The Front Bottoms - Tour Diaries Sept-Oct 2013 | Page 12

was all of a sudden a full on dance party. Once we got everything out and packed away we said our
goodbyes to the venue’s staff and got in the van, which was surrounded by drunk smokers. I opened
the window and in my best posh British accent I shouted "pip pip, cheerio, excuse me, we need to
reverse. Pip pip". The band found this a lot funnier than the people behind the van. Oh well, I'm not
here to entertain drunken smokers.
We made our way to the hostel. Elway had booked into the same place and planned to meet us
there. We had about a crate of beer to get through and not too bad of drive tomorrow, so I planned
on a heavy night catching up with people and hanging out.
As soon as we arrived at the hostel Dave pulled up with Elway. Adam rang the doorbell and we
waited to be let into our home for the night. We waited. We split a 70cl bottle of Desperados
between us, had a shot of Alcohol 95 each, Tim from Elway tried to breathe fire but instead just spat
his lighter out and we continued to wait. Eventually a very tired girl opened a bottom floor window
and said that the owner had told her to say there was no room and that we couldn't come in. We
had paid for those rooms. Everyone was pretty mad ‘cause the owner refused to come to the door
and explain himself. Asshole. Fuck that place. Someone suggested that I take a shit on the doorstep,
but I felt my doorstep shitting days were behind me. Dave and Elway decided to sleep in their van
and Adam decided to drive to a hotel that he managed to book last minute less than ten minutes
away from Beauvais airport, where Becka would be flying home from tomorrow.
Saturday 28th September - Mechelen, Belgium (Klub Kamakaze)
This morning was the first experience I had with driving on the continent. I felt a little ill from the
night before, but Adam had asked me if I'd mind driving Becka to the airport so he could get a few
more hours sleep. We didn't need to check out from the hostel until midday but her check in was at
10. Driving on the continent is just like driving in the UK, but mirrored. I don't know what I expected.
When I got back to hotel I rang my girlfriend using the hotel’s Wi-Fi, stole a glass of orange juice
from the breakfast bar that we hadn't paid to use and took a half hour long shower.
Everyone was still a little worn out from yesterday and in
need of a great show. We had no idea just how good the
night ahead of us was going to be. The drive from Paris to
Mechelen wasn't too long and before we knew it we
arrived at what the Sat Nav told us was the venue; a huge
derelict warehouse covered in extremely well done graffiti,
with a wedding in full swing inside it. Behind the
warehouse was a huge skate park. Some kids were skating
and riding around it. Gnarly. We weren't sure where to go
or what to do so Adam rang the promoter who told us he'd
be a couple of minutes because he was picking up the keys
to our hostel. Another hostel! Another shower tonight!

A few minutes later Kenny appeared. Kenny is the greatest
man who ever lived and tonight’s promoter. He walked us to the actual venue, which happened to
be a much smaller, newer building situated behind the large warehouse. It was a simple square
building that looked pretty new. The inside was the same as the outside, grey breeze blocks and a
concrete floor. There was a small stage at the back made of risers, a small bar by the front door and
a decent place for Merch. After soundcheck the guys went back to hostel to dump bags off and