Wednesday, 12 December 2012
DIY - Gent, Belgium
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Label - Savour Your Scene Records
Monday, 28 May 2012
Brasil - Goiânia/Goiás
"I have decided to try to talk a bit about what's going on here in town (from what I see and have direct contact). Well, I always liked to read about what goes on in the scene and hit other places with that desire to write about the crazy scene of this (already chaotic) city.
I’ll start talking about Perdidas Gerações, a band from a new generation, which emerged in 2011 with the purpose of making punk/hardcore with strong influences from Finland. They released a demo last year, playing a lot here in town and they played in the Distrito Federal next to the legendary band Execradores from São Paulo. These youngsters released a few new songs that will be on the new album to be released by Two Beers or Not Two Beers and Massive Records.
Continuing this line of newcomers is a band coming from Manaus that has been resident for some time in Goiânia. Morphic Resonance is a new project that has launched a new album. The Goats, now a trio, are also new, and want to splinter grindcore/death metal without being delicate.
Another band Tirei Zero, part of the new generation of the capital, have some new songs and it seems that new material will drop soon. Wait though, because the songs are new with a different view of the old and what is known to most of us.
The evil tongues say that the old hardcore band Ímpeto will have material for staff to check soon but it’s uncertain, let's see, you know, because at the moment it is a virtually just a demo.
A legend here in town WxCxM, it seems has retired from performing. This band marked a generation of the rough and the lost who saw the band's memorable concerts in the capital and it is sad that the band has stopped.
Another band announced that its activities terminated are Overcome which was excellent, a great loss, because all had female vocals, which is very rare indeed here.
Across the city a bit and arriving in Trindade, the land of god, we come across the Tarja Preta, band of hardcore/punk and recently launched its demo "Desigualdade, Controle" (which by the way is good and shows the evolution of the band).
Returning to the capital again and talking about news, it seems that the old hardcore band Descarga Negativa (which had stopped and came roaring back a few years ago) will drop you guys a full disk, only noting that the band contains two legendary figures of the goianiense scene, the tireless Walkir (the Insetu's Produções) and Junior HC (who has appeared in other bands and produces Letargia Zine).
The Death From Above, D-beat band is about to release (or already released, I'm not sure) a split 7'' with the American band Favela Rising, but there is a wait, because the Glauco Mingau (vocals/guitar) always renders works with a surreal quality.
Another band to release something that is new is the Sangue Seco (which is the whisper in the alleys of the city), punk with old ways that contains only thin boys of the old guard of the scene goianense.
The news of the band Baba Sheeva is for the new video for the song "Girando HC", very good indeed.
Another band that has been dropping pretty cool videos of melodic hardcore is Coerência. "Calma, O Amanhã!" is a collection of videos and continues strong, playing with or without structure (no frills, which is relevant to other bands here).
The band Heretic, instrumental metal, have just dropped the cover and the tracks of their EP, entitled "Lamashtu" which is a preview of the band's second album. The set is a trio of members from bands like Spiritual Carnage, Spirits Of The Shadows and Symphonic Tragedy and the record features a tribute to Billy Idol, played by the band Corja Wander Segundo.
From the sphere of counterculture production, the Insetu's Producões continues strong in the fight and presents to the public the 3rd edition of Fúria Underground, which as the distinguished presence of the band from São Paulo DEFY, the second time in the capital and presenting its new split with Terror Revoluonário band."
Thursday, 17 May 2012
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Tour - BearTrap/Witch Cult Europe 2012
Beartrap and Witch Cult describe the heaven and hell of touring as they travel to every corner of Europe...if you were kind to them you'll be mentioned!!
02/24 London, UK @ Power Lunches
02/25 Bristol, UK @ The Gryphon
02/26 Truro, UK @ Live Bar
02/27 Southampton, UK @ The Dorchester
02/28 Reims, FR @ Appart Cafe
02/29 Rennes, FR @ TBA
03/01 Toulouse, FR @ L’emergence Squat
03/02 Zarzuta, ES @ Gaztetxe Squat
03/03 Leon, ES @ Shark Bar
03/04 Lisbon, PT @ Faculdade De Letras
03/05 Madrid, ES @ La Faena 2
03/06 Barcelona, ES @ Distrito Vi Squat
03/07 Marseille, FR @ O Bundys Pub
03/08 Basel, CH @ Hirscheneck
03/09 Lugano, CH @ Csoa 2 Molino
03/10 Milan, IT @ Villa Vegan
03/11 Rome, IT @ Bencivanga Squat
03/12 Padova, IT @ Seven Live
03/13 Ljubljana,Slovenia @ Tovarna Rog Squat
03/14 Zagreb, HR @ Attack Club
03/15 Sarajevo, BA @ Kriterion
03/16 Skopje,Macedonia @ La Kana
03/17 Voloz, GR @ Riot Squat
03/18 Athens, GR @ Kallidromiou 94
03/19 Thessaloniki, GR @ Biologica Squat
03/20 Komotini, GR @ University
03/21 Istanbul, TR @ Peyote
