Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Not much is going on in the world of SDS right now. I've finally got pictures up from our Eurotour. I wish I could get paid for the amount of time that I spend sitting at the computer because we're all broke and at the moment I'm unemployed. But we are writing new songs and booking shows. Woohoo!
Monday, July 05, 2004
Sweet! I have a working computer and some time on my hands, so I gunna finally write about the last two weeks of tour. I have a feeling this might turn into a novel, but what the hell...I have lots of friends that work in offices, spend all day on the computer and could use a good read. I wrote some notes in my paper journal, so I wouldn't forget stuff, so I guess I'll start with that.
The End Of The Minotour (written in Italy)
"I didn't want to write about the end, because once it's written, it's definitely over...and that sucks. I know it was only two weeks, but I got so used to hanging out and having fun with these 8 people all the time. On the plane to Italy, Maggie, Chris and I all fell asleep. I woke up about halfway through, and for some reason, felt really wierd. I couldn't quite place why at first, and then I realized it was because I had no one to talk to(since M & C were sleeping). I'm just glad that I don't have to go back to "normal" life quite yet.
Anyway, since I'm writing in my journal and don't have the blog in front of me, I'm not exactly sure where I left off. I think it was Newcastle, so I'll start with that. The best part about playing Newcastle is that my new favorite beer is Newcastle...and it was cool to drink a Newcastle in Newcastle. We played a fun show...all the bands rocked, especially one of the local ones, The Mercury League. I really liked them. They didn't have any merch on them, but one of the guys said he'd send a CD...let's hope he remembers and follows through.
Next was Manchester. Cool club, although alittle strange considering we walked in to a song that was just farm animal noises. There were lots of posters and promotion and that's always nice to see. Our friends Neil and Matt came out, which was cool, since we usually only see them when they come to Austin to visit. After the show, we went to The Fab, it was ok, but I think we should have stuck to the original plan of going to the rockclub. On the way back to Neil's brother's apt., we stopped for food at a kebob shop. I ended up getting a chip naan, basically some fries rolled up in pita bread with lots of salt and vinegar). It was one of the grossest things I've ever eaten, yet for some reason I ate the whole thing. That night, the girls slept inside the house and the boys slept in the van...I didn't feel bad though since the next night the boys were going home to their own beds.
Harrogate was next. An awesome show. It was all-ages, we got fed some yummy curry, all of our bmx friends from Leeds came out, the opening bands were good and I think everyone had a fun time(except maybe Sam and Chris, who were feeling a bit sick.)
Wakefield was our 2nd to last show, but it kinda felt like the end since it was our last show at night, in a bar. The whole day in general was really great, and show continued on the same note. Chris, Maggie and I wanted to something touristy, since we hadn't really had a chance, so the boys took us to Brimham Rocks. It was really cool..I'm just glad no one got hurt, considering it was drizzling and wet, and there was alot of rockclimbing, boulder-hopping, etc... going on. Then we went to Betty's Tea House, where we had afternoon tea and scones and chicken/asparagus sandwiches. It was good....but I drank too much tea. Finally we headed to the show. This show was really good, because Pylon, the headliner, was an indie/emo-rock band and I think their fans (in general...there are of course exceptions) are more likely to be SDS fans, than alot of the crusty/oi/metal punk kids that were at a lot of the other shows...if nothing else, I felt more comfortable. We all played well(except my string broke and I had to sing a solo), everyone was super nice, and during Pylon's set, the emo got to us all and there were a few tears since the tour was ending. It was great! After the show, we went to a party(minus Jonty and Champy who just couldn't handle another night away from Leeds), played some pool(english rules), watched wrestling, ate turkey bites, went to sleep. Thanks to everyone who lived in the house for letting us stay over.
Last day. The Lambrini Jam in Leeds. Over 500 kids, an awesome diy BMX course, merch tables, food, beer, good bands and all-around a fun time. I realized after saying hello to about a million people, that I think I know more people in Leeds, England, than I do in Austin. Crazy. We played second, and it went well(other than a string breaking AGAIN!). In the middle of our set it started raining..we just kept rockin' and some of the Revolt guys went and grabbed the food tent and brought it over us...and we never missed a beat. It actually worked out well, since it forced the kids to move closer if they wanted to stay dry. Right after we finished, Joe, Chris and The Chief went back to Joe's house to unload the van, so Chief could start the drive home...it definitley made for a very abrupt good-bye, but it was just as well since it had to end sometime. Everyone else hung out at the jam, people slowly leaving until it was just me, maggie and luke. That night I really wanted to go out and party, but I was just too tired, so back to the revolt house to sleep. Thanks to all of the Leeds BMX guys for a great time....especially Greg for making sure the floor was clean and giving us his good sleeping bags!"
