18/3/2007 - Travel to LA / Joshua Tree, Pappy's and Harriet's
This is a test. The morning after...my first waking thought is that I feel terrible, and that we are going to playing a gig in a different time zone this evening. Before that, we have to get on two planes. Right now, that doesn't seem feasible. Still, Greg is in fine spirits as always this morning and some of his zest for life rubs off on me as we drive to the Airport. The drop off point is awash with bands lugging gear onto the pavement, and we bump into our friend Gabe and his sister from Manchester. The check in staff have mercy upon us today, and have no qualms with the amount of gear and luggage we are taking onboard. Sometimes these people can purposefully make life a misery, but thankfully not today, as that could have been the final straw that broke me. We're heading out to LA, but have to change at El Paso. Direct flights to and from Austin are not that frequent, and incredibly oversubscribed. As we wait in the departure lounge, the familiar face of Starsailor's James Walsh appears. He played a couple of songs at the Gram Parson's gig the other night, and he is on the same flights as us. We have a good chat, and he seems a very Good Soul (arf)! It turns out that he is on his way back to London, but is heading further west to change in LA. It is suggested to Mr Walsh, by us, that he may want to consider sacking his travel agent.
As the plane readies itself for take off, I am feeling increasingly queasy and I feel the colour draining from my face. The woman next to my takes pity on me during the flight, and makes sure I eat crackers to settle my stomach, and it works. Her kind deed will not be forgotten. We arrive at El Paso and board the plane to LAX. As we walk down the tunnel I hear Garo say "this time should be less than the last time." That in itself does not make sense, but I managed to de-code his statement to mean "I don't envisage the flight to LA will not take as long as the flight from Austin to here." Garo's rambling reminded me of something Robin said when we arrived in New York last year. Upon looking at the amount of snow that had been shovelled off the runways, he commented "they make big snow here one time." Incoherence is an inevitable part of being in a road frazzled rock band, but as long as everyone communicates in a similarly dysfunctional way, then it at least becomes less problematic to understand.
Joe heads off to pick up a van when we touch down, and a while later pulls up outside in a nifty looking people carrier. We are told off by over zealous airport security for waiting for too long in the pick up area. We are told that cars waiting outside an airport were not acceptable "because of 9/11." Oh come on! We can barely co-ordinate carrying ten pieces of luggage between five of us, I doubt we'd be capable of a terrorist atrocity. As we head onto the Freeway, cruising towards Silverlake it feels great to be back in LA, even if it is a little grey today. Before heading out towards the desert, we pick up Mr Danny Black (our American friend and co-writer) to come with us on this adventure. He suggests we pick up a couple of "road soda's" (tall cans of beer) to ease the journey and this is duly noted.
The other boys have been out to the Joshua Tree county park before, where as this is my first time. It's a couple of hours out of LA, and quite at odds with the madness of Tinsletown. As we get nearer, there are Cacti as far as the eye can see, just miles and miles of desert. If anyone's seen Nightmare On Elm St 2, I’m fairly sure Freddy Krueger drives the school bus through the Joshua Tree area near the beginning. In the middle of this sprawling desert lies the quite amazing Pappy's & Harriet's - kind of like a Wild West saloon bar. It's Sunday night, but still a hive of activity as people travel from all around to come here, and this evening, local legends the Thrift Store All Stars also are playing. And to think we were in Texas when we woke up - half the way across America...good times! The gig tonight is a roaring success, and the locals make us feel very welcome. We opt for a more ramshackle set, and throw in a few covers (The Band, Dylan etc) for good measure. The party vibe is happening both on and offstage - various people jump up and add backing vocals, including friend of the band and re-knowned singer Victoria Williams. We close with a twenty minute version of "You Really Got Me" and then collapse with exhaustion. It's been quite a day...but further excitement awaits us when we see our accommodation. We found out about these amazing cabins in the middle of the desert, really nice and comfortable with all mod cons. Previous clients included The Doors and Led Zep. Would be a great setting to go a little crazy, but I’m done in. There is pure unadulterated silence for miles around, and I enjoy the best night’s sleep of my whole life.
19/3/2007 - San Diego Casbah
Hello world! Waking up in the middle of the Californian desert is a good start to any day. I wish that it could happen more often. Musicians are sometimes accused of wanton wearing of sunglasses, but out here it is nigh on impossible to go be outdoors without. The heat is like nothing I’ve experienced, and I can only bear a few minutes at a time before going back inside. Joe makes a dash to the most local shop there is (twenty minutes drive) and make bacon and eggs which sets us up nicely for the drive to San Diego. As we drive back through the desert we see evidence of a recent fire - tens of miles worth of burnt cacti, which was a sight to behold. Our soundtrack to this part of the road trip was our good friend (and producer) Pedro's new album which provides a truly fitting backdrop to the shrillness of it all. We edge back towards civilisation, and after being on the Freeway for a while I scream very loudly when I spot the artifacts from one of my all time favourite films - the giant dinosaur from Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure. This is definitely one of my personal highlights of the whole tour.
As we approach San Diego, it appears as beautiful as I had expected it to be from the film "Almost Famous." We are staying with a friend of ours Lisa, who lives near the sea, and her neighbourhood seems so tranquil that I can't help but feel a little jealous I don't live here. Lisa is incredibly hospitable, and tolerant considering her house is now full of boys brandishing full bags of dirty laundry. The prospect of clean clothes is something of a thrill, and comes not a day too soon. We make our way over to the Casbah in the van, during which Danny Black gives me a guided tour of San Diego as he lived here for many years. He says that the flight path to the local airport goes right over the venue we're playing at. As we park up outside I cannot believe what my eyes are seeing. A plane goes by, seeming to be a matter of metres above our wee heads. Blooody hell! Still shaking slightly, I head inside where Electric Soft Parade are soundchecking. Speaking to Matt Priest and other Matt after, they seem to be having a jolly good time soaking up the West Coast flava. Tonight’s venue probably holds 200 people, so it's quite suprising to see posters on the wall advertising Razorlight's gig here. Having a little, ahem, "trouble in America" Mr Borrell? Surely the dressing rooms at Earls Court are bigger than this! Still, there's no shame in playing "more intimate" venues, and if there was the last ten years of my existence would be considered pretty damn shameful on the whole.
Dinner time! We shun a soundcheck, because after SXSW they seem like something of an un-necessary luxury. "Dangerous" Dave Brown of Better Looking Records takes us to one of Bill Murray’s favourite local bars for dinner. I'm impressed by it on the whole and wish I could remember what it was called. There was a good pool table, and when I asked a barman where the nearest payphone was he let me borrow his cell phone. I order a Chinese Chicken salad, with some chicken wings on the side - they were just 25 cents each! Heading back to the venue, I see more planes flying overhead, although the shock value had diminished some what. After two local bands (by which I mean from the state of California), Electric Soft Parade are on. Cor blimey, they played a blinder tonight! Some people in the audience had travelled hundreds of miles to see them, and they were just brilliant. The White brothers join us onstage for "Aperture" and we have a pretty good gig, although perhaps not one of our best. Its midnight on a Monday night, and I think there was an element of exhaustion from both band and crowd. Still, at worst it was a bit of an average gig - and playing an average gig in San Diego sure is more fun than playing an average gig in Hull.
20/3/2007 - Day Off (Travel to Los Angeles)
We enjoy a lazy start to the day at Lisa's house, watching the telly and eating breakfast. Garo informs me that I had one of my "episodes" in my sleep last night, where by I just start saying "what?" over and over again. He asked if I was OK, and I replied yes, before asking him if "everything was sorted"? I'm beginning to worry about the darkness that exists in my unconscious mind that is fueling these increasingly regular outbursts. Robin and Joe went over to the offices of a new company called V-Mix (think Myspace meets You Tube) to talk about Goldrush. When they arrive back we decide to head towards the City Of Angels, so that we don't get back too late. Joe wanted to avoid rush hour traffic (which is basically from 3pm onwards) and we were well on course...until our stomachs intervened. On voice in the back complains of hunger, then everyone else pipes up in agreement and before you know it we are leaving the highway in search of a diner in some coastal backwater. We find somewhere, and burgers are duly ordered and devoured. By the time we get somewhere near LA, we are of course stuck in ridiculous traffic. Still, such woe's are swiftly put aside when "Maggie Mae" comes on one of the classic oldies stations. You've got to love LA...
Everyone wants to chill out tonight and do something relaxing, and avoid loud music and bars where we have spent the best part of the last six weeks (as we were in Europe before hand). This seems like a perfectly sane thing to do. I notice however, that Bloc Party are playing in town tonight, and my friend works for them so I decide to keep it the party going. I head over to the Wiltern Theatre and check out the gig. I would like to say how much I respect Bloc Party for two reasons. Firstly, they have worked their asses off and really done well out in the States; tonight is the first of two sell out nights at this huge theatre, and the crowd go absolutely bonkers. Secondly, they are clearly men of taste; I go backstage after the gig to have a drink with my friend Pete and notice that they have imported Strongbow in the dressing room. Cider is like gold dust in the states, and as I sit talking to Pete and drinking a can, I feel that the night could not get much better. How wrong I was was! My good mate Alex who is a Welshman living in LA pulls up to the Theatre and summoning me to the passenger seat of his car proceeds to pour champagne down my throat. I even hear an advert on Indie 103.3 for our gig tomorrow coming from the car radio, surely a positive omen. We leave The Wiltern and head onto the aftershow at Cinespace on Hollywood Boulevard where I think I hear a song by The Horrors, and presume it to be a DJ. I look over to the other side of the room and discover that it's in fact the Horrors playing. Wahey, it's the Brit's abroad! It's all a lot of fun though, and great to catch up with old friends who I see very rarely. Hardly what you might call a "day off" though. Talk about a busman's holiday!
Friday, April 20, 2007
Goldrush Vs SXSW
14/3/2007 - SXSW Day One
I survey the scene upon awaking at Greg's place. We five chaps sleep in a single open plan room at the apartment - reminds me of the Big Brother bedroom in a visual sense, and has been home to many a band passing through. It's going to need more than a few sprays of air freshener come the end of the week, mind. We stayed here last year too, and it is a great place with a pool and patio which was the scene of a rather eventful "end of" SXSW 2006 party. It feels really great to be back, not least because Greg, Britney and Tim make us feel so welcome. Now a little bit about our good host Greg - he is the one of the greatest men you could ever hope to meet - he ferries us around from gig to gig, makes sure we are fed and watered. He orders in Mexican food for breakfast, he brings home Pizza for supper. He's the man, man. And without doubt his greatest strength is that he brings a wonderful sense of calm to the madness of SXSW week. If a tour budget ever allowed, I would campaign that Greg should be brought along. His job title would be "head of vibes."
