Europe 2006

-by Russ Rankin

In late February of 2006 Good Riddance embarked on a 16 day European tour. Orange County, CA’s Chaser was our support band.

2.24.06 Amsterdam, NL

Yesterday Mario, Luke and I traveled together from San Francisco to London’s Heathrow airport where we caught a British Midlands flight arriving in Amsterdam in the late morning. Sean and Steve (our roadie/stage guy) had arrived together connecting through Washington, D.C. while Chuck and his wife Vanessa had already been here for a few days sightseeing. Chaser arrived today – the day of the show and came directly to the venue.

Just got off stage. We were definitely a lot tighter than I was expecting and there was a really fun vibe from the mostly packed out room at the Melkweg. Just getting readjusted to the late nights and the ever-present haze of cigarette smoke over here. The busy square near the club, while pretty touristy, is always fun to walk around in and there’s a pretty legit coffee shop down the street called “The Coffee Company” where Steve and I, being the only vegans on the trip, got several soy beverages.

2.26.06 Berlin, Germany

Real good show last night in Schweinfurt. There was a group of kids wearing these weird wigs and these outfits with vests and lederhosen and they all had these flutes or recorders or something. I spotted one and brought him up on stage for some comic relief during a tuning break and then they just kept coming; like clowns piling out of a car at the circus. Still not sure what they were all about but it made for some extra silliness.

Playing a different club here in Berlin (The Magnet). Interviews earlier and we were fortunate enough to watch the gold medal hockey game from the Olympics (Sweden beat Finland to win the gold). Steve, Mario and I had an in depth discussion on the merits of the NHL’s involvement in the Olympic games and ended up agreeing that it’s not really a very good idea.

Starting to feel like a European tour today. The dingy, cold rooms, the inescapable cigarette fog and the acrid cheese tray backstage which grows increasingly repellent throughout the day. It’s just brutal. It is true, however, that I am grateful for the opportunity to do this as are the others and, for Chaser, it’s gotta be like Christmas morning.

Steve is really helping out with everything and it’s nice to not be the only vegan on the trip. We also get to talk hockey which, if I go too long without doing, I tend to go a bit crazy. I can always talk hockey with Mario but those discussions seem to always begin and end with him making bold, unfounded statements about the Los Angeles Kings and their chances of winning the Stanley Cup (an event he is certain will happen every year). Discussions have been heating up as the Olympics just ended with both Canada (his home and native land) and the U.S. finishing disappointingly out of the medal round and the trade deadline in the NHL looming so basically there’s plenty to talk about and, perhaps more importantly, to speculate on.

I have been going to sleep around 3:00 or 4:00 am and Chuck has taken to rousing anyone still asleep at load-in time which is generally about 2:00pm.

I am having an especially hard time finding pay phones for some reason.

2.27.06 Bielsko, Poland

Rough drive last night; icy roads, snow as well as a “roll call” at the Polish border where we all had to roll out of our racks for the authorities to check the passport photos against the half-awake faces peering out of the bunks. Jurgen, our driver, is unfamiliar with all the electrical ins and outs of this bus so we had no vents or air conditioning last night in the bunks which kind of sucked but oh well.

Woke up around noon at the hotel where the promoter had arranged a “shower room” but the line for showers was already quite long by the time I got there and the bus had become stuck in the snow and ice in the hotel parking lot. I decided on the “bird bath” (splashing bottled water on my face and hair and then using the water to brush my teeth outside the bus) and was able to wrangle a cup of instant coffee from the lady working at the front desk of the hotel. It was kind of weird; as I was there they seemed to still be very much in the process of building the hotel around us. Guys loading sinks and beds out of vans and lugging them up the stairs while I sat in the lobby with my tepid cup of Folgers or whatever I was drinking.

Show here was fun enough – it was a Monday night in Poland after all. Couple hundred or so and they really seemed to enjoy themselves and I thought we gave them a pretty good set.

Chaser has been getting a great response every night as well which is awesome for them.

3.01.06 Vienna, Austria

Back at The Arena (an old, converted slaughterhouse we’ve played many times before) but, apparently due to a massive grant from the Austrian government, they have upgraded the place in a major way. There are elevators which take you from the backstage to the venue proper and the headliner gets their own separate floor backstage complete with their own showers and bathrooms.

We’re throwing “Think of Me” into the set tonight in place of “All Fall Down” and we hope it pans out.

Even though it’s the last thing I want to hear when I am comfortably ensconced in a deep sleep, I can’t help but smile when I hear Chuck’s daily “wake up” call echoing throughout the bus when it’s time to load in. Any attempt to translate or describe it here wouldn’t do it justice; it’s a thing one has to experience.

I somehow managed to choose the one bunk on the entire bus with the least headspace so I’ve got THAT going for me.

I’m reading four books simultaneously on this one: “Chasin’ the Bird” by Brian Priestley about the life and music of Charlie Parker which is absolutely fascinating. Parker was Darby Crash before there was Darby Crash! Add to that the fact that he was a black man in the 1940’s which makes him way more punk than you or me. Also reading “Our Endangered Values” by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, “Roomanitarian” by Henry Rollins and the newest Stephen King novel called, simply enough, “Cell.”

