It started out as a catastrophe. A real one. Around 2pm, as we were driving to Quebec City from Drummondville, we learned that there was no electricity at Théâtre Petit Champlain, where we were scheduled to play since the end of August, show for which people came from all over the world; Canada, USA, France, Germany, Japan and Australia. Trains, never-ending train rides, long flights, hotel rooms, and an excitement that couldn’t be compared. And we needed to tell them that the concert couldn’t happen? This was an idea we couldn’t agree with. We stopped at a Tim Hortons in a rest area. Whatever place you stop at to try and deal such a situation is meant to keep stigmas and forever hold a bad place in your heart. We ordered coffees, more for the form than the desire to drink one, sat down at a table, and analyzed the possibilities we had. Possibilities were not numerous. We wanted to rent another venue, but that was impossible, there was a clause saying we couldn’t play in case the concert had to be cancelled. We thought of renting a room where we could hang out all together, but everything in the Old Quebec is small and unable to welcome the 300 people scheduled to come tonight. Then Alex came up with an idea that made no sense at all. We could do the concert in the church. But we don’t have speakers powerful enough for that. We will rent some. People have no cars to drive all the way there. We will rent a bus that will bring them from Quebec City to Drummondville and back. But that makes no sense! Would we really be able to get everything ready in time? Where would we pick people up? How would we convey the info to everyone if we need to keep secret the fact that we are playing a show? I didn’t know what to do, didn’t know what to think. I mean, welcoming everyone in the church for a concert was something we had always wanted to do, it is a vision we have had since we bought the church a little over 5 years ago. Marjo started calling bus companies “for a bus, with a driver, for tonight”. Ben started calling music shops “for speakers, for tonight, delivered home because we can’t make it anywhere before closing time”. It did not make any sense. And even a few days after the event, it still doesn’t make any sense. We called people home, told them to get everything ready: drinks for everyone, a coat check for everyone, a place where people could take off their boots. While most of the people were going home, Jeff, Miss Isabel, Marjo and myself were to go to Quebec City, to the meeting point we had for dinner before the show to announce the bad news to everyone. But deep down inside, we were happy we could also surprise the people in such a way. We barely said hello to everyone and Jeff announced it. The news dropped for many people, as many, coming from overseas and being away for home, didn’t have access to their emails. People didn’t believe it. They didn’t want to believe it. They thought there was a hidden camera somewhere, that we were joking only. But seeing how serious Jeff remained, they knew it was real. And then we dropped the bomb. “BUT… We have rented a coach bus that will bring you to Drummondville, in our HQ, where we will do a concert anyway”. In the wave of applause and whistles, I thought people would cry. That set the tone to the rest of the night. We had no idea just how magical it would be yet! We left, got on the bus, and drove to Drummondville.

As we were driving, I was receiving lots and lots of text messages, from the guys back home who were asking me how people were reacting, what they were talking about, if everything was going well… And then, I received THE text message. “What we are about to do is suicidal”. And then it made me doubt again. Are we really going to be able to do exactly what we want tonight, there’s so much against us. I mean, in the last few weeks, Sef broke his finger catching a foot ball, which almost forced us to cancel the show, and then there’s an explosion underground that cuts power to the venue? That venue hasn’t even canceled a show in 50 years! 50 YEARS! Why does it have to be our show? Are we really meant to do it? Maybe what we should do is just spend time with the people, quietly, and enjoy ourselves. But then we’ve rented all the equipment, and the bus, all for that? I could see Jeff already being mad at the idea of the show being cancelled. “People came for the music, for this communion that cannot be obtained anywhere else, so we’re going to give them music, and nothing else. Nothing else. Am I very clear”? His words resonated through my mind as I doubted more and more. But then I raised my eyes from my phone and looked at everybody in the bus. All this excitement, all these people that didn’t know each other just a few minutes before and who were now talking all together as if they had been friends forever. This is not done by the music itself, but the music still serves as a bridge between each and everyone of us… And I didn’t doubt anymore. Today, some more miracles would occur through the music that would be played at the HQ!

Arrived home, I rushed inside as I still had with me some very important stuff for the show – the set lists 😉 Went downstairs, took off my boots, and rushed back to the Upper Room, the big room of the church, where the show would take place. And what I saw there left me speechless, bringing tears to my eyes. Yes, I was more than 100% sure, tonight would see its fair share of miracles!

At 11pm, I was behind a microphone, introducing the band, telling everyone this still had to be kept secret, and asking them to leave their cameras and phones aside. Tonight, it was a moment for them. We wanted them to live the music, but not through their cameras. We wanted them to feel it for what it would really be, without any filter, to feel the let go that the moment would bring, and to allow themselves to live the music in a way they often don’t at a gig.

