December 19, 2008 at 12:24 pm

Tastes Like Spain...

Fresh back from Los Angeles for all of 8 hours, and we're back to O'Hare airport to catch a flight to Europe to begin a 2 week run throughout Spain, Italy, Croatia and Germany. Couple of sleepy pills and mediocre airplane movies later we arrive in Madrid, arguably the rock'n'roll capital of southern Europe. Spain just gets it. The fans go nuts, they scream and yell in your face, dress to the nines and come out in gangs. Party time every night. Not much sleep anymore... you eat dinner no earlier than 9pm and hit the stage about 12 midnight if you're lucky. After show dance party? Imagine 60s soul/garage blasting speakers to a packed club gettin' down with the grooves. Sexual energy at it's peak. Get back to the hotel around 6am (or get lost, or have some crazy person drop you off), wake up at 10 and start traveling up or down the Mediterranean. Repeat.

Valencia is always a top gig. Club Durango. 2 brothers who run this place out in the middle of nowhere in orange tree fields. 11pm doors open and a crowd of eyeliner dudes & leathered-up chicks comes rolling in ready to rock. Huge stage, big lights, caught some killer video of this one. Nathan pukes all over his drum set. DJ plays 'Dancing on Glass' right when we get done. Killer. Next night up to Burgos, an ancient town with creepy gothic cathedrals out of the Middle Ages. Another top stop, Estudio 27, located underneath the bull-fighting stadium in town. Pictures of matadors along the walls, the OG Spanish rock-stars. Club sells out and think we played for 2 hours. The backstage area is behind the stage, with no other way out. Every time we'd open the door to run out and take a piss or grab a beer the whole crowd screams louder for a 3rd encore. Nice! Think we played a Runaways or KISS cover at the end. It was great, to us at least. ha. Next up to the Basque country, San Sebastian. Near the border w/ France. Shows here always rule and people are exotic. And finally end the Spanish leg in Barcelona, a true European city. Fashion-central. Post-show, the hotel has a vending machine with beer in it and we empty the damn thing, watching the sun rise over the sea. We just sold out of all the CDs we brought for the entire trip. See ya next summer Spain. Next stop...Italy.

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