This week, we are also backing the wonderful Piney Gir, as her band The Country Roadshow were sadly unable to make it over. So we head down into town for the first Piney/Goldrush gig. As we cruise along in an open backed jeep with the wind blowing through our hair it seems that life could seldom be sweeter! As we edge nearer to the main drag of SXSW (6th St) the haircuts become a little more distressed, and the jeans that little bit tighter. Here we are! I drink in the sights - oh look, there is the drummer of Razorlight talking on his phone. Oh, there's the Automatic trundling merrily along! Bands, Bands, Bands, Movers, Shakers, Wankers - they're all here...
There's no PA set up at The Shakespeare pub for the Piney gig, so we are told we will have to chill out for a while until it arrives. Oh no, what a drag! Me and G head to a bar called Bourbon Rocks where they are dishing out free drinks and Tex Mex food. I learnt my lesson from last years SXSW which is that at any given time someone will be giving out free drink on 6th St, you just have to know where to look. Record labels, clothing companies, radio stations and so on want bands to be seen to be drinking at their parties. Beer companies want their product to be seen being drunk at their parties - by bands. Everyone's a winner, baby! We had back to The Shakespeare before we forget we are here and "business" and the gig goes well, lots of intrigued passers are drawn in by Piney's superb country rock n'roll. One gig down, lots more to go...
We have to go and "check in" at the Austin Convention Centre, a process that should be painless but resembles the whole airport experience a little too closely for my liking. Still, once the hallowed wristbands are on, the pain subsides. Tonight's gig is actually not part of the "official" SXSW line up, and the venue is described as the "Enchanted Forest." We head to the outskirts of town and arrive in search of said fantasy land, and are in awe of what lies before our tired eyes. This guy has set up an incredible performing space in the middle of beautiful forest, with a stream between the stage and the woods, where there is a viewing platform. There is a PA but no-one seems to be up for doing sound so who else but Joe steps up to the plate. As he soundchecks the fabulous Hopewell, I observe that the connecting cables between the stage and desk go through the stream itself. They can't do that, surely? I am assured by the owner that there is special waterproof insulation around the cables, and that I will not die on stage. He looks pretty "relaxed" and speaks with such conviction that I decide it's not worth worrying about it - especially on a tour where I will be boarding seven planes, and riding in the back of an open top 4x4.
We start up the gig with "Aperture" whilst looking out at one incredibly unique setting, the likes of which we may never see again. There doesn't seem to be a lot of people watching on the viewing platform, but as "Cruel World" finishes there are ripples of applause from all around. After the set I head into the woodland and discover a good few hundred people sat around who weren’t visible from the stage and it makes a little more sense. We stick around to watch LA band Spindrift's psychedelic rock and roll freakshow (the guitarist Frankie is in full clown regalia) and marvel at how different our night has been to most SXSW revellers stuck in crowded bars on 6th St. Don't get me wrong - I like bars AND enchanted forests, I’m just grateful we get to see both...
15/3/2007 - SXSW Day Two
Wake up feeling pretty human today, having not pushed the party boat too far out last night. Food is first thing on the agenda, as is standard practice in the Goldrush camp, so Greg leads the way to the hilariously named "Juan In A Million" mexican restaurant.
The restaurant owner Juan greets as if we are his own children as we walk through the door. Hands are outstretched so he can give us each a high five - my palm is met with such ferocity I briefly wonder whether I will have to cancel today’s gigs. Juan confesses to Joe later that he has had a little too much "coffee." We lose track of time, and realise we better get our limey asses over to the Moonshine bar for the Windswept showcase, they being the publishers of Goldrush in America. It is good to see John Anderson again, who works for Windswept and is an all round top fella.
The sun blazes down on the patio and we play a good gig, slightly more assured than the previous evening. Various members of Hopewell join us for a very percussive "Heart Is The Place" and Piney plays melodica on it which sounds really cool. We return the favour by backing her for her set which is straight afterwards, a sort of Truck Roadshow double bill. We toast a job well done, and have ourselves a few hours to explore SXSW ahead of the all important Gram Parson's tribute concert this evening. I discover an invite in my pocket for a party that David (whom I met on the plane) told me about so I head over to Maggie Maes on 6th St. I head up to the rooftop part of the venue where it's blazing hot. As I sup on complimentary frozen Margarita’s looking down on the madness of the street below, I have another "moment" where I can't believe lucky I am to be here. Then I spot two familiar looking stragglers walking down the street, they being G and Garo and drag them inside to share in the exceedingly good times and hospitality. For me, 6th Street is far more pleasurable in the daytime - by night it can be simply too much for a man to bear.
Good job then that tonight’s "Gram Jam" is off the beaten track. It's an outdoor stage in a field, and the gig is open to one and all, not just idiots with laminates so it begins to fill up with a healthy selection of country music fans and local revellers. We are well up for this one tonight, and were delighted to have been invited by our friend Mary to be on the bill for a second year running. The night is compered by Polly Parson's, Gram's daughter and get's off to a great start. We look on in amazement as we witness Charlie Louvin sing "The Christian Life." It soon becomes apparent that the stage times are beginning to over run, and by the time we are setting up the self appointed "Musical Director" of the show tells us we have twenty minutes, and the guitar amp has just blown. Standing up there onstage, trying to get everything working in front of a field full of people is a nightmare. When we finally got everything up and running it was with a huge amount of relief, and there was no way we were not going to play for our allotted 30 mins. And the gig was a belter! Goldrush have always been such huge Gram fans, so when Polly decided to join us on tambourine and BV's through our whole set it was something of a dream! I did however manage to commit a bass atrocity during "Grievous Angel" for which I am truly sorry Polly (if you noticed). Please forgive...
The night then just got stranger by the minute. One of those gigs where you sensed a fight could have kicked off at any second. More overrunning, and arguments. One poor band only got to play four songs having travelled to Austin just for this gig, the poor buggers. They were breaking down their backline whilst the next band started playing and showed their annoyance by barging into them mid-set. Bad times...still at least we had managed to get on and off the stage in one piece with dignity in tact and had a great gig. Oh yes, and speaking of dignity - I forgot to mention that Danbert Nobacon from Chumbawumba also performed a couple of numbers dressed in an ultra camp jumpsuit. As I observe the man from Leeds giving it some in a field full of locals, I make a mental note that I should speak to Gervais about doing an "indie" version of Extra's. After a failed attempt at getting a taxi, our salvation comes in the form of Hopewell, who arrive in their van and save the day. Thankyou lads...
16/3/2007 - SXSW Day Three
Two gigs for us today. The first is dubbed the "Psychedelica" Party, held on a small outdoor patio area of a restaurant called Jamies. The band playing as we load in are one of the many Brian Jones Massacre "influenced" combos who seem to be doing the rounds this week, where by there is a three tambourine player minimum. They kindly lend us one of them though, so we ain't complaining. We were having major hassles getting the monitors to work, and in the end just decided to crack on regardless and hope that spirit and determination would pull us through, which it seemed to. It's hard to explain, but sometimes when sound equipment is bad or none existent, you can play better than if you have a slightly shoddy monitor mix. Anyway, I digress - this is after all a tour blog about triumph in the face of adversity, not the letters page of Which? PA. It was good looking out into the audience and seeing beaming faces like those of Y and the Better Looking posse looking back at us. The set was sounding good now - mostly tracks off "Heart Is The Place" with a couple off "Ozona", and the chaos of making a gig happen at SXSW was by now second nature. Robin and the gang back up an impromptu show by Y (yrocks.com) straight after which was pure un-refined, unrehearsed rock n' roll baby...
As we wait on the corner of Red River for a cab to tonight’s gig we are stopped by Rolling Stone (yep, infamous US rock rag) who ask if we would do a video interview to put on their website. Oh, go on then, twist our arm! However, all this posing for camera's meant we are late loading the gear into Maggie Mae's - scene of my Margarita meltdown yesterday - and tonight home to our official SXSW showcase gig. I say official, because if you look in the "official" programme it's the one that is listed. The venue staff and sound people are pretty on the ball when we arrive, which puts me at ease. They offer firm handshakes, and have names like Chad - the whole thing doesn't seem quite as fraught as other gigs. There is a bit of promo stuff to be done, and then about three hours to kill until the gig. Me and Robin head to a Sushi place which offers a quite haven away from the madness of 6th St, which by now is beginning to resemble Reading town centre on a Saturday night. From there we head to a Canadian music showcase where we bump into some of the Broken Social Scene posse, who we had the great pleasure of playing with in Berlin and Oxford. It's cool to see them lovely guys again...
We head back to Maggie Mae's catch a bit of the band before us. In the crowd is Albert Hammond Jr, watching his girlfriend who's is band it is. I engage in a bit of banter with him, having met him several years ago at festival in Holland. Nice chap, good solo album, great clothes - the man's got the full package. As we start setting up, the cross fire of sound from all the other venues is unbelievable. That's the trouble with SXSW - if someone has a bathroom going spare on 6th St during this week it's considered fair game to put a PA and stage in it. Our showcase goes really well, the room is busy and we play a solid set. Afterwards though, we all agree that it perhaps wasn't quite as fun as some of the more haphazard events we have played at. As we load our gear off, I catch sight of those loveable rogues Electric Soft Parade who are up next, and whom we will be seeing a lot more of this week. There's something about Mathew Priest's cheeky demeanor that cheers me up tenfold every time I see him! After they finish, we have an absolute nightmare trying to get a taxi. Everywhere is chaos, and gangs of youths start to fight. The police move them on, and I catch sight of one of them with a knife. 6th Street is hell on earth. More than an hour passes before we manage to convince a cab to pick us up, and I crash out as soon as we get back.
17/3/2007 - SXSW Day Four
I jump in the pool this morning to liven my tired bones, and its bloody cold. Still, it has its desired effect as I feeling "pumped" as we jump in the truck and head for the final Goldrush gig of SXSW. The venue is a familiar setting - Homeslice Pizza restaurant on South Congress. This restaurant was set up by our host Greg along with several other like minded souls, and serves up amazing thin crust pizza like the stuff you might find in NYC - and is by far the best pizza in Austin especially compared with the gruel available on the main drag. We played here last year also, and the manageress Terri makes us feel right at home by making sure we are kept in Pizza and beer for the day. The stage is in the Courtyard at the back, and when we arrive there is already a decent crowd out here basking in the sunshine. And I dare say that this afternoon is our most enjoyable show of SXSW. The crowd is really enthusiastic, and during "Sun In Your Eyes" Robin climbs onto the restaurant roof for the trombone finale. Afterwards I chat with Terri, and thank her for putting us on again this year. When we played in 2006 I was given an amazing t-shirt with the slogan "Pizza Is Your Friend" by the Homeslice crew. Everywhere I go in blighty I have people asking where I got it, so I suggest to her that she exports some over to sell in the UK.
