My "Oceania" experience.....

Hey there boys and girls.....

It's been awhile since I've updated all of you. It's been an extremely busy summer for me thus far. The last 2 weeks I've been on the east coast visiting family, but the 6 weeks prior to that were spent working in the studio on our forthcoming album "Oceania." It was a very intense 6 weeks to say the least. I've participated in many recording sessions in my life, but this experience pushed me to a different level of musicianship that I've never quite experienced. The first 3 weeks were spent working closely with our drummer Mike. I didn't record anything, but served more as a support system for him as I felt my way through the songs. What I loved about this process was that we really played off of each other's styles and worked through our parts together. His choices directly influenced mine and vice versa. So even though we recorded separately, we were still able to create that live, organic feeling in the songs. I think the primary focus for this album was to create a natural "band" sound that wasn't so focused on technicalities. We tried to use full takes as much as possible, no clicks, and as few punch-ins as we could. The concentration was more on creating a feeling verses getting a "perfect" take. Billy really gave us the opportunity to bring our personalities to the tracks. The process for me was a very positive one because I felt totally supported and trusted. As far as writing bass lines, Billy gave me the reigns and I took full advantage of it! My goal was to put my stamp on this album without compromising the classic Pumpkins sound. I feel that because I was so supported I was able to take risks and have the confidence to follow through with ideas that wouldn't necessarily be the obvious choice. I think that I succeeded in what I set out to do which was to create a bass sound that is unique to me and also serves the album. I feel really good about the work that we've done as a unit these past few months and feel strongly that it is going to shine through in the final product. Billy and Jeff are currently working diligently on guitars while I am gearing up to work on vocals. Shortly after that we will mix, master and share it with all of you! In other news, The Cold and Lovely record is currently being mixed and should be ready for a late summer/early fall release. Thanks for all of your love and support!

xo N

p.s. For the gear heads:

The songs on Oceania tend to highlight the melodic side of my playing. I used a variety of basses that all support the lead bass lines that I play without losing the low end. Basses I used include a 63 Fender Jazz, 62 Gibson Thunderbird, 64 Fender VI, 76 P bass, 58 P bass, and a 78 Rickenbacker. Although I am a Mesa Boogie girl on stage, we experimented with a Reeves custom 225 head and an Ampeg SVT Classic 8x10 cabinet for the record and found a really great sound that was very complimentary to my style.

News update

Hey everyone. I am very excited to announce that my first single from my side project with Meghan Toohey, The Cold and Lovely, was released April 24th. If you haven't heard it you can check it out at www.thecoldandlovely.com. Hope you enjoy it! I will keep you updated on any further releases.

In Pumpkins news, I am gearing up to get back into the studio with Billy and crew in the next few weeks. We are in the process of writing and recording 10-11 songs for a full length album entitled "Oceania". It is being released as an "album within an album" format and will be included in the ongoing Teargarden By Kaleidyscope project. We have one more song to release before we go into start recording. It's called "Owata" and should be available to download end of April early May. Very exciting stuff! Thanks for checking in with me!

xoxo Nicole

Lightning Strikes

Lightning Strikes, maybe once maybe twice, and it all comes down to you.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/exclusive-listen-smashing-pumpkins-new-wave-lightning-strikes-20110317

My Q & A

In case you missed my impromptu q & a on my facebook page a few nights ago, here's the jist of it.



Edward Kennedy what are your favorite Adore songs?

Nicole Fiorentino to edward: my fave adore songs: to sheila, daphne descends, ava adore(cuz when we play it live it's all about me, haha!), behold the nightmare, blank page

Andres Aviles And Gish?

Nicole Fiorentino fave gish songs: siva, rhinocerous, tristessa, snail, i am one

Max Sto Nicole: can you play 'I Am One' without using the pick?

How much could be hard to play 'Rhinoceros', for example, with a drummer who continues to do annoying drum rolls like Mike, without accelereting the song?

Nicole Fiorentino max sto, why in the world would you post insulting comments on the personal page of someone who plays in a band you claim to be a fan of? i don't get people like you. i mean to each his own, but i personally don't get off being a negative nancy. that's just me.

David Morrow Is loveless one of your favorite stuck in the car in traffic records to BLAST or what??