And what a concert. We weren’t at the church anymore, we were in a world of its own. We weren’t individuals watching a concert, we were united as one. It’s like time had stopped, only to catch up on us a little later. But in that very moment, nothing else that this very special communion existed. As if absolutely nothing else mattered. For me, outside of the crowd, taking pictures, it was like watching a movie. There was no way this could be real. No way this could really be happening. And during the song “From The City To The Ocean”, as I lowered down my camera to watch what was happening with my eyes and not through my camera viewfinder, I couldn’t help but think “this atmosphere, this vibe, what is going on here… this is the very reason why I am still here today, why I am the person I am today. What is happening right now is the very reason why I am still alive, why I know what it means to truly be alive. And it is the reason why I have starting walking from the city to the ocean, to travel between illness and migration. And as tears were slowly filling up my eyes with the gratefulness of being able to be there in that very specific moment, I thought of you all. Of how insane of a story ours is. How the odds never wanted for us all to meet together, to know each other, to be able to call one another family, brothers and sisters. It is not music that has united us all together. It is not a coincidence. It is something that is far greater than that. Something that we may never be able to fully understand, but that doesn’t need to be understood either. And I think this is the most beautiful gift we can have always received. There are things that do not require that we understand them. We simply need to live them. And sometimes, living them to the fullest is doing the exact opposite of what our heads are thinking. If it was only for me and my impressions, I would have never been here, would have never met anyone. And it made me realize how the miracle that night was not to have managed to have brought everyone for a concert at the HQ. The true miracle was us being together. It was the band still being a band. It was us at the YFE HQ living together. It was you being there with us all. That night, the real miracle that occurred was US. And I think that we all could feel, that night, that whatever happened, whatever we felt, whatever we lived, it was only the beginning of something new…

After a way too short night, a moment we can’t really call “a full night of sleep”, we headed back to Quebec City for a brunch with everyone who could make it. All of us were tired, or overtired should I say. Nonetheless, not even once could you feel that tiredness. On the contrary, all we could see were smiles, all we could hear was laughter. As per usual, the food was only secondary to what we were living. It was all about being together… taking pictures, signing albums and books, discussing the gig of the night before, of what was coming next for us all, of our passions, of our fears… We were being true and real to one another, without any filters. That brunch that was supposed to last only 2 hours lasted the double, and I am sure that if it wasn’t for our desire to explore the Old Quebec City, and that the sun was about to set, we would have stayed much, much longer! After all, it was all only starting for us…

And in the end, after such a fabulous and dreamlike weekend, I think it’s only fair to say that reality, when lived to the fullest, is better than any dream we may have, and that every catastrophe we face in our lives can turn out the best that ever happened to us…

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We are now back home, at the YFE HQ. It’s almost 3am, and I am unable to sleep, I don’t know why… The excitement of being back home, or the blues of a tour finished. The joy of seeing everyone here again, or the sadness of leaving some of the people we spent the last month with. The peace of mind I found on tour, or the stress of losing it back in a daily routine (that can’t really be called a routine). The security I found in understanding I would never find comfort in anyone, of the anxiety of being alone. That fear of the dark combined to this fear to shine. Friends and loved ones I already miss more than I should, yet meeting with everyone here back at HQ just like I left for a day. This feeling of having a life better than any fairy tale I could ever imagine, yet living it in the setting of a Greek tragedy. Life is made of ups and downs, some higher than others, some lower than others. And thinking about the tour, about everything that happened, I can’t help but think of how blessed we all are. From that modest but honest moment we spent together walking the streets of Cologne with Alex on his birthday, to that surprise cake Claudia brought us in Hannover, driving 3 hours only for this, to that day in Bielefeld when we gave Alex another “tour” birthday present, a t-shirt signed by everyone and a painting by Conrad from Trail of Dead, where we met Marcel once again after a year, and where we were given the opportunity to play 75 minutes instead of 40, to that old lady who explained in details every sculpture and paintings of a church with her struggling in Eindhoven, the show in Brussels that reunited people from Belgium, Japan, France, UK, Canada and America, and then the show in Paris, a grandiose finale to a tour that’s been just as grandiose, where the energy culminated like never before, where the members of the band got on stage during Trail of Dead’s set wearing pirates hat, and finally Alex’s surprise birthday… Words are lacking to explain just how wonderful it all has been. And I am sitting here, in front of my computer, and I feel like everything I am talking about feels out of a movie, like it can’t be real. But the smells, the textures, the pictures, everything is just too real to be just a movie. And a movie like this could never be imagined, could never be written. Because reality, for what it really is, because life, with all its ups and downs, is by far better than any movie we could dream we lived in. Because we can make it what we want to.