There are plans afoot for a bit of a celebratory meal out this evening, but first there is one more Piney Gir feat. Goldrush showdown to attend to. We cruise into town in the back of the jeep one final time, shades on and hair blowing in the breeze. We find ourselves back at The Shakespeare pub, scene of the first Piney gig at SXSW which brings a nice sense of closure to proceedings. This time we are playing in the little courtyard out back, and it is a really fun gig, enhanced by the fact that the bar staff very kindly brings over tequila shot for everyone as soon as the last note is sounded.
Time to kick back a little! Afterwards we head out to a nice restaurant with the lovely David of Mute song to enjoy some fine food and wine. A steady flow of Margarita’s are sent over to our table, and we raise a toast to what has been a rather marvellous few days. On the way to the restroom, Robin is recognised by someone who enjoyed the Homeslice gig earlier, so we must be making at least some headway out here! By the time dessert comes, I am truly bollocksed.
I am quite tempted to call it a night but decide to stagger into town with G, and the long walk does me good. I want to try and see Kings Of Leon, but alas after waiting in line for an hour and a half to get into Stubbs’s, it becomes apparent that this is not going to happen. What I hear from the queue sounded great though. I finally gain entry just as they finish, and contemplate sticking around to watch The Stooges, but decide I would rather hook up with the rest of the gang for more fun and frolics. Joe, Robin and me head to a KEXP party (they being a fab Seattle radio station) and watch The Black Angels. The boys from Hopewell are there too, who whip out their hipflasks and generously share the wealth. Now would have been an advisable time to head back, but Robin and me somehow end up at the house of the guy who owns the legendary Stubbs venue for a few more libations. When we finally arrive back at Gregg's, Piney is leaving to catch her early morning flight and we have to be up in a few hours to go to the airport. Not really looking forward to that a great deal...
I survey the scene upon awaking at Greg's place. We five chaps sleep in a single open plan room at the apartment - reminds me of the Big Brother bedroom in a visual sense, and has been home to many a band passing through. It's going to need more than a few sprays of air freshener come the end of the week, mind. We stayed here last year too, and it is a great place with a pool and patio which was the scene of a rather eventful "end of" SXSW 2006 party. It feels really great to be back, not least because Greg, Britney and Tim make us feel so welcome. Now a little bit about our good host Greg - he is the one of the greatest men you could ever hope to meet - he ferries us around from gig to gig, makes sure we are fed and watered. He orders in Mexican food for breakfast, he brings home Pizza for supper. He's the man, man. And without doubt his greatest strength is that he brings a wonderful sense of calm to the madness of SXSW week. If a tour budget ever allowed, I would campaign that Greg should be brought along. His job title would be "head of vibes."
This week, we are also backing the wonderful Piney Gir, as her band The Country Roadshow were sadly unable to make it over. So we head down into town for the first Piney/Goldrush gig. As we cruise along in an open backed jeep with the wind blowing through our hair it seems that life could seldom be sweeter! As we edge nearer to the main drag of SXSW (6th St) the haircuts become a little more distressed, and the jeans that little bit tighter. Here we are! I drink in the sights - oh look, there is the drummer of Razorlight talking on his phone. Oh, there's the Automatic trundling merrily along! Bands, Bands, Bands, Movers, Shakers, Wankers - they're all here...
There's no PA set up at The Shakespeare pub for the Piney gig, so we are told we will have to chill out for a while until it arrives. Oh no, what a drag! Me and G head to a bar called Bourbon Rocks where they are dishing out free drinks and Tex Mex food. I learnt my lesson from last years SXSW which is that at any given time someone will be giving out free drink on 6th St, you just have to know where to look. Record labels, clothing companies, radio stations and so on want bands to be seen to be drinking at their parties. Beer companies want their product to be seen being drunk at their parties - by bands. Everyone's a winner, baby! We had back to The Shakespeare before we forget we are here and "business" and the gig goes well, lots of intrigued passers are drawn in by Piney's superb country rock n'roll. One gig down, lots more to go...
We have to go and "check in" at the Austin Convention Centre, a process that should be painless but resembles the whole airport experience a little too closely for my liking. Still, once the hallowed wristbands are on, the pain subsides. Tonight's gig is actually not part of the "official" SXSW line up, and the venue is described as the "Enchanted Forest." We head to the outskirts of town and arrive in search of said fantasy land, and are in awe of what lies before our tired eyes. This guy has set up an incredible performing space in the middle of beautiful forest, with a stream between the stage and the woods, where there is a viewing platform. There is a PA but no-one seems to be up for doing sound so who else but Joe steps up to the plate. As he soundchecks the fabulous Hopewell, I observe that the connecting cables between the stage and desk go through the stream itself. They can't do that, surely? I am assured by the owner that there is special waterproof insulation around the cables, and that I will not die on stage. He looks pretty "relaxed" and speaks with such conviction that I decide it's not worth worrying about it - especially on a tour where I will be boarding seven planes, and riding in the back of an open top 4x4.
We start up the gig with "Aperture" whilst looking out at one incredibly unique setting, the likes of which we may never see again. There doesn't seem to be a lot of people watching on the viewing platform, but as "Cruel World" finishes there are ripples of applause from all around. After the set I head into the woodland and discover a good few hundred people sat around who weren’t visible from the stage and it makes a little more sense. We stick around to watch LA band Spindrift's psychedelic rock and roll freakshow (the guitarist Frankie is in full clown regalia) and marvel at how different our night has been to most SXSW revellers stuck in crowded bars on 6th St. Don't get me wrong - I like bars AND enchanted forests, I’m just grateful we get to see both...
15/3/2007 - SXSW Day Two
Wake up feeling pretty human today, having not pushed the party boat too far out last night. Food is first thing on the agenda, as is standard practice in the Goldrush camp, so Greg leads the way to the hilariously named "Juan In A Million" mexican restaurant.
The restaurant owner Juan greets as if we are his own children as we walk through the door. Hands are outstretched so he can give us each a high five - my palm is met with such ferocity I briefly wonder whether I will have to cancel today’s gigs. Juan confesses to Joe later that he has had a little too much "coffee." We lose track of time, and realise we better get our limey asses over to the Moonshine bar for the Windswept showcase, they being the publishers of Goldrush in America. It is good to see John Anderson again, who works for Windswept and is an all round top fella.
The sun blazes down on the patio and we play a good gig, slightly more assured than the previous evening. Various members of Hopewell join us for a very percussive "Heart Is The Place" and Piney plays melodica on it which sounds really cool. We return the favour by backing her for her set which is straight afterwards, a sort of Truck Roadshow double bill. We toast a job well done, and have ourselves a few hours to explore SXSW ahead of the all important Gram Parson's tribute concert this evening. I discover an invite in my pocket for a party that David (whom I met on the plane) told me about so I head over to Maggie Maes on 6th St. I head up to the rooftop part of the venue where it's blazing hot. As I sup on complimentary frozen Margarita’s looking down on the madness of the street below, I have another "moment" where I can't believe lucky I am to be here. Then I spot two familiar looking stragglers walking down the street, they being G and Garo and drag them inside to share in the exceedingly good times and hospitality. For me, 6th Street is far more pleasurable in the daytime - by night it can be simply too much for a man to bear.
Good job then that tonight’s "Gram Jam" is off the beaten track. It's an outdoor stage in a field, and the gig is open to one and all, not just idiots with laminates so it begins to fill up with a healthy selection of country music fans and local revellers. We are well up for this one tonight, and were delighted to have been invited by our friend Mary to be on the bill for a second year running. The night is compered by Polly Parson's, Gram's daughter and get's off to a great start. We look on in amazement as we witness Charlie Louvin sing "The Christian Life." It soon becomes apparent that the stage times are beginning to over run, and by the time we are setting up the self appointed "Musical Director" of the show tells us we have twenty minutes, and the guitar amp has just blown. Standing up there onstage, trying to get everything working in front of a field full of people is a nightmare. When we finally got everything up and running it was with a huge amount of relief, and there was no way we were not going to play for our allotted 30 mins. And the gig was a belter! Goldrush have always been such huge Gram fans, so when Polly decided to join us on tambourine and BV's through our whole set it was something of a dream! I did however manage to commit a bass atrocity during "Grievous Angel" for which I am truly sorry Polly (if you noticed). Please forgive...
The night then just got stranger by the minute. One of those gigs where you sensed a fight could have kicked off at any second. More overrunning, and arguments. One poor band only got to play four songs having travelled to Austin just for this gig, the poor buggers. They were breaking down their backline whilst the next band started playing and showed their annoyance by barging into them mid-set. Bad times...still at least we had managed to get on and off the stage in one piece with dignity in tact and had a great gig. Oh yes, and speaking of dignity - I forgot to mention that Danbert Nobacon from Chumbawumba also performed a couple of numbers dressed in an ultra camp jumpsuit. As I observe the man from Leeds giving it some in a field full of locals, I make a mental note that I should speak to Gervais about doing an "indie" version of Extra's. After a failed attempt at getting a taxi, our salvation comes in the form of Hopewell, who arrive in their van and save the day. Thankyou lads...
16/3/2007 - SXSW Day Three
Two gigs for us today. The first is dubbed the "Psychedelica" Party, held on a small outdoor patio area of a restaurant called Jamies. The band playing as we load in are one of the many Brian Jones Massacre "influenced" combos who seem to be doing the rounds this week, where by there is a three tambourine player minimum. They kindly lend us one of them though, so we ain't complaining. We were having major hassles getting the monitors to work, and in the end just decided to crack on regardless and hope that spirit and determination would pull us through, which it seemed to. It's hard to explain, but sometimes when sound equipment is bad or none existent, you can play better than if you have a slightly shoddy monitor mix. Anyway, I digress - this is after all a tour blog about triumph in the face of adversity, not the letters page of Which? PA. It was good looking out into the audience and seeing beaming faces like those of Y and the Better Looking posse looking back at us. The set was sounding good now - mostly tracks off "Heart Is The Place" with a couple off "Ozona", and the chaos of making a gig happen at SXSW was by now second nature. Robin and the gang back up an impromptu show by Y (yrocks.com) straight after which was pure un-refined, unrehearsed rock n' roll baby...
