Sunday, March 31, 2013

3/30/13

Day 9 Bath

As a part of this tour we were added to the BOB festival with our pals the Grannies. BOB because it's bands from Bingen, Oakland and Bath, I'm not sure how central Texas fits in, but we were happy to play.

It was mostly heavy punk bands so by the time we went on and hit them with our act the folks were starving for something different and we delivered in a big way. Hickoids made a lot of new friends. I even had a woman tell me I was like Nicholas Cage if he was designed by Hal Heartly. I'm not sure what it means but she meant it as a complement...

Grannies were supposed to be right after us but they got bumped to the next slot and they had a hellacious set. Dean was wearing an old ladies suit with big, saggy boobs, a giant bush and a huge clit. Lovely. On the last song Sluggo jumped off the stage and smashed the shit out of his "new" epiphone. It was an incredible end to the end of the 300 years of punk rock tour. Two guitars down.

And then the sound guy started bitching. "Any band who breaks anything will be kicked out immediately". Umm... he broke his guitar not anyone else's. so there was about an hour of stupid drama, Dean and Sluggo apologized just to get that idiot to shit up, but he wouldn't. The security guys were called in an they started horse laughing at the sound guy. EVERYONE was saying the same thing, it's a punk rock show and he broke HI'S guitar. That's it, nothing else. What a lame little bitch.

After most of the drama was over we packed up the euro freak and headed out. We gave our Grannie pals some hugs and said goodby. We will have fun at our last show, but we are gonna miss them.

London tomorrow!

Saturday, March 30, 2013

3/29/12

Day 8 Kortjrik

At the Pits. I played here a few years ago with South Filthy and it is still a tiny and cool club. SF had six people and the Hickoids (and Grannies) are five. There would have been more room on the stage, but our amps are way bigger (and too loud for the space).

There is a band area and kitchen upstairs with 14 steep and tiny steps. I slipped on the top one and went all the way down. No serious damage, but my lower back is a little messed up and my elbows took a hit. I'm sore as shit, but ill live.

Breakdown

Euro travel tip of the day. Go down the tiny/steep stairs slowly and use the handrail. And bring painkillers, you may need them.

Bath tomorrow.

Friday, March 29, 2013

3/28/13

Day 7 Bingen

Tonight went a little smoother than the one before, no broken anything (other than some beer bottles). The club is a youth center/semi-squat. It was loaded with kick ass graffiti and the members (not employees) were kind and helpful.

Apparently there is some kind of veg/vegan movement with this of community, another boon for me! Chili and salad for dinner (plus beer) and a pretty incredible paprika cashew paste with cheese and avocado on hot rolls for breakfast.

The club loaded up fast. The openers were PJ Franco and the Burnouts, a bass and drum duo from Alaska. Hell of a good set. They are bouncing around Europe and staying out of the Alaskan cold. They told me this when it was snowing outside. At least it was warm enough for snow...

We played second and the Grannies closed things up with an amazing set. It was the perfect crowd for them. Dean can whip an audience like that in to a frenzy with ease. Those folks didn't have a choice. He had control of the room from the beginning and he kept turning the heat up. Amazing.

Kortjrik tomorrow!

Thursday, March 28, 2013

3/27/13

Day 6 Hamburg

Well there is really only one thing to say about this night. The club (Goldener Salon) was cool, they fed us well, put us up in a decent little flat next door and gave us beer(!).

Grannies opened and four or five songs in Sluggo smashed his 70's SG. He was twirling it around in his typical fashion and he missed. It hit the ground and the headstock broke. I saw the nut fly off an I was thinking "that can't be his nut". I was wrong, it was.

At this point there are only two ways to go, freak out or go big. Sluggo went big. Two good whacks and the body popped off the neck and there it was, busted. Pop pop. He even knocked out a chunk of the floor.

Sluggo ain't fucking around. Pure rock and roll.



Wednesday, March 27, 2013

3/26/13

Day 5 Copenhagen

After a much needed day off and a boatload of rest we ripped it up in Denmark. Daemonens Port is in the basement of an office building and directly below a baby supply store. We couldn't do a sound check until after six so we wouldn't piss off the parents with their kinder.

Leadfoot Lee's One Man Trash Band opened with an incredible solo set. It's a tough act to pull off and he did it with ease.

Grannies were next. Dean was wearing something that looked like it was stolen from Jane Fonda's closet in 1986. It was frighteningly hilarious.

Then we played. We were working it up to a nice boil when Sluggo joined us to sing on "Queen". Things popped up another level. And then we did "Brontosaurus".

A few months ago, when we were still planning this tour, there was a discussion about all of us playing one together and we landed on Brontosaurus. For whatever reason we didn't do it until last night. It was so amazing it should be the entire act for the whole tour.

Dean and Smitty howling. Sluggo played third guitar, Chris hopped up with a cowbell (and mask and wig) and Drew joined us to do handclaps (in a wig). It was one of the greatest on stage moments in my life.

Amazing.