Nicole Fiorentino agreed david. no i have not personally played snail with the band, unfortunately. would love to! and loveless slays my heart everytime, in a good way.

Renee Phillips Hey thats bullshit. But hell whose the dumb one asking for a request. Talking crap! Damn kids!

Nicole Fiorentino i mean i'm used to it. everyone is allowed to have an opinion, that's why i won't delete his comments. i just don't get the point of being negative is all.

Max Sto Nicole:
Why? Because I'm a fan of a band which never was a "real" band, in the classic meaning, neither in the 90s!
I'm just trying to get a "musician chat"... but I'm glad to see that you don't reply just to fans who licks your a**...

Nicole Fiorentino fair enough. again, we've all got our opinions.

Ferruccio 'Ferro' Montanino Mellon Collie stuff will forever be the soundtrack to my high school years. It's a beautiful thing to remember.

Nicole Fiorentino dont even get me started on mellon collie. just DREAMY. love, 33, porcelina, by starlight, muzzle, in the arms of sleep, stumbeleine, tonight tonight, zero. need i say more?

Ste Allen Make Billy play Bury Me and we will love you forever Nicole!

Nicole Fiorentino ste allen: i can suggest, i can bat my eyelashes, but i can't MAKE billy do anything. ; )

Frankie Riccardi What songs from the SP catalouge that you have not played live yet would you like to play the most.
And,
Say Billy said 'For your birthday, I am letting you put our set list together.'
What would you choose?

Nicole Fiorentino to frankie: (songs i havent played and would love to) 33, luna, daphne descends, i am one, love, porcelina, quiet, mayonaise, with every light, muzzle, bodies, soma...i mean i could go on but it would take awhile!

Carrie Thomas ok what about Machina and Machina II songs? what are your faves from those?

Nicole Fiorentino carrie: i really love heavy metal, sacred and profane, with every light

Renee Phillips I really hope you guys liked NEW MEXICO. Dont know if you guys did though. Billy was so nice to me.

Nicole Fiorentino renee...cant speak for everyone but i enjoyed NM!

Carrie Thomas nice choices Nicole :) now would u hate the What is your favorite played so far off TbK question? :P

Nicole Fiorentino carrie: as for released TBK songs, my faves are astral planes, tom tom, freak, fellowship. i have some fave TBK's that havent been released too, but you'll have to be patient on that info!

Pamela Simmons You definitely are in one of the best bands, you are very fortunate to have that opportunity and experience. But your talent is what got you there as well : )

Nicole Fiorentino thanks pamela! i really am grateful for my job. and its a really good fit, we're kind of a dream team the 4 of us, regardless of what some people may think. ; )

David Morrow Have you ever heard glynis? I think maybe easily one of the most magical songs that Billy ever wrote

Nicole Fiorentino um , not sure david. he's such a writing machine i kind of cant keep track!

Andres Aviles Nicole, Do You love to Billy? :)

Nicole Fiorentino i really do, he's a great friend of mine and i learn so much from him musically.

Chris Kwan Nicole - Have you ever thought of eventually fronting your own band? Do you write frequently? And how's Louise doing? Any chance of VS coming back any time soon?

Nicole Fiorentino chris: ive never actually fronted my own band. ive been in many bands and written with many people, but honestly i have no desire to be a frontperson. louise is great, shes in mommy land! i dont think VS is done and if i have free time and louise wants to play music with me again i would. but right now SP is full time

Erik Mueller Nicole, I always like to ask this of my favorite musicians... what was your first performance/concert like? What kind of music was it, how did it go?

Nicole Fiorentino erik: my first show was with my high shcool punk band sweet 16. at a record store in westfield, ma. i think 5 people were there including my dad. i played drums for a few songs too!

Gordon McCracken Are you touring the East Coast US this year ? Do you know if the band is coming to Atlanta , GA ?

Nicole Fiorentino gordon: right now the focus is recording, not sure about the tour situation right now. but ive been to atlanta with VS and loved it!

Pamela Simmons How long have you been playing bass? Has being in the SP challenged you even more with your playing style? SP create some pretty amazing music! Not music that you hear everyday on the radio, but really thought provoking, intelligent music. I would love to meet you all someday, have waited many years. Tried last time but wasn't allowed in : ( but loved being at the show!! Can you please say hello to Billy and the rest of the band to for me, I love you all, and appreciate your music very very much, SP music has helped me a lot in the past, and I will always continue to listen to SP! Thankyou again Nicole, is nice talking to you : )

Nicole Fiorentino pam: ive been playing since i was 14. SP has challenged me more than any band ive ever played in. especially in the respect that i am writing my own parts for the new songs. lots of pressure there!