As we wait on the corner of Red River for a cab to tonight’s gig we are stopped by Rolling Stone (yep, infamous US rock rag) who ask if we would do a video interview to put on their website. Oh, go on then, twist our arm! However, all this posing for camera's meant we are late loading the gear into Maggie Mae's - scene of my Margarita meltdown yesterday - and tonight home to our official SXSW showcase gig. I say official, because if you look in the "official" programme it's the one that is listed. The venue staff and sound people are pretty on the ball when we arrive, which puts me at ease. They offer firm handshakes, and have names like Chad - the whole thing doesn't seem quite as fraught as other gigs. There is a bit of promo stuff to be done, and then about three hours to kill until the gig. Me and Robin head to a Sushi place which offers a quite haven away from the madness of 6th St, which by now is beginning to resemble Reading town centre on a Saturday night. From there we head to a Canadian music showcase where we bump into some of the Broken Social Scene posse, who we had the great pleasure of playing with in Berlin and Oxford. It's cool to see them lovely guys again...
We head back to Maggie Mae's catch a bit of the band before us. In the crowd is Albert Hammond Jr, watching his girlfriend who's is band it is. I engage in a bit of banter with him, having met him several years ago at festival in Holland. Nice chap, good solo album, great clothes - the man's got the full package. As we start setting up, the cross fire of sound from all the other venues is unbelievable. That's the trouble with SXSW - if someone has a bathroom going spare on 6th St during this week it's considered fair game to put a PA and stage in it. Our showcase goes really well, the room is busy and we play a solid set. Afterwards though, we all agree that it perhaps wasn't quite as fun as some of the more haphazard events we have played at. As we load our gear off, I catch sight of those loveable rogues Electric Soft Parade who are up next, and whom we will be seeing a lot more of this week. There's something about Mathew Priest's cheeky demeanor that cheers me up tenfold every time I see him! After they finish, we have an absolute nightmare trying to get a taxi. Everywhere is chaos, and gangs of youths start to fight. The police move them on, and I catch sight of one of them with a knife. 6th Street is hell on earth. More than an hour passes before we manage to convince a cab to pick us up, and I crash out as soon as we get back.
17/3/2007 - SXSW Day Four
I jump in the pool this morning to liven my tired bones, and its bloody cold. Still, it has its desired effect as I feeling "pumped" as we jump in the truck and head for the final Goldrush gig of SXSW. The venue is a familiar setting - Homeslice Pizza restaurant on South Congress. This restaurant was set up by our host Greg along with several other like minded souls, and serves up amazing thin crust pizza like the stuff you might find in NYC - and is by far the best pizza in Austin especially compared with the gruel available on the main drag. We played here last year also, and the manageress Terri makes us feel right at home by making sure we are kept in Pizza and beer for the day. The stage is in the Courtyard at the back, and when we arrive there is already a decent crowd out here basking in the sunshine. And I dare say that this afternoon is our most enjoyable show of SXSW. The crowd is really enthusiastic, and during "Sun In Your Eyes" Robin climbs onto the restaurant roof for the trombone finale. Afterwards I chat with Terri, and thank her for putting us on again this year. When we played in 2006 I was given an amazing t-shirt with the slogan "Pizza Is Your Friend" by the Homeslice crew. Everywhere I go in blighty I have people asking where I got it, so I suggest to her that she exports some over to sell in the UK.
There are plans afoot for a bit of a celebratory meal out this evening, but first there is one more Piney Gir feat. Goldrush showdown to attend to. We cruise into town in the back of the jeep one final time, shades on and hair blowing in the breeze. We find ourselves back at The Shakespeare pub, scene of the first Piney gig at SXSW which brings a nice sense of closure to proceedings. This time we are playing in the little courtyard out back, and it is a really fun gig, enhanced by the fact that the bar staff very kindly brings over tequila shot for everyone as soon as the last note is sounded.
Time to kick back a little! Afterwards we head out to a nice restaurant with the lovely David of Mute song to enjoy some fine food and wine. A steady flow of Margarita’s are sent over to our table, and we raise a toast to what has been a rather marvellous few days. On the way to the restroom, Robin is recognised by someone who enjoyed the Homeslice gig earlier, so we must be making at least some headway out here! By the time dessert comes, I am truly bollocksed. 
I am quite tempted to call it a night but decide to stagger into town with G, and the long walk does me good. I want to try and see Kings Of Leon, but alas after waiting in line for an hour and a half to get into Stubbs’s, it becomes apparent that this is not going to happen. What I hear from the queue sounded great though. I finally gain entry just as they finish, and contemplate sticking around to watch The Stooges, but decide I would rather hook up with the rest of the gang for more fun and frolics. Joe, Robin and me head to a KEXP party (they being a fab Seattle radio station) and watch The Black Angels. The boys from Hopewell are there too, who whip out their hipflasks and generously share the wealth. Now would have been an advisable time to head back, but Robin and me somehow end up at the house of the guy who owns the legendary Stubbs venue for a few more libations. When we finally arrive back at Gregg's, Piney is leaving to catch her early morning flight and we have to be up in a few hours to go to the airport. Not really looking forward to that a great deal...
Is This La Guardia?
13/3/2007 - Travel Day
The alarm rings at 5.30am, which means I must have had a good three hours sleep. I had every intention of being in bed by midnight, but the excitement was simply too much - and my socks were taking ages to dry. Ian Hunter perfectly encapsulates "the buzz" most blighty's experience on the eve of a trip to the States in "Diary Of A Rock Star." In it he talks of feeding his cats and doing laundry on the eve of a Mott The Hoople US tour and the overwhelming anticipation of what lay ahead. He took mandrax to summon the land of nod, I only had a Tesco brand sleep aid. Oh America, here we come! You bought Dido several houses, you put the drummer of Coldplay in The Times rich list and now we have our sights on you.
Arriving at Heathrow, we realise that we are in actually a bit late. We get fined £60 for having an overweight keyboard flightcase at check in and end up sprinting to the gate. Still, at least we shall be traveling with Virgin Atlantic, surely the best economy cabin service known to man. It is an early morning flight, so a decent adaptation of a full english breakfast is served, although the drinks trolley is slow to materialise. Still, Garo befriends an air steward who upon hearing we are flying onwards to SXSW in Austin, gives us a carrier bag full of beers so we don't have to pay for drinks from the tight fisted American Airlines. On behalf of us all - thank you.
Mr Joe Bennett, Brooklyn resident and the man with the plan, greets us at JFK offering Burrito's and sporting a rather fetching haircut. We await news of the connecting flight to Dallas, as it keeps getting more and more delayed. Memories of SXSW 2006 come flooding back, when we got stranded in Atlanta. Bloody airports...Once finally onboard the American Airlines crew offer us free headphones to watch the latest Ben Stiller movie, by way of compensation for the delay. They usually charge $5 for the privilege. I decline, although think I got the general jist from watching with the sound off and can say with almost certainty it is "whack."
We get as far as Dallas, safe in the knowledge we're at least in the right section of America - the bit in the middle. Just a short hop to Austin, and Goldrush will be home and dry. More delays...we're stuck in airport purgatory - cold departure lounges, tired faces, water fountains...finally the call comes and we board our third aircraft today. One of the funny things about SXSW is that if you're getting a flight to Austin around these dates, the person on the plane next to you is almost certainly in the "biz." I get talking to a nice chap called Dave, a radio DJ and plugger from Boston (MA, not Lincolnshire). His knowledge of British Indie is astounding - he has two Goldrush tracks on his ipod, and knows all about the tiny label imprint my first ever band signed to. Crazy! Before we know it we are touching down in Austin, trying to locate our instruments amongst hundreds of others at baggage claim, and in a cab to our amazing host Greg's. I look my watch and realise i left my flat well over 24 hrs ago. No. Sleep. Til Austin.
The alarm rings at 5.30am, which means I must have had a good three hours sleep. I had every intention of being in bed by midnight, but the excitement was simply too much - and my socks were taking ages to dry. Ian Hunter perfectly encapsulates "the buzz" most blighty's experience on the eve of a trip to the States in "Diary Of A Rock Star." In it he talks of feeding his cats and doing laundry on the eve of a Mott The Hoople US tour and the overwhelming anticipation of what lay ahead. He took mandrax to summon the land of nod, I only had a Tesco brand sleep aid. Oh America, here we come! You bought Dido several houses, you put the drummer of Coldplay in The Times rich list and now we have our sights on you.
Arriving at Heathrow, we realise that we are in actually a bit late. We get fined £60 for having an overweight keyboard flightcase at check in and end up sprinting to the gate. Still, at least we shall be traveling with Virgin Atlantic, surely the best economy cabin service known to man. It is an early morning flight, so a decent adaptation of a full english breakfast is served, although the drinks trolley is slow to materialise. Still, Garo befriends an air steward who upon hearing we are flying onwards to SXSW in Austin, gives us a carrier bag full of beers so we don't have to pay for drinks from the tight fisted American Airlines. On behalf of us all - thank you.
Mr Joe Bennett, Brooklyn resident and the man with the plan, greets us at JFK offering Burrito's and sporting a rather fetching haircut. We await news of the connecting flight to Dallas, as it keeps getting more and more delayed. Memories of SXSW 2006 come flooding back, when we got stranded in Atlanta. Bloody airports...Once finally onboard the American Airlines crew offer us free headphones to watch the latest Ben Stiller movie, by way of compensation for the delay. They usually charge $5 for the privilege. I decline, although think I got the general jist from watching with the sound off and can say with almost certainty it is "whack."
We get as far as Dallas, safe in the knowledge we're at least in the right section of America - the bit in the middle. Just a short hop to Austin, and Goldrush will be home and dry. More delays...we're stuck in airport purgatory - cold departure lounges, tired faces, water fountains...finally the call comes and we board our third aircraft today. One of the funny things about SXSW is that if you're getting a flight to Austin around these dates, the person on the plane next to you is almost certainly in the "biz." I get talking to a nice chap called Dave, a radio DJ and plugger from Boston (MA, not Lincolnshire). His knowledge of British Indie is astounding - he has two Goldrush tracks on his ipod, and knows all about the tiny label imprint my first ever band signed to. Crazy! Before we know it we are touching down in Austin, trying to locate our instruments amongst hundreds of others at baggage claim, and in a cab to our amazing host Greg's. I look my watch and realise i left my flat well over 24 hrs ago. No. Sleep. Til Austin.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Europe-feb 07 - the final chapter..
