Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Manchester, UK @ Mint Club

Before the set we went to curry mile to have some lovely curry with our friends Simon and Katherine. After the curry we went to the club, our rider wasn't there yet, and I'm broke, so I went out to the van and grabbed a beer. I smuggled it into the club no problem, but got caught trying to pour it into a pint glass in the corner of the club...woops! That nearly lost us our rider....but they were good, kind souls and gave it to us anyways. Fun set....after the set I got a pep talk about "endorsements, endorsing, endorsers, endorsing endorsements, etc....." only Mozzer will know what I mean....hope you read this. -Adam.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Hull, UK @ The Adelphie

We drove to hull, etc. After loading in, we went to our hotel, which was country themes....very weird. Ryan and I were in the Turkey room, while Brad and Dan shared the U.S.A. room...complete with California license plates and big wooden eagle. Ours was all about knit blankets and decorations. The strange thing about the U.S.A. room was, it had a see through shower right in the middle of the room.....different. The Adelphie Club is amazing, it's a pretty small venue, but has seen bands like Oasis, Pavement, Pulp, The Housmartins, Radiohead, P.J. Harvey......and way more play it's stage. Cool club!...So cool, there's a book written about it and it's owner. Before the set we had amazing Malaysian food. Now to the show....Bigbee, a crazy dancing man, comes on stage plays Brad's guitar while in Brad's hands, hits the drums.....plays Ryan's bass then topples over drunk behing the drum set...after the set, Brad had gouges in his guitar....it looked like Bigbee played it with an ice pick. After the set, we met some strangers on the street and ended up at the Zest Wine Bar. Drank some more, then went for kebabs. After leaving the kebab shop, I saw a pizza box with a full pizza in it on the sidewalk....I frizbeed a slice without paying any attention to where I was throwing it and nearly hit a man across the street...I said "Dudes Run!!!" and Ryan, Brad and I took off. When we looked back, we realized we left Dan (our manager) a block back....he was chocking on peice of kebab meat, leaning agains a fence.....super funny night. -Adam.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Blackburn, UK @ The Cellar Bar

We drove back to The Tav in Fleetwood (our UK home), slept 2 hours....got up, drove to Blackburn and soundchecked....which is strange here, because there's no stage and no monitors....very weird and fun. Before the set I was told while urinating that I looked like British footballer Alan Smith (who I look nothing like)...I don't know if this was a pick up line, or a kind comment, either way, it was a strange choice of times to have this conversation....or not, what do I know? Great fun show! Loved the whole set! We finished, got pissed....Brad drank a yard of ale, he looked like he was staring the grim reaper in the face during his two split second breaks breath breaks and for at least a minute after it was done. Then a guy got bottled or something equally bloody right behind the now handicapped Brad. Weird bar...i kinda love it.....oh, and all night one of the bar staff was trying to buy my hat off me. -Adam.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Wimbledon, UK @ Watershed

I slept all night....but was still up way before everyone else, so I had breakfast at a cafe that looked a lot like a house, then I cabbed to an internet cafe in the downtown core. Everybody was still asleep at 1:30pm when I got back. We went to the venue, soundcheck, hung out with some friends, played a good show....that's about it. The night ended at 4:30am with a Melatonin head, Ryan watching Bourne Supremacy with the volume cranked, and Brad having a loud drunk phone conversation. -Adam.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Day off part 2 in London, England

I'm still not sleeping at all.....today is when it fully caught up with me. We were checking out of the hotel today and leaving the van in the hotel parking lot for the day. Dan (our manager) had some meetings etc. around town and left early in the day, but the plan was for him to pick up the van between 3-4pm, then drive downtown to meet up with us at a bar for the Olympic mens ice hockey game. So at checkout when Brad and Ryan tubed downtown I decided to sleep in the parked van for the day. Dan ended up running late and wasn't going to make it back to the van in time for me to see the game, so he called the hotel and got one of the receptionists to wake me up in the van and let me know he was late. That was super shocking and awkward for both of us. It was now 4:30pm and I had to tube to Piccadilly Circus to find the guys. They were at a Canadian themed bar called Maple Leaf Bar. It could maybe legally hold 300 people, but easily had 500-700 Canadian and British hockey fans crammed in it. You couldn't really order drinks, or even hit the bathrooms...packed. Canada lost 2-0 to Russia and we left. We tubed to our new hotel in Wimbledon and Dan tubed back to get the van. Dan's train broke down and he nearly froze to death. In the end he made it, we made it, all good. I don't know if this made any sense at all to the reader. -Adam.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Day off in London, England

Every traveling business man and musician can tell you that although they may get to travel the world, they rarely ever get to see anything outside their profession no matter the destination. So with a couple of days off, we decided to see some touristy stuff. We braved the brisk winds and went to London Bridge. I climbed 311 stairs to the top of a huge spiral staircased monument. Later in the evening Brad, Ryan and I met up with Dan at a pub near Piccadilly Circus that was Charlie Chaplan's favorite hangout...I can't remember it's name. Next we went to a pub with super cheap pints (named Angel Pub?). At the end of the night we ended up in the bar in the lobby of our hotel watching a shit quiz show titled Quizmasters...."Jobs with uniforms". "whooooo!" -Adam.

Monday, February 20, 2006

London, UK @ The Borderline

We had an early start today. We were on the road to London at 9am. The venue had old posters and signed promo pics all over the walls. Everybody from R.E.M. to Mick Jagger had played here. Soundcheck was a-okay. The turnout was good and so was our set. I'm still not sleeping, so the only thing that got me through today was the cracked out feeling of 2 Red Bulls, 1 ephederin tab and 2 huge potent caffine pills. -Adam.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Fleetwood, UK @ The Rossall Tavern

Woke up, made a frozen pizza, watched Clockers, then The Jerk. Got ready and headed downstairs for the show (we're living above the pub). This was a Strummer Magazine battle of the bands celebration...we watched the bands and at the end of the night played a few songs for Maurice. Fun night. -Adam.

