Thursday 29 September 2011

The duck and the egg

Thirsty Birmingham


28/9

Summer September Liverpool Morning. Lunch at Egg (not to be confused with Birmingham's Mr. Egg - more later). Lost in a big Bull Ring. Birmingham. Not geographically lost. Physically. The Out of Step guys worked hard on this show, you should play for them. On stage cocktails = 2 x Whiskey Sours, 1 x Mojito, 1 x Margarita. Sold-out-show-high.


What like Fleet, Aldershot and that?

There's a Roy Chubby Brown issue after the show. Seems the racist, unfunny, curious old man has some hold over the City of Birmingham tonight. Give Chubby your parking space or be towed. Party splts - some for the aforementioned Mr. Egg




in which Willis orders chips and cheese and is asked if he wants and egg on it, NO, some to have nightcaps with the band Metronomy, who played a ever-so-slightly larger venue down the road. Birmingham was wonderful, not so fussed about its Bull Ring.




29/9

The scenic route. Peak District. Ploughman's lunch by the water pump. Beautiful England. To Manchester. Ruby Lounge is as weird for us as it was before. Don't know why. Dancing kids tell us there were guys kicking at the backs of their legs during the show. Funny what some people feel they deserve from a show. We stay above the Deaf Institute which is actually above Dominoes Pizza. The air thick with Dominoes. We walk out of an episode of Breaking Bad, through the pizza chemistry and bags of contraband dough and cheery capped workers at the gate. Drive over the broken glass and on in to beauty. The Dales. Climbing to Scotland. Breath taking. Stop at indie-service station at Tebay. No chains. Farm produce. Feed the ducks with The History of Apple Pie. Somewhere else, some other parallel, a band is taking drugs and destroying a Hotel room. We breathe it in, so fresh, and drive on.






Tuesday 27 September 2011

Labour Party


26/9 Cardiff in which we run out of Diesel 150 yards from the venue after the show. After everything. All of Cardiff has gone home. Gear out on the street. The worse thing that could happen would be a sudden out of the blue midnight torrential downpour. Happens. We are rats. We drown. AA. Automobile Association. Angel Association. What a guy. Tells Willis "Give her what we all need, a drink". A great show Cardiff. Clwb Ifor Bach. Apple Pie play better each night and get worse at collecting their fee. On a full tank we sleep.



27/9 In Worcester we find ourselves momentarily contemplating the differences between UK and US touring. Nothing deep or clever. We just dropped by Willis' house and behind schedule but everyone, without hesitation, agrees to the offer of a 'quick brew'. We wallow in the garden for a bit. Time in the UK is relative.



Liverpool is unlike any other City in the world. Is it always a street party here? Everyday is like monday. It's a funny contrast: The Labour Party has descended on it for a massive annual conference. So it's a sea of badly fitted suits and boozing politicians and "Keep Calm & Party On" tshirts and mini-dresses and high heels. Everywhere. It's insane and it's monday. The show was great and somehow matched up to all of this.



Birmingham what have you got?


Sunday 25 September 2011

T O U R U K W A L E S

24/9 Exeter in which a man pulls out his penis in the background of John and Kevin being filmed for Noisey while his friend shouts "Elvis, Elvis". First show of UK tour first with new tour friends The History of Apple Pie who wrangle the feedback in to a killer show. Local heros The Cut Ups open a Cavern Club all rich with hardcore punk history and Robin's homecoming. Great show. Load out through the young, drunk Exeter.
Parting shot: "Do you want to sign any boobies?"
25/9 Wake up in Bovey Tracey. Beautiful. Widescreen sky. Children pound on a piano. Almond spread on homemade bread. The Moors. Walk on Dartmoor. Climb Haytor, an old volcano. Ponies. Climbing cows. Snacks from a farm shop. This is UK touring. Warm autumn. Notice a sticker on the back of our van says: "The Only Tool in this Van is the Driver". We're all tools together driving to Cardiff. Up against Cardiff Cheese Festival.



Wednesday 21 September 2011

Saturday 10 September 2011

Wednesday 7 September 2011

Monday 5 September 2011

Culture Clash Records, Toledo, Ohio

We drove to the brilliant Culture Clash Records in Toledo, Ohio and we played an instore there and they fed us Mexican food and we went crazy picking up records. A really good store. Good people. Good dog.

Hotel haul.

Military Men

Spotty damaging wind.



The lady said "I bet you're taking that back to your man cave"




Tour swimming. Only sure way to sanity.

Sunday 4 September 2011

Of North America

Happy accidents.
You find what you can on tour.
Short stops in middles of nowheres.


Rest Room Hall of Fames.


Boston



Cameo, Brooklyn.



KOPS Record Store, Toronto. A good store.





Oh Detroit.


The Willis.