26/2/2007 - Leipzig - Nato
As we pull up outside the front of the venue, our spirits are raised at the
huge sign that hangs proud above the entrance to Nato.
Goldrush: The Heart Is The Place Tour! I take a picture of it, and it looks like it could quite
easily pass for being the front of Brixton Academy and perhaps when I show
these photos to my grandchildren, I will say that it is indeed Brixton
Academy. Who's to know eh? The vibe about tonights show is a good one.
Advance ticket sales have been good, and there is a sense that team Goldrush
are known around these parts, perhaps in part to the gig we played last
summer with Calexico in the enormodome down the road. Robin has radio and
press duties to attend to, whilst the rest of us marvel at the fact there
are two dressing rooms at our disposal - one side of stage where there is a
healthily stocked drinks fridge, and one just outside the main room. Les
Dennis would have been jealous...
Tonight's dinner is a generous helping of spaghetti bolognaise, washed down
with red wine. The combination of iron and anti-oxidants revives our tired
bones and before you know it, Phil is due onstage. We watch his set, which
has been getting better and better each night. Tonights venue is cool,
because the stage takes up half the room, and there is a tiered seating
section towards the back which reminds me of the drama workshop at school.
Joe, Garo G and myself joing the lovely Phil for his last song and he leaves
to a rapturous response. Good job Jones! Interstellar Overdrive starts up,
our now trademark intro music and we ready ourselves for the tenth
consecutive gig. Last night was a bit of a tired show, and we are conscious
that we want to make sure tonight is a vast improvement. By the time
"Everyone One Of Us" starts up, it already feels like we are succeeding. the
packed room are getting into it, and we feel at home. As we end the set with
"the Heart Is The Place" we stroll off to one of the two dressing rooms (the one
with the drinks in, naturlich) and clink bottles to celebrate a job well
done. The shouts for an encore get louder and louder, and so the good people
of Leipzig get another three songs. Good times indeed....
27/2/2007 - Munich - Orangehaus
We awake in the venue appartment in Leipzig when a charasmatic chap bounds
in and offers up Breakfast on a trolley. For the sake of comparison, imagine
the German equivalent of Uncle Monty. He marvels at Joe's Apple Mac laptop
and wants to know more about the life of a travelling rock band. Surely the
beaten look on our pale little faces tells the tale more than words ever
could. We assemble daywhiches (a sandwhich prepared from whatever various
breakfast elements are deemed passable) and head off, having been warned by
dear Monty that it's a good five hour stretch to Munich. On the way there,
Robin gets a call from someone who was at the gig last night, saying it was the best
gig he had EVER SEEN! High compliments indeed...We must be doing something right...
Now then. Munich. Cool place - of that I have no doubts. However today was
going to be one of those inevitable scenarios that bands the world over must
face, where by the venue is located in a cold industrial part of the city.
So it would seem inappropriate to offer any cultural observations. What I
can offer however is my tried and tested (and no doubt tiresome) review of
venue accomodation and food! The appartment was amazing. Nice, clean
spacious rooms with a huge living area. And a kitchen, housing a fridge
taller than I, stocked full of local brew. We head over to soundcheck, and
"The Wizard" is pumping out "Back In Black" over the PA system. I run around
the venue with a guitar round my neck, wishing I was in AC/DC. Formalities
complete, we head back to the appartment for dinner. The key components for
which seem to be pastry, salt, cheese and mushroom. I wonder how this would
fair in the UK's traffic light system of assessing how healthy food is - I
don't think a red light would even cover it to be honest. What's worse than
Red? The dessert is pecan pie, which is very good in all fairness...
Compared to the victorious display in Leipzig, tonights gig is slightly
underwhelming, although we are not allowed to leave the stage with anything
less than a three song encore so can't say fairer than that. We have a good
chat with people afterwards, and sign CD's and t-shirts. The people of
Munich are very lovely it has to be said. I decide that I want Morty to give
me a lesson in Sound Engineering and head over to the mixing desk. I listen
attentively as he imparts great wisdom, but after five minutes I accept that
I am probably not cut out for this science. Best stick to what I know best -
putting on a good jacket, strumming four strings and posing every night...
28/2/2007 - Stuttgart - Schocken
As the city of Stuttgart comes into view I can't help but marvel at it's
beautiful neon hills. Certainly doesn't look like any of the other cities. I
try and equate it with somewhere back home. Sheffield perhaps? Anyway, it's
love at first sight, and Garo tells me that last time he was here it was
quite a night, so the omens are good. There is some confusion at the venue
when we arrive as to whether we are playing upstairs or downstairs. We are
assured it is in fact downstairs. We are not a fussy bunch, although quite
how all our gear would fit on the downstairs stage is the the issue. Joe
Bennett is not a man to be defeated in the face of adversity, and we embark
on a game of giant Tetris, until the final quarter inch jack lead sits
proudly upon the stage. Job's a good 'un. We are told by the generous staff
to ask for free drinks from the bar when we felt so inclined - and what's
that I see - Strongbow? It is! I look at some of the posters around the
venues walls. It seems Stuttgart is a major stop on the touring circuit.
Snoop Dogg, P Diddy and OMD are all passing through town in the next month.
Maybe i should move here...
After a stroll to the apartment, we have a quick bite (pizza) and head back
to the venue. We are delighted to see the lovely Guys and gal from Crashing
dreams who have come down to see us play tonight. We twist their arms to
join the Goldrush "choir" once again for the opening number "Aperture." The
tiny room is packed and tonight ends up being one of the more enjoyable
shows. The local folk sure no how to dance, that much is certain. Morty
leads the crowd in some robotic, Crouch-esque manouveres throughout "We
Will Not Be Machines" leading to conjecture that his talents are watsted
behind a mixing desk. Afterwards, we stick around for a while, and I get
chatting to a nice chap called Paul who is from Essex. He works out here
for Mercedes now, and heard an advert on the radio advertising the gig and
decided to come and check it out. Soon though, my energy levels start to
crash, and I have to head back for some sleep. Have to load out first
though, and if there was a time I wished the gig wasn't downstairs it was
now..
1/4/2007 - Alte Wascherei (or "The Old Launderette") - Hall (nr Innsbruck, Austria)
Today we would be leaving Germany and heading towards the beautiful Alps. It
allowed us time for a little perspective. We played eleven gigs over eleven
nights in our beloved Deutschland, met some amazing people and consumed
ridiculous quantities of ham and cheese. But for now, our work is done. As
the snow capped Austrian mountains came into view, the contrast with
Germany's sometimes cold industrial terain was evident. I nod off in the
back of the van, and don't awake until we arrive outside the "venue". Now a
little about tonights setting, and try and take this in as best you can. On
this day, March 1st 2007 Goldrush performed a concert in the grounds of a
mental hospital (psychiatric hospital -P.C ed.). The venue itself is a converted
laundry facility. And yet tonight is probably the best night of the tour. For a
start, the promoters are amazing people - they put us right at ease despite the,
ahem, unique settings. Also tonights gig is sold out in advance, which puts a spring
in our stride. As we head for dinner i look at the amzing surroundings, and
feel totally at peace. For the sake of comparison, imagine Center Parcs in
the Austrian mountains. When touring with Goldrush leads to my inevitable
mental breakdown, I want to come here.
We are served a lovely and nutritious dinner in the on site cafe by former
patients of the hospital. At the next table sit Seattle band The Long
Winters, who share the bill with us this evening. We chat about their
experiences touring England. They did a gig at the Cavern Club in Exeter
with an un-named British band, and they were shocked that said band were in
a tourbus the size of the venue itself. We explain that this is very much
the way bands operate back in Blighty, and that a chart entry of number 42
is all the encouragement a band needs for a sleeper bus and an expensive drug habit.
Anyway, I digress...
Before going onstage tonight, the jolly promoter gives us a "big up" on the mic that
lasts a good few minutes. I can't understand any of it, but from the audience
reaction we sense he's a big fan. When he loudly exclaims "Goldrush!" we take that as
a cue to walk on, and from the off tonight is a belter. All this touring means that
we are operating at full power and efficiency, and we feed off the energy of a packed
laundry room. I can't believe how weird that sounds but I guess you had to be there.
Afterwards we stick around to watch The Long Winters and let our hair down a
little bit before heading back to the hotel. We gather in mine and Morty's
room for a bit of post match analysis, but G decides to leave when I become
a little over excited and start kicking my shoes at everyone, and the others
follow suit. Forgive me gentlemen, it's just the excitement of being in
Austria you understand.
2/3/2007 - Aarau (Switzerland) - Jugendhaus
Another beautiful drive today through the alps towards the first of two gigs
in Switzerland. We stop at a service station for a bite which is fairly
decent. In England, the best cuisine you could hope for would be a
ridiculously overpriced meal from a Welcome Break. If budget didn't allow,
you would be condemned to Burger King, or worse - Ginsters. Here we are
though, in amidst the Alps eating decent food with table service, and it
still only costs about £6 a head. And you can have a beer if it takes your
fancy...brilliant! A few hours later we arrive in Aarau, and the venue is
situated by one of the fastest flowing rivers I have ever seen. Make a
mental note not to go for a dip later. After setting up, Garo teaches me a
little riff that i'm to play on the acoustic in the chorus of "Wheels." The
venue is way too loud with Morty checking the PA and such, so the tutorial
takes place in the mens toilet. We then opt for an impromptu Guns N'Roses
jam in said lavatory, with sublime versions of "Used To Love Her", "My
Michelle" and others being aired. Beauitiful...
The souncheck is slightly problematic because the in-house engineer chap (who is
very friendly, although NOT in a rush) has the monitors wired incorrectly so
poor Morty is having a headache giving us the correct mix.
When we finally work out which send is which, the "relaxed" gentleman from the
venue starts to wire everything back the other way.
We can laugh now, but on day fourteen of a tour the amusing
side isn't always apparent. Still, the venue serve up a fantastic dinner - a
Vegetable Thai red curry, and Chicken Drumsticks. The promoter tells us that
the cooks are all volunteers, and do this for the love of doing it which
makes us even more grateful for the feast that was bestowed upon us. I
wander back to the dressing room, and pass through an over 50's disco that
is taking place in another room inside the venue...those guys could teach us
a thing or two about partying - it was kicking off in there, i tell you.
