Bang Bang Berlin

There was traffic even before we got to the practice space to load the van. Then half the people in the band were not there. Rest were either flying, driving other ways or going to be picked up at home because there were other things that needed doing. Oh well. En route to Berlin. Drive. Stop. Pee. Coffee. Repeat a few times. The drive scenery was great though. Bright sunshine and it’s fall as you all know so lot’s of colour and tree’s to look at. Loved it. Arrived exactly on time at the Bang Bang Club. Set up and everybody arrived. We did a sound check then did a few interviews, one of which was held in the toilets. All headed off for something to eat while the band Mega! Mega! did their soundcheck. Was a very late show. I don’t think we played until 12.30 or so. Was fun to be back in Berlin again. Good show. Afterwards we hung around for a bit then headed off to our hostel where we grabbed a few beers.

Barely slept because of the beds in the hostel and the fact that I forgot to put in some earplugs to drown out the snoring. I think everyone else is also just as tired. Our rental van is taking some getting used too. The seating is so totally different from the White Pearl. It’s sucking all our last bits of energy – there’s no comfortable position to be found. Back in Amsterdam by 8pm after having left Berlin at 11am. Traffic as always as soon as we cross the border back into Holland. Two days in a van. Over and out.

Picture by Sely Friday 2009

White Pearl

The van, “The White Pearl”, RIP. We had to get our stuff from our beloved van that shall no longer transport us. She got shipped back from Zurich where she had a breakdown a few km out side the city center. Her insides are bust and far to expensive for us to keep paying for. She’ll be sold. Thanks for taking us all around Europe. I think she wanted to really retire in the mountains of Switzerland. Our wuppie was still on board. 4 years it rode on top through countless thousand km’s. I pulled it off and it was a hard ball of foam. The green hostage on the trailer hitch was left. He has been hitching a ride for the past year and a half and I think he wants to continue for a while.

Photo by Sely Friday 2009

Munich

59:1 Club in Munich has a great stage that protrudes out into the venue so as a spectator you can actually watch bands from behind them almost. Anyway, the stage is also pretty damn small if there is already a full band’s backline including a huge harp and various other percussion instruments that have to remain where they are. We got ourselves fitted on to the stage after a long wait in the afternoon. We could only have vocals, piano and a sax go on the PA so it was old school rock and roll – with just the amps and drums blasting full out. Had a great show even though I could not move my feet 5 cm in any direction. Afterwards we packed up in the cold cold hallway outside – thankfully not out in the street because it was snowing. Didn’t stick around to long even though we had a day off the next day.

Pictures by Sely Friday 2009

Getting Lost and Getting To Vienna

Tuesday

We had an address to stay for Tuesday night east of Prague, all arranged and everything. We found out later at 1am that there was another town under the same name about 2 hours drive back away from Vienna. We’d also left a little late so couldn’t really look for a house in the pitch black dark. Weirdest thing was that parts of the directions we had received to get to the house we right!? Left at the church, left bend up a small hill, right turn and past the telephone cell. We lost it there because we couldn’t find (or see anything in the dark). Did find a house that did kind of look like the one we need to get to, and it had the same number but a huge dog came running up towards Martijn and I when we started opening the gate….. Eventually at the local (closed) bar we found out we were in the wrong town. We just said fuck it and drove towards Vienna and eventually found a hotel outside of Jihlava (I think).

Wednesday

It was snowing fiercely when we started driving towards Vienna. About an hour from Vienna we got a call from the venue that we might not be able to play because the stage was too small and Florence and the Machine couldn’t move any of there gear for us (there was no space for that). So spending two days driving to Vienna we finally got to the venue anyway and checked things out for ourselves. Not that much space but we still got things sorted somehow on stage. I stood behind a harp, effects board and computer rig. Joppe was off in a corner. It was a great show though. Great reactions.

Pictures by Sely Friday 2009

Luxor Koln/Cologne

We stayed with Sophie’s mother in Luneburg and it was fantastic. Martijn and I were up pretty early as usual and so we walked around the city center for a bit. Got some flowers for our lovely hostess who had left even earlier to get to work. When we got back the rest were up. Had a great big breakfast all together seated at the table. Martijn cooked up some tasty eggs. Shorter-ish drive to Luxor in Koln/Cologne. Started raining when we got to Luxor. As usual we waited around for our time to set up and soundcheck. Stage was even tighter than yesterdays. Joppe was really crammed in the corner behind my amps. Fun show. We had to load out directly. At least it was inside. Packed up and hung around until after FATM’s set so we could sell some merch. Some friends and family had driven down from Amsterdam/Utrecht to see FATM (and us) play. I started to get a bad cold – I guess it’s the sweaty loading out into the cold night directly after our sets that is screwing me up. Quick drive. And if anyone can read German something was written about the show on Triggerfish

Pictures by Sely Friday 2009