It’s past 3am now. Everybody’s gone to sleep since several hours. Outside, the grounds are slowly being covered in a pure and untouched white blanket, my first snow of the year… And I can’t help but smile; this reality is by far way better than any movie that will ever hit the screen…!

– Stephanie

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We arrived in Glasgow after a ride that took us much, much longer than it was supposed to. 16 people cramped in the bus where there’s barely enough place for 8. After a ride that turned into some kind of party that some of us don’t remember much (or so I was told and heard by other people…!). The venue in Glasgow was inside an art school, with a dressing room that could barely fit 2 people. So we took over the student’s café and made it our own HQ for a few hours. Sitting like that in a university, knowing we would play there only a few hours later, reminded me of the Coffee House Sessions that we’ve made in the UK earlier this year, in February. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that the evening would be a weird one, though, maybe because it reminded me so much of the Coffee House Sessions that were acoustic gigs, and that this is not what we were about to play. Maybe was I just still numb from that too long bus ride. So many things were similar to the Coffee House Sessions, but somehow, everything was different at the same time. We’re only a few months later, but it’s easy to tell that we’re different people. In everything that means. For the better and the worse. But somehow, I feel that we’ve all gotten closer to being who we are supposed to be. Still miles away from who we can be, but still, reaching it one step at the time, with confidence, and all together. While a few months back, it was hard to be all together, whereas right away, it simply feels natural, and this is something that we long for. And I knew I was wrong for thinking there was something wrong.

As soon as the guys set on stage, it’s like everything surrounding me disappeared, telling me we were at the exact right place at the exact right time doing the exact right thing; being ourselves. To the best we could, with the good sides and the bad sides. And the concert was explosive! To quote a review of the gig by Rave Child “the sextet have so much energy that it seems there is barely room for all of them on The Art School stage”… And it was exactly like that. That night in Glasgow, the guys were not only on stage. They were EVERYWHERE. They were one, all together, and with the audience, in a magnificent way…!

And then came the gig in Coventry, a gig I was really looking forward to as I knew I would see PJ and Dawn again, Ash & Sara, Steve and Paul. And I couldn’t wait to see those people we had seen for the last time in Nottingham in March. It felt like those few months we were too far! The venue, called “Kasbah”, was a little out from city center, and looked like it was straight out of the Tales of the Arabian Nights. Seeing this, I knew we would be in for a special night. Because of the people we knew were there, and those we didn’t know yet, but also because of the decor and the ambiance. Somehow, yes, this show would be one we would remember for a very long time. And it was. There was no flying carpet, no magic lamp, but the magic that was there was real nonetheless!

And then Manchester… One of the first cities we ever played in, but where we had not come back in 7 years. 7 years…! I had the chance to walk around town a little bit before it was time for sound check. And I was amazed at how hard it was to make eye contact with anyone. People have their own things to do and go their own way, and what surrounds them, no matter how impressive it can be, doesn’t seem to exist to them at all. I was out for a very short while only, I must admit, but in that hour, I haven’t made eye contact with anyone. And I think that this is exactly the image we’ve had of the UK before we started spending more time here, and before we started to get to know the people not for the impressions they leave us with, but for who they truly are. The audiences are hard to reach. They are hard to impress. It feels like they’ve seen everything already, and they’re not impressed easily. But somehow, every time the guys go on stage and take this chance at being themselves, it’s like all of this doesn’t exist anymore. Suddenly, the long hair and the beards that didn’t impress them become something different, something more meaningful, something that you can’t see with your eyes only… And it’s simply what being true is all about…

And then came London, a city I personally like for what it is and where so many things happened for the band. I was excited to be back there, and was really looking forward to it! I mean, how could I not? The last 2 gigs we’ve had there have just been completely insane, and I knew we would have people come from all over the world to see us play that night. Longtime friends, new friends… The gig was one where the guys raged like never before, where every note and sound they played felt just like their lives depended on it. And it was loud, but not only because I was once again way too close to the speakers. It was loud in a total different way, so much that I had to stop taking pictures at one point. I couldn’t understand what was going on no longer. It wasn’t the YFE I knew that was on stage, so I felt. And it made me feel like I was estranged to my own self. And as scary as this was in the beginning, as much as I tried to hold on to what I knew or thought I knew, I decided to let go as Alex started singing the ending part in the song “From The City To The Ocean”. It might be nothing I know. But this is what letting go is all about. This is what discovering new horizons is all about. What allowing moments to unveil themselves is all about. That night, I became estranged to myself, because I decided to let go and explore what the unknown was all about. Because I decided to let music affect me in a way I had forgotten it should, so focused I was to take photos of the moments that happened on stage. But the best moments will be those I live through this camera lens of mine. And these are the ones I want to share with you, as moments, when they are live, become eternal.

