We just crossed the “water border” of Buda and Pest. The capital of Hungary
used to be two separated cities in the past separated by the river Danube, but
now it’s Budapest, one of the old continent’s prettiest cities. I’d been to the
Budapest airport at least ten times waiting for our connecting flight to Greece
or somewhere, but now we finally got into the city. Our driver Sebastien told us
that Budapest, Bratislava and Prague are definitely worth checking out and he
wasn’t wrong about the first city at all. I have been to Bratislava but to
Prague never. I think I will need to do a little trip to both city centers.
Before the tour I felt really unsure if we’d get any audience in the “new”
countries such as France, Holland or Hungary, but now all the doubt is gone. I
can’t describe how great the night was again tonight. The club was very rock ‘n’
roll tonight. It was a bit cold when we arrived in the morning and the locals
said they usually have metal and heavy metal bands only. Looked like that. Don’t
get me wrong, it was cool.
(As I am writing this blog, I am sitting next to Sami. We are listening to
American country music LOUD and we’re dreaming of the road trip through North
America, the one we’re gonna make later this year. NY, Miami, Nashville,
Oklahoma, Las Vegas, LA and San Francisco. At least. Sami is the sweetest guy on
the planet. He is one of the very few guys who can really start crying when he
hears a beautiful country song. Dixie Chick’s Traveling Soldier always gets us
both…)
Anyway… I had a few interviews today with local media. It’s so amazing that
even here in Hungary they have played Fairytale Gone Bad already years ago and
everyone knew how to sing Hollywood Hills from start to end. Why the hell
haven’t we been here before? Well, good that we’re here now. Thank you all for a
great great evening and from the bottom of my heart I hope we’re back in our
“language cousin” country soon. Thank you Hungary!
Austria has always been one the countries where we have felt like home. We
have played tens of shows and many great festivals from Klagenfurt to Vienna and
from Graz and Linz to Innsbruck during the last years. The Austrians have two
very cool summer festivals we have attended, twice at both of them. The famous
Nova Rock and the ever-great Donau Insel Fest where we are going again this
summer.
We had two shows in Austria on this tour. In November we played in Vienna and
now it was Linz’s turn in Upper Austria. We have very good memories from the
city. We have spent even a few off days there. As we got into the venue in the
morning, I felt a bit tired in a funny way. Every time there is even a tiny
signal from the throat that something could be wrong, it hits me and I start to
worry. Luckily this time I had just slept bad and after the great show and a
good night sleep after Linz, I felt like a new man again today. When we entered
the stage in the morning in Linz, there was a HUGE flag in the opposite side of
the room from the stage. The flag said: “Austrian audience never fails.” Who
ever said those words must have been smart.
The strangest thing happened during the show in Linz. It was super hot during
the show, but suddenly I felt this freezing wind breeze on stage. They had
opened the door somewhere probably because we were running out of air in the
room. I had been sweating very much until that and it felt like a million knives
on my skin. I ran down from the stage during the keyboard solo in “I Don’t
dance” to Karri (My dear guitar tech) and told him to do anything to shut all
the doors in Linz… Was spooky.
It’s a shame this was the only club show in Austria this spring, but it’s
good to know that we’ll be back in a few months in Vienna in the middle on the
river Danube again.
Tomorrow is a day off in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. I have some
interviews in the afternoon and a few meetings, but the rest of the day is free.
And the boys have the full day off, so you can just imagine the noise in the bus
right now. Well-deserved party. There might be a bowling session in the evening,
let’s see. I almost even skipped the Go-Cart race too few days ago. I’m happy I
didn’t ;)
We have four shows left before we go back home. First two great ice hockey
countries Slovakia and Check Republic and then two shows in Germany. I heard
Frankfurt is sold out but there are still some tickets left for Munster, the
last gig. It’s a kind of a tradition that you make some tricks to the other guys
on the last show. I have told our crew to do anything stupid at “the risk of
their lives only” but now I have a really cool idea what I could do on stage on
the last show. Let’s see if it works out. It’s sad anyway that we are this far
already. I know I have said this so many times, but it has been, once again,
the best tour ever. No question!
One thing that is really strange on the road is the session every night when
we cross the border from a country to another. Even between the Schengen
countries in the European Union, the custom guys and police take “gifts” from
the driver in the middle of the night. If you don’t give the border control or
other officers some free band t-shirts and CD’s, you might have to wait for
hours for the entrance to the country or city. So every evening before we start
the bus we sign a few posters and CD’s and prepare this “corruption set” for the
local authorities. Then the driver has fewer problems on the road. It’s a mad
world…
Anyway… Thank you all so much again and good night to everyone where ever you
are,
Samu
PS: I think I will win the photo contest with my on-stage pictures. It’s such
a hassle every time Tuomas (monitor guy) gives me the camera and I start
adjusting the setting for the light on stage that moment. I didn’t know
photography could be THIS much fun :;)
used to be two separated cities in the past separated by the river Danube, but
now it’s Budapest, one of the old continent’s prettiest cities. I’d been to the
Budapest airport at least ten times waiting for our connecting flight to Greece
or somewhere, but now we finally got into the city. Our driver Sebastien told us
that Budapest, Bratislava and Prague are definitely worth checking out and he
wasn’t wrong about the first city at all. I have been to Bratislava but to
Prague never. I think I will need to do a little trip to both city centers.