03/22 Plovdiv, BG @ Club Puzzle
03/23 Sibiu, RO @ Bohemian Flow bar and pub
03/24 Timisoara, RO @ Atelier Diy
03/25 Debrecen, HU @ Hno3
03/26 Trencin, SK @ Klub Luc
03/27 Innsbruck, AT @ Cafe Decentral
03/28 Bratislava, SK @ Intergalakticka Obluda
03/29 Prague, CZ @ Klubovna Povalec
03/30 Vysoke Myto, CZ @ Mikado
03/31 Wroclaw, PL @ Crk
04/01 Warsaw, PL @ Elba Squat
04/02 Gdansk, PL @ Infinium Club
04/03 Berlin, DE @ Koma F
04/04 Rostock, DE @ TBA
04/05 Malmo,SE @ TBA
04/06 Stockholm, SE @ Skarpnacks Kulthurhus
04/07 Gotenburg,SE @ Aktivitetshuset Harden
04/08 Aalborg, DK @ TBA
04/09 Munster, DE @ Baracke
04/10 Gottingen, DE @ Juzl
04/11 Nijmegen, NL @ De Onderbroek
04/12 Edinhoven, NL @ Cafe Alloys
04/13 Antwerp, BE @ Envers Swa
04/14 Kent, UK @ Platform 5
04/15 Leeds, UK @ Fox & Newt
04/16 Dublin, IE @ Thomas House
04/17 Galway, IE @ Sally Longs
04/18 Belfast, IE @ Warzone Centre
04/19 Glasgow, UK @ 13 Note
04/20 Aberdeen, UK @ Cellar 35
04/21 Edinburgh, UK @ Banshee
04/22 Manchester, UK @ Gulliver's
Tour - BearTrap/Witch Cult - UK & home
Day 60/Show 53/ Glasgow, Scotland
Woke up really cold today. It sucked leaving Belfast in shitty weather cause I liked it so much the day before. We got to the ferry early to avoid getting fucked with really hard by officials. When we got to check in there was no line, no one checked our passports, everyone was super nice and we got on an earlier ferry that was only an hour long instead of 2 hours. It was a nice change of pace. The ferry ride was awesome too. The Irish Ocean is beautiful and the ferry was going super fast so it was cool. The drive from the ferry port to Glasgow was also very beautiful and the weather was super nice. The coolest part of this tour for me has been seeing animals grazing with their young in beautiful green fields. You don’t see that in America anymore. We got to Glasgow early and hung around near the venue, The 13th Note. It is a vegan café upstairs and a show space down stairs. Hashim booked the show and he is a super nice dude. We had dinner at the venue and I had ice cream for dinner. The show started around 8. Three bands played before us and a lot of kids watched the first one and then left. COOL. Other than that the show was pretty good. We both played alright. After the show we went to where we were sleeping, my favorite part of the day.
Day 61/ Show 54/ Aberdeen, Scotland
Woke up today in a really nice apartment in downtown Glasgow. We had a good breakfest thanks to Bobby, the dude we stayed with. Then we walked around the city and Glasgow is a pretty cool place. As soon as we got in the van to drive to Aberdeen the weather got shitty. The first thing you see when you pull in to Aberdeen is a massive graveyard. It was cold, it was grey, and it looked like it would last the rest of my life. Pretty grim looking. We got to the venue, Cellar 35, and it was a small bar in a basement of a building. We waited around for the show to start. 2 locals played before us, and 2 other touring bands played after us, in a small town like this 4 touring bands doesn’t do anyone any good. We both played and it was decent. Again tonight it seemed like way more people watched the first band then left. Scotland is 2-0 for that, let's see what tomorrow is like. Then we packed up and drove to the place where all 4 bands were sleeping.
Day 62/Show 55/ Edinburgh, Scotland
Woke up today and headed to Edinburgh. I heard it was really nice. The drive was ok, but the weather was eratic per usual. I felt sick on the ride there and it lasted all day. Instead of going out and checking out the city I layed down and tried to sleep all day. The cool thing about that is the venue, The Banshee Labyrinth, has a movie theater in it. I watched The Lost Boys and then slept for a little bit until I was kicked out because there was an acoustic show happening in there. I continued to feel like shit all night. The venue is really cool tho. It’s a series of different rooms / bars connected by tunnels. It is also the most haunted bar in Scotland. The show started around 830 and 3 bands played before us. I zoned out with my earplugs in trying to feel better. We both played and it was cool. A lot of people came out and it didn’t seem like they left after the first band. Scotland is 1-3 with that. After the show we went to the place we are sleeping. Tomorrow is the last show of tour, then a day off then I fly home.
Day 63/Show 56/ Manchester, UK
Woke up and left right away for Manchester. The promoter, Elena, was making us food at her house before the show. Pizza and brownies and they were awesome. We watched High Fidelity and then headed to the show. It was in a spot called the Kraak Gallery. It was a pretty cool place in an alleyway in downtown Manchester. Waited awhile for the show to start. The first band was a kinda black metal influenced hardcore band and they were good. Then Witch Cult played and people dug it which is weird because a lot of people shit talked them on the facebook event. Internet warriors who said they would be at the show but didn’t go, COOL. Then BearTrap played and it was cool. It was the last night of tour so we were in a hurry to get shit out the door and head home, a 4 hour drive. Got in around 4 am and slept like a baby.
