America

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Ok So since we last spoke to each other a lot has happened. We have traversed the vast land that is the United States, been to towns that we had never thought we would visit, sampled some of the countries best Burgers and Down home cooking joints, and played some great shows in between.
SO when we last left you we where in Portland, this was the easy part of the trip as after that show we had a whirlwind expedition that took us from Seattle, where we played in a Hard Rock Café, to Boston where we played in an Irish Pub on St Patrick’s day.  Being Scottish this was Campbell’s worst nightmare, and also pretty interesting as the people of Boston think they are more Irish than pure bread Irish people. And then we traversed the country to Austin to Participate in the madness that is SXSW.
This years SXSW was a sheer breeze in comparison to our first visit last year, we had only two gigs to play and they where on separate days which is a blessing as there are some people that play 4 gigs in a day and have to try and negotiate the traffic and streets of Austin which can be near impossible. As some of you may have read I went vegetarian for the greater part of this trip, however there where to be a few exceptions and Austin was supposed to be one as it is the capital of American BBQ. This means Rips, Brisket and what ever other type of meat product that you can cook on a BBQ. However (and luckily) I did not touch the stuff, not out of not trying but because it was so bloody busy. So on this tour we acquired a new member of staff.  Some of you may have seen him on stage, a very well dressed man in a suit, that is Nic. As well as being one of the coolest Americans I have ever met he was also our culinary advisor on this tour. He was like a walking Zagat guide. He took Campbell and Dougy out to this place in the Ghetto called Sam’s. Now Sam’s is basically a rundown house with a Porch out the front, which is where you sit and eat one of Austin’s best-kept secrets. And Sam’s Slogan is one of the best “You Don’t Need No Teeth To Eat My Beef”. 
After a whirlwind trip of basically flying around the entire continent we headed back to our bus, which was in Boulder Colorado. We flew into Denver where we were picked up by the Bus.  We are very privileged these days to be able to get around in a Bus rather than a van it makes life more comfortable but it can also suck the life out of you if you’re not careful. The Cabins or Coffins as we like to call them are really dark, almost blacked out so you can virtually sleep all day with out flinching. Anyway so Boulder, It’s a little somewhat sleepy University Town with a great vibe there was still snow in the streets and the people where nice. It was actually a little like California with its medical kush dispensers and healthy eating options. The show was in this great little theatre just on the outskirts of town and the crowd was really responsive. We moved out that night after the show to head to Milwaukee, only for the bus to break down in a little place called Council Bluffs. Now Council Bluffs has a Hooters, a Casino and a GoKart track. This was the scene of many a heated race between the band.  Unfortunately we missed playing in Milwaukee, which was a shame because I wanted to go to the home of Alice Cooper.
The Midwest shows were great, Minneapolis, Chicago, Columbus and Cleveland, where all really surprising, we managed to sell out Columbus Ohio which was amazing considering we never thought people in that part of the world had heard of us. It is a big university town and there are streets, which have frat houses all the way down them. I kind of felt like I was on the set of Revenge Of The Nerds or Old Skool.
They also have a Five Guys burger Joint and is probably 0ne of the best Burgers I have ever had. And on the subject of Burgers it is amazing at how good Americans do them. You can have a great gourmet burger outside of the states and it is amazing but there is something about the simplicity and the frequency at which you can get a good burger in America is staggering.
Cleveland on the other hand was a little strange the show and crowd was great but it felt like everyone in the city was a G. we went to a shopping centre and I thought I was going to get jacked. What makes it even stranger is the fact that Cleveland is the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and yet I was told that it’s not really a rock city.
We made a brief trip into Canada for two shows, one in Toronto and one in Montreal. There was something comforting about going into a country that had the Queen on it’s money. I felt like I was at home even though I have nothing to do with the Queen. Not only that but it is amazing that even though the U.S.A and Canada are only separated by a virtual line the vibe of the country is completely different. A little more relaxed maybe.
The Toronto Show was great and it was good to have a few old Friends around from Australia, like Dr Z and Enoch. But the highlight for me was going to Montreal. I find it kind of strange that there is a French speaking part of the Country and is run by the English Monarchy. I don’t know how they can stand it.
Not I but the boys visited this famous smoke house called Shwartz’s, it’s renowned for their smoked goods and is kind of like Katz’s Deli in NYC but the French version. Toby and I also found this amazing music store with the best collection of effects pedals you have ever seen. We stayed in there for hours annoying the staff and customers trying out all the different variations. So geeky.
The Show was played in one of the Just for Laughs theatres, and just for a bigger laugh there was a rumour that Jack Gyllenhaal was coming to the gig. Not so great for me as I have star crush on his sister, but we did get graced with the presence of Isabella Lucas a Home and Away star.
The east coast was Great the New York Shows were some of the best of the tour but as usual they are also the most hard working days.  I finally turned the corner with the city as well, the last few times I have been there it has been a real balancing act between whether I like the city or not. But after this last trip it is a win for the city that never sleeps. I went to the Seinfeld Restaurant in the upper west side as well as central park and a few other places which made it a hell of a lot better.
The next stop was Philly home of the liberty bell, the Philly cheese steak. And the Rocky steps, which I finally got to run, as well as going to love park to watch some skateboarding.
So finally the good stuff, the second last stop on the tour was the Coachella festival, which was our first US festival and one that we had all wanted to play for a while. The weekend was madness. There where celebrities everywhere which as an Australian is quite a novelty. There was this one scene when Faith No More where playing and apparently Danny De Vito is a huge fan and friend of Mike Patton, so he scampered across the stage like a little rat or a penguin.
We got to see Jay Z, Gorillaz, Thom York and the Atoms for peace, Gill Scott Heron and many other great bands. The Show was really good apart from myself having a few technical difficulties. The crowd was great and there was even a guy in the crowd holding up “Do You Remember Balwyn Maccas?” and directing it a Jonny because he used to work there.
To sum up, the tour was one of the best we have been on, touring America really feels like you are touring and in a Band, and best of all we didn’t kill each other in fact we got on like a house on Fire.
We now have started the UK tour and we look forward to playing for you all over the coming year.
Peace out
L