Carlaatje

new blog already! Roadie #42 - Blog #31 September 24, 2008 6:16 am #42 is your Czech mate One of the nice things about touring Europe is how different things are from day to day. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't like touring the USA - nothing could be further from the truth. What I'm saying is that if touring the States is like an economy sized box of your favourite breakfast cereal, Europe is like filling your cupboard with those variety packs. Every morning is a slightly different flavour. As opposed to spending four to six weeks in one country (albeit one with some pretty huge extremes), here, we are in a different country every day. Each with its own culture, architecture, language, fashion, currency - and so it goes on. We arrive in Prague and the differences are immediately obvious. The architecture is grand, colourful and imposing. There are trams and cobbled streets everywhere and the street signs have apostrophes and accents all over them. They seem to like a lot of consonants here, too. Another difference - which although unsurprising, does the most to make you feel very much "out of familiar waters" - is the almost complete lack of western corporation logos. Indeed, it has to be the first journey from airport to gig without passing a single green logo for a large coffee chain. Given that it's hard to get from one set of traffic lights to the next without passing two or three in some cities, this is a big difference. The gig venue, slightly disappointingly, is sponsored by a huge and familiar corporation and once inside, feels very much like the stock standard arenas found all over the world. Doubtless this makes for a smoother day, but you can't help feeling that a day in something a bit more resonant with history and vibe would have felt more special. Remind me I moaned about this next time we're loading down a stone staircase into an old bull ring somewhere in the Mediterranean... Once in the venue, I realise that I've left my iPhone on the plane. A quick call reveals that it's miraculously safe and sound ready to be collected when we return to the airport tomorrow. I've been quite good at not losing things this tour and I'm really hoping that this isn't a return to form. I'm reminded of my schooldays and mittens on string that went down the arms of my coat. I hope it doesn't come to that again. The amount of stuff I cart around would make for a rather unpleasantly heavy-sleeved duffelcoat these days. There's another run through Glass Of Water in soundcheck. It's really beginning to achieve lift off in the choruses, so it wouldn't surprise me to see that making a flight in a show before too long. Being in a big boomy room, means that things sound instantly "RAWK", which results in a rather comedically overplayed Violet Hill from Mr. Champion. Come showtime, there's still folks trying to get into their seats, so things are delayed slightly. This has the immediate effect of getting the audience more and more excited as with each dip in the music, they cheer in anticipation of the house lights going off. There's an impressive Mexican wave doing laps of the arena and the band's name is being chanted. Once the intro tape does finally run, they're off. The entire floor section has their hands in the air as people whistle and cheer along to the classical intro. As befits a night before a bonkers crowd, the band are lifted into the high gears early on. The cellphone ocean that we first saw in Paris flickers into life before the encore. Pretty soon, it's all over and it's into the vans for the hotel. The ride home brings us back to where we started with this entry, talking of cultural differences. Here's a photo from Franksy which gives truth to the old travelers' adage that it really is the small things that stand out.