Breakdown

Free beer! And shots on the stage. It's gonna be hard going home.

Hamburg tomorrow

Monday, March 25, 2013

3/24/13

Day 4, Potsdam

31 steps up into the club. That SVT is stupid heavy. I'm really missing my rig. I think my setup is about half the weight of the SVT's head. The two half stacks and the drum kit weren't easy either.

It was so cold six people came out to the show. Even the locals don't want to brave the weather. Unlike Austin the club folks were apologetic and you could tell they felt bad about the attendance. And they paid us, IN FULL!

Grannies played first, . Both bands did 30 minute sets. Short, sweet and unattended.

Breakdown

A well stocked green room with snacks, sodas, juice and beer (or bier as they say over here). They even bought the twelve of us dinner on a boat that cost over €200!

Taking a ferry to Denmark tomorrow. Other than the drive we have the day off to check out Copenhagen. It should be a good Monday.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

3/23/13

Day 3, Berlin

It was 19F in Berlin. Pretty impossible for a boy from central Texas to deal with that kind of cold. All of the locals were bitching about how bad the weather was... Never a good sign.

The club was called Wild at Heart and the folks that own it also have a restaurant next door that made some incredible tandoori tofu. It will probably be the best meal I'll have all tour. It's nice when they take care of the veggie.

There were some city sanctioned rolling brown outs that seemed to be centered around the club. My volume would change in the middle if a song without me doing anything. Very frustrating.

I played like shit and I was feeling kinda bad about it but the Grannies made me feel better by kicking some serious ass. One of Dean's best moves is throwing the mic on the floor and getting down on all fours to sing into it. Brilliant.

Breakdown

Great veggie food and six beer tickets. Not bad for playing like shit.

Potsdam tomorrow.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

3/22/13

Day 2, Dusseldorf.

I was robbed. We pulled up to the club (The Tube) to load in and I put my bag on the front seat because it looked vulnerable in the back. I shut the door and start moving gear inside. I made one trip and walked back outside and heard "Did anyone have anything in the front of that van?" I looked and my bag was gone. The GPS and two iPhones were still in the seat... Fuck.

The club owner, Alex and Dean (Grannies singer) and I went looking for it. We scoured the area checking under cars, in doorways and in trash bins. Eventually Dean found it in a doorway. Dean is my hero.

I did an inventory, my earbuds, ear plugs and weed was gone. But not my Harpo jacket, ties, cords, sunglasses or my $100 tuner.

Smart thieves.

When we first started walking around I was pretty bummed and pissed, but Alex started making jokes about how this crap happens all the time and I started calming down a little. We walked by a little canal and he told me "they drain this twice a year and they may find your bag in it. Your weed will be moldy and you might have a fish living in the bag, but I will get it to you". Pretty funny considering the circumstances.

Breakdown

Oh yeah, we played a show. We were the middle slot, Grannies played last. The Tube is a great little club. Dean is from Dusseldorf so a lot of people were out for him. Great crowd.

Six beer tickets each. I was drinking some local dark beer that was pretty incredible. The local beers are generally great over here. They beat the crap out of Lone Star.

Berlin tomorrow.

Friday, March 22, 2013

3/21/13

300 years of punk rock tour day 1. Our first show was at Paradise Park in Amsterdam. I couldn't think of a better way to start things off.

We get there and they have a table up on the stage so we could be displayed while we ate. I had a crepe and beer! After food they moved the table and we set up the gear. Then found a "coffee" shop! Then drank more beer.

We had a pretty good crowd for a Thursday night. Loads of tall, good looking Dutch folks. Amsterdam is loaded with good looking people. I could move here...

The opener was great, local boys who knew what they were doing. Grannies were next. Tom is playing bass with them for the while tour. He held that shit down and sounded like he'd been with them for years.

We were last and whipped it. Kicking rock and roll ass does not need to be translated. People get it.

Breakdown

Lets see, they gave me three beers with dinner and ten chips for more free ones during the show.

I made two trips to the coffee shop to stock up on weed and hash.

Did I mention I could move here?

We rented two half stacks, a drum kit and an SVT. The guy threw in a spare bass head and and a guitar head and didn't charge is for them ("why would I charge you if the other one breaks?"). Can't argue with that.

Dusseldorf tomorrow.

Monday, March 18, 2013

3/16/13

My last full day of SXSW. Two shows!

#1

Bigfoot Chester at the Grackle. Peelander Z asked us to play, we couldn't say no. Especially after Yellow kept calling us "Sexy Boys". It's impossible to say no to that.

There was some transportation issues so our set was pushed back a bit. I'm told that using an Austin Chronicle for a gas funnel is a bad move... I can believe it.

We were gonna play five songs, but they made us do one more! Is it an encore at that point? Or just a slightly extended set?

Run to the truck and dodge traffic to,


#2

Hickoids at the 04 lounge.

I'd never been there before, but like most people who have played in a band in Austin, I've practiced across the street at the Music Lab. I am so happy I don't do that anymore.

