Hi gang....

Just in from the El Paso show. It was truly awesome!!! Nicholas's voice was fine. I know some singers when doing a one shot spot like Leno will not sing out, will save their voice. Perhaps this was the case. Oh my gawd..... he, Canut and Patchai did the Fandango. I about died.

The sound was really quite good and the GK were having a blast with the audience and each other.

It truly was a wonderful show and even better was being with 11 cousins afterwards at the hotel bar when the GK came in and talked to everyone and hung out for hours. It was pretty amazing!! Others will tell the story better, I just have to say it was a hell of a kickoff to our Texas-tourathon!!! Met the new boys in the band, a likeable bunch, all speak English well. They were very friendly, as were all the GK and management to one and all.

So don't worry about them being not so hot... they are rocking.

I must go to sleep now... note time of post. Up in the am for a quick trip to Mexico then ON TO AUSTIN!!!

Ole' y'all.... cathy

We had a FANTASTIC time in El Paso! It was a truly great concert! Rob and I had the same feeling when we reached our seats: this hall looks anything but "acoustically perfect". We were expecting lousy sound. We were wrong! The sound was very, very good right from the start. I finally got to seem them play "Galaxia" and HEAR it too! Now I can get run over by a bus tomorrow and die happy!

The one strange element was the crowd. They all remained seated for a long, long time. I kept looking around and only saw fellow GKML members (we were well represented) on their feet and dancing. Now, I lived in El Paso in 1976-77 and this sure wasn't the El Paso I remembered. Finally, about halfway through the second set, one girl went forward and started dancing in front of the stage. Then a couple more. Security people set out to remove them. I then turned around, facing the rest of the crowd, and gestured widely with my arms as if to say "Come on! Get up on your feet!". Right after that, Patchai made the same sort of gesture (this was during "Recuerdo Apasionado") and, within a half a minute, the WHOLE PLACE WAS ALIVE! Once this crowd loosened up, it REALLY loosened up! Girls started climbing on stage to kiss GK members on their cheeks as they performed. Security and road crew members were very busy trying to prevent the stage from being taken over. It was quite a scene!

Right after the concert, we heard that the hotel across the street (where we and the GKs were staying) would be closing their restaurant for a private party for the GKs. This isn't what happened. After the show, the GKs arrived and, as has been said already, just hung out in the lobby/bar area for HOURS. We all got to hang out, take photos and talk with each and every one of them. I got plenty of really great photos which I'll post to the web site as soon as I can start catching up (still have a lot from Berkeley left to process).

We also had a long chat with David about the GKML and the web site. They finally know who we are and associate us with this Internet group. David had many worthwhile suggestions which I'll get to later. We were up until 2am local time hanging with the band. It was just GREAT!!!!!

I'm sure more of the GKML cousins will have plenty to add to this.

...Bob

Bob wrote:

We had a FANTASTIC time in El Paso!

I just want to add a big DITTO to that.

The one strange element was the crowd. They all remained seated for a long, long time.

On one hand I had a hard time understanding the crowd's nonchalance, but OTOH, since we were the only people standing and rumba-ing at our seats, it was the first time I was able to be up and dancing without someone in front of me blocking my view (ya, ya I know -- the people behind me couldn't see, but hey----). Especially during Montana, it was almost as tho Canut was singing just to me. Certainly the first time I could actually SEE him (altho I still picture the moth thing) without ducking and dodging behind some tall person.

Patchai made the same sort of gesture (this was during "Salsa de Noche") and, within a half a minute, the WHOLE PLACE WAS ALIVE!

And that just made the GK spring to life. The sudden enthusiasm just encouraged them to put their hearts and souls into one of the most enthusiastic performances of Salsa de Noche I've ever seen.

After the show, the GKs arrived and, and just hung out in the lobby/bar area for HOURS.

This was a total dream come true. After the backstage experience and the casino experiences, this was how I'd always wanted to interract with them. Just hang out over a few drinks and talk. OK, get drunk and bullsh*t. And the best part to me was that as the evening progressed there were fewer and fewer distractions from fawning PBs. Just us and the GK.

We also had a long chat with David about the GKML

It was so nice to finally be able to talk with David about the website and the GK. He's usually too busy to allow himself the luxury of just chatting, but this casual atmosphere was the perfect place to get to know him.

PS - There was certainly nothing wrong with Nicolas' voice last night in El Paso. He was in TOP form!

Another big DITTO! from me.

........................LP

Hola a todos,

First I'd like to say it was really great meeting the cousins.. we had such a great time!! Bob got a little mushy for a second when we were all sitting around shootin the sh*t and said "I LOVE these people". Ditto from me.

