ALBA VARDEN TOUR DIARY - WEEK 1

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:58:44 -0700

SO WE BEGIN THE ADVENTURE THIS WEEKEND IN SYDNEY TOWN. DJ SET AT SYDNEY'S FAVOURITE INDIE CLUB 'PURPLE SNEAKERS' AND OUR FIRST SHOW OF THE TOUR AT 'THE GAELIC CLUB' WITH OUR NEW FRIENDS 'DRAWN FROM BEES'. BEFORE WE CAN KICK BACK AND ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES OF BEING ON TOUR, WE SORTA HAVE TO GET THERE. WE PICK UP OUR 2 PEOPLE MOVERS AND WITH 8 OF OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS IN TOW, WE SET OFF...

AFTER 5 HOURS ON THE ROAD AND WITH CAZ BEHIND THE WHEEL FOR THE FIRST LEG, ONE THING NOW STRIKES ME, "MAN SYDNEY IS FAAAARRRR!"

NUMEROUS STOPS LATER, SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS TO FIND SOME FOOD FOR A HUNGRY LITTLE VEGAN AND WITH THE SMELL INSIDE THE VAN GETTING RATHER UNGODLY, THANKS TO 'SKINNY' AND THE 'FISH' WE FINALLY REACH SYDNEY...

NOW OUR MAIN CONCERN WASN'T HOW FAR SYDNEY WAS, AS WE WERE IN THE GENERAL AREA. OUR MAIN CONCERN NOW WAS HOW THE FUCK DO WE GET THERE? WITH STREETS THAT SEEM TO GO AROUND IN CIRCLES AND ONLY ONE WAY MOST OF THE TIME, IT IS QUITE HARD TO NAVIGATE AROUND USING A PORTABLE GPS AND WITH JULES NOW AT THE WHEEL. AFTER CROSSING THE WRONG BRIDGE...TWICE AND ALMOST MISSING OUR EXIT, JULES DECIDES TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF A MOTORWAY TO MAKE SAID EXIT. WE MAKE OUR EXIT BUT MAY OR MAY NOT OF CAUSED A SEVERAL VEHICLE PILE UP. RECOLLECTIONS ARE HAZY AT BEST BUT WE ADMIT NOTHING!

AT LAST WE ARRIVE AT OUR HOUSE. SUCH AN AWESOME PLACE TO CALL HOME FOR THE NEXT TWO NIGHTS. CITY VIEWS, KILLER MAKE-SHIFT DANCE FLOOR AND A HOUSE RULES BOOK AS LONG AS A BIBLE. IT SEEMS WE CANT EVEN TAKE A SHIT WITHOUT COPPING A $200 FINE, PLUS $50 ADMINISTRATION FEE! WILL OUR TRIP NOW HAVE TO BE ANY MORE LOW KEY? FUCK THAT, WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW WONT HURT THEM!

OUR ATTENTION NOW TURNS TO GETTING TO 'PURPLE SNEAKERS' ON TIME. ONE FALSE START LATER, DUE TO A FORGOTTEN LEAD, WE ARRIVE AT 'PURPLE SNEAKERS' WITHOUT A MINUTE TO SPARE AND GET TO PLAYING SOME TUNES THAT WE WANT TO HEAR AND HOPEFULLY WHAT THE CROWD WILL DIG AS WELL. SOME DARK ELECTRO, SLEAZY ROCK TUNES AND AN ABUNDANCE OF DUB-STEP MIXES ROUND OUT THE SET WITH THE ROOM FILLING FAST AND GETTING MESSIER BY THE MINUTE. WE THEN PROCEED TO JOIN IN.

AS THE CLUB DIES DOWN WE ALL DECIDE TO STUMBLE HOME. TO OUR AMAZING SURPRISE, WE THEN FIND THE PREMIERE OF OUR DEBUT VIDEO FOR OUR DEBUT SINGLE 'SOUL DIGGER' ON NATIONAL TV. GREAT WAY TO TOP OFF A KILLER NIGHT, IT NOW MADE GOING TO SLEEP, QUITE AN ISSUE! WE EVENTUALLY WAKE UP TO HEAR STORIES OF 'SUM' SLEEP WALKING IN A DRUNKEN HAZE, SUPPOSEDLY TRYING TO FIND A TOILET. QUICK THINKING FROM HIS ROOMIE FOILS ANY ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE HIMSELF ALL OVER HIS BUNK BUDDY AND THE BOTTOM BUNK...CLASSIC 'FISH'.

TODAY ALL OUR ATTENTION IS NOW FOCUSED ON THE FIRST SHOW OF TOUR. WE LOAD IN GEAR, CHECK OUT THE VENUE AND FIND OUR TOURING PARTNERS, 'DRAWN FROM BEES' AND THEN INTRODUCE OURSELVES.

"HEY IM DANIEL, GOOD TO MEET YOU"

"HEY MAN IM RAVEN"

"RAVEN?"

"YEAH RAVEN, LIKE THE BIRD..." RAD DUDES!

WE SET UP OUR GEAR, WARM UP AND PLAY OUR SET. WE COME OUT PRETTY HYPED UP AND REALLY TRY TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION NOT A BAD FIRST SHOW AND EXCEPT FOR A FEW TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, WE GET OUR TOUR OFF TO A PRETTY GOOD START. 'DRAWN FROM BEES' THEN SET UP, WARM UP AND ABSOLUTELY BLOW US AWAY WITH AN AMAZING SET. GOOD CROWD, SWEET VENUE AND A KILLER AFTER PARTY ROUND OUT A SUPER SUCCESSFUL SYDNEY TRIP.

BRING ON OUR SECOND STOP. NEXT FRIDAY AT THE TROUBADOUR IN BRISBANE!

PEACE!

DANIEL

ROAD TRIP WITH CHIPPA WILSON, THOM PRINGLE AND RILEY BLAKEAWAY

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PHOTOS BY RYAN NIX

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