Day 64 Day off at Alastair's house
Woke up today and watched Mad Men. Then we ate and went to the currency exchange place. WE DIDN’T LOSE MONEY ON THIS TOUR!! Then we went back to Alastair's and relaxed all day. We had a last supper together at a sushi place. We have to wake up super early tomorrow (6 am) to catch an 11 am flight, and we land in Boston at 11 am. This will suck.
Day 65 Fly Home
Woke up super early. When we got to the airport we said our goodbyes and tried not to get emotional. And then there were 3 Americans. We got to the airport 3 hours early and sat around and did nothing. The flight wasn’t that bad. My tv was broken so I didn’t really get to watch anything. Slept for 3 hours and then we landed. I went home and within 5 minutes I had to get out. Then I slept for about 15 hours. And that’s how the tour ended.
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Tour - Beartrap/Witch Cult - UK & Ireland
Day 55/Show 48/ Kent, UK
Woke up today and drove to the ferry. The border cops fucked with us hard. They almost didn’t let us in, but luckily my lies got us thru. They are strict about American bands coming in and getting paid so we told them Zach fills in for the Witch Cult (which is true) and that Mr. Shit and I came along to just travel Europe. They didn’t buy it for a while but finally let us thru. I wish I could just explain that we don’t make money, we lose money, and we are spending the money we have in their country so they should just fucking let us in. We missed the ferry we were supposed to take so they put us on a different one and we had to sit at the border for 2 extra hours. I hope this doesn’t happen with going to and from Ireland. The ferry today was not too long but it sucked. The currency exchange on board said 0 comission so I figured it would be cool, but when I checked the exchange rate online later they also fucked us.
After the ferry the drive was short. We got to the venue which is called Platform 5. The show isn’t actually in the bar, it's in a tent out back, and it's not warm enough out yet for a show in a tent. I was told that there were 9 bands playing, which is about 4 too many. 2 bands dropped off luckily. When the show started I thought there were a lot of people here, then I remembered most of them are in 1 of the 7 bands. Dashwood, Cry Wolf, Self Loathing and Let It Die all played. I missed the first band because we were off getting food. Then BearTrap played and kids went off, and sang along. It always blows my mind. Same happened for Witch Cult. This show could have been a disaster with timing/people getting bored and leaving cause of too many bands, but it actually went really good. Thanks to Josh for booking the show and running it smoothly. After the show we went back to the place we were crashing and I took my first bath since I was about 5. Then we slept because that’s all we do.
Day 56/Show 49/ Leeds, UK
Woke up today and sat around for awhile. Watched some mtv and then drove to Leeds. The drive wasn’t too bad, and the weather didn’t get shitty either. The venue tonight was called Fox and Newt. We heard that “people went crazy in Leeds” but that wasn’t the case. There were 3 bands on before us, and 2 of them left after they played. Closure was the only band that stayed, thanks to them for that. The show was ok, not to many people, and most of them stood far away. After the show we went to one of the dudes from Closure's tattoo shop. Some of us got some work done. Then we went to the promoter's house to sleep. Tomorrow is another ferry and a border so we will have to wake up early to account for the time we will waste being fucked with by cops.
Day 57/Show 50/ Dublin, Ireland
Today we woke up early and got to the ferry early. No one even checked our passports or anything. The nice old lady who was supposed to check our van for drugs or whatever asked if we were a group (band) and if she should know us/were we famous? After we laughed with her about it she let us go and didn’t check a thing. 2 hours later we got on the ferry with no issues. It's crazy how some are so strict and some are so relaxed. After 3 hours of zoning out on the ferry we got off and drove thru Dublin to the venue.
The place was called Thomas House. It was the basement of a bar and a weird set up. Very narrow and at the end was a small rise for bands to play on, but the bar stuck out half way across the stage so Mr. Shit and half the drum set were hidden behind it the entire time. There was an alright amount of people for a Monday night, aside from that nothing went right. After we played and loaded out we figured out where we were staying and drove there. After that we made some pasta and went to sleep. The ferries to and from Ireland are super expensive so I think we are gonna have a loss on our hands.
Day 58/Show 51/ Galway, Ireland
Woke up today cold on a hard wood floor. Perfect end to last night/start of the day. Then we sat around forever with nothing to do. We drove to Galway and the weather was shitty half the drive, and then real bad when we got there. We sat in the venue for about 4 hours till people showed up for the show.
The venue tonight is called Sally Long's. The show is in the bar and I was told this will be the best Ireland show. Jack, who put out our record in Ireland, got us the 3 shows. Thanks to him for that. This show started around 10 and when it started there were a good amount of people there. Vagrants opened the show. They played with us yesterday in Dublin also. They were good. Then Witch Cult played and people moved around and went off. Then for the BearTrap set it was pretty wyld. Kids really appreciate it when bands come over to this side of Ireland I guess. People were going crazy and a bunch were singing along. We sold a lot of shit too. This was one of the best shows of the tour. After the show we went to the place we are sleeping and set up camp in the living room. Then we watched videos of our old and current bands on youtube. Losers.
Day 59/Show 52/ Belfast, Ireland
Today we woke up in Galway, sat around for a little bit and then drove to Belfast. We avoided toll roads so the drive was more scenic and nice. The weather was erratic like every other drive. It would rain real heavy for 10 minutes and then be really sunny and nice the next 10. When we got to Belfast it was really nice out. This city is super nice too. One of my favorite cities so far. We walked to a grocery store, then skated thru the center to an awesome skate park under a bridge.
After that we went back to the venue for dinner. The venue tonight is Warzone center. The show started around 10. There was an alright amount of people but it didn’t seem too lively in there. They would clap between songs but otherwise seemed pretty uninterested. A few people bought records tho so that’s cool. After the show we went to where we were sleeping. I did my usual calculations and we lost money on ferry tickets so next time play 4 shows instead of 3. Sleep.
Woke up today and drove to the ferry. The border cops fucked with us hard. They almost didn’t let us in, but luckily my lies got us thru. They are strict about American bands coming in and getting paid so we told them Zach fills in for the Witch Cult (which is true) and that Mr. Shit and I came along to just travel Europe. They didn’t buy it for a while but finally let us thru. I wish I could just explain that we don’t make money, we lose money, and we are spending the money we have in their country so they should just fucking let us in. We missed the ferry we were supposed to take so they put us on a different one and we had to sit at the border for 2 extra hours. I hope this doesn’t happen with going to and from Ireland. The ferry today was not too long but it sucked. The currency exchange on board said 0 comission so I figured it would be cool, but when I checked the exchange rate online later they also fucked us.
After the ferry the drive was short. We got to the venue which is called Platform 5. The show isn’t actually in the bar, it's in a tent out back, and it's not warm enough out yet for a show in a tent. I was told that there were 9 bands playing, which is about 4 too many. 2 bands dropped off luckily. When the show started I thought there were a lot of people here, then I remembered most of them are in 1 of the 7 bands. Dashwood, Cry Wolf, Self Loathing and Let It Die all played. I missed the first band because we were off getting food. Then BearTrap played and kids went off, and sang along. It always blows my mind. Same happened for Witch Cult. This show could have been a disaster with timing/people getting bored and leaving cause of too many bands, but it actually went really good. Thanks to Josh for booking the show and running it smoothly. After the show we went back to the place we were crashing and I took my first bath since I was about 5. Then we slept because that’s all we do.
Day 56/Show 49/ Leeds, UK
Woke up today and sat around for awhile. Watched some mtv and then drove to Leeds. The drive wasn’t too bad, and the weather didn’t get shitty either. The venue tonight was called Fox and Newt. We heard that “people went crazy in Leeds” but that wasn’t the case. There were 3 bands on before us, and 2 of them left after they played. Closure was the only band that stayed, thanks to them for that. The show was ok, not to many people, and most of them stood far away. After the show we went to one of the dudes from Closure's tattoo shop. Some of us got some work done. Then we went to the promoter's house to sleep. Tomorrow is another ferry and a border so we will have to wake up early to account for the time we will waste being fucked with by cops.
Day 57/Show 50/ Dublin, Ireland
Today we woke up early and got to the ferry early. No one even checked our passports or anything. The nice old lady who was supposed to check our van for drugs or whatever asked if we were a group (band) and if she should know us/were we famous? After we laughed with her about it she let us go and didn’t check a thing. 2 hours later we got on the ferry with no issues. It's crazy how some are so strict and some are so relaxed. After 3 hours of zoning out on the ferry we got off and drove thru Dublin to the venue.
The place was called Thomas House. It was the basement of a bar and a weird set up. Very narrow and at the end was a small rise for bands to play on, but the bar stuck out half way across the stage so Mr. Shit and half the drum set were hidden behind it the entire time. There was an alright amount of people for a Monday night, aside from that nothing went right. After we played and loaded out we figured out where we were staying and drove there. After that we made some pasta and went to sleep. The ferries to and from Ireland are super expensive so I think we are gonna have a loss on our hands.
Day 58/Show 51/ Galway, Ireland
Woke up today cold on a hard wood floor. Perfect end to last night/start of the day. Then we sat around forever with nothing to do. We drove to Galway and the weather was shitty half the drive, and then real bad when we got there. We sat in the venue for about 4 hours till people showed up for the show.
The venue tonight is called Sally Long's. The show is in the bar and I was told this will be the best Ireland show. Jack, who put out our record in Ireland, got us the 3 shows. Thanks to him for that. This show started around 10 and when it started there were a good amount of people there. Vagrants opened the show. They played with us yesterday in Dublin also. They were good. Then Witch Cult played and people moved around and went off. Then for the BearTrap set it was pretty wyld. Kids really appreciate it when bands come over to this side of Ireland I guess. People were going crazy and a bunch were singing along. We sold a lot of shit too. This was one of the best shows of the tour. After the show we went to the place we are sleeping and set up camp in the living room. Then we watched videos of our old and current bands on youtube. Losers.
Day 59/Show 52/ Belfast, Ireland
Today we woke up in Galway, sat around for a little bit and then drove to Belfast. We avoided toll roads so the drive was more scenic and nice. The weather was erratic like every other drive. It would rain real heavy for 10 minutes and then be really sunny and nice the next 10. When we got to Belfast it was really nice out. This city is super nice too. One of my favorite cities so far. We walked to a grocery store, then skated thru the center to an awesome skate park under a bridge.
