Being back in my hometown again is exciting, but it hasn’t completely dawned on me that the tour is really ending tonight. In the past three weeks I have learned more about tourmanagement than I have in the past two years in school, and I have made better friends in The Shocker than I MORE »
Cologne is hardly half an hour away, so we stop by a nearby medieval castle and walk around its premises. There I buy some overpriced souvenirs for my family, and ask to try some of the local honey wine. My German is better than I thought (something that Olli has been trying to convince MORE »
It’s the second day of the Stoned From The Underground Fest and although I would like to have stayed to hang out and see Disengage again, it’s been democratically decided that it’s a better idea to go to the next town. Tonight’s show in Kassel has been cancelled, so The Shocker’s agent Frank invites MORE »
We spend most of the day in Erfurt sleeping at the hotel, arguing over when (or rather when not) to go to the internet café, and eating cheap Turkish food (The Shocker are obsessed with döner) at a restaurant that is literally around the corner, but I of course get lost trying to find MORE »
Tonight’s crowd is too cool to dance, too broke to buy anything (so much for my amazing merchandising skills), too drunk to fuck, and definitely too pushy for our liking. The girls get harrassed on stage and a near fight ensues when Quist flings a drumstick at the perpertraitor. Aggravated after the show, we MORE »
We arrive in town quite early, which gives us a couple of hours to check our e-mail (i.e. MySpace) and take a break from each other (yes, even The Shocker need some time alone). Back at the club (ironically called Shocken), we are accompanied by local garage punks Licksticks, who look cute but are MORE »
At Munich’s Orangehouse (as a part of Feierwerk) we are treated like the hostess’s own children, which is part of the reason why The Shocker love playing here. Unfortunately the support band fails to show up, and this too seems to be a running joke on tour. During the set, one bold Turbojugendliche takes MORE »
On our way to Jena’s Rosenkeller, we get stuck in traffic next to a wheat field. Ronnie James jumps out of the van in just his Scooby-Doo underwear to pick a chamomile flower for Precious, but ends up getting stung by nettle, which feels like he “stepped in goddamn fucking lava!” When arrive at MORE »
As during the show in France last week, soccer is casting its evil shadow over rock’n’roll again tonight. After Italy’s victory of the world cup, Berlin’s Wild At Heart club slowly fills with local Turbojugend and punk rockers. Supported by Pristine, The Shocker perform their 50-minute set which is well received by the German MORE »
I completely forgot about this place although I had been there with The Nitwitz a year earlier, but tonight we are in what must be the smallest venue in all of Germany. Hauptquartier is about as big as a shoebox, and while the band takes up half the space somehow fifty people manage to MORE »
When we wake up groggy from sleeping in the van all night (the things we do for rockânâroll) we find ourselves in the medieval town of Wetzlar. After a nap in a cute 17th century house near the venue, The Shocker is ready for action again. Tonight thereâs also a change in the Shocker MORE »
On our last day in France we get lost on our way to “The Secret Place” in Montpellier (which wouldnÃ�t be at all funny if it wasn’t called that) but find the venue after driving around in circles in an industrial area. Surprisingly many metal heads and street punks show up in the crowd MORE »
Note to every band touring Europe: do not play a show on the night of the world’s most important soccer match! While the venue was completely packed during the showing of France vs. Portugal, Angouleme (and the rest of France, I’m sure) obviously value sports more than rock’n’roll. The show must go on, and MORE »
After some cross-cultural communication difficulties (translating who wants what for dinner through three people, Atimes seven can be much more confusing than you think), we find ourselves in the Fairfield caf.. for which was without a doubt the hottest night in Shocker history. Im surprised no one in the band actually passed out (they MORE »
While half of us search town for internet and a laundry service, Lisa, Ashley, and I visit Gaudis Segrada Familia; one of Europes most impressive and unique works of architecture. The bizarre cathedral remained unfinished by its master, but is still being continued after his death. We accidently lock ourselves out of the apartment MORE »
Thankfully we have a day off to recover from last nights party (surprisingly Im not suffering from a hangover), so we stay with Jamie and his lovely girlfriend Ines who makes us all an amazing breakfast, and hang out at their place (with pool!) until in the evening. At this point we all just MORE »
No thanks to the three-day gay pride festival (male strippers with fake tans dressed up as the Village People and rainbow flags all over the place; its just like Amsterdam), it takes us eight hours to get to the club with the longest name in Spain: El Perro de La Parte de Atras del MORE »
What do The Shocker do on a day off in San Sebastian? They check their e-mail (all of them are MySpace addicts, admittedly or not) and try to find a place to do laundry (an ongoing dilemma on tour when youre out of clean underwear). While one half disappears into town, Ashley, Quist, and MORE »
In the late afternoon we find ourselves in the beautiful city of Bordeaux. After a continuous van parking dilemma, we a arrive at the venue, LHeretic. Because Im situated upstairs (next to the bar, conveniently), I have to miss out on all the fun (i.e. the rock) but have plenty of people to observe: MORE »
Before leaving Paris to go to Rennes, Ashley and I spend our morning at the Louvre inspecting Mona Lisas smile, Italian Renaissance paintings and Greek sculptures. We both agree that we wouldnt mind living in the museum. (In case you wonder, hell take the East wing, and Ill take the West). Of course we MORE »
When I first met Los Angeles punk rockers The Shocker on my birthday in Amsterdam recently (by coincidence), none of us knew I would be spending the following three weeks on the road through Europe with them as their road babysitter / T-shirt seller / personal stylist / life manager / love therapist / MORE »
I hate writing! Just typing the words I hate writing sends shivers down to my ankles. I think the whole thing is rooted in my poor spelling. Always a sore spot at school and beyond. Writing a blog just seems like an endless source of pain. So when our tour manager and merch gal, MORE »
I wasn’t at this show, but since it was one of the best of the tour I feel obligated to post some pictures of this night.
