The Phantom Limbs - US Tour Diary 2001

Stevenson's 2004 European Tour Journal (p.1 of 2)

Not only was this tour infinitely better than our 2002 European Tour, it was, hands down, the best tour we have ever done ever, anywhere. Much thanks to all the friends, fans, bookers, etc., who helped us on our way. Special thanks to Chris from Transsolar Records for taking care of the van, backline and a 1000 other details, Flo, from Trapdoor Tourz for booking this thing (even if he did tell everyone we were vegans!) and Jan (aka Turbo), our Driver and Merch person, who fit in frighteningly well with the Limbs. The sheets are soaked!

In retaliation for the onslaught of Vegan food we were forced to endure,
I have decided to rate the shows using steaks as follows:

	Fucking Amazing!
	Fab!
	OK.
	Weak.
	Sucked!
	Sucked Beyond Description!

The park in Kreutzberg, Berlin

10/1: Berlin, Germany
Magnet

First show of tour. The show is part of Popkomm, a big music industry wankathon, ala SxSW. It's also a showcase for our German label, Transsolar Records which includes Kid and Kahn ( Kid Congo powers new project), Boy from Brazil, Viva La American Death Ray and more. Great catered food and plenty of wine and beer! Jessie and Muffin from the Vanishing make the show. Great turnout and great set. Afterwards we only have about 3 hours till we need to leave for Warsaw, so we head for some drinks at Wild at Heart.

10/2: Warsaw, Poland
Aurora

By the time we leave Wild At Heart, its 8:00AM and the bar is still packed. We're all pretty lit by this time. On the drive to Warsaw, Mike goads me into punching him in the head. He soon feels the need to punch me back. A good nap and all is forgotten. We get to Warsaw and meet Tomek from Old Skull who I have been talking to and exchanging emails and music with for ages. The show is great and the opening band, Miguel and the Living Dead, not only do a cover of the Ghostbusters theme, but a Bronski Beat cover as well! Amazing! After that, the owner of the cafe breaks out the vodka. Trouble. Later, mike tumbles out of the van headfirst into the side of a parked car.

10/3: Pulawvy, Poland
A Kids' Puppet Theatre!

Lost as usual, we try to find someone who speaks English or German. Everyone in the town finds this hilarious for some reason. We find the venue by accident and then go to the promoter's house to eat. They feed us giant bowls of spaghetti with carrots on top. Damn Flo! Jason tries not to finish his and is reprimanded. The show is in this weird space that is actually a childrens' puppet theatre. "Phantom Limbs in the Hizouse!" Hopeless tells the crowd. Good, but weird show. Afterwards pizza and beer!

10/4: Budapest, Hungary
Music Factory

Long, long-ass drive. No freeways, just 2 lane roads. Hardly anyone at the show, but nice folks and the girl we stay with is very nice. City looks nice too, but no time for sightseeing!

10/5 Nurnberg, Germany
K4

Another long drive. Cool venue. Good beer for a change and good food, even if it was vegan. Decent show. Skot and I had some deathrockers show us around the neighborhood after. I take some cool pictures that don't come out.

Skot B. with deathrockers, Nurnberg, Germany

10/6: Udine, Italy
Cs Volturno

Punk rock squat. We played here last time. Ever notice how the socialists always have the biggest merch table? The best thing about this squat is this guy Max who runs the bar upstairs. For some reason he only plays gothic and industrial music. This was a great refuge from the endless crust punk we

encountered last tour. The worst thing about this place is the beer they give the bands: Union. Worst beer in Europe. Pretty good show. The next day Turbo makes a U-turn in front of a gas truck and almost kills us.

Sköt and Alicia and Carla from Imperia, in front of Atlantilde, Bolognia	10/7: Bolognia, Italy Atlantilde Very small squat that is in this weird old concrete fort. Looks like a joyless place, but suddenly the deathrockers show up in force. Not to mention friends from the Internet and real life. Alica and Karla from Imperia, where we played last time, make the drive. Francesca from Zero Magazine
makes it from Rome and Sara and Sara from Rome and Frienze (I think), to mention a few. The place is packed. No stage. Beer and bodies flying everywhere. Instruments getting knocked over. Total chaos. This is the kind of show we like. Not the biggest show of tour but probably the most fun.

10/8: Basel, Switzerland
Hirscheneck

Hey Europe, why don't you have another cigarette? Fuck! Do I have lung cancer yet? Anyway, Marlon and company from Hirscheneck are great folks and it's a pleasure to return. Great turnout. Pretty stiff crowd, though. Had a good talk with the sound guy about the music biz and the EU, among other things. The next day we spend hours looking for the key to the sleeping room, which, apparently we need to find before we can get paid.

10/9: Bochum, Germany
Zwischenfall - Pagan Love Songs

It was great to see Thomas Thyssen again, to meet his brother Ralf and to talk to Joaquim from OX Fanzine and to talk to Matthias from Kontact 46 and see his band, but otherwise this day sucked. We were late as fuck, and the sound guy decided to punish us by doing a shitty job and by generally being an asshole. Smaller and stiffer crowd then last time. For some reason we can't sleep at the venue this time, which makes everything more complicated. The after party is not as fun as last time either. Jason forgets his bag at the club, etc. etc. Looks like we should have gone to Rome instead of rearranging our whole route to go to Bochum. Oh well. Such is tour.

10/10: Lyon, France
Cco Villeurbanne

INSANELY long and painful drive. Oh, we stop and eat at MCDONALDS! Egads! Deduct 5 million punk rock points from us!! Horror of Horrors! Anyway, we get to the show super late and its 10 minutes to curfew. We set up and play right away. Tons of people at the show and they are going nuts. Great fucking show! Afterwards a group of goofy goths lead by a Thomas Dolby look-alike hang out for autographs and pictures and down some beers with us. They were awesome! The folks who set up the show and who we stayed with are equally goofy and awesome. Great night!

10/11: Madrid, Spain Sala Custom Café Again, drive from hell. Get to the venue, finally, and it's packed. Large deathrock contingent. About a gallon of water drips from the ceiling into Skot's keyboard, but it still works, sort of. Great show. Afterwards we do a couple of interviews that are pretty fun and actually half decent. We hang out afterwards	Lolo and Ingred exchange info with Hopless, Miller guards the van.
and the next morning with Lolo and Ingrid who set up the show. They are really cool and have excellent taste in music. Also, they have this published book of flyers that includes some Limbs flyers that Klösoff did. Pretty cool!

Sixteens take us down to the ground, ground, ground in Bergara, Spain

10/12: Bergara, Spain
Gaztetxea

Small town near San Sebastian. Uber political squat, but its all in Castillian, so I cant read it. First show with the Sixteens. Great to see them. I guess the beer here is really strong, 'cause were all pretty loaded by the time we go on stage. Comical set. Hopeless asks me to explain Capitalism

to the crowd. I tell them capitalism is the idea that the best product at the cheapest price wins and that they should all read a book by Milton Friedman. The crowd cheers! The next day, Jason and I watch Mike drop the only set of van keys down a storm drain! Luckily, it only takes a long arm and a bungee cord to recover them. I drink coffee, which I never do, since its like crack to my system. Ditditditditditditditditditditditditditditditditditditditditditdit…

NEXT >

^TOP