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Blackpool, UK @ West Coast Cafe

The venue was up three good sized flights of stairs. I liked the venue....I don't know why, but I did. Tonight's set was good. Weird mix of people at the show. After the show we left looking for a slice of nightlife and while walking down the main drag saw a police car hit a cab while rushing to the scene of one shirtless man and one heavy fully-clothed man being detained belly down on the freezing sidewalk by a herd of cops. We kept walking and ended up in a fantastic gay bar where we were greeted by the best drag queen DJ ever, she was wearing a red sequin ball gown, huge hair and massive red nails. We just drank and laughed with her while she gave shit to, greeted, complimented and cut up people in the club. She was the DJ, so whenever she wanted to talk, she just cut the music and spoke into the microphone. The night ended with her doing an amazing lip-synced performance of "Paradise by the dashboard lights" while stand on top of the DJ booth. -Adam.

Friday, February 17, 2006

Oldham, UK @ The Castle

Today we woke up at 4pm, showered, got ready, drove, soundchecked. After soundcheck we met up with a friend of ours Paul in a bar across the street from the club. Hung out for a bit then headed back to the venue. The opening band sounded a lot like B.R.M.C. but I can't remember their name. We had a good turnout and a lively set. After the show we got back to the Rossall Tavern in Fleetwood (where we usually live while in England...thanks again Mozzer!!). I'm super jetlagged and can't sleep at all. I spent most of my night tossing and turning, but when I wasn't, I was watching pitiful British television and writing notes in my journal about the things I saw....like these for example..."9:09am - BBC1 reporter Carolyn Wyatt sounds a lot like a man", "Bird flue = don't pick up dead birds", "I'm watching a British version of Catwalk....title? = bad", and "Lack of sleep in women can cause heart disease, cancer and psychological disorders". -Adam.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Southampton, UK @ Joiner's Club

Okay, so Wednesday February 15th we flew in a hot tight plane to England. We slept, woke up and it was today. Dan (our manager) had outfitted our UK van with a twenty five pound sidewalk sale fold-out couch...and a deep sea of blankets.....so it beats the prior few trips being flung around the back of a 3/4 empty utility van. Oh....off topic, thanks for the gear Carlsborough, Taye, Mozzer and The London Drum Co. Okay, so....Today we filled up with gas and a woman pushing credit cards in the rest area asked me "Do you like ska....that's what we call it over here." I guess my hat prompted it...anyways, we arrived in Southampton around 2pm. We were all really tired, because none of us can sleep on planes. Ryan and Brad were fast asleep in the back of the van (there's only enough room for two people)I was riding shotgun and ended up trying to sleep across the front bench while Dan went to a bar. I couldn't sleep. We eventually soundchecked and afterwards I climbed into the back of the van for my sleep shift....6pm-8pm. The show tonight was really good! A lot of moshing and jumping and madness. After the show a guy grabbed my hat off my head and asked to keep it....I said no dice and his reasoning was "You're a living legend, you can get another". You're right, I am. -Adam.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

London, ON @ Call The Office

Journal:
-Ate at brew pub near venue & watched Leafs vs. Rangers game.
-Played pool @ Club
-Excellent crowd, great turnout.
-Chanted “bass” (some guys at the show dug the cut of Ryan’s jib I guess, and decided the best way to express it was to start a “bass” chant).
-Tonight was a return to form for us.
-Great night!

Friday, February 10, 2006

Hamilton, ON @ Underground

Great turnout, okay crowd, okay set. –Adam.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Cambridge, ON @ Fiddler’s Green

Today we were really looking forward to stopping at home in Hamilton for a shower etc. and a couple hours of R&R, but when we were about an hour away from home the van started gyrating on the highway…we pulled over and had to take it to a shop to get it fixed. The tire was fucked. We had an hour to kill, so we went to a Futureshop near the repair shop and watched a documentary about the New England Patriots on a $16,000 display entertainment unit. I’m sure the staff was eagerly waiting for us to leave, but they didn’t have the resolve to take matters into their own hands…..so we watched it for an entire hour. Thanks for the cozy, warm seats. We loaded in, ate and hung out upstairs in Fiddler’s Green listening to “party mixes” left by the stereo. Our set was alright, but started way too late and was slightly too drunk. –Adam.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Ottawa, ON @ Zaphod’s

It makes it really easy if I just copy my journal entry…here it is…
-Hung over all day
-Alright turnout, Good crowd
-Earlier (before show, ate really good deep dish pizza @ Gabriel’s – near hotel)
-Watched hockey, Rangers & Senators – In French. –Adam.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Barrie, ON @ The Foundation

Before the show tonight, we had some good soups and sandwiches from a deli beside the venue. The show was good, but all I have written in my journal word for word is…
-I got really drunk, talked super loud, wrestled Ryan, threw his blankets on the ground (dirty hotel room floor), threw screwdriver @ fireplace (in hotel room), laid awake sick and headachy until 7am…threw up, had zinc tablet, laid down until 8am…threw up again…-Adam.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Kingston, ON @ The Ale House

The only thing worth mentioning tonight is that I spilled half a beer into The Miniatures merch case….by accident. Oh, and we covered “Can’t Stand Losing You” by The Police for the first time live…..Oh, one more thing….we started playing the new material from our upcoming album “Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives” –Adam.
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