After that we went back to the venue for dinner. The venue tonight is Warzone center. The show started around 10. There was an alright amount of people but it didn’t seem too lively in there. They would clap between songs but otherwise seemed pretty uninterested. A few people bought records tho so that’s cool. After the show we went to where we were sleeping. I did my usual calculations and we lost money on ferry tickets so next time play 4 shows instead of 3. Sleep.
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Tour - Beartrap/Witch Cult - Germany, Netherlands & Belgium
Day 50/Show 43/ Munster, Germany
Woke up early in Aalborg and said goodbye to Streetwalker and Catheter. Then we headed to Munster. The drive was hell. It was raining the whole time and we hit traffic 3 times which made us late for the show. The show was at a place called Baracke. It’s a building on the campus of the university that they built so people would stop squatting a different building at the school for shows. Hendrick from the band Alpinist booked our show and he is a good dude. This show had no locals so right when we got to the show we set up and Witch Cult played. There was a good amount of people, especially for a Monday night. After that BearTrap played and it was cool, people seemed to be into it. After the show we headed to the place we were sleeping and I watched Mad Men and passed out.
Day 51/52/Show 44/ 45/Gottingen, Germany/Nijmegen, Netherlands
Woke up in Munster and had some breakfest. Then we went out to exchange some money and get some guitar strings/cables. Even the banks over here charge you to exchange currency, and they charge a lot. They only place that didn’t completely rob me was a currency exchange in a train station in Berlin. Anyway, the drive wasn’t that long, but its been shitty weather the past 2 drives/days. We get to the venue and it’s a graffiti covered youth center called Juzl. When we got there a lot of children were running around in costumes and there was a community dinner going on. We loaded into the room in the basement we were playing in. It was real small which I like.
The show started around 10 with the first band also being on tour from Scotland. Absolutist was their name. Then Witch Cult played and people seemed to enjoy it, same for BearTrap. Marcus and his collective (doomian) booked the show and they were all super nice. We stayed with him and woke up the next morning and went to the venue for breakfast. After that we headed to the next show.
When we crossed the border into The Netherlands we got stopped by the cops. This surprized us because we thought this was the most laid back country we would go to. The cops didn’t ask us about drugs or anything but told us it was to control Identity Theft. Weird.
This show is at a venue called De Onderbroek. Sascha booked this show. She plays in a band called Sloth. The venue is in the basement, then on the first floor is a kitchen and other rooms, and above it is a bunch of apartments. It’s a pretty nice place in a small downtown area. We had lasagna for dinner and it was awesome. The show started around 10. Landverraad played first and they we pretty good. Then Witch Cult played, then BearTrap. I couldn’t really tell if anyone really dug either of us or if it was more of a bar show/something to do. This is one of those wonderful venues where after the show I go upstairs and shower and sleep.
Day 53/Show 46/ Eindhoven, Netherlands
Woke up today and skated around Nijmegen. There was a small skate park and this awesome wall ride set up down the street. After that we came back to the venue for breakfast. Then we went to a relatively un-skateable skatepark. It didn’t have 1 redeeming quality. So we left and headed to the Café Alloys in Eindhoven. It seems for the past few days every drive the weather just turns to shit and starts raining/hailing really heavily. This drive was only an hour tho so that is awesome.
We got to the venue and sat around for awhile. The bar owner bought us all food from a Wok place next door. And gave us 50 drink tickets so we have unlimited juice for the rest of tour. Then we loaded in and the other bands showed up. We loaded in and set up what we needed and the show started late per usual (not too late tho, just punk o clock) and State Of Mind played first. I was zoned out in the back near the merch. Then Witch Cult played and it didn’t go too well. Same for BearTrap. It seemed like people were cheering to be polite. Then This Routine Is Hell played. It was also their record release show. People dug it and they sold some records. I kind of expected it to go this way, it was a nice bar and a different band's record release show, not our show. After we ate and got all the juice, it was all down hill from there. Then we walked to the apartment we were staying at. It was a way longer walk than I'd anticipated and Alastair rolled his ankle skating so we had to carry him half the way. But it was all in the name of sleep, and I love sleep.
Day 54/Show 47/ Antwerp, Belgium
Woke up today after sleeping thru some noise last night. Hung around for a little while. Spent the last euro change we had on fruit/peppers/granola because currency exchange doesn’t do coins. I also got peach soy milk and that was the biggest mistake all tour. Then we went to get the van and while I was gone we had been kicked out of where we stayed so everyone was waiting on the curb. I guess the dude had to leave. Today's drive is an hour long and I love it. The weather wasn’t even bad this drive.
The show is in the basement of a bigger venue called JC Den. The room in the basement legally fits 30 people. We hung around waiting for the show to start. At around 8:30 people started showing up. Around 9 the first band went on. Merch was upstairs so I didn’t see any of the bands again. Witch Cult and BearTrap both played next and it went pretty good. People seemed to be into us. What I don’t understand is why people stand so far away from a band when the room is so small? It forced people to stand outside the room and sit on the stairs and watch us thru a door. It was the 4th bands record release show so again, it wasn’t our show. After the show we went and stayed in an apartment building full of people who didn’t come to the show, we we didn’t know any of them. This situation is always awkward. We had a room to ourselves and it wasn’t too bad.