Danielle Cain I was lucky enought to see you all 4 times last year, now I am going through withdrawls...I live close...when will you all be playing live again?

Nicole Fiorentino danielle: loving az. not sure when touring next. focusing on recording

Louie Cascella Who was your absolute favorite punk band as a kid?

Nicole Fiorentino louie: i loved rancid, bikini kill, lunachicks, dead kennedies. i was into poppier punk. i liked lots of local massachusetts band too, where im from

Erik Mueller Do you have a preference between playing larger venues versus smaller, perhaps more "intimate" clubs and places?

Nicole Fiorentino erik: its really intense to play in front of thousands of people at a festival, but theres something about intimite venues that you cant get with the large crowds. eye contact for example. im really big on that

Eric M. Cliplef Nicole have you ever toured across Canada ? Namely Manitoba and the rest of western Canada. SP hasn't been through Western Canada(excluding Vancouver) in over a decade.

Nicole Fiorentino eric: i love vancouver. ive toured canada with VS but not SP

Eric Weclowski A few times in the past, other band members have taken over the lead vocal duties. You have a very nice singing voice... if the band wanted you to, and there was a song that asked for a female lead voice, is that something you would be interested in doing? any plans of one?

Nicole Fiorentino eric: i would love to sing lead on an SP song, there hasnt been an opportunity but if it came up i would give it a shot

Gordon McCracken Is there any discussion in a break in format and releasing a full album CD ?

Nicole Fiorentino gordon: we like to keep you on your toes

David Morrow nicole! What band were you in in high school? I used to goto a lot of the Western Mass local shows in high school

Nicole Fiorentino david: sweet 16. used to play pearl st all the time. and flywheel

Na Talia Add woodwinds! and come back to S.A.

Nicole Fiorentino na talia: i just adore south america. we had a blast there!

Maddi Gordon-Walker How do you feel about the younger generation of fans taking interest in SP? And what's your favourite song to play? :)

Nicole Fiorentino maddi i am so thrilled to see younger faces in the audience. its like they get to experience their own version of SP. pretty exciting that theyre not just hearing old songs rehashed. we love the old school fans too! aside from mike byrne we're no spring chickens in this camp!




Scott Collins What has been your favorite song to play? What are your wishes for the future as the band continues to grow together, record more, etc...?

Nicole Fiorentino scott: i love ava adore, fellowship, by starlight, tristessa, cherub, hummer, astral, stand inside your love, many others, i hope to continue making music with billy that is just as epic, dark, beautiful and magical as you all expect it to be.

Sergio Zanabria who or what are your main musical inspirations?

Nicole Fiorentino sergio: the cure, pj harvey, siousxie sioux, my bloody valentine, joy division, fleetwood mac

Thadd Lawrence What are your three favorite Pumpkins songs?

Nicole Fiorentino thadd: luna, 33, mayonaise. so many more than 3 though

Dulio Alejandro Gomez about new songs... when will release a new EP??? last two are great!!!

Nicole Fiorentino dulio: finishihg up 2 this week that should be out soon

James Volkomer How much fun is it to play "Gossamer"?

Nicole Fiorentino james: gossamer rocks my world

Simon Mateljan Hey Nicole, interested in knowing what gear you have personally been using on the recent songs?

Nicole Fiorentino simon: my 78 fender P, billy's fender jazz (63 i think) and a thunderbird. reeves head and ampeg cab. also my touring rig mesa titan head and mesa cab

Bree Mateljan Hi Nicole. I can imagine that traveling extensively can be an amazing experience for the soul, but is it hard to remain grounded and creative in that situation?
(Thank you for answering or questions! Much appreciated! x)

Nicole Fiorentino bree: it really can be. it takes a little getting used to and its not for everyone. i can see why people snap under the pressure. but i try to step back and remember why it is i do this. i adore music.

Any SP songs that you would like to play live that you haven't yet?

David Pukin Any SP songs that you would like to play live that you haven't yet?