Showtime. It was a Friday night indie rock n' roll nightclub, the kind that
takes place the world over. I takes until "Wheels" to really engage with the
youth of Aarau, but from then on in it's a good gig. Tonight we decide to
encore with a ten minute version of "You Really Got Me" which proves a good
choice for there was dancing and shreaking coming from the floor. Oh what a
time we had! And as it's Friday night, we join in the festivities
afterwards. Alarm bells start to ring about two hours later when Garo decides
it would be senible to load out the gear. When the most wayward members of
the party decide it's time to leave, then it's probably a good time to
leave. Unfortunately Morty has forgotten that he was on driver duty tonight,
and is in an utterly useless condition, so chaos ensues as we stand outside
in the rain trying to hail taxis. We then manage to wake up the hotel
manager at 3am. He (politely) points out that we had already been given our
room keys, and that there was no need to wake him up. And he's right of course..
3/3/2007 - Dudingen (Switzerland) - Bad Bonn
Last day of the tour. Cor blimey, what a couple of weeks we have had. And
not a single punch has been thrown! So we arrive in Dudingen, knowing that
the venue Bad Bonn is a little off the beaten track. As we sit at a
crossroad contemplating our next manouvere, a very strange thing happens. A
car starts reversing round the bend at great speed, coming straight at us.
WTF!!! I think it's going to crash into us, but instead pulls up beside our
van. The window winds down, and a very cool cat says "are you looking for
Bad Bonn?" Yes we are! The good soul then leads the way to said venue which
really is in the middle of bloody nowhere. In fact, once inside I see a
poster on the wall with the slogan "Where the f**k is Bad Bonn"? It's remote
location has become something of an injoke, and even selling point. The good
people of Dudingen are obviously used to leading stray vans in the correct
direction, hence the crazy episode earlier...
Tonight's support band have quite a good following in the local area, and
own an impressive selection of quality gear which is squeezed onto the tiny
stage. We chat over dinner, and they seem a nice bunch of guys. The guitar
player also does catering at one of the biggest venues in the surrounding
area and has served grub to the likes of Franz Ferdinand. Apparently they
are a bit "moody." As well as popular local support, Goldrush are also up
against the cosmos this evening. Observing our stage time, it becomes
apparent that there is to be a lunar eclispse half way through our set, and
apparently there is no chance of it being re-scheduled. What to do? Well, we
ploughed through the first half of the set, then took an interval break. The
vast open sky with the Alps in the distance was an amazing setting for the
eclipse, and we return to play the second half with our transems
re-aligned. The gig goes well from here on in - the first half being a bit
cosmically shambolic in comparison. The lad from Burnley at the front spurs
us on, his northern charm reminding us that home is but a day away. One more
element seperates us from victory - a window at the side of the stage so
people in the bar can look on as if we were but on a television. This will
not stand! It's time to get confrontational. We've hauled our asses hundreds
of miles to be here, so the hatch is coming down. If you wanna watch, come
out front! Robin closes the hatch, only for security to re-open it. Then
Robin closes it, and punters re-open it. And so it goes on...but persistence
pays off and finally we play to a packed room. Bloody hell, sometimes you
really have to take the law into your own hands in Europe!
And that dear readers is the end of the tour. Yes, we had a drink after the
gig. And we stayed in a - you guessed it - hotel! But you had probably
guessed that. Until next time...guten nacht. Don't have nightmares...
As we pull up outside the front of the venue, our spirits are raised at the
huge sign that hangs proud above the entrance to Nato.
Goldrush: The Heart Is The Place Tour! I take a picture of it, and it looks like it could quite
easily pass for being the front of Brixton Academy and perhaps when I show
these photos to my grandchildren, I will say that it is indeed Brixton
Academy. Who's to know eh? The vibe about tonights show is a good one.
Advance ticket sales have been good, and there is a sense that team Goldrush
are known around these parts, perhaps in part to the gig we played last
summer with Calexico in the enormodome down the road. Robin has radio and
press duties to attend to, whilst the rest of us marvel at the fact there
are two dressing rooms at our disposal - one side of stage where there is a
healthily stocked drinks fridge, and one just outside the main room. Les
Dennis would have been jealous...
Tonight's dinner is a generous helping of spaghetti bolognaise, washed down
with red wine. The combination of iron and anti-oxidants revives our tired
bones and before you know it, Phil is due onstage. We watch his set, which
has been getting better and better each night. Tonights venue is cool,
because the stage takes up half the room, and there is a tiered seating
section towards the back which reminds me of the drama workshop at school.
Joe, Garo G and myself joing the lovely Phil for his last song and he leaves
to a rapturous response. Good job Jones! Interstellar Overdrive starts up,
our now trademark intro music and we ready ourselves for the tenth
consecutive gig. Last night was a bit of a tired show, and we are conscious
that we want to make sure tonight is a vast improvement. By the time
"Everyone One Of Us" starts up, it already feels like we are succeeding. the
packed room are getting into it, and we feel at home. As we end the set with
"the Heart Is The Place" we stroll off to one of the two dressing rooms (the one
with the drinks in, naturlich) and clink bottles to celebrate a job well
done. The shouts for an encore get louder and louder, and so the good people
of Leipzig get another three songs. Good times indeed....
27/2/2007 - Munich - Orangehaus
We awake in the venue appartment in Leipzig when a charasmatic chap bounds
in and offers up Breakfast on a trolley. For the sake of comparison, imagine
the German equivalent of Uncle Monty. He marvels at Joe's Apple Mac laptop
and wants to know more about the life of a travelling rock band. Surely the
beaten look on our pale little faces tells the tale more than words ever
could. We assemble daywhiches (a sandwhich prepared from whatever various
breakfast elements are deemed passable) and head off, having been warned by
dear Monty that it's a good five hour stretch to Munich. On the way there,
Robin gets a call from someone who was at the gig last night, saying it was the best
gig he had EVER SEEN! High compliments indeed...We must be doing something right...
Now then. Munich. Cool place - of that I have no doubts. However today was
going to be one of those inevitable scenarios that bands the world over must
face, where by the venue is located in a cold industrial part of the city.
So it would seem inappropriate to offer any cultural observations. What I
can offer however is my tried and tested (and no doubt tiresome) review of
venue accomodation and food! The appartment was amazing. Nice, clean
spacious rooms with a huge living area. And a kitchen, housing a fridge
taller than I, stocked full of local brew. We head over to soundcheck, and
"The Wizard" is pumping out "Back In Black" over the PA system. I run around
the venue with a guitar round my neck, wishing I was in AC/DC. Formalities
complete, we head back to the appartment for dinner. The key components for
which seem to be pastry, salt, cheese and mushroom. I wonder how this would
fair in the UK's traffic light system of assessing how healthy food is - I
don't think a red light would even cover it to be honest. What's worse than
Red? The dessert is pecan pie, which is very good in all fairness...
Compared to the victorious display in Leipzig, tonights gig is slightly
underwhelming, although we are not allowed to leave the stage with anything
less than a three song encore so can't say fairer than that. We have a good
chat with people afterwards, and sign CD's and t-shirts. The people of
Munich are very lovely it has to be said. I decide that I want Morty to give
me a lesson in Sound Engineering and head over to the mixing desk. I listen
attentively as he imparts great wisdom, but after five minutes I accept that
I am probably not cut out for this science. Best stick to what I know best -
putting on a good jacket, strumming four strings and posing every night...
28/2/2007 - Stuttgart - Schocken
As the city of Stuttgart comes into view I can't help but marvel at it's
beautiful neon hills. Certainly doesn't look like any of the other cities. I
try and equate it with somewhere back home. Sheffield perhaps? Anyway, it's
love at first sight, and Garo tells me that last time he was here it was
quite a night, so the omens are good. There is some confusion at the venue
when we arrive as to whether we are playing upstairs or downstairs. We are
assured it is in fact downstairs. We are not a fussy bunch, although quite
how all our gear would fit on the downstairs stage is the the issue. Joe
Bennett is not a man to be defeated in the face of adversity, and we embark
on a game of giant Tetris, until the final quarter inch jack lead sits
proudly upon the stage. Job's a good 'un. We are told by the generous staff
to ask for free drinks from the bar when we felt so inclined - and what's
that I see - Strongbow? It is! I look at some of the posters around the
venues walls. It seems Stuttgart is a major stop on the touring circuit.
Snoop Dogg, P Diddy and OMD are all passing through town in the next month.
Maybe i should move here...
After a stroll to the apartment, we have a quick bite (pizza) and head back
to the venue. We are delighted to see the lovely Guys and gal from Crashing
dreams who have come down to see us play tonight. We twist their arms to
join the Goldrush "choir" once again for the opening number "Aperture." The
tiny room is packed and tonight ends up being one of the more enjoyable
shows. The local folk sure no how to dance, that much is certain. Morty
leads the crowd in some robotic, Crouch-esque manouveres throughout "We
Will Not Be Machines" leading to conjecture that his talents are watsted
behind a mixing desk. Afterwards, we stick around for a while, and I get
chatting to a nice chap called Paul who is from Essex. He works out here
for Mercedes now, and heard an advert on the radio advertising the gig and
decided to come and check it out. Soon though, my energy levels start to
crash, and I have to head back for some sleep. Have to load out first
though, and if there was a time I wished the gig wasn't downstairs it was
now..
1/4/2007 - Alte Wascherei (or "The Old Launderette") - Hall (nr Innsbruck, Austria)
Today we would be leaving Germany and heading towards the beautiful Alps. It
allowed us time for a little perspective. We played eleven gigs over eleven
nights in our beloved Deutschland, met some amazing people and consumed
ridiculous quantities of ham and cheese. But for now, our work is done. As
the snow capped Austrian mountains came into view, the contrast with
Germany's sometimes cold industrial terain was evident. I nod off in the
back of the van, and don't awake until we arrive outside the "venue". Now a
little about tonights setting, and try and take this in as best you can. On
this day, March 1st 2007 Goldrush performed a concert in the grounds of a
mental hospital (psychiatric hospital -P.C ed.). The venue itself is a converted
laundry facility. And yet tonight is probably the best night of the tour. For a
start, the promoters are amazing people - they put us right at ease despite the,
ahem, unique settings. Also tonights gig is sold out in advance, which puts a spring
in our stride. As we head for dinner i look at the amzing surroundings, and
feel totally at peace. For the sake of comparison, imagine Center Parcs in
the Austrian mountains. When touring with Goldrush leads to my inevitable
mental breakdown, I want to come here.