And I think that the “after show”, if I may call it like this, was exactly to this image. We were in a room aside from the venue, where the sound could barely be heard, and where the only member of the band that stayed the whole time was Alex, who took pictures with everyone, and who also photographed everyone. A moment that was simple, but real, of such a naive simplicity that it will be eternal to each and everyone that was there.

And then came London Day 2, day where the show would be broadcasted in its entirety on the SFCC, the band’s fan club. And this show, imperfect maybe, became another eternal moment, for people all over the world, who united all together at impossible times of the day to share something we all knew was more than 6 people on stage… 🙂

We are right now on our way to Hannover. I can’t believe there’s only 4 gigs left to the tour. It feels like time has gone by way too fast once again. Those 5 days in the UK have gone by in a flash, but have left in us all a mark that will not disappear. From a moment to eternity. Thank you!

– Stephanie

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We just finished our 4th show in a row in Germany… We are about to leave the venue here in Cologne to drive all the way to Glasgow, where our next gig is.

And our shows here in Germany have been completely memorable. The first one was in Munich, a city we had never been to, but that we were told only good things about. And with reason. The venue was located just by the side of a river, of which beach was made of white rocks. With the blue sky and the bright sun reflecting on it, it looked like the area was covered in snow, that peaceful first snow that is always so magic and romantic at the same time. People were hanging out on the river bed, talking, eating, playing, just having a good time. Only a few steps away from the venue, we knew we would already live something very special… We walked randomly into the city, going into whatever direction we felt was most interesting at every street corner we stopped at. And really, Munich is an inspiring city! The people are friendly, smiling, and warmly welcoming! Yes, we could feel it would be a special night! Our assurance grew stronger when we saw Jo and Chris come into the venue. I remember perfectly Miss Isabel coming upstairs into the dressing room, asking me “Is it possible that Chris and Jo are here tonight? Because I am 100% SURE that I have seen them”! I wasn’t sure about it, but knowing the both of them, I simply told her that I wouldn’t be surprised about it at all! I came back downstairs just before the show started, only to be stopped in my walk by someone screaming my name. And then I have seen Vroni, all smiles, her arms wide open, happy to be there and light hearted as ever. She squeezed me in her arms so tight I knew it would be representative of the night! Vroni was there in front of the stage, dancing and dancing and dancing. Somehow, she reminded me of the famous quote “dance like nobody’s watching”. But people were watching. And this is what made it so inspiring… to see her freedom and happiness. It was simply beautiful. And a few steps away, Chris and Jo were watching the show, big-eyed and really attentive to everything that was happening on stage (and offstage, as Alex did go into the crowd as per usual!). The drum ended into the crowd!

And then we drove to Berlin… We were so looking forward to going back to this city that feels like home to us, where people always welcome us like brothers and sisters. Jeff left in the middle of the afternoon for business meetings, and I went and explored the city with Alex, Moose and YB, walking around to wherever our hearts would lead us. Alex discovered a small circus, now closed for the season, in the middle of a park in between tall buildings, a little refuge of fantasy and dreams in the middle of a concrete jungle. And we remembered once more what it is we love so much about Berlin; this city is one where everything is possible. Where logic doesn’t intervene, where it’s not what rules people, but where each and everyone are free to do what they believe in! And the concert was exactly to this image. As soon as the music started, you could see people starting to gather close to the stage (as in between bands, most people go to the bar for a drink, or outside for a smoke). But when the music starts, you know there’s something more than only words and sounds. You know there’s this special and unique communion going on. People head banging, throwing their fists in the air, some of them singing along, others trying to catch the lyrics, but each and everyone of them having a good time, in their own way. At the end of the show, Alex went crowd surfing, jumping from the drum that was on the floor in the crowd, and went all the way to the bar, at the very back of the room, where he was given a beer, that he drank a little still crowd surfing before giving it to someone in the crowd, and then came back on the drum to end the show. Yes, it was that kind of major bang that night!