Woke up early in Aalborg and said goodbye to Streetwalker and Catheter. Then we headed to Munster. The drive was hell. It was raining the whole time and we hit traffic 3 times which made us late for the show. The show was at a place called Baracke. It’s a building on the campus of the university that they built so people would stop squatting a different building at the school for shows. Hendrick from the band Alpinist booked our show and he is a good dude. This show had no locals so right when we got to the show we set up and Witch Cult played. There was a good amount of people, especially for a Monday night. After that BearTrap played and it was cool, people seemed to be into it. After the show we headed to the place we were sleeping and I watched Mad Men and passed out.
Day 51/52/Show 44/ 45/Gottingen, Germany/Nijmegen, Netherlands
Woke up in Munster and had some breakfest. Then we went out to exchange some money and get some guitar strings/cables. Even the banks over here charge you to exchange currency, and they charge a lot. They only place that didn’t completely rob me was a currency exchange in a train station in Berlin. Anyway, the drive wasn’t that long, but its been shitty weather the past 2 drives/days. We get to the venue and it’s a graffiti covered youth center called Juzl. When we got there a lot of children were running around in costumes and there was a community dinner going on. We loaded into the room in the basement we were playing in. It was real small which I like.
The show started around 10 with the first band also being on tour from Scotland. Absolutist was their name. Then Witch Cult played and people seemed to enjoy it, same for BearTrap. Marcus and his collective (doomian) booked the show and they were all super nice. We stayed with him and woke up the next morning and went to the venue for breakfast. After that we headed to the next show.
When we crossed the border into The Netherlands we got stopped by the cops. This surprized us because we thought this was the most laid back country we would go to. The cops didn’t ask us about drugs or anything but told us it was to control Identity Theft. Weird.
This show is at a venue called De Onderbroek. Sascha booked this show. She plays in a band called Sloth. The venue is in the basement, then on the first floor is a kitchen and other rooms, and above it is a bunch of apartments. It’s a pretty nice place in a small downtown area. We had lasagna for dinner and it was awesome. The show started around 10. Landverraad played first and they we pretty good. Then Witch Cult played, then BearTrap. I couldn’t really tell if anyone really dug either of us or if it was more of a bar show/something to do. This is one of those wonderful venues where after the show I go upstairs and shower and sleep.
Day 53/Show 46/ Eindhoven, Netherlands
Woke up today and skated around Nijmegen. There was a small skate park and this awesome wall ride set up down the street. After that we came back to the venue for breakfast. Then we went to a relatively un-skateable skatepark. It didn’t have 1 redeeming quality. So we left and headed to the Café Alloys in Eindhoven. It seems for the past few days every drive the weather just turns to shit and starts raining/hailing really heavily. This drive was only an hour tho so that is awesome.
We got to the venue and sat around for awhile. The bar owner bought us all food from a Wok place next door. And gave us 50 drink tickets so we have unlimited juice for the rest of tour. Then we loaded in and the other bands showed up. We loaded in and set up what we needed and the show started late per usual (not too late tho, just punk o clock) and State Of Mind played first. I was zoned out in the back near the merch. Then Witch Cult played and it didn’t go too well. Same for BearTrap. It seemed like people were cheering to be polite. Then This Routine Is Hell played. It was also their record release show. People dug it and they sold some records. I kind of expected it to go this way, it was a nice bar and a different band's record release show, not our show. After we ate and got all the juice, it was all down hill from there. Then we walked to the apartment we were staying at. It was a way longer walk than I'd anticipated and Alastair rolled his ankle skating so we had to carry him half the way. But it was all in the name of sleep, and I love sleep.
Day 54/Show 47/ Antwerp, Belgium
Woke up today after sleeping thru some noise last night. Hung around for a little while. Spent the last euro change we had on fruit/peppers/granola because currency exchange doesn’t do coins. I also got peach soy milk and that was the biggest mistake all tour. Then we went to get the van and while I was gone we had been kicked out of where we stayed so everyone was waiting on the curb. I guess the dude had to leave. Today's drive is an hour long and I love it. The weather wasn’t even bad this drive.
The show is in the basement of a bigger venue called JC Den. The room in the basement legally fits 30 people. We hung around waiting for the show to start. At around 8:30 people started showing up. Around 9 the first band went on. Merch was upstairs so I didn’t see any of the bands again. Witch Cult and BearTrap both played next and it went pretty good. People seemed to be into us. What I don’t understand is why people stand so far away from a band when the room is so small? It forced people to stand outside the room and sit on the stairs and watch us thru a door. It was the 4th bands record release show so again, it wasn’t our show. After the show we went and stayed in an apartment building full of people who didn’t come to the show, we we didn’t know any of them. This situation is always awkward. We had a room to ourselves and it wasn’t too bad.
