Video from Zebra Fest, Chengdu, China earlier this month. Sky Caves In…

Landed at Sydney airport last Wednesday arvo. The past 5 days have been a blur of sleep & slotting back into Aussie life. I’m based in a very small country town in the north of New South Wales – the trees, birds and croaking frogs a universe away from the seething populous mass that is life in China.

It always feels really weird coming off tour and landing back in the relative calm of Australia. Like beaming to another planet. I don’t know whether I’m going through some kind of depression, disorientation, recovering from sleep deprivation – or whether it’s a mix of everything. Either way, I’m starting to come good today.

By all reports (Facebook), Max is having a good wind-down in northern California and Kent’s loving being back in Atlanta, Georgia.

Checkya tomorrow.
Fires out.

sleep now. still alive. later…

Live video from China’s Zebra Festival earlier this month:

Feeling a little better today than I did yesterday – got some sleep last night. Stomach and below hasn’t really settled yet. There’s something weird goin’ on down there. Apparently, this is not unusual for foreigners spending a month here.

Just saw Kent off, into a cab, out front of the hotel. In a few hours he’ll be in the air on his way back to Atlanta, Georgia. (we fly out tomorrow)

Checkya then.
Fires out.

PS: Mum just called & instructed me to swallow a ‘bucket of yoghurt’. I’ll keep that in mind…

Belated post.

It’s Sunday here in Beijing. Last night was the final show of the China tour, at Moa Live Bar. It was a big room with a big stage and a huge crowd. A great way to finish off – even if random ‘technical difficulties’ cut my guitar out during the last song (dammit). But we had fun.

It feels like our body clocks are completely smashed – the past 4 days with a show each day in a different city, with long traveling between – and hardly any sleep. Zombie people, we are.

Went down to see the forbidden temple in Beijing a few hours ago (thought we’d better sight-see something while we’re here). Just got back to the hotel, rushing because something here has attacked my elementary canal. Everything’s making it’s way through at light speed. No more spicy food…

(Kent inside Forbidden City, Beijing.)

Checkya tomorrow,
Fires out.

We’ve underway in the final leg of the China tour.

Last night we had a great show in Xin Xiang at the Ark club – crowd surfing, stage diving etc. Back at the hotel it was damned hard to wind down & sleep.

Woke up tired this morning, dragged our gear to the station & caught a train to Zengzhou. Right now – we just got back to the hotel from sound-check at Live 7. We’re on stage in two hours for an hour-long set. The drummer in the support band broke his leg today (poor guy) so, suffice to say, they won’t be opening for us.

Tonight is our third last show & the 2nd of four in a row to round out what has been an amazing tour. We finish on Saturday night in Beijing. We’re all pretty tired & running on adrenaline.

Checkya tomorrow.
Fires out.

We played Zebra Festival a couple of weeks ago in Chengdu, China. Here’s video of the last song in the set – ‘Without’.

The day before, we’d played Midi Festival in Beijing. We jumped off stage, took a bunch of photos, signed CDs, books, programs, skin, herded into waiting cabs & bolted for the air-port, via a quick stop at the hotel to pick up luggage. At the air-port the plane was delayed. We eventually got to the hotel at Chengdu in the early hours of the morning & couldn’t sleep (still hyped from the Midi show). I remember forcing myself to hit the hay when daylight started happening.

At about 9am we were up & out the door to sound-check at Zebra Festival. After that, we crashed on the floor in one of the backstage artist’s tents to the rumble of more bands sound-checking. I don’t think any of us slept, adrenaline pulsing like crazy. Then, in a blur, we were on stage & rolling.

I love this footage – we’re raw & strung out,  and playing one of our favourite songs to end the set.

Next show, tomorrow night. 4 shows to go on this tour of China.

Checkya tomorrow,
Fires out

We started today in a cab at 6am & spent the rest of it on a series of connecting trains to get from last night’s show in Hefei to where we are now in Zhengzhou. To be honest, I don’t know where we are any more – muddling the names of hard-to-pronounce-and-remember cities and towns – and losing complete sense of direction. I asked Tom, our tour manager, today – we’re apparently right smack in the middle of China.

Last night’s show was classic, small disasters – one after the other. Train delays meant were late to the venue for sound-check – which was almost a complete debarcle. We had about 1 minute to change out of stinky travel clothes into stinky stage clothes, scrambling pants & shirts off by the side of stage.

Shot from the stage – last night in Hefei, China.

Then the show kicked off…  It’s the first time we’ve ever started the set 4 times. The first re-start after the power cut out half way through the first song, then again (after a 10 minute break) when the power cut out half way through the second song. Then again half way through the third (another break). The whole thing started to feel like a black comedy & that we’d just have to leave the stage.

We started the third song again after the third 10 minute break and actually got all the way through. And finally all the way through the set. It was a great lesson about not giving up. By the end of the set, the kids were going nuts, ripping shirts off, dancing & pumping fists in the air. They’d come especially to see us & waited patiently until we got ourselves through some pretty dodgy power issues. We all felt great when we finally stepped off stage, an honour to play for this great little crowd (I really needed a drink).

We’ve got a couple of days off before the next show, which is right next to our hotel here.

Checkya tomorrow,
Fires out.

We’ve had 2 great shows in a row. Last night in Foshan at Freedom house was awesome (great crowd) & tonight in Wuhan at Vox to a packed room (about 200 people).

Vox club, Wuhan, China.

We’re back a the hotel, after the show at Vox, to catch some sleep. Been a tough couple of days. Lots of lugging & travel. The next few days will be the same.

Checkya tomorrow,
Fires out.

Some great iPhone footage, shot by someone in the crowd, at Midi Festival in Beijing last weekend. Fantastic mayhem…

Resting up at the hotel today for a show tonight at Freedom House in Changsha.

Checkya tomorrow.
Fires out.

Tired. Made it to Changsha today, by bullet train. That baby was traveling at 330km/hr. Got in, went straight to 95.5FM. Did a live-to-air show for an hour. Awesome. Sounded great. Show went out to millions of people. Made it to the hotel. Collapsed. Got up a few hours later, went a few doors down to the club we’re playing tomorrow night. Drank beer & watched Rustic – a punk band with some Rancid influence. Had a great time. Ran out of gas. Bed now.

The club is fantastic – small but excellent. The show will be great.

Checkya tomorrow.
Fires out.