Tour Bus Confessional: Germany
Tour Bus Confessional: Germany
So we just left the UK… We’re on a ferry headed to France, from where we would drive to Amsterdam! The ferry itself was HUGE. And I really mean it. Somehow, it looked like a small airport with its duty-free shops and small bars and cafés in which everything was overpriced! The ferry left the UK in the middle of the night. We got woken up by the bus driver, got out of the bus with nothing on us. Everything had to remain on the bus! The girls were all wearing PJs. The guys didn’t change at all. That being said, I doubt they even wear pyjamas! lol!
Guess whose feet? Gathered in the lounge, in grand style
So we walked around the ferry for a bit, went to see outside only to find ourselves in the middle of a rainstorm. It was now confirmed, the fact that we felt shaky since we got on that boat was because of the storm outside, not because we had just woken up. We finally decided to sit in one of the lounges that was there. Couches and a small TV were fine for us. We were tired and knew we would all fall asleep anyway! And sleep we did… Just as everyone else that was on the ferry. Until, almost at the very end of the ride, we discovered the jukebox! A few pounds a song – it was actually freaking expensive for us, for a single song when you thought about the currency exchange rate – but we wanted to try it. It was kind of old, kind of cheap-looking, and very kitsch. We NEEDED to try this! I do not remember the first song that played, but I sure do know that the guys rapidly took off their shirts and started dancing on the ferry, chest-naked, to the amusement of everybody that was now awake because of us…!
Sleeping… And sleeping again…
Late night dancing… Look at those moves!
Then we arrived to Amsterdam, where we would meet one of our friends and spend the day with her. She would guide us through the city. Early morning, overcast sky, Amsterdam was still very colorful with all the bikes that were everywhere. We also quickly understood that bikes are just as dangerous as any car in Amsterdam – get away from them fast if you don’t wanna get hit! lol! We walked around the city a bit, visited a church that simply was grandiose… And then we entered the “red-light district”. We all had heard about it. It’s world famous, it would be hard not to at least know what it was. But to actually see it was quite different. We tried interviewing a few people, but quickly noticed that Sef totally sucked at it after Poseidon rudely turned him down by offering him his middle finger. Maybe that was because Sef told him he wasn’t a real God, nor even a King, cause Sef himself was the only King… lol! No matter what, Amsterdam was definitely the city where everything was allowed!
The colors of Amsterdam… & Poseidon’s failed interview
We continued walking and found a group of people singing songs, looking for other people to sing songs. A college project, I think. So we volunteered. The thing is, we do not know the songs. They didn’t have the lyrics with then and of course the songs were in dutch! I don’t know what happened with that afterwards, but it sure was very funny as we did that on the spot! Keep in mind that Jeff sang, and that he is not what you can call a “good” singer… or a singer at all!
Our new found choir… Jeff’s singing wasn’t all that good, he quickly turned to doing interviews!
We kept walking for a while, and then we split. Some of us needed internet access – blogs, pictures and videos were waiting to be uploaded! Others continued exploring the city, and doing some more interviews!!! And around that very same time we all pretty much started getting seriously sick. As if the night on the ferry, all the walking outside and the exhaustion from the past days suddenly hit us! Amsterdam is a wonderful city. The architecture is simply breathtaking, and there’s colors everywhere. Even on a grey day, it never really felt grey outside. Of course, it has it’s ups and downs. It has its very own vibe, something that I had never felt before… kind of strange actually, but maybe that was only from being sick and tired…! Some visited monuments, others did interviews on boats, others visited countless coffee shops in search of coffee but had no luck… later on everyone was pretty much dreaming of finding a Starbucks. After a long day we all gathered around the bus at the assigned time… And it was time to leave Amsterdam and head to Berlin!
