This time last year – what have we learned?

Actually, this was an awesome day, February in Poland. We were driving between shows and Pawel, tour organiser, pulled over by an ancient medieval castle. We hung out there til we got too cold. I think we were there for a couple of hours, walking around inside the buildings. Amazing.

Things are thawing here in Boston. Above freezing temp for most of the day, today.

Checkya tomorrow,
Fires out.

Our third week here. It’s become a regular day & night out of the apartment – we’re at Gulu Gulu Cafe for another Wednesday Open Mic. Capacity crowd tonight, a hundred people in here. This part of Salem feels to me like a cross between Brunswick & Smith Streets (Melbourne, Australia). It feels good (beer helping). Home constantly on our minds at the moment. Max and I are developing an unspoken pact. No talking about home right now (when we start, it ends in teary eyes). In two weeks, we’ll be out on the road for a huge tour (need to focus).

American accent. Are we getting one? Sometimes I hear Max talking and it’s happening. Rolling of the R”s. Other times, everything sounds ‘normal’, whatever that is. Well… it is what it is (that’s what they say in the South). I love that saying, ‘It is what it is’.

Mojo, our dog, has a particularly ugly head (we call it a ‘regal ugliness’). He’s a Staffy (Staffordshire Bull Terrier). Someone once said (I think it was Clive), Mojo has the head of a bullfrog and the body of a wombat. True. But all the same, I really wanna kiss that head right now. We both do.

Checkya tomorrow.
Fires out.

Just uploaded a bunch of pics from the road (this year and last year).

Check em out on the Photos page.

Checkya tomorrow.
Fires out.

Last week we announced tour dates for North America, with more to come shortly. Check the Shows page for details – and check out the first dates announced for China in April/May.

Our first tour show is two weeks from this Friday in Toronto, Canada as part of Canadian Music Week 2011. We’re here in Boston, preparing for the coming months on tour. Last week the weather felt like it was moving toward Spring. But the last 2 days have turned arctic, and the snow’s falling again out there.

At least we’ve got some practice walking on it now. Heart is always in my mouth (ready to fall on my arse) every time I’ve gotta negotiate walking across the ice to get out of the apartment.

Checkya tomorrow.
Fires out.
PS: Going nuts with cabin fever.

Mat Ward is our Pledger Of The Week.
What a guy! Here’s a little about Mat:

“I pledged because Max and Marty have been present during the best and the worst times of my life and they’ll never have anything other than my complete support. They are great friends who make great music and deserve to be very successful so that when they’re rich and famous I can sponge off them.”

Much love and thanks to Mat (and that really is him in the pic).

Become a Pledger to The On Fires ‘Chook Raffle Tour USA’, just like Mat, by Clicking on this pic (or the pic to the right of this page).

You’ll visit our official Pledge page. Once there, you can sign up & download a free MP3 – and view our Pledge tour campaign.

And that’s where things really get interesting…

For as little as $10 you can join us on this US tour, with exclusive updates, pics and tales from the road & goings-on inside the tour bus. We’ve also got an exclusive MP3 ready for you to download when you sign up. And we’ll be giving all our Pledgers an exclusive EP download, recorded live across America, on this tour.

Pledging to our upcoming US tour will give you a more intimate experience, inside the touring world of The On Fires.

But wait, there’s more:

You can also Pledge for some amazing tour stuff. Fancy a pair of drum sticks, signed by our drummer (that’s Kent Aberle, folks)? Or how about a personal bed-time story from the road? A personal tour of the tour-bus just for you? Signed tour posters? Our tour t-shirts (straight off our backs)? Wanna introduce the band on stage in New York City?

There’s a bunch of fantastic stuff you can Pledge for. Join us on the road this US tour, starting next month – Pledge to The On Fires.

Checkya tomorrow.
Fires out.

We’re proud & very pleased to announce American live music website URockHard.com® as the major sponsor for our forthcoming US tour.