Nicole Fiorentino david. lots: 33, luna, mayonaise, with every light, muzzle, bodies, quiet

Benjamin Marcelo Do u compose any tipe of music?

Nicole Fiorentino benjamin: i was co-writer in several of the bands ive played with in the past. i write my own bass parts in SP and have progressively been contributing more and more as time passes. like i said to someone else, i can't MAKE billy corgan do anything. ; )

Hypno Raygun Hey Nicole, this is cool, thanks for doing this! How much are you learning/practicing older songs plus working on new songs? Is it all new stuff these days?

Nicole Fiorentino hypno: just focusing on new songs right now

Ben Leighty Will those new songs be out THIS month, or in March?

Nicole Fiorentino ben : cant say exactly when. very soon! ; )

Louie Cascella Do you ever feel like you need to just step back for a minute and say "damn. Im in sp?"

Nicole Fiorentino louie: many many times, usually when im on stage!

Susan Somers are the Teargarden songs you've been working on songs we know, or songs we don't know? I understand if you can't say :)

Nicole Fiorentino susan: a combo of both

Ben Leighty Can you confirm whether or not you have recorded "Circular Change"?

Nicole Fiorentino ben: dont you like to be surprised?

Hypno Raygun Can you comment on any new instruments involved in the recording process? Stand up Bass??

Nicole Fiorentino hypno: dijeridoo. haha i dont think thats how you spell it. ; )

Zach Hesse i dont think anyone is going to change the setlist but billy himself. he writes them before a show. or so i ve heard.

Nicole Fiorentino zach: the band helps out

Tom Cohen Hi Nicole! Are the upcoming songs similar to what has been shown so far, or is it going in a new direction musically? Either way, I'm totally thrilled. :-)

Btw saw you guys at the Sunset Strip last august, awesome show!

Nicole Fiorentino tom: definitely a fresh vibe . im really excited about it

Phillip Done Hi nicole, do you see yourself becoming involved in writing the lyrics of new SP songs?

Nicole Fiorentino philip: doubtful but billy is very open to our ideas so you never know

Thadd Lawrence What's your favourite bass to play right now?

Nicole Fiorentino thadd: the new fender jazz we just got, but we have a 6 string coming that im really looking forward to!

Ryan Knight an off pumpkins question, How are you feeling today Nicole? :)

Nicole Fiorentino ryan: im feeling chatty. : )

Hypno Raygun How much of the new material is pre written (via Billy or whoever) and how much of it is created via a jam or just rockin out?

Nicole Fiorentino hypno: for the most part whole band

Jonathan Monte How is your singing doing

Nicole Fiorentino jonathan: recorded vocals last month for the 2 songs that are going to be released very soon. billy did his vocals for those songs today. vocals are sounding great

Ben Leighty Is there going to be a new release method for the songs? Will we get more than one song at a time, perhaps?

Nicole Fiorentino ben: we have some surprises in store. i know you hate surprises. ; )

Zach Hesse any plans for zwan?

Nicole Fiorentino zach: dont think so

Thadd Lawrence What is your favorite candy? I want to know, so that if i ever get to meet you i can give you some!

Nicole Fiorentino thadd: chocolate covered pretzels, not really a candy though is it?

César Moraga R Dear Nicole: ¿Which are the best memories of your participation in Veruca Salt? (you know, i love that record!)

Nicole Fiorentino cesar: writing with louise for VS IV. shes such a gem to work with,

Hypno Raygun Favorite Bass player? / if you could be in any historic band (not currently playing live or recording) what band would it be?

Nicole Fiorentino Hypno: fave bass player simon gallup from the cure

Thadd Lawrence Either/Or Question> Which B-side collection...Pisces Iscariot or Aeroplane Flies High

Nicole Fiorentino Thad: pisces

Ryan Vincent Had you ever been to a Pumpkins show before you joined the band?

Nicole Fiorentino ryan vincent: shockingly the only time i saw SP was when they played amoeba record store with mark tulin on bass last year, right before i joined the band!

Spencer Montoya Nicole...just curious if you knew what was on the cover of the Pisces Iscariot album? It's been a huge debate in the SP community for years!

Nicole Fiorentino spncer: no idea!