Interview on a boat in Amsterdam
We were again traveling by night. We left Amsterdam around 11pm, to get to Berlin somewhere around 6am. The show and soundcheck being kind of late that day, we had the entire morning ahead of us, before going to meet with the fans! Our first stop was an essential one: the laundromat! Luckily, there was one on the very same street we were parked on. A few minutes later, we were all inside with our laundry bags. True fact: we never wore the same t-shirt twice without washing it, except for YB who had the very same shirt for the whole 2 weeks we were on tour – no washing at all! This shirt has affectionately been called “The European Shirt”. So we did our laundry, helped by a local guy who was there as well… It was obvious we had NO idea what to do. First, I had never been to a laundromat in my entire life. And I didn’t speak German… lol! The guy didn’t speak English at all. But we managed to understand each other, somehow.
Waiting for the laundry to finish… A little break was welcome!
Laundry finished, we split up again. Always the same groups, with some having to write blogs, upload pictures and videos, while others went away to do interviews and meet the fans! I was in the “staying” group… lol! I was correcting and translating everything that was posted! We settled in a small café not to far from the venue… A very cozy place, with delicious coffee. From the outside, it looked pretty cool, and there was a free wi-fi sign, that caught our attention. We crossed the street to get in, and then we were very surprised… To see a sign saying that if you ever were followed by Nazis, the coffee shop would offer you protection… Yes, we were in East-Berlin, no doubt about this! All the buildings had the same shape and size and they looked like huge grey boxes. Everything was the same everywhere. But the people were the ones illuminating everything around, giving the cold, rainy day a warm feeling…
Meeting with the fans
We all came back to the venue at around the same time, to get ready for the soundchecks… And that place was wonderful! The venue itself was large, with a decent stage for 6 people, and the staff was so incredibly nice! They welcomed us with smiles and hugs, showed us around the place before bringing us backstage, where they had cooked local food for all of us!
Soundchecks
And then the show started… The place was crowded. It was actually hard to walk from the backstage to the front of the stage… And the people were so energetic! The show hadn’t even started and they were already screaming and jumping. German people are intense, and they LOVE music! From where I was in the crowd, I found myself in the middle of a mosh pit. But a german one. One that was more intense than anything I had seen before. A stranger quickly grabbed me by the arm to get me out of there… lol! People were screaming, singing the songs, trying to kiss Alex as he was singing, and one girl even managed to bite him on the face! In other words, the show was AWESOME! Despite the fact that everybody was sick, the energy level had never been so high! We went to meet the people after that, and it was just crazy… The venue had now been turned into a nightclub, with a DJ playing until morning… After talking with people, we went back to our tour bus, where we spent the night. The next day was off and we spent it in Berlin!
I think she was the one trying to kiss… & Backstage after the show
The day off started… At this point, almost everybody was sick. Matt and Kanu even developed acute pneumonia… But we only found out about it after we came back home and they payed a visit to the doctor… lol! We started the day in our little café we had found the previous day. And we were overjoyed to see that they were even serving breakfast! Traditional German breakfast, we thought! Wrong! Well, it was traditional, but not really breakfast… lol! The guys sure did have fun eating the cold fishballs! Though breakfast hadn’t been a success, food being too different from our expectations, the moka was delicious!
Our little Café in Berlin
Delicious Moka & Breakfast…?
After Breakfast, we split again! Though most of us stayed at the café. First, because it was an amazing place and also because we were all sick… Others visited Berlin, playing tourists as much as they could!
Berlin Style… They couldn’t help it…
At the end of the day, we were all tired… Some more than others!
