Frequency Messtival
Austria: many a time in this country have I struggled to not get all twisted and confused, a few shoves to the back, a stolen jacket and a knee to the leg still linger in a distant chamber in my brain, staring at a wall for pretty much a whole show also hangs in my memory. SO to Frequency Fest, one of Austria’s biggest Festivals. I checked the line up for the festival and saw so many big names that are currently leading the live circuit throughout the world…Thursday – The Cribs, Hot Chip, Mumford and Sons, Peaches and The Specials to name a few. Friday – Klaxons, Yea Sayer, LCD Soundsystem and Massive Attack to name a few more, wow this Festival looks immense.. So to the Saturday, Archive’s day – I noticed 30 Seconds to Mars, Zoot Woman and Milissa Auf Du Maur and …………….. a load of names I’ve never heard of to be honest. Our time slot was 5.10 pm. Wow, I was thrilled because we usually play late at night and hardly ever get to play earlier than 10pm, so 5.10 was gonna be interesting. 20 minute change over for the crew of which we (the band) were stood at the side of the stage watching and hearing them do this, I have no idea why we are always at the stage way before we are due on it. The crew completed the set up in 17 minutes I think – good job dudes. I stood ready to go on stage listening in my in ear monitors to the microphones picking up the sounds from the stage, a guy was hitting something, damn I wish we had intro music or something. We could see there wasn’t too many people in the crowd but that didn’t matter, this is a new festival to us and a new country so it’s great having to go out and give something to the neutrals..Win them over and all that !! Gig was nuts, intense and full on, I fucking loved it. Saw 2 black helicopters swoop over during one song and noticed a massive bald headed hells angel looking dude nodding for the whole gig so that made me happy.. So time at finishing gig was 6.00pm. I asked our tour manager what time we were scheduled to leave ” 2am ” he said, “Go nuts, have fun “… So now we have 15 blokes and 1 girl with 8 hours to kill. Hmmm I wonder what’s gonna happen ?? Only way to explain it is to list it so here goes. Straight Vodka shots, Vodka red bulls, red wine, white wine, a fridge full of large Austrian beers, chicken and pasta, weed, cocaine, MDMA, (I would just like to add I’m not into drugs. Drink – yes, I have to say I’m a bit prone to a cup of ale now an then, but drugs = nah !!, and I don’t care if people do them just don’t corner me and chew my ear off about Arsenal or some bollocks like that please). OK I’ll carry on – friendly fans, odd fans, strange 30 Seconds to Mars fans that wear far to much make up; watching my friends say really boozy chat up line to bar maids; more vodka, Jager Bombs, remembering the helicopters again; a wrestling match between Rosko and John which ended up with them going through a wall and smashing a whole table of drinks; meeting Jared Leto and having my picture taken with him for my girlfriend; John not realising I was sat there when he was drunkenly throwing stones in anger in mine and Pollard’s direction; the fridge being re-filled and emptied again; shot after shot after shot; quietly sobering up; thinking I was in a bad indie disco I used to go to when I was younger – that was when I realised it was time for me to leave…Whilst walking back to bus on my own I also found one of Rosko’s shoes, in a bush….
So on reflection I feel I have cast away the confused feelings about my times in Austria. The slate is now clean and I await the next shove or grunt with open arms.
ONLY THE NAMES CHANGE
This is the name of the Song I’ve had in my life for what seems ages now.. The initial thoughts that created this song came about me seeing a drunk woman acting like a god of sorts holding a very large glass of red wine. I started to write about what this woman’s life might be like and how she might end up, it then led to me writing about 3 people who are all on self destructive paths. It’s about the same situations within people that occur everyday, but Only The Names Change….
The Photo is taken from a BirdPen promo photo shoot we did.
Thump Head
Each step I took was just another dull thump to my already pounding town rain drenched head… I looked for the CD but they didn’t have it so took a slow painful walk home…Caught a cat trying to burglar the house, I think he was hungry, most cats always are.. Spoke with my manager, trying to sort everything out ( again ) It will all be good though, cause we can make it work. We will make it work. I’ve still got my headache and gotta go out in the drizzle to catch a train. A new blog site for me then, I’m gonna try and keep it interesting and not rant on about,,,,,, Actually I take that back this is my blog site so I’ll do what ever the fuck I want !!!
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