Ryan Knight I was at a studio and recorded bass on saturday, and I was wondering if you double layer and pan your bass tracks to different sides? im always wanting to hear different techniques. any thing unusual you do at the studio when preping or recording?

Nicole Fiorentino ryan: i have panned the bass before in a recording but not with sp. ive been experimenting a lot more with pedals and such, since billy's such a pedal freak!

Warren Crutcher What's the most fun SP song to play?

Nicole Fiorentino warren: united states is a blast

Ben Leighty Is Billy almost done writing his book?

Nicole Fiorentino ben: its really coming along

Starla Sandoz What do you think about chemtrails?

Nicole Fiorentino i dont think about chemtrails

Erik Mueller What pedals have you been having the most fun with? Using any fuzz?

Nicole Fiorentino erik chorus and delay, fuzz is always fun too

Tom Cohen Hi, me again... as an aspiring musician, I want to know: how do you and the others come up with the songs? I know Billy must have a huge part in it, but is it mostly planned out (like, "Okay, this is what we should do, go for this vibe, etc.), or does it come spontaneously/from a lot of jam sessions? :-)

Nicole Fiorentino tom its a little bit of both. really depends on the circumstance

Jason Mull Do any of the imminent songs to be released exceed 7 minutes in length?

Nicole Fiorentino jason... there are some that have that potential

Hypno Raygun What's your favorite Muppet? ha..

Nicole Fiorentino hypno the blond chick and beaker

Andres Aviles Nicole, Do you like South America? And WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COUNTRY?

Nicole Fiorentino andres i am in love with south america. my grandfather is from lima peru

César Moraga R Dear Nicole: ¿What women in music inspired you in your younger years?

Nicole Fiorentino cesar; joan jett, go gos, bangles, madonna, bikini kill, stevie nicks, 7 year bitch, L7, veruca salt, lunachicks, etc

Hasief Ardiasyah Another question: before you go on tour do you rehearse a predetermined number of songs that you eventually choose from for each show, or are you supposed to know every SP tune there is and just roll with whatever the setlist turns out to be?

Nicole Fiorentino hasief we figure it out at rehearsal, and change it up while were out on tour sometimes. he never said learn the entire catalogue, but i do know most of it at this point

Hypno Raygun I met the Lunachicks one time and got their autographs! They opened up for The Offspring in Springfield, MO..

Nicole Fiorentino my old band in high school opened for lunachicks!

Edward Kennedy what modern day bands do you like? i think the silversun pickups sound a lot like 90's SP!

Nicole Fiorentino i love silversun, brian is a good friend of mine and ive been going to their shows since they were playing in friends backyards in LA

Kelly Lence-ola not really a question, but Nicole you gotta know: you give bass-wielding girls a lotta hope the world over. thanks for doing what you do ♥

Nicole Fiorentino kelly! thanks so much! that means a lot to me. ; )

Catalina Cloud The best concert (in your opinion) of the last [south american] tour?

Nicole Fiorentino catalina: lima was pretty amazing as was brazil, oh wow i cant really choose, you south americans are so much fun!

Erik Mueller Any insight into the Silversun Pickups world? Are they

Nicole Fiorentino erik: yes

Adythia Utama What do you think the hardest SP song to play bass to is?

Nicole Fiorentino adythia i had trouble with simpler songs like today and 1979. onlty because the bass is so basic that i just space out! and billy's changes can be hard to follow. hes tricky that way

Tyler Benjamin Finley What was your favorite US city you toured this year? Which cities did you miss that you wish you went to?

Nicole Fiorentino tyler i miss not playing boston as im from mass

Nicole, What is your videomusic favorite of SP? And Is there videomusic in the future for Teargarden?

Nicole Fiorentino andres 1979 was always a good one, not sure about video for us in the near future but i know billy wants to explore all media

Travis Christenberry Do you plan on answering questions often or is this likely a one time thing?

Nicole Fiorentino travis i'll do this when i ahve time, i happen to have it tonight!

Mike Byrne Hello nikole I m yur numero uno fan and I jus wanna say yur pritty kewl lololololol what's yur favorite song? Mine's "copa cabana", becuz I wear a diamond lyke rico. Also, what's yur fave episode of glee? Myne was ALL OF THEM. Thabks for ansur my kwestions :p :D :O

Nicole Fiorentino dear mike byrne: merlins balls.