new blog already! Roadie #42 - Blog #31 September 24, 2008 6:16 am #42 is your Czech mate One of the nice things about touring Europe is how different things are from day to day. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't like touring the USA - nothing could be further from the truth. What I'm saying is that if touring the States is like an economy sized box of your favourite breakfast cereal, Europe is like filling your cupboard with those variety packs. Every morning is a slightly different flavour. As opposed to spending four to six weeks in one country (albeit one with some pretty huge extremes), here, we are in a different country every day. Each with its own culture, architecture, language, fashion, currency - and so it goes on. We arrive in Prague and the differences are immediately obvious. The architecture is grand, colourful and imposing. There are trams and cobbled streets everywhere and the street signs have apostrophes and accents all over them. They seem to like a lot of consonants here, too. Another difference - which although unsurprising, does the most to make you feel very much "out of familiar waters" - is the almost complete lack of western corporation logos. Indeed, it has to be the first journey from airport to gig without passing a single green logo for a large coffee chain. Given that it's hard to get from one set of traffic lights to the next without passing two or three in some cities, this is a big difference. The gig venue, slightly disappointingly, is sponsored by a huge and familiar corporation and once inside, feels very much like the stock standard arenas found all over the world. Doubtless this makes for a smoother day, but you can't help feeling that a day in something a bit more resonant with history and vibe would have felt more special. Remind me I moaned about this next time we're loading down a stone staircase into an old bull ring somewhere in the Mediterranean... Once in the venue, I realise that I've left my iPhone on the plane. A quick call reveals that it's miraculously safe and sound ready to be collected when we return to the airport tomorrow. I've been quite good at not losing things this tour and I'm really hoping that this isn't a return to form. I'm reminded of my schooldays and mittens on string that went down the arms of my coat. I hope it doesn't come to that again. The amount of stuff I cart around would make for a rather unpleasantly heavy-sleeved duffelcoat these days. There's another run through Glass Of Water in soundcheck. It's really beginning to achieve lift off in the choruses, so it wouldn't surprise me to see that making a flight in a show before too long. Being in a big boomy room, means that things sound instantly "RAWK", which results in a rather comedically overplayed Violet Hill from Mr. Champion. Come showtime, there's still folks trying to get into their seats, so things are delayed slightly. This has the immediate effect of getting the audience more and more excited as with each dip in the music, they cheer in anticipation of the house lights going off. There's an impressive Mexican wave doing laps of the arena and the band's name is being chanted. Once the intro tape does finally run, they're off. The entire floor section has their hands in the air as people whistle and cheer along to the classical intro. As befits a night before a bonkers crowd, the band are lifted into the high gears early on. The cellphone ocean that we first saw in Paris flickers into life before the encore. Pretty soon, it's all over and it's into the vans for the hotel. The ride home brings us back to where we started with this entry, talking of cultural differences. Here's a photo from Franksy which gives truth to the old travelers' adage that it really is the small things that stand out.

she'll be all charged up :lol:

good day :kiss:

*raises hand* :P every monday is fine I guess be prepared debs.. :lol:

so was I! but were were pretty far to the side though.. but I was happy! yeah there hardly any seated concerts in holland iwanna ask how your weekend was but I really should go... I need to sleep I hope you don't mind? so leave me amessage and I'll read it in the morning is taht okay?

he's gone under ever since he's aware that we know he's hot....

so who sent in the tuesday question? i have a feeling too little people did for debs to notice...

you hid it well yummmmm

yeah I know... It started at 8.00 and I got in around 8.15, so that's pretty good! we had to though.. I brought my chinese friends and she's realy short so unless she's front row she can't see fuck all :lol:

here's jason from yesterday! edit sorry i didn't ready your comment.. I'm good, had a crazy day yesterday... I was in Groningen which is a 3 hour drive from rotterdam, then got a call from some one who had those Jason tickets, if I wanted them.. uhm YEAH! but I had to get them from rotterdam and then drive up to amsterdam... which is an hour away... i tell you it was hectic! I left my home at 8:30am and got in around 1am how have you been? had a good weekend?

ahhh Yay I suddenly went to see him yesterday in the heinken music hall amsterdam... will be posting video later on here's some pics: he's just great live! such a charmer! I loved it! and took my friend who hasn't heard of him and coverterd her yay :dance:

awesome!^

I don't know actually.... that would be great!

he as outted by the angie...! and eversince he turned up on so many pics! :lol:

OMG it IS Phil! ROFLMFAO :laugh3::laugh3::laugh3::laugh3::laugh3:

this is the first time this ever happened here.. but the praguepics did it... *THUD*

I know that was a great night! I hope he plans a nother one of those.. we were all so overly excited! and yeah Joe.. Jason mraz was AWESOME! (not as awesome as coldplay I have to add)

ik weet t! word echt heel aantrekkelijk nu!

why do I think this one is extremely pervy?

it should you started it :P (you know I'm kidding right)

yes.. I sin every single day.... :lol:

steve mead? no I didn't what happened what he say some wone summarize!

shame on you people.. I leave for a day and you let this thread sink! :angry: don't worry Phil I'm here now! thank god for Pris! :P

oooh I live that bit where it's really cold and raining out and Guy goes: I'm wearing the blazer, a sweat and a shirt, and that roadie goes: well that makes you a big man doesn't it :lol: