So we've only got one show left on this epic journey. We play Nijmegen in Holland tonight. The last two nights of shows in Germany have really been something special. Definitely two of my favorite nights on the tour. Good folks have really made the experience. I really can't even express it.
This is a very different life from the one I normally live. And its tempting to give it all up for the road. I dunno. I can't write it all down right now. There's lots going through my head.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Switzerland
The days and shows in Switzerland were all sort of interesting. I think tour really set in a bit and I started missing a lot of things. As a result I don't think I played quite as well as I had. Its weird how the first thing I really started missing was my roommate's dog, Diesel.
The first show was in Geneva and I had really high hopes. There were some misunderstandings at some point and I wound up with a short unplugged set sitting up on the bar. I screamed my heart out to be heard and heard some positive reviews but it was the first set I played that I really struggled to draw positives from. We played with Born To Lose and Pipes and Pints who were both really solid bands. Also played again with our good friend Greg Laraigne and his band once again.
The next day we drove to the Huttwil area and immediately went exploring in some caves and were fed with the most delicious BBQ I've had in a long while. The venue was totally empty until just before Greg Laraigne played the opening set and then it filled up with lots and lots of really drunk people. My set went well and the Tim Vantol set was just an absurdly drunken endeavor. The crowd was just stumbling over itself. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, but I wasn't really into it in my sobriety.
Last night we played in Lenzburg which is one of the most beautiful towns I've ever been in. There's a castle on the top of a big hill in the middle of the town. We also got a 4 star hotel somehow. Three of us ran up to the castle which was awesome and I continued a run off into the Swiss hills and woods. Despite how much I enjoy the company of my tour buddies, it was nice to get away on my own off into the woods.
The show was in this pub owned by a couple of Scottish brothers. The night got a bit out of control. That's all there is to say about that. ....well, not entirely. There was a guitar sold to some Swiss guy. There was some video footage that no one will ever see. There was some head shaving. Tim played a gazillion encores. Good times.
The first show was in Geneva and I had really high hopes. There were some misunderstandings at some point and I wound up with a short unplugged set sitting up on the bar. I screamed my heart out to be heard and heard some positive reviews but it was the first set I played that I really struggled to draw positives from. We played with Born To Lose and Pipes and Pints who were both really solid bands. Also played again with our good friend Greg Laraigne and his band once again.
The next day we drove to the Huttwil area and immediately went exploring in some caves and were fed with the most delicious BBQ I've had in a long while. The venue was totally empty until just before Greg Laraigne played the opening set and then it filled up with lots and lots of really drunk people. My set went well and the Tim Vantol set was just an absurdly drunken endeavor. The crowd was just stumbling over itself. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, but I wasn't really into it in my sobriety.
Last night we played in Lenzburg which is one of the most beautiful towns I've ever been in. There's a castle on the top of a big hill in the middle of the town. We also got a 4 star hotel somehow. Three of us ran up to the castle which was awesome and I continued a run off into the Swiss hills and woods. Despite how much I enjoy the company of my tour buddies, it was nice to get away on my own off into the woods.
The show was in this pub owned by a couple of Scottish brothers. The night got a bit out of control. That's all there is to say about that. ....well, not entirely. There was a guitar sold to some Swiss guy. There was some video footage that no one will ever see. There was some head shaving. Tim played a gazillion encores. Good times.
Montpelier and Chambery (and cockroaches)
We arrived at the venue in Montpellier to hospitality and an awesome bar. The stage was in the basement and it was TINY. Probably the smallest room I've ever seen a band play in. It was the type of venue where it would feel full if there were 15 people there. Our meal consisted of pizza from down the street but when we looked closer there were cockroaches running across our pizza boxes. It turned out the entire venue was infested with them. We had to look through all of our gear when we packed up and knock off cockroaches. Once again we were put up by lovely folks who gave us food and coffee in the morning. And we headed out for Chambery...
The venue was one of the best we've played. The other acts were Greg Doh and Greg Laraigne (with his band). Both of these guys are awesome and if you haven't heard of them you should check them out. They're both based in Geneva and write good, heartfelt songs. The show went well and we had great conversation with a tattoo artist from NYC named Joy. She told us all about suspending herself on hooks and all sorts of other interesting stuff.
Chambery also happened to have some of the most beautiful mountains surrounding it I've ever seen. But thats become somewhat of a pattern in the days that have followed Chambery
The venue was one of the best we've played. The other acts were Greg Doh and Greg Laraigne (with his band). Both of these guys are awesome and if you haven't heard of them you should check them out. They're both based in Geneva and write good, heartfelt songs. The show went well and we had great conversation with a tattoo artist from NYC named Joy. She told us all about suspending herself on hooks and all sorts of other interesting stuff.
Chambery also happened to have some of the most beautiful mountains surrounding it I've ever seen. But thats become somewhat of a pattern in the days that have followed Chambery
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Paris ad Toulouse
God I'm tired. We were awake till 5am hanging out with some of the many pretty French girls. Toulouse is an incredibly beautiful city, both the city itself and the lovely women here. But let me tell the story in order.
Two days ago we played in Paris. We played a small club called Cafe Rigoletto. One of my best friends in the world, Lei, travelled all the way from Wales to come see us. I felt so grateful to play in front of her and for the dedication she showed to our friendship to travel all the way to Paris with her son. The show was a bit rocky, but we made the best of it and slept well that night recovering from the ridiculousness of Rock Im Kabuff. Then we woke up early to make the long drive to Toulouse. We got here late, soundchecked and played well. My set was well received and the band's set was probably our tightest yet. Then we hit the town with our friend Greg.
