The Paradox Of A Good Time
April 12th, 2008 by EricSaturday — 3/29/08
The Paradox Of A Good Time
Brussels, Belgium
Blogged by E. White
Well, we were back where we started and it’s bittersweet to say the least. It feels like we’re just hitting our stride as a band, but now it was the last gig and we had no choice but to leave everything behind. I guess that’s the beauty of it, but I’ll get to that later.
I was particularly excited for this gig because not only were we going to play with the Pepper Pots for the first time but also because we were finally going to meet the rest of the band we hadn’t already met in Girona at the front end of the tour. This was their first show back after just finishing up their first-ever Japan tour. Our tour manager, Chris Storm, warned us to take everything with us into the club because the street we were on was notorious for break-ins and hookers. Nice. If there was a tour story waiting to happen this definitely would be ground zero for just that.
During the last tour I met a guy from Belgium named Colin at our gig in Lille, France. I remember we first talked about beer and how Belgian beer was hands down the best in the world. That was a huge statement and I told him I was of course up for the challenge. Little did I know how right he would turn out to be. The second thing I remember from that conversation was that he owned a little record label and also promoted shows in Belgium. One year later we find ourselves together again testing his theories on suds at his show in his hometown. It just goes to show the interconnectedness of people, places, conversation and the lubrication that makes it all work so great together, alcohol.
Upstairs was where the backstage was and it was like a huge kitchen and living room all rolled in one. The fridge was filled with Belgians and I tried a couple way too early in the evening just because I could. Later on in the night as the backstage filled up with all the performers and others the room would become one loud giant smoke pit. Hey, that’s Europe for ya. It was our last show with Red Soul Community and made sure I went down for to wish our new friends from Granada off.
I had regrets about the show and our performance, but — whatever — that’s life. Basically, the monitors in front of me and ran were feeding back in a way that I’ve never experienced and he eventually had to unplug them to make the situation somewhat o.k. We were about three songs deep, shrugged it off and enjoyed the rest of the set with everyone in the front row and the guys on stage with me. The Pepper Pots were later killed the show with one exciting bang. It’s quite a spectacle. There are like ten people on stage; the guys looking dapper in slick suits and the three girl singers in awesome handmade go-go outfits. The set was a mix of soul and ska and everyone was so lit up by the end they didn’t let them off stage until like two encores later.
Back upstairs after all the madness that is a ska show I told Ryan to check out the big hooker on the corner dancing’, singin’ and trying to pick up dudes as they drove by. She was quite a scene unto herself and Ryan took a picture of her from our third story loft. The hooker starts yelling at Ryan I think to come down there and pay her but he just laughed. She ended up confronting him at load out later on but we distracted her as he made his Bond-like getaway.
And so that was it, our Hawaiian Punch Europe Tour ended with a homerun. The place was packed, we met new friends, hugged and sang with the old ones, drank 9% Chimay Blue for the first time, survived the smoke pit, escaped from hookers, and lived on for another day. Like I said before, that’s the beauty of it — it’s gone but it’s the memories of all the people and places we’ve been that get us through another day back home where we play, but mainly work.
This Is The Final Stop! — GJG, Pepper Pots, Red Soul Community, and Friends
The Pepper Pots Kick Ass!
These Girls Kick Ass! Marina, Mercé, Adrianna
The Mighty Chris Storm Towers Over All, Terrorizes Friends And Patrons Alike
I Guess The Poem Worked
Brussels At Night With The Best Tour Guides Around — Charles, Mara and Colin
It’s Crazy How A Simple Alley Way Can Lead To….
…This!
The Belgian Wall Street
Belgian Waffles Fo’ Real!
This Is The Famous Shi Shi Boy Of Brussels. This Is The Source Of All Those Replicas. He Supposedly Peed And Put Out The Fire That Would’ve Destroyed The City Back In The Day.
See, He’s Everywhere!
The Whole Street Was Like This — Reminded Me Of Paris
Eh, You Guys Da Best! Charles, Mara, Colin
The Beer Cave Had All The Belgians and Some 2,000 Others. What A Great Way To End The Night, Tour!