Tom Smith Is the next song hard or soft?

Nicole Fiorentino tom....that sounded kinda sexual, haha

Jake Modica Isn't that supposed to be Merlin's pants?

Nicole Fiorentino jake-no

Ben Leighty Nicole, will you force Mike to add me?

Nicole Fiorentino ben-yes

Pamela Simmons Hi Nicole, Will SP tour Australia again after the new album is complete?
I have seen SP 3 times now first with Mellon Collie tour, then at the V festival, and last year with the new lineup, all were great experiences. To me SP is always SP, no matter who is in the band, it is all great to me : ) I hope you enjoyed the tour last year, was that first time to Australia for you?

Nicole Fiorentino pam-yes that was my first time in oz. loved it! im sure we will return

José Luis García Boero Hello Nicolle. Do you think, actually (in this days) that is posible to create an album as important as it was the Siamese Dream? Greetings from Peru.

Nicole Fiorentino jose-i do think its possible absolutely.

Simon Napoleon Ohlsson Nicole Please force Mike intog adding Me as well:-)

Nicole Fiorentino simon-possibly

Jake Modica You mentioned chorus/delay/distortion, any special ones stand out, or is it an all you can play buffet of pedals?

Nicole Fiorentino ive been using the line 6 m 13

Travis Christenberry Whats Mike doing here? He can talk to you anytime.

Nicole Fiorentino i guess he loves me.

Hypno Raygun Have you ever seen the archives? SP vault?

Nicole Fiorentino ive seen a lot of SP related vaulty type things

Travis Christenberry Are u accepting friend requests? Or is that a no-no?

Nicole Fiorentino yes on the friend requests

Mike Colucci hey nicole im just curious, will owata be released on this album?!

Nicole Fiorentino owata may be on this record, why dont you guys like surprises? ; )

Catalina Cloud Nicole, what do you think about teargarden by kaleidoscope, is it better than other works of SP?

Nicole Fiorentino i am really attached teargarden. obviously since i am involved in it. but i do think it holds its own (espeically the upcoming songs) with billys archive

Hypno Raygun I'm going to see The Dum Dum Girls tomorrow.. heard of them?

Nicole Fiorentino yes

Hasief Ardiasyah Are all the remaining Teargarden songs written and just need to be recorded or are you still working on them?

Nicole Fiorentino there are so many songs already written, it is a mystery to all of us which ones will be on tbk, and we continue to write on top of whats already there.

Sergio Zanabria one last question Nicole, what age did you started playing bass?

oh yes, I really wanted you to answer Natalia's question, about zampoña and donkey jaw -.-

Nicole Fiorentino i love the zampona thanks for that!

Catalina Cloud Can you speak in spanish?

Nicole Fiorentino i took spanish in high school but i am really out of practice!

Eduardo Mérida Guerra Nicole! one more question: What was your first bass?

Nicole Fiorentino fender jazz white on white. (93 i think) it got stolen. i was devastated. ok love you guys! thanks again!

ASIA, in a nut shell.

Yes it's true, I am a lazy blogger. Better late than never though, right? So I've spent this entire week recovering from my Asian jet lag. I had no idea it was going to be so brutal! But the tour was well worth the sleepless nights and daytime grogginess. We started off in Singapore. Singfest was pretty impressive I must say. Sharing a bill with Kanye West was not something I ever thought I'd be able to claim. The best part was when Kanye ambushed the airport golf carts we had reserved to shuttle us to the baggage claim. But who is going to question the guy wearing sunglasses at night (indoors), right? thanks for making us walk Kanye!

Tokyo, I must say, is brilliantly cartoon-like. I don't think I've ever seen so many bright colors and smiley faces on one city block in my life. All the girls look like living dolls. Speaking of dolls, i stumbled upon a store that was reserved for doll WIGS specifically, and there was a LINE to get in. this may have been the first time in my life that Ive been truly culture shocked. I loved it.

i think the thing i appreciated most about Japan was the work ethic. no matter where i went there was a sense of urgency to assist me. from the hotel workers to the cab drivers to the guy behind the counter at Mcdonald's (so what, i was craving an egg mcmuffin.) i don't know if i was just over tired , but i had an emotional moment at mcdonalds that morning. mikey was my witness. i felt so overwhelmed by the amount of pride that the Japanese take in their work that i started to cry when the guy behind the counter ran from the back to help me, stapled my bag with great care and efficiency, and passed it to me with two hands and a smile. im sorry but that just doesnt exist in america.