We are served a lovely and nutritious dinner in the on site cafe by former
patients of the hospital. At the next table sit Seattle band The Long
Winters, who share the bill with us this evening. We chat about their
experiences touring England. They did a gig at the Cavern Club in Exeter
with an un-named British band, and they were shocked that said band were in
a tourbus the size of the venue itself. We explain that this is very much
the way bands operate back in Blighty, and that a chart entry of number 42
is all the encouragement a band needs for a sleeper bus and an expensive drug habit.
Anyway, I digress...
Before going onstage tonight, the jolly promoter gives us a "big up" on the mic that
lasts a good few minutes. I can't understand any of it, but from the audience
reaction we sense he's a big fan. When he loudly exclaims "Goldrush!" we take that as
a cue to walk on, and from the off tonight is a belter. All this touring means that
we are operating at full power and efficiency, and we feed off the energy of a packed
laundry room. I can't believe how weird that sounds but I guess you had to be there.
Afterwards we stick around to watch The Long Winters and let our hair down a
little bit before heading back to the hotel. We gather in mine and Morty's
room for a bit of post match analysis, but G decides to leave when I become
a little over excited and start kicking my shoes at everyone, and the others
follow suit. Forgive me gentlemen, it's just the excitement of being in
Austria you understand.
2/3/2007 - Aarau (Switzerland) - Jugendhaus
Another beautiful drive today through the alps towards the first of two gigs
in Switzerland. We stop at a service station for a bite which is fairly
decent. In England, the best cuisine you could hope for would be a
ridiculously overpriced meal from a Welcome Break. If budget didn't allow,
you would be condemned to Burger King, or worse - Ginsters. Here we are
though, in amidst the Alps eating decent food with table service, and it
still only costs about £6 a head. And you can have a beer if it takes your
fancy...brilliant! A few hours later we arrive in Aarau, and the venue is
situated by one of the fastest flowing rivers I have ever seen. Make a
mental note not to go for a dip later. After setting up, Garo teaches me a
little riff that i'm to play on the acoustic in the chorus of "Wheels." The
venue is way too loud with Morty checking the PA and such, so the tutorial
takes place in the mens toilet. We then opt for an impromptu Guns N'Roses
jam in said lavatory, with sublime versions of "Used To Love Her", "My
Michelle" and others being aired. Beauitiful...
The souncheck is slightly problematic because the in-house engineer chap (who is
very friendly, although NOT in a rush) has the monitors wired incorrectly so
poor Morty is having a headache giving us the correct mix.
When we finally work out which send is which, the "relaxed" gentleman from the
venue starts to wire everything back the other way.
We can laugh now, but on day fourteen of a tour the amusing
side isn't always apparent. Still, the venue serve up a fantastic dinner - a
Vegetable Thai red curry, and Chicken Drumsticks. The promoter tells us that
the cooks are all volunteers, and do this for the love of doing it which
makes us even more grateful for the feast that was bestowed upon us. I
wander back to the dressing room, and pass through an over 50's disco that
is taking place in another room inside the venue...those guys could teach us
a thing or two about partying - it was kicking off in there, i tell you.
Showtime. It was a Friday night indie rock n' roll nightclub, the kind that
takes place the world over. I takes until "Wheels" to really engage with the
youth of Aarau, but from then on in it's a good gig. Tonight we decide to
encore with a ten minute version of "You Really Got Me" which proves a good
choice for there was dancing and shreaking coming from the floor. Oh what a
time we had! And as it's Friday night, we join in the festivities
afterwards. Alarm bells start to ring about two hours later when Garo decides
it would be senible to load out the gear. When the most wayward members of
the party decide it's time to leave, then it's probably a good time to
leave. Unfortunately Morty has forgotten that he was on driver duty tonight,
and is in an utterly useless condition, so chaos ensues as we stand outside
in the rain trying to hail taxis. We then manage to wake up the hotel
manager at 3am. He (politely) points out that we had already been given our
room keys, and that there was no need to wake him up. And he's right of course..
3/3/2007 - Dudingen (Switzerland) - Bad Bonn
Last day of the tour. Cor blimey, what a couple of weeks we have had. And
not a single punch has been thrown! So we arrive in Dudingen, knowing that
the venue Bad Bonn is a little off the beaten track. As we sit at a
crossroad contemplating our next manouvere, a very strange thing happens. A
car starts reversing round the bend at great speed, coming straight at us.
WTF!!! I think it's going to crash into us, but instead pulls up beside our
van. The window winds down, and a very cool cat says "are you looking for
Bad Bonn?" Yes we are! The good soul then leads the way to said venue which
really is in the middle of bloody nowhere. In fact, once inside I see a
poster on the wall with the slogan "Where the f**k is Bad Bonn"? It's remote
location has become something of an injoke, and even selling point. The good
people of Dudingen are obviously used to leading stray vans in the correct
direction, hence the crazy episode earlier...
Tonight's support band have quite a good following in the local area, and
own an impressive selection of quality gear which is squeezed onto the tiny
stage. We chat over dinner, and they seem a nice bunch of guys. The guitar
player also does catering at one of the biggest venues in the surrounding
area and has served grub to the likes of Franz Ferdinand. Apparently they
are a bit "moody." As well as popular local support, Goldrush are also up
against the cosmos this evening. Observing our stage time, it becomes
apparent that there is to be a lunar eclispse half way through our set, and
apparently there is no chance of it being re-scheduled. What to do? Well, we
ploughed through the first half of the set, then took an interval break. The
vast open sky with the Alps in the distance was an amazing setting for the
eclipse, and we return to play the second half with our transems
re-aligned. The gig goes well from here on in - the first half being a bit
cosmically shambolic in comparison. The lad from Burnley at the front spurs
us on, his northern charm reminding us that home is but a day away. One more
element seperates us from victory - a window at the side of the stage so
people in the bar can look on as if we were but on a television. This will
not stand! It's time to get confrontational. We've hauled our asses hundreds
of miles to be here, so the hatch is coming down. If you wanna watch, come
out front! Robin closes the hatch, only for security to re-open it. Then
Robin closes it, and punters re-open it. And so it goes on...but persistence
pays off and finally we play to a packed room. Bloody hell, sometimes you
really have to take the law into your own hands in Europe!
And that dear readers is the end of the tour. Yes, we had a drink after the
gig. And we stayed in a - you guessed it - hotel! But you had probably
guessed that. Until next time...guten nacht. Don't have nightmares...
Monday, March 12, 2007
Saturday 24th February - Halle - Objekt 5
We arrive in Halle with bags of soaking wet clothes in tow. The dryer in our hotel in Magdeburg simply wasn't up to the job, so the first port of call is a laundrette - that also doubles as a cafe bar. Sounds odd, but to our troupe of road sozzled warriors it was a gift from the heavens. We sit supping beverages and eating panini's whilst our pants dry. Harsh electronica dominates the airwaves, one particular featuring the unforgettable line "Life on other planets - is difficult." Well yes, it is certainly not easy, some might say impossible, but I'm all for a dash of cautious optimism!
Tonight's venue was visited on the "Ozona" tour last year and was a highlight so we are looking forward to the gig. As we load in I note they serve strongbow on draught, another indicator that a good evening awaits. We settle down with Spaghetti Bolognaise in the band room with the support band Crashing Dreams, and find them to be a very charming bunch of individuals. Buckling under the weight of carbs, we decide that we should head back to the hotel for a "screensaver." This phrase is used to describe the state prior to a full on nap, but grabbing a few of these whenever possible is definitely beneficial.
The venue is jammed to the rafters when we head back there, and Phil goes down a storm. I get in a reserve of strongbow, and head for the stage, for what proves to be a highlight of the tour. Halle were feeling Saturday Night Fever, and we were a well oiled rock machine. When Robin sings "We Will Not Be Machines" he means that we should not be figures of capitalist oppression. It's OK to be a rock machine in my opinion. After the gig we hang round and meet some lovely locals and enjoy the indie rock disco that follows. I play a bit of air guitar to Rage Against The Machine, then that I really should go and get some sleep since we have another eight nights ahead of us. Nice one Halle, see you again x
Sunday 25th February - Dresden - Scheune
The venue tonight has an adjoining cafe that serves an amazing brunch. You pay eight euro's and help yourself to a massive selection of nutrients and deep fried stuff. It was exactly what the doctor ordered, as another helping of ham and cheese might have resulted in weeping. Tonight we played with two bands from Belgium, all of whom seem like great guys. They huddled around their splitter van in the car park playing indie karaoke and being generally jovial. Then I hear that this is only the second date of their tour, and it makes sense - I envy their zest for life.
Tonight's accomodation is inside the venue, and resembles a boys dormitory at boarding school. Although I don't think you can drink Jim Beam at school, so I guess in some ways it is slightly better. Poor Garo got locked in the room whilst we were soundchecking. Everyone was wondering where he was, but the poor sod was trapped. I suspect some dark thoughts probably passed through his transem in that lonely hour, but he's a professional and rises above it. The gig is OK, although as Mr Partridge would point out it was "Sunday, Bloody Sunday." Still, an encore is demanded and Dresden is a cool place, so we are happy to oblige. Post gig, myself, Stuart and Phil head off into the night and eat pizza, washed down with Green tea. Then back to the dorm before headmaster shouts at us.
We arrive in Halle with bags of soaking wet clothes in tow. The dryer in our hotel in Magdeburg simply wasn't up to the job, so the first port of call is a laundrette - that also doubles as a cafe bar. Sounds odd, but to our troupe of road sozzled warriors it was a gift from the heavens. We sit supping beverages and eating panini's whilst our pants dry. Harsh electronica dominates the airwaves, one particular featuring the unforgettable line "Life on other planets - is difficult." Well yes, it is certainly not easy, some might say impossible, but I'm all for a dash of cautious optimism!
Tonight's venue was visited on the "Ozona" tour last year and was a highlight so we are looking forward to the gig. As we load in I note they serve strongbow on draught, another indicator that a good evening awaits. We settle down with Spaghetti Bolognaise in the band room with the support band Crashing Dreams, and find them to be a very charming bunch of individuals. Buckling under the weight of carbs, we decide that we should head back to the hotel for a "screensaver." This phrase is used to describe the state prior to a full on nap, but grabbing a few of these whenever possible is definitely beneficial.