We witnessed bouncers pepper spray and then beat the shit out of some kid. They had him on the ground and were pounding him with the pepper spray can and then one of them kicked him in the head with heavy boots. What he could have done to deserve getting kicked in the head like that I have no idea. I'd rather assume that the bouncers were sociopaths who took the excuse to beat some kid down because they were bored. It was a really intense experience.
We wound up spending lots of time with these girls, one of whom had gotten some pepper spray in her eyes and spent the whole evening wiping her eyes out. Asshole bouncers. Another one of the girls gave Justin a tap on the junk that left him almost in tears. Funny. We wound up back at Greg's place and were up super late having our usual brand of ridiculous conversation and shenanigans.
Anyways, we woke up all feeling tired as all hell. And thats about where we stand right now. I'm going to nod off and try to be in a more energetic state for the show tonight.
Two days ago we played in Paris. We played a small club called Cafe Rigoletto. One of my best friends in the world, Lei, travelled all the way from Wales to come see us. I felt so grateful to play in front of her and for the dedication she showed to our friendship to travel all the way to Paris with her son. The show was a bit rocky, but we made the best of it and slept well that night recovering from the ridiculousness of Rock Im Kabuff. Then we woke up early to make the long drive to Toulouse. We got here late, soundchecked and played well. My set was well received and the band's set was probably our tightest yet. Then we hit the town with our friend Greg.
We witnessed bouncers pepper spray and then beat the shit out of some kid. They had him on the ground and were pounding him with the pepper spray can and then one of them kicked him in the head with heavy boots. What he could have done to deserve getting kicked in the head like that I have no idea. I'd rather assume that the bouncers were sociopaths who took the excuse to beat some kid down because they were bored. It was a really intense experience.
We wound up spending lots of time with these girls, one of whom had gotten some pepper spray in her eyes and spent the whole evening wiping her eyes out. Asshole bouncers. Another one of the girls gave Justin a tap on the junk that left him almost in tears. Funny. We wound up back at Greg's place and were up super late having our usual brand of ridiculous conversation and shenanigans.
Anyways, we woke up all feeling tired as all hell. And thats about where we stand right now. I'm going to nod off and try to be in a more energetic state for the show tonight.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Rock Am Kabuff
There is no way to put last night into full sentences: Two human pyramids (the bottom sucks). River swimming. Duct tape soccer. Stealing duct tape back when Ms. Buzzkill takes duct tape away. Continuing to play duct tape soccer. Skinny dipping in a random pool at 2am. Tourmanager trying to jump the fence while naked and falling on his face. Crashing a party with a bunch of folks over 50 and only agreeing to leave in exchange for a bottle of wine. Trading a beer for a bracelet and then for exchanging the bracelet for a watch. Duct taping a drunk guy who got on our nerves. Picking Tourmanager up and throwing him over a fence. More two person summersaults (Justin plus Matt = success!). Girl offering to sew a hole in our pants. Girl sewing hole in pants. Tim stagedives and then gets dropped... hard. Tim asks crowd to do a human centipede (look it up). Holding off The Situation away from the mic so he can't sing along. Nice kids booking us on a show and then showing us lots of respect.
The Anal Triangle
The tour is officially underway. We played Aarschot, Belgium last night at a ridiculously awesome venue. There were automatic dispensers that sold exclusively the following items: drum sticks, guitar strings, and condoms. I was flabbergasted. It's a publicly run youth center named De Klinker that has practice space for bands and two stages and a skate park. We spent the pre-show period backstage watching Bear Grylls and nursing a bottle of Jameson. There were also attempts to do a two person summersault, but thats all I'm going to say about that. Other than the fact that Mark and I were the only successful team. It left me feeling cheap and used.
We then spent the night in a cheeeeaaaaapp hotel. Everything seemed to be automated: showers, toilets, breakfast. I felt like I was living in a machine. Not that it wasn't nice to have a clean bed and breakfast and coffee ready when I woke up.
The anal triangle refers to three towns in Belgium that seem to have reference to butts. Few have ever left alive. It is suspected that they simply never reemerged from the depths. Luckily we did not suffer the same fate.
And lastly, Tha List (aka El Listo). Its our bucket list for the tour. Most of it will remain a tour secret, but I will reveal one goal for the trip: to be accepted into a pack of animals. We don't fuck around.
We then spent the night in a cheeeeaaaaapp hotel. Everything seemed to be automated: showers, toilets, breakfast. I felt like I was living in a machine. Not that it wasn't nice to have a clean bed and breakfast and coffee ready when I woke up.
The anal triangle refers to three towns in Belgium that seem to have reference to butts. Few have ever left alive. It is suspected that they simply never reemerged from the depths. Luckily we did not suffer the same fate.
And lastly, Tha List (aka El Listo). Its our bucket list for the tour. Most of it will remain a tour secret, but I will reveal one goal for the trip: to be accepted into a pack of animals. We don't fuck around.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Alright, for real this time.
So the last days have been spent in Wegberg, Germany. We've been practicing, making fun of Bon Jovi and Bear Grylls, getting to know each other, and living it up. Last night was the first show of the tour in the Tsunami Club in Cologne. It was fucking amazing to say the least.
I got a really solid reaction to my solo set. Then the Tim Vantol Band somehow coalesced and became formidable after only a couple days of rehearsals. To say we rocked would be a serious understatement.
I'd really like to make this more entertaining and have some great stories and shit. But for now my enthusiasm is the best I can do.
I got a really solid reaction to my solo set. Then the Tim Vantol Band somehow coalesced and became formidable after only a couple days of rehearsals. To say we rocked would be a serious understatement.
I'd really like to make this more entertaining and have some great stories and shit. But for now my enthusiasm is the best I can do.
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