So that's the end of the Minotour. It was two of the best weeks ever, we made some great friends, and I realized that my allergies aren't nearly as bad in England...hmmmm.
I guess I'll keep writing....on to Italy. Still from my journal.
June 16 - 1:55AM
Staying at Monte Croce(Mt. Cross) in Leffe, Italy. A mountain cottage with no hot water, but with sheep and an incredible view(if it wasn't so foggy all the time). I feel like I'm on holiday at bed and breakfast. Our Italian hosts, Jenni and PJ, are really nice, speak pretty good english and have treated us to pizza, spaghetti, wine and espresso. It's slightly stressful communicating, and we're all a bit homesick for England, but our stay so far has been good.
We just finished playing our first show in Italy. It was at The Happy Village in Casnigo. Cool club..painted all yellow with sunflowers in the corner. Definitley a happy atmosphere. The show went well, not as many people as we'd hoped, but we were informed that most of the kids ride scooters and since it was raining, it was hard to get to the show. Makes sense, I guess. Got to see Whinny Puke play for the first time(very catchy and all nice boys) and the split looks cool. Got fed some panini....very good, especially Christina's salami and artichoke sandwich. I have a feeling that a lot of this Italian journal will revolve around food.
June 17
Very minimal internet access, as well as spyware on the computers stresses me out. I need an hour alone on a computer...but it doesn't look like it's gunna happen.
Yesterday we went to Bergamo and walked around the medieval city. Saw a really old church, that was filled with stone people. It was beautiful, but creepy. We bought postcards, ate gelato, and looked at all the names on apartment doors to see if there were any Rimassas. Finally went to the venue, another squat, but this one was nicer than the one in London. It was a pretty cool place. We set up equipment, put SGD on the PA(it's the only CD we've got) and got ready to rock. Maggie, Chris and I were inside jamming, wondering when the kids were gunna show up, when the next thing we knew, a visibly upset PJ came in to tell us the show was canceled. No promotion had been done, the promoter pulled out on the guarantee and there weren't any mics. WHAT?! We were given the option of still playing, but SDS is not a jam band, and Whinny Puke had already decided not to play, so we didn't either. Definitley sucked since we'd spent the whole evening sitting around the venue, and in the end a couple of guys showed up to see us (thanks gianluca & paulo).
June 20 - 6:30pm
Our last show in Italy was alright. We got super lost on the way there...i slept the whole way, so it didn't affect me too much. The club was really nice, they fed us good pasta...I just wish there had been a few more people there. The two guys from the night before showed up, which was awesome since it was kind of a far drive for them, and all the guys from Andy's Donuts(another Funbox band) came out...they were all very scenester, and I felt like I was back in Austin(a good thing).
The next day, Jenni took us to Milan. That was cool. Went to the Duomo(another church)...it was huge! You can't go inside with shoulders exposed...so there were all these boys taking off their t-shirts outside and giving them to the girls with tank-tops on, so they could go in. Jenni was wearing a tank-top too, but fortunately Maggie had a stolen airline blanket in her backpack, which Jenni wrapped around herself like a shawl. The guards gave her a funny look, but they let her through. Walked around, saw lots of pretty people, then drove back to Leffe in 104˚ heat. Didn't feel quite that hot, but it's what the thermometer said. Then we went to Switzerland. Got a late start, and got stuck in traffic. I was afraid we weren't gunna make it to the show, but we did...and I'm really glad cuz it was fun. The crowd was a decent size, they all seemed into it and we finally sold some stuff.