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Tour - Beartrap/Witch Cult - Sweden & Denmark
Day 47/ Show 40/ Stockholm, Sweden
So yesterday we woke up on the boat and all the bathrooms were out of order. We all got up and headed to Malmo, Sweden. We didn’t have a show but we had a place to stay. The drive dragged on real slow because I knew we had no show to play. The person we were staying with told us there was a free show happening in Malmo that night, and gave us the number to the venue. It was 2 punk bands playing and the club was called Debaser so I thought we had a shot at hopping on. The dude at the club told me “it wouldn’t benefit the other bands or the people coming to the show.” Thanks asshole. So we just went to the apartment we were staying at and slept. Woke up early to drive to Stockholm. Its raining/snowing and wet and really cold. It looks like the set of Let The Right One In.
The show is at Kulturhuset Skarpnack which is a youth center. The Stockholm straight edge crew booked the show for us. They are all super nice and one some of them are in No Omega, check them out. The show was cool. I did merch during the first bands so I didn’t catch them. The room was super dense/soundproof so I could barely hear them. Witch Cult played and people filtered into the room. They seemed to enjoy it. Then we had to warn them that BearTrap would be playing in 2 minutes and to not go too far. People have missed either band at a lot of shows because of how short we play. People enjoyed BearTrap and moved around a bit. After the show we went back to where we were staying, drank some tea, and watched Hesher. It was a good night.
Day 48/Show 41/Gothenburg, Sweden
Woke up today to a wonderful breakfast. Pancakes, oatmeal, nuts, juice, and tea. Then we watched Almost Famous. The drive to Gothenburg wasn’t too bad, Sometimes the view was real nice. The show tonight was at Aktivitetshuset Härden. It’s a practice space/venue in an industrial area. It's probably hard for people to get to from the city. The show was decent. Not a packed room but not empty. We both played good. We are sleeping in here on the stage. I hate people who smoke indoors.
Day 49/Show 42/ Aalborg, Denmark
Woke up at 10 today, had some hummus and left for the next place. We skipped all the ferries and still lost money on Sweden. We spent 160 euro on bridges. So next time we go, get more shows in Sweden. The drive was pretty long and uneventful. We got to the club an hour before the show started.
The name of the venue is 1000fryd. Peter booked the show and he is is a nice dude. I was told that the venue is city and country funded. This is how they afford to pay 4 touring bands when the turn out isn’t so good. Witch Cult played first and the set was cool. The people here enjoyed it. Same for BearTrap. Then Streetwalked from Seattle played. Then Catheter from Denver. 3 bands from the USA and one from the UK. I had a good time having tour talk with my fellow Americans. The venue has an apartment upstairs with laundry and a show so right after the show I did that and went to sleep.
So yesterday we woke up on the boat and all the bathrooms were out of order. We all got up and headed to Malmo, Sweden. We didn’t have a show but we had a place to stay. The drive dragged on real slow because I knew we had no show to play. The person we were staying with told us there was a free show happening in Malmo that night, and gave us the number to the venue. It was 2 punk bands playing and the club was called Debaser so I thought we had a shot at hopping on. The dude at the club told me “it wouldn’t benefit the other bands or the people coming to the show.” Thanks asshole. So we just went to the apartment we were staying at and slept. Woke up early to drive to Stockholm. Its raining/snowing and wet and really cold. It looks like the set of Let The Right One In.
The show is at Kulturhuset Skarpnack which is a youth center. The Stockholm straight edge crew booked the show for us. They are all super nice and one some of them are in No Omega, check them out. The show was cool. I did merch during the first bands so I didn’t catch them. The room was super dense/soundproof so I could barely hear them. Witch Cult played and people filtered into the room. They seemed to enjoy it. Then we had to warn them that BearTrap would be playing in 2 minutes and to not go too far. People have missed either band at a lot of shows because of how short we play. People enjoyed BearTrap and moved around a bit. After the show we went back to where we were staying, drank some tea, and watched Hesher. It was a good night.
Day 48/Show 41/Gothenburg, Sweden
Woke up today to a wonderful breakfast. Pancakes, oatmeal, nuts, juice, and tea. Then we watched Almost Famous. The drive to Gothenburg wasn’t too bad, Sometimes the view was real nice. The show tonight was at Aktivitetshuset Härden. It’s a practice space/venue in an industrial area. It's probably hard for people to get to from the city. The show was decent. Not a packed room but not empty. We both played good. We are sleeping in here on the stage. I hate people who smoke indoors.
Day 49/Show 42/ Aalborg, Denmark
Woke up at 10 today, had some hummus and left for the next place. We skipped all the ferries and still lost money on Sweden. We spent 160 euro on bridges. So next time we go, get more shows in Sweden. The drive was pretty long and uneventful. We got to the club an hour before the show started.
The name of the venue is 1000fryd. Peter booked the show and he is is a nice dude. I was told that the venue is city and country funded. This is how they afford to pay 4 touring bands when the turn out isn’t so good. Witch Cult played first and the set was cool. The people here enjoyed it. Same for BearTrap. Then Streetwalked from Seattle played. Then Catheter from Denver. 3 bands from the USA and one from the UK. I had a good time having tour talk with my fellow Americans. The venue has an apartment upstairs with laundry and a show so right after the show I did that and went to sleep.