Then back on the bus, for another night ride! Five hours and half later, very early in the morning, we were arriving in Cologne! We all woke up early. Somehow, when you’re sick and the temperature in the bus oscillates between freezing cold and scorching hot, you lose the desire to sleep pretty quick! We got dressed, and looked for a café nearby. That was the girls’ first stop: make-up was needed! Immediately, we noticed just how Berlin and Cologne were different. In Cologne, everything was white, as opposed to Berlin where everything was grey. Just that made a huge difference! We strolled the streets, to find something quite amusing… A small helicopter! A kid’s ride, basically, you know the ones you put money in and they start moving… Sef tried it, as well as a few other people! We found a little bistro, where we all settled, computers and stuff turned on, only to realize that there was no internet connection. We tried, and tried, but it was hopeless. We wrapped up everything and left, in quest for another place where we could use Internet. It’s when it’s not working that you realize just how much you need it in your life… lol! We split up in 2 groups again… Some going to look for a wi-fi place, others going to a meet & greet with fans in Cologne!
Sef trying to get out of the helicopter… Not easy, but you could even fit 2!
I heard from the others that the meet & greet had been amazing! Simple, but truly like a family reunion… They visited awesome places, churches were particularly beautiful in that area! As for our small group, we found a very nice and colourful coffee-cake place(we had to walk around for 30 minutes to find it, though, but we did! lol!) Then we all gathered at the venue. An awesome place, with a terrace outside, and showers inside!!! It was still early before the soundcheck, so we could enjoy time relaxing backstage, meeting with the fans and talking together…
Backstage & With some fans before the show
On stage & Close connection with the fans
Some of the fans after the show & Signing notes for the fans
And that ended our time in Germany, that seemed way too short for each and every one of us… But we knew it was only the beginning… And that we would be back, no matter what. What happened in Germany was way too real to be a once-in-a-lifetime episode…
– Stephanie
Comments (15)
Marcel B.
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Ich bin wirklich froh zu lesen, was ihr in Deutschland erlebt habt und ich wünschte ich hätte euch zu dieser Zeit schon gekannt. Aber es gibt ja auch ein nächstes Mal 😉
Ich kann mich noch erinnern, als ich vor 6 Jahren nach England gefahren bin. Wir sind Abends um 5 von meiner Schule aus mit dem Bus los gefahren. Ich glaube wir waren gegen um 7 Uhr früh auf der Fähre. Es war ebenfalls ein grauer, regnerischer Tag und wir alle waren wirklich müde, weil wir nicht wirklich geschlafen haben (ich glaube das haben Busse so an sich). Und du hast recht, es ist wirklich wie ein kleiner Flughafen. Man hat Shops, Cafés und so vieles mehr und natürlich alles ziemlich teuer. Meine beste Erinnerung an diese fahrt mit der Fähre ist, als wir so ziemlich in der Mitte zwischen Frankreich und England waren schien die Sonne und wir sind nach draußen gegangen und man konnte beide Länder sehen.
Ich freue mich auch, dass ihr eine schöne Zeit in Amsterdam und auch in Berlin und Köln hattet. Ich war bis jetzt leider nur in Berlin aber ich bin mir sicher, dass die anderen beiden Städte auch wunderschön sind. Ich hoffe, dass beim nächsten Mal ein paar mehr deutsche Städte vertreten sind, Dresden ist zum Beispiel sehr schön 😉
Eure deutschen Fans warten darauf euch wieder zu sehen.
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Stephanie
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Es wird auf jeden Fall ein nächstes Mal geben… Und ich hoffe auch, dass mehr Städte auf der Liste sind!!!! Es müssen mehr sein!!! So einfach ist das!!!!! Was wir mit den Menschen in Deutschland gelebt haben war sehr besonders… Und ich weiß, dass jede Show besonders sein wird, da jede anders sein wird und seine eigene Geschichte haben wird!!! Ich kann es kaum erwarten wieder dort zu sein!!! Aber warum Dresden…? lol Warum gerade dort?? 😉
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Marcel B.
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Weil Dresden einfach eine schöne Stadt ist und weil es nicht weit entfernt von meinem Zuhause ist 😉 lol
Aber es gibt noch so viele schöne andere Städte zu entdecken und auch viele Feste!! 😉
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Max
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The blog is really awesome! It looks like the laundromat is quite a great place to sleep!! LOL!! Maybe better than the famous tourbus!!