After camping out(not the best experience ever...but awesome showers), we got up the next morning and went to eat at IKEA...hot dogs and Pepsi. Then we went to the grocery store for a cheese sampler(included swiss, of course) and some swiss chocolate. We saw a sign for a Taco Express....Christina got really excited, but it turned out to be a key shop. Afterwards, we went to a "CD Presentation" (not sure what it was supposed to be) at a skateshop in Lugano, but it was raining, no one was there...not even the promoter. So instead, when it stopped raining, we went and walked around a really pretty cemetary. Then it was off to Bellinzona for our last European show(we were supposed to play one more, but it got canceled.) Bellinzona was a cool city, with a big castle...unfortunately we got there too late to go inside, but we looked at the outside wall. We also ran all over the town trying to find a payphone...it's amazing how few payphones there are in Switzerland. Our show was at a place called Peter Pan, and it was another good one. Kids dancing, a guy spitting beer on people, and Christina rocked harder than ever. After the show, we drove the 3 hours back to Italy...Christina and PJ getting stopped 3 times...two checkpoints and questions at customs. Somehow PJ managed to talk his way out of everything...but Christina still had a nervous breakdown, with lots of hysterical laughing, when we got back to Monte Croce, safe and sound.
So that's it for shows, however our last couple days in Italy were probably my favorite. Without the pressure of shows and business, everyone was more relaxed and we had alot of fun. We went to a festival with bingo, bbq and dancing...and lots of old people. It was a fundraiser for an organization similar to The Red Cross/Salvation Army(I think.) We went to Venice for a couple hours, which was really cool. You park your car at the entrance to the city, then you walk or take a boat everywhere...it looks just like the pictures. There were a ton of tourists there, so we got to hear plenty of American accents(we'd all been craving some english), we ate calzones, windowshopped and saw another beautiful church...the Basilica. Then we went to meet the guys from Broke Clothing...our italian clothing sponsor. They were all super nice, and after letting us raid the warehouse for some new threads, they took us to a quaint, little Italian restaurant "Da Bosa" for dinner. It was delicious...and we ate everything.
The next day we flew back to England, took the train to our friend James's house, where he was a great host...drove us all over, walked around in the rain to show us Windsor Castle(he was even on crutches), sat through Harry Potter(the only thing Chris wanted to do in England was see the movie...and she finally got her wish), and stayed up late with me watching crap English pop videos. Next morning, we got on the plane, slept the whole way back to the states, arrived in Texas, went to eat some TexMex, went to bed. THE END.
The End Of The Minotour (written in Italy)
"I didn't want to write about the end, because once it's written, it's definitely over...and that sucks. I know it was only two weeks, but I got so used to hanging out and having fun with these 8 people all the time. On the plane to Italy, Maggie, Chris and I all fell asleep. I woke up about halfway through, and for some reason, felt really wierd. I couldn't quite place why at first, and then I realized it was because I had no one to talk to(since M & C were sleeping). I'm just glad that I don't have to go back to "normal" life quite yet.
Anyway, since I'm writing in my journal and don't have the blog in front of me, I'm not exactly sure where I left off. I think it was Newcastle, so I'll start with that. The best part about playing Newcastle is that my new favorite beer is Newcastle...and it was cool to drink a Newcastle in Newcastle. We played a fun show...all the bands rocked, especially one of the local ones, The Mercury League. I really liked them. They didn't have any merch on them, but one of the guys said he'd send a CD...let's hope he remembers and follows through.
Next was Manchester. Cool club, although alittle strange considering we walked in to a song that was just farm animal noises. There were lots of posters and promotion and that's always nice to see. Our friends Neil and Matt came out, which was cool, since we usually only see them when they come to Austin to visit. After the show, we went to The Fab, it was ok, but I think we should have stuck to the original plan of going to the rockclub. On the way back to Neil's brother's apt., we stopped for food at a kebob shop. I ended up getting a chip naan, basically some fries rolled up in pita bread with lots of salt and vinegar). It was one of the grossest things I've ever eaten, yet for some reason I ate the whole thing. That night, the girls slept inside the house and the boys slept in the van...I didn't feel bad though since the next night the boys were going home to their own beds.
Harrogate was next. An awesome show. It was all-ages, we got fed some yummy curry, all of our bmx friends from Leeds came out, the opening bands were good and I think everyone had a fun time(except maybe Sam and Chris, who were feeling a bit sick.)