Before the tour I felt really unsure if we’d get any audience in the “new”
countries such as France, Holland or Hungary, but now all the doubt is gone. I
can’t describe how great the night was again tonight. The club was very rock ‘n’
roll tonight. It was a bit cold when we arrived in the morning and the locals
said they usually have metal and heavy metal bands only. Looked like that. Don’t
get me wrong, it was cool.
(As I am writing this blog, I am sitting next to Sami. We are listening to
American country music LOUD and we’re dreaming of the road trip through North
America, the one we’re gonna make later this year. NY, Miami, Nashville,
Oklahoma, Las Vegas, LA and San Francisco. At least. Sami is the sweetest guy on
the planet. He is one of the very few guys who can really start crying when he
hears a beautiful country song. Dixie Chick’s Traveling Soldier always gets us
both…)
Anyway… I had a few interviews today with local media. It’s so amazing that
even here in Hungary they have played Fairytale Gone Bad already years ago and
everyone knew how to sing Hollywood Hills from start to end. Why the hell
haven’t we been here before? Well, good that we’re here now. Thank you all for a
great great evening and from the bottom of my heart I hope we’re back in our
“language cousin” country soon. Thank you Hungary!
Austria has always been one the countries where we have felt like home. We
have played tens of shows and many great festivals from Klagenfurt to Vienna and
from Graz and Linz to Innsbruck during the last years. The Austrians have two
very cool summer festivals we have attended, twice at both of them. The famous
Nova Rock and the ever-great Donau Insel Fest where we are going again this
summer.
We had two shows in Austria on this tour. In November we played in Vienna and
now it was Linz’s turn in Upper Austria. We have very good memories from the
city. We have spent even a few off days there. As we got into the venue in the
morning, I felt a bit tired in a funny way. Every time there is even a tiny
signal from the throat that something could be wrong, it hits me and I start to
worry. Luckily this time I had just slept bad and after the great show and a
good night sleep after Linz, I felt like a new man again today. When we entered
the stage in the morning in Linz, there was a HUGE flag in the opposite side of
the room from the stage. The flag said: “Austrian audience never fails.” Who
ever said those words must have been smart.
The strangest thing happened during the show in Linz. It was super hot during
the show, but suddenly I felt this freezing wind breeze on stage. They had
opened the door somewhere probably because we were running out of air in the
room. I had been sweating very much until that and it felt like a million knives
on my skin. I ran down from the stage during the keyboard solo in “I Don’t
dance” to Karri (My dear guitar tech) and told him to do anything to shut all
the doors in Linz… Was spooky.
It’s a shame this was the only club show in Austria this spring, but it’s
good to know that we’ll be back in a few months in Vienna in the middle on the
river Danube again.
Tomorrow is a day off in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. I have some
interviews in the afternoon and a few meetings, but the rest of the day is free.
And the boys have the full day off, so you can just imagine the noise in the bus
right now. Well-deserved party. There might be a bowling session in the evening,
let’s see. I almost even skipped the Go-Cart race too few days ago. I’m happy I
didn’t ;)
We have four shows left before we go back home. First two great ice hockey
countries Slovakia and Check Republic and then two shows in Germany. I heard
Frankfurt is sold out but there are still some tickets left for Munster, the
last gig. It’s a kind of a tradition that you make some tricks to the other guys
on the last show. I have told our crew to do anything stupid at “the risk of
their lives only” but now I have a really cool idea what I could do on stage on
the last show. Let’s see if it works out. It’s sad anyway that we are this far
already. I know I have said this so many times, but it has been, once again,
the best tour ever. No question!
One thing that is really strange on the road is the session every night when
we cross the border from a country to another. Even between the Schengen
countries in the European Union, the custom guys and police take “gifts” from
the driver in the middle of the night. If you don’t give the border control or
other officers some free band t-shirts and CD’s, you might have to wait for
hours for the entrance to the country or city. So every evening before we start
the bus we sign a few posters and CD’s and prepare this “corruption set” for the
local authorities. Then the driver has fewer problems on the road. It’s a mad
world…
Anyway… Thank you all so much again and good night to everyone where ever you
are,
Samu
PS: I think I will win the photo contest with my on-stage pictures. It’s such
a hassle every time Tuomas (monitor guy) gives me the camera and I start
adjusting the setting for the light on stage that moment. I didn’t know
photography could be THIS much fun :;)