Jan
Posted on 27th January 2011
Today I write you from a hotel room in scenic Kington-Upon-Thames, England, a town I totally played a rock show in last night as the man on guitar for the Walter Schreifels Band. We played at a club called the Fighting Cocks, a name I struggle to say without giggling even though I am a grown man who lives all by himself and pays for stuff with his own money a lot of the time.
The European Invasion has been underway since Monday, when we played a super fun show at a club called the Underground, which, as it turns out, was actually on ground level. Perhaps owing to something I ate on the plane ride over, I spent all day Monday before, during, and after the show struggling to avoid soiling my dry clean-only pants. I am a delicate man and am easily thrown a curveball on the gastrointestinal front. Take last night’s Thai food for example- I would have rather been taken out back and beaten by a roving street gang, though, to be fair, it was delicious at the time.
After Cologne, we headed for Antwerp, Belgium to rock those people. Along the way we drove through and stopped at a town I can’t remember the name of in Holland. I had never been to Holland before so it was a big surprise when the van stopped and I got out and it turned out I was in Holland. I only saw a few blocks by foot in Holland but they were nice blocks populated by women I totally would have had intercourse with should the situation have arisen. Also, you can buy marijuana, hash, and cappuccino all in the same place there, though I did none.
Our show in Antwerp was at a place called Trix. Everyone there was super nice and they cooked us a nice fish dinner beforehand and I totally ate it and cleared my own plate. That is a picture of me at soundcheck above. I find I can really dial in the tone better if I don’t let clothes get in the way of things. Anyway, of the three shows we’ve played so far, it was the best, both in musical performance and the strength of our outfits.
Before the show, Walter spotted some dancers in training practicing in a studio adjacent to our dressing room for some reason. Since he was already dressed in an Adidas track suit, he saw fit to school them in the ways of dance and also being street in general. Fortunately, I had my camera at the ready, so you can see how it all went down above. They never saw it coming.
After the Antwerp show, we hung out in our dressing room late into the night, basking in the glory of being good at rock and also having watched Walter school those bastards on the dancefloor. Then we went back to the hotel and had a not-really-needed beer from the hotel bar that was surprisingly open despite the late hour. We figured we were in Belgium so we should totally have some more of their delicious beer while we could. They’ve really nailed it.
Yesterday, we soldiered on to Calais, France to take a boat to England. I had never been to France before, but other than someone telling me I was in France, the whole Frenchness of it remained unclear as we pretty much drove on the highway straight to the boat. Someday I will go to France and really French it up- berets, baguettes, the whole deal. Yesterday wasn’t my time though.
Our show last night was fun too despite being riddled with technical problems and the kind of malaise that sets in after everyone in the band has eaten nothing but potato chips before the show. Our tourmate Felix Gebhard, a tall, bearded German man, started off the night by playing an awesome solo set on electric guitar that incorporated all sorts of crazy pedals I couldn’t wrap my head around. I have to learn how to do what he does with that stuff. It’s awesome. And his songs are great too.
Today we are headed to Cardiff, Wales. I am really looking forward to it despite having no idea what to expect other than good times that are Welsh in nature. Hoping to get some of that rarebit. It would be weird not to, right?
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