Wakefield was our 2nd to last show, but it kinda felt like the end since it was our last show at night, in a bar. The whole day in general was really great, and show continued on the same note. Chris, Maggie and I wanted to something touristy, since we hadn't really had a chance, so the boys took us to Brimham Rocks. It was really cool..I'm just glad no one got hurt, considering it was drizzling and wet, and there was alot of rockclimbing, boulder-hopping, etc... going on. Then we went to Betty's Tea House, where we had afternoon tea and scones and chicken/asparagus sandwiches. It was good....but I drank too much tea. Finally we headed to the show. This show was really good, because Pylon, the headliner, was an indie/emo-rock band and I think their fans (in general...there are of course exceptions) are more likely to be SDS fans, than alot of the crusty/oi/metal punk kids that were at a lot of the other shows...if nothing else, I felt more comfortable. We all played well(except my string broke and I had to sing a solo), everyone was super nice, and during Pylon's set, the emo got to us all and there were a few tears since the tour was ending. It was great! After the show, we went to a party(minus Jonty and Champy who just couldn't handle another night away from Leeds), played some pool(english rules), watched wrestling, ate turkey bites, went to sleep. Thanks to everyone who lived in the house for letting us stay over.
Last day. The Lambrini Jam in Leeds. Over 500 kids, an awesome diy BMX course, merch tables, food, beer, good bands and all-around a fun time. I realized after saying hello to about a million people, that I think I know more people in Leeds, England, than I do in Austin. Crazy. We played second, and it went well(other than a string breaking AGAIN!). In the middle of our set it started raining..we just kept rockin' and some of the Revolt guys went and grabbed the food tent and brought it over us...and we never missed a beat. It actually worked out well, since it forced the kids to move closer if they wanted to stay dry. Right after we finished, Joe, Chris and The Chief went back to Joe's house to unload the van, so Chief could start the drive home...it definitley made for a very abrupt good-bye, but it was just as well since it had to end sometime. Everyone else hung out at the jam, people slowly leaving until it was just me, maggie and luke. That night I really wanted to go out and party, but I was just too tired, so back to the revolt house to sleep. Thanks to all of the Leeds BMX guys for a great time....especially Greg for making sure the floor was clean and giving us his good sleeping bags!"
So that's the end of the Minotour. It was two of the best weeks ever, we made some great friends, and I realized that my allergies aren't nearly as bad in England...hmmmm.
I guess I'll keep writing....on to Italy. Still from my journal.
June 16 - 1:55AM
Staying at Monte Croce(Mt. Cross) in Leffe, Italy. A mountain cottage with no hot water, but with sheep and an incredible view(if it wasn't so foggy all the time). I feel like I'm on holiday at bed and breakfast. Our Italian hosts, Jenni and PJ, are really nice, speak pretty good english and have treated us to pizza, spaghetti, wine and espresso. It's slightly stressful communicating, and we're all a bit homesick for England, but our stay so far has been good.
We just finished playing our first show in Italy. It was at The Happy Village in Casnigo. Cool club..painted all yellow with sunflowers in the corner. Definitley a happy atmosphere. The show went well, not as many people as we'd hoped, but we were informed that most of the kids ride scooters and since it was raining, it was hard to get to the show. Makes sense, I guess. Got to see Whinny Puke play for the first time(very catchy and all nice boys) and the split looks cool. Got fed some panini....very good, especially Christina's salami and artichoke sandwich. I have a feeling that a lot of this Italian journal will revolve around food.
June 17
Very minimal internet access, as well as spyware on the computers stresses me out. I need an hour alone on a computer...but it doesn't look like it's gunna happen.
Yesterday we went to Bergamo and walked around the medieval city. Saw a really old church, that was filled with stone people. It was beautiful, but creepy. We bought postcards, ate gelato, and looked at all the names on apartment doors to see if there were any Rimassas. Finally went to the venue, another squat, but this one was nicer than the one in London. It was a pretty cool place. We set up equipment, put SGD on the PA(it's the only CD we've got) and got ready to rock. Maggie, Chris and I were inside jamming, wondering when the kids were gunna show up, when the next thing we knew, a visibly upset PJ came in to tell us the show was canceled. No promotion had been done, the promoter pulled out on the guarantee and there weren't any mics. WHAT?! We were given the option of still playing, but SDS is not a jam band, and Whinny Puke had already decided not to play, so we didn't either. Definitley sucked since we'd spent the whole evening sitting around the venue, and in the end a couple of guys showed up to see us (thanks gianluca & paulo).