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Tour - Beartrap - Germany
Day 44/Show 38/ Berlin, Germany
Last night I stayed up till the sun came up catching up on The Walking Dead. When I woke up 3 hours later I caught up on Mad Men. The drive was long and really boring. When we got to Berlin it looked cool but we were late so we went straight to the squat. The show was in Koma F, the venue in the Kopi squat. The Squat was soo huge and just outside downtown. It still blows my mind places like this exist. Tim booked the show and he is an awesome dude. We got to the show in time to load in/eat right before Cancer Clan played. They were awesome. Then Witch Cult played and all the freaks enjoyed it. Then the same with BearTrap. A lot of people came to the show and bought stuff. We ran out of records again which is always a huge bummer. We should have more but The Czech Republic is holding a package of them. That sucks shit. After the show we went to the place we are sleeping and I am catching up on more tv I’ve missed while on tour. I NEED sleep.
Day 45/Show 39/ Rostock, Germany
Today we woke up and checked out Berlin a little bit. Went to some burrito place with vegan options. Did some currency exchange and drove to Rostock. The show tonight is on a boat called Ms. Stubnitz. Immediately after our show there is a college dance party on the boat. We got to the boat and loaded in which was hell. It was freezing and the wind chill on the water is bad. We have to load everything up and down narrow staircases that aren’t meant for this. The room we play in is at the front of the boat. We had curry vegetables and a bunch of other stuff for dinner. I had peanut butter and apples. Danillo booked this show and he is a really nice dude. His band Entrails Massacre played first. The show had to be over at 10 and Witch Cult started at 9:50. Needless to say both bands played faster than normal which isn’t very possible. All day I'd felt alright but after we ate I started to get really sick. The one other time I ate on a boat I also puked. Today was no different. I puked a little before and after we played. I wonder if it has to do with the motion? I also had some serious shits (like 5) so I think I could also have a stomach bug or something. Enough about my problems. The show was cool, decent amount of people on a boat. Then right after we played the college party started. There are 3 rooms on this boat the have 3 different dj’s playing 3 different things in them. This boat got real wild. I’m tour “dad” and no one expected to me to partake in the festivities so I decided despite my illness I would prove them wrong. I put on my best looking clothing item, a shitty striped sweater I use to keep warm under my hoodie.The outcome isn’t anything cool or special. It was more of a reality check. I can't function in these wild party situations. It was funny watching rooms full of people trying so hard to fuck each other, I just can't relate. Now I'm upstairs in bed where I belong while the party rages on below me. Goodnight Dad.
Day 46/DAY OFF
I’ll pay someone to fly here and kill me.
Last night I stayed up till the sun came up catching up on The Walking Dead. When I woke up 3 hours later I caught up on Mad Men. The drive was long and really boring. When we got to Berlin it looked cool but we were late so we went straight to the squat. The show was in Koma F, the venue in the Kopi squat. The Squat was soo huge and just outside downtown. It still blows my mind places like this exist. Tim booked the show and he is an awesome dude. We got to the show in time to load in/eat right before Cancer Clan played. They were awesome. Then Witch Cult played and all the freaks enjoyed it. Then the same with BearTrap. A lot of people came to the show and bought stuff. We ran out of records again which is always a huge bummer. We should have more but The Czech Republic is holding a package of them. That sucks shit. After the show we went to the place we are sleeping and I am catching up on more tv I’ve missed while on tour. I NEED sleep.
Day 45/Show 39/ Rostock, Germany
Today we woke up and checked out Berlin a little bit. Went to some burrito place with vegan options. Did some currency exchange and drove to Rostock. The show tonight is on a boat called Ms. Stubnitz. Immediately after our show there is a college dance party on the boat. We got to the boat and loaded in which was hell. It was freezing and the wind chill on the water is bad. We have to load everything up and down narrow staircases that aren’t meant for this. The room we play in is at the front of the boat. We had curry vegetables and a bunch of other stuff for dinner. I had peanut butter and apples. Danillo booked this show and he is a really nice dude. His band Entrails Massacre played first. The show had to be over at 10 and Witch Cult started at 9:50. Needless to say both bands played faster than normal which isn’t very possible. All day I'd felt alright but after we ate I started to get really sick. The one other time I ate on a boat I also puked. Today was no different. I puked a little before and after we played. I wonder if it has to do with the motion? I also had some serious shits (like 5) so I think I could also have a stomach bug or something. Enough about my problems. The show was cool, decent amount of people on a boat. Then right after we played the college party started. There are 3 rooms on this boat the have 3 different dj’s playing 3 different things in them. This boat got real wild. I’m tour “dad” and no one expected to me to partake in the festivities so I decided despite my illness I would prove them wrong. I put on my best looking clothing item, a shitty striped sweater I use to keep warm under my hoodie.The outcome isn’t anything cool or special. It was more of a reality check. I can't function in these wild party situations. It was funny watching rooms full of people trying so hard to fuck each other, I just can't relate. Now I'm upstairs in bed where I belong while the party rages on below me. Goodnight Dad.
Day 46/DAY OFF
I’ll pay someone to fly here and kill me.
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