The North American ‘Chook Raffle Tour’ starts March 11th at Canadian Music Week before we fly to Atlanta, Georgia to meet the URockHard® film crew. We kick off the US stint of the tour in Tennessee aboard URockHard’s tour bus, heading south through Alabama, Georgia and Florida before longhauling to the north eastern states (New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania). The final leg of the tour will take us through Maryland and the Carolinas back to Atlanta.

URockHard.com® founder, Kevin Belanger, heard of us after a rave review from a show in Athens, Georgia last year. Inspired to catch our live show, Kevin asked to film us in Boston during last year’s tour.

We formed a bond (Kevin’s a great guy!) and now in 2011 URockHard.com® will create a ‘rockumentary’ featuring our March/April tour on the UrockHard® tour bus. They’ll also record live performances of bands we meet along the way. URockHard’s mission is to show the world real people and raw music with The On Fires as their centrepiece. We’re pretty happy about that!

Checkya tomorrow.
Fires out.

Want to save the world and keep live music alive? You can by pledging in support of The Chook Raffle Tour, kicking off in Canada in a few weeks.

Pledge to be receive an exclusive 5-track Live EP recorded on the tour, get private updates and video footage we’ll only be sharing with you, and you can even pledge for my sweaty autographed t-shirt! You’ll help pay for some of our tour flights and part of your well-spent dollars will even go to one of our favourite charities.

To find out what the hell I’m talkin’ about, we’ve got a big explanation on our PledgeMusic website – just click the image above to get there. Download the free track, then click on the band name for all the details about your amazing opportunity to ‘Join the Chook Raffle Tour’!

Checkya tomorrow.
Fires out.

Big day running around Peabody (Boston), looking for bits of equipment for the tour. A little frustrating, but I think we’re nearly there. As mentioned yesterday, I’m messing with a bunch of new pedals, trying to get power supplies that work for all of them in the US, Europe, China and Australia. The US is different to everywhere else, with the 110 volt thing (for most of their power supplies). Anyway, there will be some importing from Hong Kong & some local shipping. Everything should be here soon (fingers crossed).

Back to work,

Checkya tomorrow.
Fires out.

After yesterday’s post, I packed up & made my way back to the apartment from Front Sreet Cafe in Salem. On the way, I stopped in at John’s place, around the corner.

John at Santora’s Cafe

He lives above, & works in, our local diner, Santora Cafe. The food there is fantastic. Anyway, one thing lead to another. There was some jamming, Jager shots & too many beers. It was late when I left. Back at the apartment, Derek was working on a hip-hop song with a mate of his, microphone and stand, wires & notebooks spread about the lounge. He was into it, working with beats all night. I think they finished around 6am.

For some strange reason, we’re both pretty tired today. Been down to Guitar Center again (not a good idea on the weekend – really crowded), and Radioshack, trying to get my guitar rig together. Nearly there, but it’s kinda frustrating. I’d expected to have everything together by today (I’m messing with a bunch of new pedals). We were cabbing between stores, not quite able to get everything we needed. In the end, we gave up, retreating to the apartment.

I’m a bit homesick at the moment. Last year, the first month was the hardest. I’ve got this feeling it might take a little longer to get over this time.

Checkya tomorrow,
Fires out.

Called Mum from Boston late last night, at the peak of the evening. Hi Mum, I’m OK today (a little tired & slight headache – but OK).

The shot below from last weekend in Australia: My Dad and Ronda, at their local football club, with Aussie Rules Football stars, Daniel Hanneberry and Mike Pyke.

Dad and Ronda, champions of the Football cause, frequently organise clinics at local schools and clubs for aspiring youngsters. Dad’s also the coach of a local team & Ronda’s the club secretary. They live in a small country town on the east coast between Sydney and Brisbane, spreading the AFL gospel in Australia’s rugby heartland. The AFL (Australian Football League – based in Melbourne) regularly send star players up to visit Dad & Ronda to help recruit young players to our great game. And a great game it is, indeed – one of the things we miss most when we’re away from home.

And, by way of demonstration for our friends around the world, check the video below. Aussie Rules highlights – Big Marks (catches)…

Sitting in a cafe in Salem, Massachusetts right now. Getting dark out there. Might be time to make my way back to the apartment…

Checkya tomorrow.
Fires out.