The concert was really awesome.. good sound, Nicolas sounded great, and Tonino did indeed get the house a-rockin when he whipped out a jazzier, kind of rock-n-rollish version of Salsa de Noche. Cathy and I couldn't take it anymore.. so we joined the few dancers up front, and suddenly the stage is rushed and I'm surrounded by sweaty, stinky, bouncy but HAPPY people. The music sounded distorted so I didn't stay long up there. I don't know how long their concerts usually last, but it sure seemed DAMN short! I wanted MORE! Lots of new stuff I'd never heard which was a real treat.

Earlier in the day, while I was checking into the hotel, there is a dude (Richard I discovered) using the front desk phone and by listening to his conversation (couldn't help it) he was trying to find Pacheco for rehearsals and whom apparently didn't know about it. So I glance around and there's Georges sitting on a couch chattin w/somebody. Yummaaayy! So I'm at the elevators when the door opens and out flies Pacheco, nearly running right smack into me. (wouldn't have minded) :)

You all know that they came into the bar/lounging area after the concert, much to my amazement. The highlights of that is that I managed to get pix with all of them, thanks to Eddie and Bennardine MAKING me do it. Also, I got to talk with Pacheco and Paco a bit. Pacheco asked if I spoke french or spanish.. no, not really, so he proceeds to tell me, in chopped english, that he "not speak english too well.. how did you like the concert?" Then Eddie walks up and helps me tell Pacheco that I admire his bongo skills and I think he's awesome. I noticed later Eddie and Pacheco having a lengthy conversation at the bar.. too cool! Pacheco is a really nice/relaxed dude. Then around 1am or so, most of them left for bed or whatever, except for Paco, Max and Andre.. the last chatting up some gal in the corner who so graciously ALLOWED Benn to take a pic of me w/Andre.

Later I noticed Paco sitting all by himself, so I got brave and sat down with him. He asks if I speak french.. no, not really, and HE proceeds to ask in english if "this your first concert?" and "did you like it?" I'm thinking I must be protraying the part of NEWBIE for him to ask that, but anyhoo, I try to say in french where I am from and I think he was thinking it was strange that I wasn't going to Austin and Dallas(which he managed to ask if I was going), which are MUCH closer. Then Cathy sat down, thank God, and spoke with him at length.. about what I have no idea. But it was pretty righteous just sitting there.. he, too, is very laid back and nice. I saw him the next morning (very sleepy and hung over) again, waiting for the elevator when he steps out, I smile, he says Bonjour.. Me?? I'm so durnd star-struck I can't even remember my own name.. so I don't say anything. Cripes!! Get a grip. Didn't get to say the things I wanted to to Nicolas either.. I think I'd left my brain in the room. What a dummie. Capped off this awesome night chit-chattin with Benn and Lauren in my room (we closed the bar down, "hey, there's that bottle of cpt morgan that Eddie bought!") Thanks Eddie!! (a most righteous primo) eeeek! who said that?

Oh, and Canut is now the proud owner of Lauren's cigarette case. Yes, he actually snagged her smokes and was never seen again! heeheehee.. He looked mighty fine and was in a really goofy mood.. had some mesh shirt on, got a gander at his chest. (Hey, men do it!)

That about wraps it up I think. I'll not be forgetting this any time soon.

lyds

We stayed in the same hotel as the GK and that was COOL. I bumped into Patchai, Canut, Nicholas and Andres just before the concert and got them to sign my GK t-shirt. I used THAT silver pen:))) The concert was GREAT although the audience only picked up in the second half. At one stage it was only me and Luaren standing and dancing. When we returned to our hotel, we went to the bar and awhile later the boys came in. I managed to get ALL of them including the backup band to sign my t-shirt. I'm going to frame it when I return to Singapore. Damn! Did I say I was going back???

The next morning, I saw the guys at the lobby and went the other way. BUT I couldn't help but notice them taking a group picture with another in-house band. I sprinted right across the lobby with Lydia. The guys were just dispersing but Canut saw me and remembered me from the previous night as Lauren had introduced us. I said "one more, please"..He mumbled something to the guys and they assmebled for me. It was just Canut, Nicolas, unknown and the 3 sons. That was COOL.I left immediately as I didn't want them to think I was stalking them:)

I spoke to Pascal and he promised backstage passes for all the comming concerts for me, Juliet, Elena and Cathy (MC. GKSM:))) I also asked him about the new back-up band and he said that Negrito, Dominique and Gerard were fired. I asked him abot the new album and he said 'somewhere in November'...I spoke to Canut Amador in my bad Spanish, he was really sweet and trying to help me out, even corrected me when I called Lydia No. 2 'amigo':))) I asked him about Michael and he replied that Michael just got married and his wife is pregnant.

That was a great Day No. 2

Ze CHIEF
Bennnnnn

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