It's a pretty cool space. The "stage" is between the main area and the bathrooms so people have to walk right beside you to pee. It made for some comical moments at times.

We did our set and the weight was gone. Boom. SXSW was over (ok I went and saw the Meat Puppets that night) but there were no more shows for me!


Breakdown

Free Lone Star at the 04! And two free beers at the Grackle (more than enough for the hour and a half I was there).

I got to use backline bass rigs the whole fest! That saved me a ton of time and strain. Thanks Tony (and the Dog and Duck and Peelander Z)!

Europe next!

Saturday, March 16, 2013

3/15/13

They pulled me back in.

Somewhere around lunch time the day before I got a text from $3 Bill saying I was needed for a Casters set at the Dog and Duck. There was a cancellation and he got the call.

I quit the Casters six months ago. But that's how things work here, welcome to Austin.

We only did about six songs. I remembered most of them. Fortunately when there are that many people on stage (not to mention the mamarian force field!) 95% of the audience will not notice when I correct my wrong note. I'm sure the amount of beer consumed and the level of exhaustion of most people at this point in the festival helps with that too.

Friday, March 15, 2013

3/14/13

Last night it was me and the ladies at Opal Divine's on 6th. It was our official, non-official SXSW showcase. Smitty set the show up and I forced him to stick us on to the bill! We whipped it.

Generally Opals is a sedate place and they try to keep the volume at a reasonable level (in other words, we don't play there too often). But when there are three other bands on the same block they don't mind giving it a crank. We were loud as hell. The double drummers can really bring up the SPL in an instant. I am really happy with the Vibroluxe, the old Deluxe would have never kept up. BC played through a house SVT cabinet with some odd head. We were massive.

More tomorrow!

Thursday, March 14, 2013

3/13/13

If you weren't there you missed it. My one official SXSW showcase was last night at the Kama Lounge. It was Smitty's big night for the label and most of his bands were on the bill.

Hickoids went on after another brilliant set by the Beaumonts. I played sloppier than shit. Tom let everyone use his bass amp, but the only way it would fit was off the stage so half of it's speakers were aimed under us. I'd hit the E string it was too much low end and the whole stage would shake. When I went to the A and up I could barely hear a thing. I kinda got it dialed inish by the end of the set.

We had a lot of fun and the crowd was really in to it. We had a couple of hilarious/amazing stage moves that I won't even attempt to describe. You got to see it. The Hickoids are massive.

Breakdown

After we finished Troy Wayne gave me two beer tickets. Have I mentioned he is a very handsome man? Anyway two from Troy and two from the club I was sitting pretty.

Me and the Ladies tonight!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

3/11/13

The festival is pummeling downtown. All of 6th street and the surrounding areas are shutdown to cars and parking is $20 in every lot in the neighborhood. I'm sure the trickle down from all of that commerce will find it's way into my pocket... soon?

We got hired to play a private party for a company called Soft Layer. They do web/computery stuff that I don't understand, but they wanted us to play they were happy to pay us! We MADE some money during SXSW! A miracle...

We were in the Treehouse lounge which is above Coyote Ugly. You know that bar that was in NYC and they made a movie out of it and now they are in "party" areas of big cities (like Vegas and Austin...). As awful as CU is Treehouse was the polar opposite. Really cool and friendly staff who appreciated us. Thank you for being human.

I wrote a new song for the ladies and me. Not just chords and words with a melody, I came up with arrangements. First time I've done that with the "new" ladies.  We played it at the party and made it through with very few screw ups. It's a pretty amazing feeling when something you've planned works out. Even at the miniscule level of songwriting for four.

I can be easy to please when things going in the right direction.

Breakdown

On the plus side, we got paid and free booze!!
On the minus, $20 parking, not being able to load gear from the street and $4 pizza for dinner...

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

3/9/13

Double show Saturday night!

#1
Kicking March off the right way. Hickoids started things off at the http://www.samopc.org/ . The show was going to be us and the Uranium Savages, but age must have depleted the Savages beyond their half-life because they never made it out. A couch can really get a hold of you.

The museum is a pretty cool place with a ton of pictures and gig posters. They even had food! For Free!

We did our thing. Instead of our typical "make it up as we go" we are attempting to play a "set (as in written up beforehand and actually sticking to it). We are getting closer to that being a reality. By the time we get to Europe we will be a machine. A machine with a few old parts that makes a weird rattling sound, but still a machine.

#2
Bigfoot Chester at the Frontier. It's Bigfoot's second show this year (#3 on Saturday!) and we whipped it. Everything was a little fast and leaning towards to the train wreck side of things, but we kept it on the good side of chaos.

While Davy and I were playing the first show the other guys did a little rehearsal without us. Always a bad plan. 3/5 are playing one way and the other 2/5 are playing another. At least there was beer to smooth out the edges.

Breakdown

The museum's bar is donation based. A very fair/kind setup. If you are broke you can just pay a little and if you are flush you can pay off some of your guilt from when you were broke. Nice system.

Frontier was kind with beer once again.

I like free beer.