Headbangers Balls Tour- Balls to the North

The 2nd half of the tour

As usual,I've left it late to update the blog.When I started blogging again I mentioned it was like doing homework.And I never did my homework.So I'm gunna try and roll the 2nd half of the Headbangers Balls tour into two posts.

Fri 2nd to Monday 5th August.Wakefield-Newcastle

Wakefield

New driver for this leg of the tour in the form of a guy called Jack.He manages a mates band called "The Black Bullets" and has an ex-riot wagon for a van,which was cool.It was a short wheel based van but we managed to cram our gear in and set off to pick up Jon and Bison, then off to the Snooty Fox in Wakefield.It was another sweltering day but the riot wagon had air-con!

New Driver,new van,same fuck wit band members and crew though!Geoff even managed to get his shadow in the pic.Incompetent fool.

We turned up a good 2 hours late thanks to Friday traffic but there was no real issue really.We had "Don't Drink Dave" Cleaver on sound so no need to sound check.We just set up the gear for the first band on,Line of Fire.

Snooty Fox is a great little venue.The owner lives for live music and does what he can for the bands that play there.He streams the gigs live on the net with a multi camera set up,he does the sound for the bands,introduces the band and for a small venue the lights are great.He has clearly put money into this place.He even has an old double decker bus parked out the back for bands to kip in after the gig.Most UK venues have a "thanks for the gig,now fuck off" attitude so this was great.

It was a small turn out but the people that were there really got into it and made us feel welcome.And once again the other bands,"Exit State" and "Line of Fire" played well.

Another stroke of luck (or so we thought) was that there was a kebab/pizza place outside the venue that stays open until 1am so we went for some food.I couldn't decide what I wanted,kebab or pizza,so I had a kebab pizza.Probably not a good idea.Bison had some weird thing that looked like a pasty that seemed to have fuck all in it whilst Cleaver had a pizza with extra processed cheese all over it.Fucking shit place.Definitely nothing like Woody's in Camden.Still,Manchester is the next day and they do awesome kebabs next door to Big Hands pub.

Mmmm,Kebab Pizza!

Extra cheese for Cleaver

Nice pasty,only it's not supposed to be a pasty.

We took our food back to the bus and pissed about for a while.Jon was playing his Simpsons game,Geoff was in bed before anyone,Cleaver passed out on his bed and I went down stairs and did impressions for a while.The others were sorting their beds out.

Geoff gets his head down before anyone.Or is that O.C?

Our hotel for the night

Eventually,after the owner joined us with a bottle of some very alcoholic black liquid we got our heads down.I think I might have been the only person who got a decent nights sleep though.I slept on a top bunk near the windows and there was a cool wind over me all night.

Manchester

We left about 10ish I think with that "we've just slept on a bus" feeling.The kind of feeling you get when you've been on tour for a week.It's a bit like the feeling you get after you've eaten a sausage and egg McMuffin,like you really need a shower.
We got to Manchester with plenty of time to spare so we went to the pub for a bit and took it in turns to destroy the toilets.The bus in Wakefield had the normal rule of no solids and after the crappy food we all really needed to expel the demons!

By now it was lunch time so after a brief visit to the music shop where I get a headphone amp for my in-ear monitors and Earl borrows a Bass,we head off to a Chinese restaurant and had lunch on Sgt Pilko.Greatly appreciated.However,I told everyone to make sure they left room for one of the best kebabs they'll ever have.

Lunch is on Pilko!

Earl loads in the essentials

We loaded in,prepped our gear and watched Xentrix sound check.Pilko is a huge fan of these guys and I had a feeling tonight was gunna be a good one.It was.Once again,every band was on it 100% and it was great to see Solitary play again,but the crowd were insane!The circle pit and stagedive is well and truly alive in Manchester.As the night went on I had a look around at everyone.The passion in peoples faces was really good to see.Whether these guys were there to support the cause or just turning up to see Xentrix play or whatever band they wanted to see didn't matter.This was a great gig,the atmosphere reminded me of the gigs I used to go to back in the day.I looked at Pilko and was very fucking proud of what he had achieved.And judging by his smile he was enjoying himself too.So I went and got some more beer.Great show.Well done Pilko.

Xentrix ripping it up!

We packed up the gear after Xentrix and organised a photo,however while we were waiting Earl tries to take me on.He managed to get me on the floor but wrongly thinks thats the end of it and makes his mistake.It ended with him in the wrong end of a move called the Juji-Gatame (arm-bar) and he tapped out.

The Juji Gatame

R.O.F,Xentrix and Solitary

After the photo it was time for Big Hands pub and a great kebab,but it was not to be!I couldn't believe it.All night I'd been going on about Big Hands and the kebab house and now I was being over ruled because we've got an early start in the morning.Not happy.Fuck it.Late night McDonalds at the travelodge it is then.

