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.
Friday, March 22, 2013
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!
#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.
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!
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!
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...
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.
#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.
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