It’s so nice to see everybody there… It’s really like family! You know that moment when you are surrounded by people you know you can trust… It’s so peaceful…
I can’t help but think about the show in Montreal next month! I hope many people can come! 😀
Thanks for the video also! Sef and Jeff look so tired but also excited!
“Inside, walls should fall”
It’s pretty ballsy to say that in front of the Berlin wall Jeff!! I like it!!
Max
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Stephanie
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Yes!!!! The show in Montreal next month!!!! To be honest… I am sure it’s going to feel just like this blog but “real”… like in the flesh, you know! Living all these moments again, creating new ones that will become eternal, that we’ll remember for all of our lives… It’s been so long since the band played in Montreal… It’s going to be mind blowing!!!!!!!!
Jeff is not ballsy… Just true to himself! I didn’t see the Wall, but I am sure it is quite a sight… Not by the look of it, but by the history of it. And this is one of the things I liked most about Berlin (we were in the East part of the city)… Though it was gray all around us, the people we met were so incredibly welcoming and warm. You couldn’t deny everything that happened there. But you could feel that history didn’t dictate people what to do… 😉
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Marjo
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Thanks for bringing back all those sweet memories Stephanie…Although I do not recognize who’s feet those were in the picture you posted above…One thing I remember for sure, is one of the songs on which we danced to on the ferry…Lol! It’s one of Bill Wyman’ solo tracks called “Je suis un rockstar” (and I must admit that I’m listening to it, from time to time, in remembrance of this amazing moment we shared on the ferry…Haha!) It was definitely a “you had to be there” type of moment to see the guys happily dancing to the song…while bursting of laughter while watching the music video play on the screens, all around the ferry! Haha!
Ok, back to serious stuff now…lol!! You were right to mention that we had an amazing time in Amsterdam! This city was definitely worth stopping by…But did you forget the fact that we tasted the famous Dutch fries while we were there? Haha! And then Germany was just great as well…We received such a warm welcoming from the staff of the venue, the friends we’ve met there…and the clerks at the coffee shops we’ve found!! They got to know us quick, since we’ve been spending hours there…establishing our HQ in places we found cozy and welcoming! Haha! And the concerts are moments I will remember forever!! The connexion between the crowd and the band was astonishing… both nights we were there!! We could feel so much passion floating in the air!! I just can’t wait for the band to be back on tour to live some more passionate emotions and moments with you again guys!! Hoping YB will have plenty of t-shirts to wear next time!! Haha!! 🙂
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Stephanie
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Wasn’t that on our way back, that Bill Wyman song??? But I do remember, of course. I mean, how could we even forget this? This song, this video, this hair cut and this oh-so-not-sexyness… I mean things like that just can’t be forgotten!!! The French Fries… well, I did not forget… But somehow, I thought they weren’t worth mentioning… But now that you mention it, I remember the guys’ reaction every time we even talk about this, and well, maybe I should have!!! Not only the french fries… But also those delicious ginger flavored cookies… And those quite special tasting salty liquorice candies! lol… We did discover a lot about food from other countries on the road, that is for sure… 🙂
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Ben
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Wow, I still vividly remember how special it was to be in Germany and Amsterdam, and for anyone tempted to make fun of my immune system because I was the first one to get sick and give it to everybody….ooops, please don’t, or you could be my next victim. To meet our family there was such a precious moment, we received so many gifts and so much love it was more than we could of ever expected or asked for. I even had to publicly apologize in Cologne because I confessed that the ”24” TV series (with Keifer Sutherland) was always the same!!! Shameful moment…lol!! The passion for music in Germany is so intense, I remember getting close to the edge of the stage in Berlin while performing and having 6 pairs of hands rubbing my face intensely….funny moment! But seriously despite all the things that happened and all the diseases we had, we were so amazed by the warmth and the kindness of the people over there, we’ve been treated like family even by strangers and I really keep amazing memories of this time…Can’t wait to go back !!