Don't Drink Dave shows us why we call him "Don't Drink Dave"

After McD's,we made our way to our rooms.Cleaver was sharing with Geoff and Ed.As he disappeared into their room,I heard Jon whispering "Dude!".He had just stopped Cleavers door from shutting all the way.
"Lets wreck his room" I said,so we stormed his room and trashed it,stripped the beds,threw the mattresses around,threw their bags around beat up Cleaver and left.He came knocking for revenge but we just ignored him.I contemplated climbing out of the window,sneaking across the roof and wrecking their room again but I thought it might turn into one of those moments where R.O.F. will have to explain how their drummer died and it didn't seem like a cool way  to go.Besides,I didn't think Jon and Jack would let me back in and I didn't fancy spending the night on a corrugated iron roof.

Back in the room,me n Jon traded the usual insults of "Wanker", "No you're a wanker", "No,you are" and "Bender","No,you're a bender","No, you are" and "Fuck you,twat" and so on and eventually settled down to sleep.
Glasgow tomorrow.

Glasgow

Long drive up to Glasgow but whatever you do,don't fall asleep!Cuz if you do,you can guarantee someones gunna get a pic.We played the old caravan game where you name yourself after caravan names with Cleaver becoming "Super Sprite Cleaver" and everyone else getting equally shit names except for Bison who became "Senator Bison".It gets fuckin' boring after a while.

We were staying at our friends The Finnie's place tonight so we stopped off there first had something to eat,met the dogs and cat and checked out Val's shotguns.Ed found Vals Jackson Randy Rhoads and persuaded him to let him use it on stage.

The Finnie's Feline Friend

Playing with Guns

We made our way for load in by 3 and found ourselves caught up in the one way system.We could see the venue but couldn't get to it.It reminded me of the days before sat-nav.When you drove to the town/city and spent the same amount of time driving around looking for the venue.The other great thing was the fucking stairs.I love loading gear up stairs,not.
Still,nice venue.Missy was up in Scotland for a Hen do the day after so she came along too.

Gig was good again and each band had a different sound.We were the fastest and heaviest of the night.I'd been looking forward to seeing "States of Panic".They play quite sleazy rock.The drummer managed to break his kick drum pedal so I lent him mine (drum tech kicking in) but apart from that they were spot on.

After I AM I,we loaded out.It was a fucking bitch!Loading down 4 flights of stairs is never fun.We headed straight to Mel and Val's and ate until we couldn't eat anymore,played with the cat and ripped the piss out of each other,as usual!Everyone had claimed their beds for the night but shock horror,that still left me with an air mattress!!!Pilko fit into the kids sized bed perfectly and Earl managed to get the double luxury air mattress.

The next morning,we got up earlyish and ate as much breakfast as we could.Bison and Earl were outside playing with the dogs.Bison witnessed the cat catch a mouse then while the cat was playing with it,one of the bigger dogs stole it and proceeded to tear it apart.Just what a vegan needs to see in the morning.
Val had asked his brother to bring his .22 and .308 bolt action rifles over so we can let of some rounds. .308 calibre is the civilian version of a 7.62 round.That's the same round as an AK47 so me,Bison and Pilko were quite excited.
Val set up balloons and bottles of water to shoot.I did well with the .22 but aimed too low with the .308 whilst the others missed with the .22 (except Earl) and scored with the .308. We were buzzing and leaving slightly late because we were shooting stuff did not bother us in the slightest.Thanks Val.Get the shotguns out next time.

.22 on the left .308 on the right.

Pilko and Bison get all tingly

One Shot,One Kill Bison is what we call him.

Newcastle

After a morning of shooting stuff we made it to Newcastle on time.Today we were supporting Hatebreed.We'd managed to hijack their show.We had booked a Headbangers Balls show in Newcastle on the same day.Realising that no-one would be at our show we asked if we could join our shows together. They said yes.Wicked!They even moved the drum kit with no issues too!

Hatebreed are one of Bison's fave bands so he'd been looking forward to this for a while.It was awesome!It was good to see a couple of friends there too.Rachel and Nick.I met these guys whilst teching for The Alarm and they came along to see us.This was prob the heaviest show they'd been too but it looked like they were enjoying it.

Hijacking the gig

Hatebreed takes control

Afterwards,we packed up quick time,had something to eat and fucked off to the hotel.Another early morning so we could get home at a normal time the next day.
When we got to the hotel,Paranormal Activity was on.I started talking to Jon and Jack about my experience with the paranormal.After about half an hour of watching and talking all things unexplainable,jack then tells us he suffers from night terrors!Great.
Later that night after we'd been asleep for a while,I get woken up by Jack screaming at the top of his voice!He's having a fucking night terror!This happened at least 3 times during the night.Crazy.He slept quietly after that.

We left nice and early but a couple of miles down the road we had to go back cuz I forgot my sleeping bag,but apart from that it was a normal trip home with plenty of piss taking,pre-noon beer drinking, throwing shit at each other and Jon constantly trying to kiss Ed.I love this band.

Next blog: The final part-Liverpool and Brum.

Magic Dave

For Geoffs photos of "Balls to the North",click the link below.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.516425981768425.1073741837.441190955958595&type=3