enough about emo-Nicole. Summersonic blew my mind. The audience was practically silent, but I didn't take it personally as I had been forewarned that this is customary. I got really self-conscious on stage because I coughed and I swear the guy all the way in the back row (there were probably 15,000 people) could hear me. We could hear Jay-Z's performance on a distant stage in between each of our songs which was pretty cool because I really wanted to see his show! I had a chance to see A-Ha perform "Take on Me" in Osaka, pretty amazing. He's still got it.

The two club shows in Tokyo were off the hook, and i rarely use that terminology. For whatever reason, the first night at studio coast felt like my best show with the Pumpkins to date. energy-wise we were spot on, and for as quiet as Japanese audiences generally are, this audience knew how to rock it out. at one point during the opening band, mikey went out into the audience and headbanged with everybody, it was quite entertaining i must say!

I had THE BEST sushi ive ever had in my life at the fish market in tokyo. it was simply tuna sashimi with green onion over rice, but it was so fresh and delicious. no words to explain how i feel about the food in japan. the ramen killed me, in the best way possible. the transportation situation was a little trickier than i imagined it would be. i gave up on the subway and took cabs everywhere. i really felt like i was in the movie Lost in Translation. We had a grand old time shopping in Harajuko, a bit overwhelming with all the lights and people screaming into megaphones to promote their stores, but good.

we had a couple of days off before the show in Seoul, Korea. i spent most of my time at various temples. i felt instantly at peace upon entering the buildings. the energy just makes you feel like no matter what you are dealing with at that time, you are going to be ok. and the world is just fine, and people are generally good, and you should be grateful for life and everything the universe has given you. it was definitely a good way for me to keep myself in check. not to mention the buildings themselves are absolutely stunning.

Korea was awesome. everyone in the band was really excited about korean bbq with the exception of myself, seeing as i dont eat beef. but that's alright! the show in Seoul was a great way to end the tour. Korean fans like to take lots of pictures and give you crazy gifts like candy that looks like it might be a bomb. we had a great time there, although we spent a good portion of our time in the underground mall at our hotel. you can't help yourself. it's so accessible!

in the end i think i was most impressed with Tokyo, probably because it felt like i was in a magical fairy tale land where dolls come to life and garbage does not exist. seriously, i did not see a speck of trash on the street. we had a fantastic time overall. Mexico City is next. I have a hunch it's going to be a wild one. then Sunset strip music fest, followed by the 2nd U.S. run. i will try to post more often. im new in the blog world, so cut me some slack . : )

i will post some photos from tour either here or on my facebook page. thanks for reading.....see you at the shows!

xo N

Ten things I love about Singapore

1. the sunrises
2. curry Aman
3. hand-feeding mantarays
4. foot massages
5. the architecture (for example the leaning towers)
6. 24 hour malls in Little India
7. jade necklaces
8. no gum chewing
9. prostitution is legal but not stripping (?)
10. the giant ferris wheel

sometimes we fall down on stage.

it's happened to me before. except i didn't pass out. i seriously didn't realize that billy had blacked out, i assumed he tripped over a cable or something. i didn't know until he told us after the show. poor B-dawg. we all have tour wounds on some level though. mine comes in the form of a bruised and tattered wrist from the friction against my bass. it comes with the territory i suppose. today we had a day off in nashville. i bought some cute shoes from a store called posh (i'm slightly embarassed that i even walked into a store with such a terrible name). i'm pretty certain i'm developing a shoe fetish. i've already bought 3 pairs on this tour. wait til we get to japan. eek.

went dancing last night for kat's birthday with the bad city and kill hannah boys. the place was cheesy but we made the best of it. thank god for a day off today. i was in need of some serious recovery. today was very chill. i went to a late lunch with kat and saw "inception" with mikey. quite a mindfuck of a movie, but everything leo is in as of late is a mindfuck. checking out some guitars at a music shop billy wants to go to in the morning. then heading to knoxville for the show. side note: has everyone seen the double rainbow guy on youtube? pretty hysterical. what does it all mean?