous night. Tonight I start to get a little lost in my head. Making eye contact with everyone in the band then grounds me and I’m back in my skin... a great place to be.

The night goes on in good form. Having this caliber of people to work with is such a pleasure. We play some new songs, some old songs, some new old songs. Nice work if you can get it, I must say. Playing music in a band is like making love - it's active and reactive. When the elements are right it's magnetic and everything else disappears into a state of rock and roll bliss.

One thing I’ve noticed is that the explosions and sparks keep getting bigger! After “Live And Let Die” has ended, my adolescent pyro desires are fully quenched. Shakey, the pyrotechnician has outdone himself once again! Fortunately, there was a nice cool breeze after that one and we can breathe again!

As usual, there were lots of signs in the audience. Anything from "my mom saw you in 1964" to "Paul, please sign my bleep". Also, shout outs to band members - tonight I saw an ego-stroking "Rusty rules" sign. Part of me is still thinking about the Grapes of Wrath...so many different perspectives to have, and sometimes all at once!

After the third encore and Paul’s stellar vocal climax, we head to the bus, high-five the best crew in the universe and begin the cardio-slow down process. Mike and John pour the champagne/margy/etc. and we toast and enjoy the magic rock and roll moment along a few significant others. We stop at the airport. Wix and Abe stay in Boston for a few extra days. Brian and I go with Paul and make our way to New York City in the private jet. The sick thing is - part of me is used to all this and part of me wonders - how in Santa Clause's name did I end up here?

- Rusty Anderson

Posted by TuneCore at 03:42 PM in Music, The Industry, Travel | Permalink

Comments

[Odile]

Thank you so much for sharing your side of the story ... I was right there for a few minutes !
You and the band make people really happy !You have no idea ... !
Enjoy the last date in Dallas !

[Lev Zemlinski, Moscow]

Thanks, Rusty!
Keep watching your dvd with PM (Space within US), it was also on local TV not long ago. Great guitar sound! I'm also big fan of Abe and his style. I will try to buy your album.
All the best!

[Mindy]

Rusty-you are a fantastic player, and you and your bandmates are magical! Hope you play with Paul forever!

Oh and Cindy? Lighten up girl!

[Sylvester (ironhead)Bailey]

Very interesting refreshing story it shows the true life of a touring musician .
when one is on tour with some one like Paul McCartney where there has to be certain intimacy with the music and then your casual side where you have to just be your self
I like this part
( Sometimes I am 101 percent in the moment like the previous night. Tonight I start to get a little lost in my head. Making eye contact with everyone in the band then grounds me and I’m back in my skin...)

It's definitely true i am glad you share it so we all know not only us feel this way sometimes as Regular musician but it can happy to anyone at times
keep up the great work
love your story

[joanpi]

Hi Rusty,

thanks for sharing your experience with us, gives lil feeling like we're there too. I hope Paul McCartney to visit Athens for the worlwide tour if rumours gonna be true.

[Cindy]

I don't know much about Rusty, but it drives me nuts that he and his band mates drink alcohol. This sets a very bad example. This is not "living the life." It's not good to use this chemical. Alcohol is a DRUG. It is a highly addictive toxin. Even if alcohol were healthy, just the fact that it is a mind-altering drug makes it wrong. Booze drinkers are no better than pot smokers, except they aren't breaking the law. They are after the same effect. People look up to Rusty and think he's the greatest, yet look at the alcohol references in this thing he wrote!

[janet]

Love you Rusty. Going to buy your album in a second. Was in Halifax, NY, DC, and both Fenways. Was lucky enough to keep moving up only to end up in 2nd row for the last Fenway show. What a treat! Hope you guys are back soon.

[Marjorie Gobert]

Hi Rusty ! Thanx a lot for this nice report. I was there for the two gigs at Fenway Park and it was wonderful. You did a great job ! I'm pleased to read that you have released your second album 'Born On Earth', I'm gonna buy it today... I loved the first one.
See you next time...
Lots of love from France xxx

[Ira Marlowe]

Hi Rusty
I got to see you live at Citi Field on Fri and Sat. While I. have you giging with Paul on dvd. Playing live together. Is in a word. MAGIC! Keep rocking!

Ira Marlowe. Englewood NJ

[Dan Slack]

Saw the show in Fenway.
Great job by all!

[Gon Von zola]

Heya Rusty,

Nice to hear you are on tunecore too. Sounds like your internet is crap sometimes and the chance that you get back to me about this is quite low, but:

The quirky and catchy The Budda Cakes from London would love to support a PM gig, would you like to give it a listen? Erm, I mean, seriously.. :)

www.myspace.com/thebuddacakes

Thanx :)

Gon von Zola

[Jean Hudon]

Hi Rusty

I enjoyed this story where you guide us into the secrets of life with Sir Paul. I was in Halifax and cannot thank you enough for sharing this magical moment with us. Awesome guitar tone by the way.
God bless!

[soshush]

We have the Back in the US and USSR dvd’s – Rusty Anderson on tunecore is beyond cool. It’s great how these big artists now want to operate without record labels – keeping their revenues, copyrights and artistic freedom. Interesting times!

[Wil Masisak]

Rusty... You're living the life, baby. Having played only one stadium show in my life, I'd do it for free if anyone asked.

Abe is an old friend... we made a record together in 1990... fun times. Is Aaron your drum tech? Another former bandmate. Cheers buddy and enjoy the ride.

[Goop]

What a great article. Good job Rusty.