from the mundane to the mundane and back again

Malmo, Sweden
I just spelled Sweden incorrectly three different times, Sewden, Seeden and Sewdeen, which are all fine countries in their own right (although Sewdeen’s human rights record is troubling) but we’re still in Sweden, today we’re at the KB. We played Stockholm last night at Gota Kallare which loosely translates to “no internet, fuck you”, it shouldn’t have been surprising as the club is located in a sub-sub basement under a Pizza Hut (No free pizza, don’t ask). When I first started doing this, it was a big deal to mail a letter with the intercontinental-underwater pony express (oddly enough no ponies drowned while underwater but the mail was too soggy to read), what I’m trying to say (GET TO THE POINT ASSHOLE!) is that you goddamn kids don’t know what it was like back when touring involved oxcarts, and these generational landmines (interweb? running water? shoes?) are troubling to the more feeble minded among us (ok, me). Don’t forget, if you can’t brush your teeth after every meal at least comb your hair…. Oh yes, Bob wanted me to mention his dimple. Consider it done, now pay me.

Uppsala-Sweden
First show went off without too many hitches. Bus ride from Gothenburg to Uppsala not too long but getting acclimated back to sleeping on the bus was rough. Like a prison ship, ten minute intervals of hot humid pass out sleep. Need to balance air flow through the bunks. It’ll take a few days to get it right. Nine out of twelve people chain smoke as well (I’m one of the three who don’t). boo fucking hoo. Nice and sunny here today, I’m gonna savor it because if the past is any indicator this might be the only sunny day we get over here. Good coffee at the club and great homemade bread. Went to the Goteborg Konstmuseum yesterday and saw a good Diego Rivera/Frida Kahlo exhibit but the thing I liked best about the museum was a bunch of great Swedish/Scandinavian artists I never heard of: Marcus Larson, Nils Forsberg, Anders Zorn, Jakob Jordaens, and Pehr Hellestrom. I was hoping to see some work from the great Swedish Dadist, Ake Schhnooofenstrombergstrom but when I asked at the museum, they accused me of making the name up. I need sleep or coffee, probably both.

Gothenburg Sweden
Five week tour begins today, we flew out Monday. Really shitty internet at the hotel, so I’ll be lucky to get this done. Keep it short, don’t tempt the fickle internet gods of Sweden. First show is usually a clusterfuck of nerves, anticipation and worry. yeeash

Photos from Zwarte Cross Festival (Lichtenvoorde, Holland). As I said yesterday this was a motorcross/odd vehicle with music festival. I went around the vehicle section and took some pictures. I then went back at night and took some more. I couldn’t really get much info on the vehicles, anyone who was willing to talk was pretty wasted and what they said consisted mostly of hacking coughs and guttural noises which could have been Dutch.