June 20 - 6:30pm
Our last show in Italy was alright. We got super lost on the way there...i slept the whole way, so it didn't affect me too much. The club was really nice, they fed us good pasta...I just wish there had been a few more people there. The two guys from the night before showed up, which was awesome since it was kind of a far drive for them, and all the guys from Andy's Donuts(another Funbox band) came out...they were all very scenester, and I felt like I was back in Austin(a good thing).
The next day, Jenni took us to Milan. That was cool. Went to the Duomo(another church)...it was huge! You can't go inside with shoulders exposed...so there were all these boys taking off their t-shirts outside and giving them to the girls with tank-tops on, so they could go in. Jenni was wearing a tank-top too, but fortunately Maggie had a stolen airline blanket in her backpack, which Jenni wrapped around herself like a shawl. The guards gave her a funny look, but they let her through. Walked around, saw lots of pretty people, then drove back to Leffe in 104˚ heat. Didn't feel quite that hot, but it's what the thermometer said. Then we went to Switzerland. Got a late start, and got stuck in traffic. I was afraid we weren't gunna make it to the show, but we did...and I'm really glad cuz it was fun. The crowd was a decent size, they all seemed into it and we finally sold some stuff.
After camping out(not the best experience ever...but awesome showers), we got up the next morning and went to eat at IKEA...hot dogs and Pepsi. Then we went to the grocery store for a cheese sampler(included swiss, of course) and some swiss chocolate. We saw a sign for a Taco Express....Christina got really excited, but it turned out to be a key shop. Afterwards, we went to a "CD Presentation" (not sure what it was supposed to be) at a skateshop in Lugano, but it was raining, no one was there...not even the promoter. So instead, when it stopped raining, we went and walked around a really pretty cemetary. Then it was off to Bellinzona for our last European show(we were supposed to play one more, but it got canceled.) Bellinzona was a cool city, with a big castle...unfortunately we got there too late to go inside, but we looked at the outside wall. We also ran all over the town trying to find a payphone...it's amazing how few payphones there are in Switzerland. Our show was at a place called Peter Pan, and it was another good one. Kids dancing, a guy spitting beer on people, and Christina rocked harder than ever. After the show, we drove the 3 hours back to Italy...Christina and PJ getting stopped 3 times...two checkpoints and questions at customs. Somehow PJ managed to talk his way out of everything...but Christina still had a nervous breakdown, with lots of hysterical laughing, when we got back to Monte Croce, safe and sound.
So that's it for shows, however our last couple days in Italy were probably my favorite. Without the pressure of shows and business, everyone was more relaxed and we had alot of fun. We went to a festival with bingo, bbq and dancing...and lots of old people. It was a fundraiser for an organization similar to The Red Cross/Salvation Army(I think.) We went to Venice for a couple hours, which was really cool. You park your car at the entrance to the city, then you walk or take a boat everywhere...it looks just like the pictures. There were a ton of tourists there, so we got to hear plenty of American accents(we'd all been craving some english), we ate calzones, windowshopped and saw another beautiful church...the Basilica. Then we went to meet the guys from Broke Clothing...our italian clothing sponsor. They were all super nice, and after letting us raid the warehouse for some new threads, they took us to a quaint, little Italian restaurant "Da Bosa" for dinner. It was delicious...and we ate everything.
The next day we flew back to England, took the train to our friend James's house, where he was a great host...drove us all over, walked around in the rain to show us Windsor Castle(he was even on crutches), sat through Harry Potter(the only thing Chris wanted to do in England was see the movie...and she finally got her wish), and stayed up late with me watching crap English pop videos. Next morning, we got on the plane, slept the whole way back to the states, arrived in Texas, went to eat some TexMex, went to bed. THE END.
Friday, July 02, 2004
I want to write a real blog...i really do. However, our computer is broken at the moment, i'm checking email at the free computer at UT, and I've only got 10 minutes left on my meter. Not near enough to time to write about the last two weeks of tour! If anyone has an old computer monitor they're not using...send it our way!