Tomorrow we’re in Budapest which is significant in that Good Riddance has never been to Hungary before. We’re all pretty excited to see the city and meet some new fans.

3.03.06 Ljublana, Slovenia

Arrived in a freezing rain around 3:00 pm. Snow on the ground and we found the venue once more in a remote industrial area. The club, however, is big and very accommodating (although they had to send out for coffee).

Budapest last night was not overly well attended but the people who were there seemed to be having a blast. Steve and I walked to what passes for a health food store I suppose and then we made it across the street for a post-show falafel.

The tour is halfway over – just like that. It always sneaks up on me. I have worked every night on warming up properly and practicing at subtle improvements to my pitch and delivery, I mean – a grown man ought to be able to render a three chord punk song without it taking an act of congress or anything.

So far the two new songs we’re playing have been going over real well and the set overall is hitting all the right spots with these crowds. Something for everyone which, when you’re 6 albums in, isn’t always an easy thing to accomplish.

Tomorrow we play in Italy and we’re expected to begin our set at midnight.

3.07.06 Munich, Germany

Back to Germany where 4 of our remaining 5 shows will be. Italy was great (especially the food) and Steve and I actually found vegan ice cream drumsticks at the local market in Pinarella! The Italian GR fans never disappoint with their passion and enthusiasm. These venues over here, it’s always funny; I see the name of the club in the tour booklets and on our laminates and they’ll ring familiar but I won’t be able to visualize the place and then, when I eventually roll out of my bunk and wander inside it’s always like “ohhhhh… I remember this club!” For instance, this is the same venue where our last European tour (in 2004 with None More Black) started (of course back then it wasn’t absolutely buried in snow like it is now!) but, before today, all I knew was that it was called ‘Backstage’ and that I could have sworn I’ve played there before.

Prospects are low for tonight’s attendance due to the heavy snowfall and it’s ensuing closure of the trains. I remember it being a pretty good show last time so we’ll see. It’s cool to see posters for upcoming tours of bands I know like Silent Drive and the Dropkick Murphys who are due here in April.

Proofed the lyrics for the album layout today. I still don’t really know what the final artwork is going to look like but I trust that it’s all in the hands of people who know what they’re doing.

Nate from Chaser is celebrating his 23rd birthday today with a backstage tattoo done by a local artist while Steve (our stage/roadie/token Canadian) will turn 30 tomorrow in Cologne where the guys are setting up plans for some serious Go-Karting upon our arrival in the morning.

I’m going to sit this one out – my one experience with European Go-Karting (back in 1997) was a dismal attempt to say the least but it should be fun to watch everyone else; even our driver Jurgen is planning to get in on the action. It’s way different from the States – these things haul ass.

Last night’s show in Zurich, while plagued doubly by the fact that it was a Monday night as well as a heavy snowfall, was actually really fun. The Swiss went crazy and the place was pretty full by the time we got onstage. Definitely a great show and I think they (the Swiss crowd) had the best reaction so far to the two songs from the upcoming release which we’ve been supplementing the set with every night.

3.09.06 Hasselt, Belgium

Just got offstage – crowd was great as they always seem to be here. There was this one really drunk Sid Vicious looking dude staggering around the front and I think that, were it not for the people crowded around him, he would have toppled over. I felt badly for him for I know that place all too well (although it has been a while thank God) but it also struck me funny because I was instantly reminded of the scene in “Suburbia” where the crowd thins out after the punk show until there’s just the one kid laying passed out in his own puke. I was halfway tempted to check the front of the stage after the set to see if I’d find old Sid in that same predicament.

Great show last night in Cologne as well as being Steve’s 30th birthday! We got the crowd to sing to him and then I think the boys took him out on the town since bus call wasn’t until around 6:00 am this morning. I stayed up late since I was able to get wireless internet on the parked bus and it was only evening back home so there was lots of emails and “chatting.” It was also my girlfriend’s birthday so I made sure I made it out to a pay phone. Heather (Chaser’s manager) and I watched “A Few Good Men” (a film which I never seem to get sick of) and I finally rolled into my bunk as the sun was making it’s honest but futile attempt at breaking through the grey German sky.

Two more to go on this one. Oh yeah, and Jurgen (our bus driver) ended up kicking everyone’s ass at the Go-Kart track!! I wonder if it’s such a good thing to have a bus driver who enjoys going that fast? Hmmm… maybe I ought to not think about it!

3.11.06 Munster, Germany

Last show of the tour was tonight and there was pretty big crowd on hand. The only bummer is now we’re stuck here (the club is in a typically otherwise deserted industrial area) until like 4:00 am or something. Nothing to do, nowhere to walk to, nothing to eat etc. I’m sure I’ll end up in the back lounge watching a movie once they’re done taking care of the standard ‘end of tour’ business back there.

We are all looking forward to getting home and seeing our friends & families but we had an awesome time and we couldn’t be more grateful to our loyal European fans for continuing to show up and sing their lungs out with us each and every night – THANK YOU ALL !!!!