The venue is jammed to the rafters when we head back there, and Phil goes down a storm. I get in a reserve of strongbow, and head for the stage, for what proves to be a highlight of the tour. Halle were feeling Saturday Night Fever, and we were a well oiled rock machine. When Robin sings "We Will Not Be Machines" he means that we should not be figures of capitalist oppression. It's OK to be a rock machine in my opinion. After the gig we hang round and meet some lovely locals and enjoy the indie rock disco that follows. I play a bit of air guitar to Rage Against The Machine, then that I really should go and get some sleep since we have another eight nights ahead of us. Nice one Halle, see you again x
Sunday 25th February - Dresden - Scheune
The venue tonight has an adjoining cafe that serves an amazing brunch. You pay eight euro's and help yourself to a massive selection of nutrients and deep fried stuff. It was exactly what the doctor ordered, as another helping of ham and cheese might have resulted in weeping. Tonight we played with two bands from Belgium, all of whom seem like great guys. They huddled around their splitter van in the car park playing indie karaoke and being generally jovial. Then I hear that this is only the second date of their tour, and it makes sense - I envy their zest for life.
Tonight's accomodation is inside the venue, and resembles a boys dormitory at boarding school. Although I don't think you can drink Jim Beam at school, so I guess in some ways it is slightly better. Poor Garo got locked in the room whilst we were soundchecking. Everyone was wondering where he was, but the poor sod was trapped. I suspect some dark thoughts probably passed through his transem in that lonely hour, but he's a professional and rises above it. The gig is OK, although as Mr Partridge would point out it was "Sunday, Bloody Sunday." Still, an encore is demanded and Dresden is a cool place, so we are happy to oblige. Post gig, myself, Stuart and Phil head off into the night and eat pizza, washed down with Green tea. Then back to the dorm before headmaster shouts at us.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Bread head
Thursday 22nd February - Cologne Gebaude 9
Thursday 22nd February - Cologne Gebaude 9
Today the funbus arrives in Cologne. We marvel at the Cathedral and wonder around town in search of shower gel and so forth. Tonight's venue is in an industrial part of town, and in the cold light of day appears quite menacing. Prize for best rider of the tour so far should be awarded to the promoter here. Fine food, haribo, beer, wine and Jim Beam all present and correct.
Now, the soundcheck for tonight's show was something of a personal low point for me. It appears that the bass bins are situated beneath my feet on the stage, and so a mere kick drum would vibrate up my legs causing my bowel (already under duress from large quantities of local ale) to shake. By the time we play a full song, I am on the verge of vomiting, from the sheer intensity of sound. I opt for a lie down to try and get it together, and a hearty meal and glass of red wine puts me in a better frame of mind.
Another good show tonight, I think the highlight being when we come back on for an encore of "Yours and Mine" and Robin decides to go on an impromptu meet and greet of the crowd. Garo follows suit, but seems to get carried away talking to someone about the last time he was in Cologne. Poor G is stuck behind the kit wondering what in God's name we were up to. As the gear is packed down we cook up an impromptu samba session with any available percussive instuments whilst Garo plays javelin with G's drum mat. Our spirit's are raised further upon arriving at our top notch hotel, in which we get a room each. I consult the minbar prices, and deem them reasonable enough to get a bit of chocolate on beer on the go before hitting the pillow. The good times keep a rolling...
Friday 23rd February - Magdeburg Projekt 7
The architecture of this fair town is a site to behold. Pink buildings, yellow buildings. orange buildings. Nice. Tonight's venue is a students Union with a big stage. And as sound wizard Morty blasts "Black in Black" through the huge PA I am dazzled by sheer sonic force. We sit down for dinner, and cinnamon is liberally sprinkled on our plates, under the false pretence it was pepper. Oh how we laughed!
Walking onstage to Pink Floyds "Interstellar Overdrive" we saunter up for gig number seven in as many days. "Sun In Your Eyes" seems to be going down increasingly well each night with the brass freakout section. The room full of students lap it up, and so in traditional style a beer or two is cracked open. At this point, I think the bad version of me took hold of proceedings. The next morning I am confronted with camera footage of me headbutting the dressing room wall with a loaf of bread over my head. Surely, a You Tube classic in waiting...
Thursday 22nd February - Cologne Gebaude 9
Today the funbus arrives in Cologne. We marvel at the Cathedral and wonder around town in search of shower gel and so forth. Tonight's venue is in an industrial part of town, and in the cold light of day appears quite menacing. Prize for best rider of the tour so far should be awarded to the promoter here. Fine food, haribo, beer, wine and Jim Beam all present and correct.
Now, the soundcheck for tonight's show was something of a personal low point for me. It appears that the bass bins are situated beneath my feet on the stage, and so a mere kick drum would vibrate up my legs causing my bowel (already under duress from large quantities of local ale) to shake. By the time we play a full song, I am on the verge of vomiting, from the sheer intensity of sound. I opt for a lie down to try and get it together, and a hearty meal and glass of red wine puts me in a better frame of mind.
Another good show tonight, I think the highlight being when we come back on for an encore of "Yours and Mine" and Robin decides to go on an impromptu meet and greet of the crowd. Garo follows suit, but seems to get carried away talking to someone about the last time he was in Cologne. Poor G is stuck behind the kit wondering what in God's name we were up to. As the gear is packed down we cook up an impromptu samba session with any available percussive instuments whilst Garo plays javelin with G's drum mat. Our spirit's are raised further upon arriving at our top notch hotel, in which we get a room each. I consult the minbar prices, and deem them reasonable enough to get a bit of chocolate on beer on the go before hitting the pillow. The good times keep a rolling...
Friday 23rd February - Magdeburg Projekt 7
The architecture of this fair town is a site to behold. Pink buildings, yellow buildings. orange buildings. Nice. Tonight's venue is a students Union with a big stage. And as sound wizard Morty blasts "Black in Black" through the huge PA I am dazzled by sheer sonic force. We sit down for dinner, and cinnamon is liberally sprinkled on our plates, under the false pretence it was pepper. Oh how we laughed!
Walking onstage to Pink Floyds "Interstellar Overdrive" we saunter up for gig number seven in as many days. "Sun In Your Eyes" seems to be going down increasingly well each night with the brass freakout section. The room full of students lap it up, and so in traditional style a beer or two is cracked open. At this point, I think the bad version of me took hold of proceedings. The next morning I am confronted with camera footage of me headbutting the dressing room wall with a loaf of bread over my head. Surely, a You Tube classic in waiting...
Tuesday 20th February - Frankfurt Das Bett
Ouch. Don't want to feel like this every day for the next two weeks. I sleep in the van and have nightmares all the way to Frankfurt about sliding down a cliff. Bad times...we pull up outside Das Bett and i stumble inside to be confronted with a huge picture of my nipples on the back page of the local paper (the bath tub shot which appears to have been circulated quite heavily). Upon loading in there are a few giggles when we discover our mountain of gear literally fills the tiny venue. We manage to squeeze onto the stage somehow and tonight ends up been a good one, probably the best up until this point. The audience were close up and personal, to the extent that even my tanning moisturiser was struggling to hide my pasty complexion.
Afterwards we hang round and chat with lots of lovely Frankfurters and do a swift trade in Merchandise. Fortunately the accomodation is right above the venue so I retire early in an attempt to repair some of the damage i inflicted upon myself in Berlin. I nod off contemplating that many a band member must have lied in this very bed, feeling like shit. And I take comfort in this.
Wednesday 21st February - Dortmund Barcuda
First of all, I would like to point out that as rule of thumb, when a band goes on tour it is standard that only two members will actually bother to bring shower gel or toothpaste. After a few days on the road tensions start to arise when the freeloaders like myself push their luck, so we vow to purchase some more. Today's first call of duty is a radio interview for Robin, but first we must have some lunch. Graham tackles a huge steak, whilst most of us opt for tomato soup which is simply too heavy on the basil. And the bread arrives when we are nearly finished. These things can upset a tired band.
Tonight's gig is for a local radio station , and the audience are competition winners so we are keen to prove ourselves a worthy prize. After a good soundcheck we head for dinner at an eatery affiliated with a venue and I enjoy a delicious Thai Green curry, marred only by the fact the rice was undercooked. Myself and Joe Bennett debate whether we should bring this to the staff's attention, not to be arseholes you understand but to be helpful. But then since the meal is paid for by the station, we decide not to.
Anyway, onto the gig before I turn into Alex Kopranos. Thank you Dortmund! Best gig of the tour so far. There was dancing, even screaming from the audience. We were well into our stride by this point, and at the end of the regular set the an encore was demanded, not simply politely asked for. Just what we needed really, because tiredness was beginning to set in, but we leave the venue a happy bunch of boys, looking forward to Cologne the next day.
Ouch. Don't want to feel like this every day for the next two weeks. I sleep in the van and have nightmares all the way to Frankfurt about sliding down a cliff. Bad times...we pull up outside Das Bett and i stumble inside to be confronted with a huge picture of my nipples on the back page of the local paper (the bath tub shot which appears to have been circulated quite heavily). Upon loading in there are a few giggles when we discover our mountain of gear literally fills the tiny venue. We manage to squeeze onto the stage somehow and tonight ends up been a good one, probably the best up until this point. The audience were close up and personal, to the extent that even my tanning moisturiser was struggling to hide my pasty complexion.
Afterwards we hang round and chat with lots of lovely Frankfurters and do a swift trade in Merchandise. Fortunately the accomodation is right above the venue so I retire early in an attempt to repair some of the damage i inflicted upon myself in Berlin. I nod off contemplating that many a band member must have lied in this very bed, feeling like shit. And I take comfort in this.
Wednesday 21st February - Dortmund Barcuda
First of all, I would like to point out that as rule of thumb, when a band goes on tour it is standard that only two members will actually bother to bring shower gel or toothpaste. After a few days on the road tensions start to arise when the freeloaders like myself push their luck, so we vow to purchase some more. Today's first call of duty is a radio interview for Robin, but first we must have some lunch. Graham tackles a huge steak, whilst most of us opt for tomato soup which is simply too heavy on the basil. And the bread arrives when we are nearly finished. These things can upset a tired band.
Tonight's gig is for a local radio station , and the audience are competition winners so we are keen to prove ourselves a worthy prize. After a good soundcheck we head for dinner at an eatery affiliated with a venue and I enjoy a delicious Thai Green curry, marred only by the fact the rice was undercooked. Myself and Joe Bennett debate whether we should bring this to the staff's attention, not to be arseholes you understand but to be helpful. But then since the meal is paid for by the station, we decide not to.
Anyway, onto the gig before I turn into Alex Kopranos. Thank you Dortmund! Best gig of the tour so far. There was dancing, even screaming from the audience. We were well into our stride by this point, and at the end of the regular set the an encore was demanded, not simply politely asked for. Just what we needed really, because tiredness was beginning to set in, but we leave the venue a happy bunch of boys, looking forward to Cologne the next day.
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