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Stephanie
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Definitely!!!! The warmth of the people was incredible… As you said, to have this connection with people you don’t know and never met before but who treat you like family is something that is beyond words… A powerful connection that music makes possible!!!!
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Chris
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The guys dancing all night long on the ferry with the jukebox playing… I heard this story so many times!! Somehow, I know that this is the spirit that YFE brought all over Germany as they were visiting friends and playing live. You can live in the most amazing circumstances or in the worst but still, what matters is to be able to ”enjoy the ride” and touch this happiness that is so contagious and pure…
I can imagine them laughing at being stuck in their pajamas, going crazy discovering the jukebox, laughing at each other’s weird dancing skills…lol!! This is what I see in this blog… that beyond the beauties of Europe, the fun of visiting historical cities, performing for an intense crowd, the most important part of this tour was to be together and living each moment to the fullest.
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Sef
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Dude!! This blog reminded me that quite special moment I spent arguing with Poseidon, because he was the kind of God asking to put freaking coins in his basket, just to get a picture with him! I told him he should go back to join his ocean pals and that bringing his basket into the water would be quite a challenge… that was right before he talked to me using sign language!!
Watching this video where Jeff and I are standing next to the wall and looking at all these pictures when we we’re with the people, all those smiles, those tears, those laughs, those screams and hugs got me thinking! Music is not there to serve you, to feed your ego but to cross our own walls to reach each other, to find ourselves on that common field… no matter how different we are. To share and live moments together brings you even closer to the pure essence of everything you’re doing. Making fears and doubts vanish by love, inspiring each other to ”be”… there’s no reason to hide anymore!! There’s faces I didn’t have the chance to see again after all those years but the souvenir of those moments still echoes in my present, reminding me that the most amazing trip starts when you leave the shore of your own ambitions… and when you allow yourself to see… that life blooming inside and all around you!
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Nina
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WOW. This brings so many memories… 6 years since Amsterdam and Cologne!
Meeting you for the first time, face-to-face, and especially the little riot that Sef started with Poseidon on Dam square.. Thanks for all these moments, such an amazing recollection!!
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Anna
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Thanks for sharing this amazing blog Steph!!! Brought back so many amazing memories!!!! I remember seeing those pictures of the guys chest naked on the ferry and thinking to myself ”these guys are nuts… what are they doing!??” But I quickly realized that they were simply living the moment to the fullest! It really did put a smile on my face knowing that, no matter how exhausted they were… nothing would stop them from enjoying every single second of that tour! It was also so incredible to see those pictures from the live show!!! To be able to witness through pictures and videos the passion and that desire to live something real of those people was truly amazing!!! I knew music had the power to set free, but to see it in other people was truly inspiring!!!
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Moose
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I suggest you ask the question about the “socks in sandals” style during the next BLA BLA BLA… lol. Lets blame it on the craziness that goes along with the life we have in general. We were taken really good care of… You’re right Stephanie and I want to highlight this as well! I’ve been deeply touched by the warm welcome and the hospitality we’ve been blessed with both in the Netherlands and Germany. I had the privilege to meet some great friends whom I was close to on the German Myspace community at the time. The ones who translated the very first blogs, who shared pictures, who got tattoos showing us how we were related together through those words and music. As you read this my dear brothers and sisters you know who you are… I can still vividly remember the intensity that was present in Berlin… When I’m in the presence of such a burst of life, it’s home to me. Intense?? I’d say letting go, I’d say finding sanity through screaming, shouting and expressing ourselves. I’d say being alive. Don’t get me wrong here, there’s many ways to be touched by the music and express ourselves, this is very personal actually… No need to be in the middle of the “mosh pit” to live something intense. I remember you guys singing so loud in Cologne with tears and smiles… It’s been our time and we lived it to the fullest!
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britt
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love you all! i remember seeing pics and videos from this time! <3
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