We finished the night at the merch booth, like we always do, talking with our dear sisters Anke and Marina, amongst others, who both had a 3 hours ride to come and see us, and who both had to wait until 6 in the morning before catching their bus/train back home. But both of them told us they would come no matter how far we are. For them, this communion is unique and important, and they wanted to be able to share the moment with us and everyone else who came tonight. And this is a feeling I can perfectly relate to. Maybe is it because I am not on stage myself, looking from an outsider’s eye, trying to get a different point of view through my camera lenses, trying to catch the essence of that communion going on, trying to catch not a good picture, but a picture that represents a moment in itself…

And a few minutes before their set, the singer from Trail of Dead asked to have a t-shirt from the SFCC. He wanted to wear it on stage, because he just simply fell in love with it, and with its meaning. Alex and him had the chance to talk a lot during the bus rides, about art, about their vision of music, about their mutual passions.

And then was our day in Hamburg. Another city we had never been to but heard only good things about, from our friends and from the guys from “Trail of Dead”, who have often been here before. We arrived pretty late and the day has been a very hectic one, so we didn’t have much time to go wander around the place. I did walk a little, though, and went around what I guessed was a Christmas market. It was too early during the day, and people were only getting their stands ready for the night. Somewhere in between an amusement park, complete with a ferris wheel, a roller coaster and a haunted house, the place was also full of picture booths, and small restaurants with wood walls, lit by candles, decorated in red and green. Christmas is something that feels very far away from me at the moment, but I could feel the vibe of the place. Not because of the different stands, but because of the vibe the people were giving it. It was really family oriented, and you knew everyone would find something for them.

The whole day had a very strange vibe to it, with problems and misunderstandings happening… Nothing major, but still… it’s never something you wish for. So we all felt we were “in between”, waiting for something. Until we got on stage. Your love, your passion and your energy gave us wings. Alex was sick on that day, but you guys made sure to uplift him in a very particular way! And not only him, but the whole band! And to meet with so many of you on that day was like a true Christmas Day for us. Claudia, Stefan, Berit, Janine, Nadine, Tina, Vivienne, and all of the others we met on that night, THANK YOU!

And then came the the 4th and last show of this stretch, the one in Cologne. We played here 7 years ago, on our very first European tour, and even though we stopped a year ago to see the Kölner Dom, we have never been back here to play. We arrived very late in the city, and had no time to go anywhere, even though we had plans to go to the very top of the famous Cathedral! It’s been arrival, load-in, sound check, dinner, and then the doors opened! Already! Germany has been so welcoming for us, and the memories of our time in Cologne, 7 years ago already, are still very close and fresh to our hearts and souls. So it’s with a lot of excitement that the guys got on stage in front a room crowded with people. And believe me, it took me a complete song to go from the stage to the back, take a few pictures (a few, I swear, and come back)! And for those of you who are familiar with the band’s music, especially live, you know that the songs are not exactly known for being short… 😉 People were dancing, head-banging, playing air guitar and air drum… Simply mind blowing! We were blessed to have Tobi who came all the way from the UK (and on his birthday!) and Nina from the Netherlands to be with us on that special night, too! A wonderful night, in every aspect of it!

We just finished our 4th show in a row in Germany… We are about to leave the venue here in Cologne to drive all the way to Glasgow, where our next gig is. Totally uplifted by those 4 days, looking forward to communing with each and every one of you over there as well! It might be over 13 hours of drive (not including the ferry ride), but we sure are looking forward to that ride. With 16 people on the bus, the ride should get a little messy… More pictures to follow, I suppose… 😉

– Stephanie

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It’s crazy how “there’s still 4 hours left” can transform into “oh shit, there’s only 4 hours left” before a show. Especially when you arrive 2 hours late to the venue. Why did we arrive 2 hours late to the venue? Well, it looks like we have to go across the border to go to Switzerland. Though we didn’t need to show our passports or anything, we still had our tour bus emptied and checked for anything we might have had to declare and forgot to. But that went well nonetheless. What really took time was the bus mechanical problems that we had. 20 minutes on our way to Bern, past 5am when everybody was fast asleep, the air pressure conduct in the bus broke down. The bus driver had to stop on the side of the road and call for an emergency repair…! We managed to make it to the venue eventually, but way behind schedule… Meaning that sound checks had to be stressed, quick, and done super fast in order to try and fit them in the original schedule. Usually, that’s the type of situation that would stress us all out of our minds. But this time, no. No stress at all. What would happen would happen, and that’s how it would be, as simple as that. I mean, is stress going to help anything? No. So everybody just relaxed, focused on what they had to do, and things went very smoothly. This is something that surprised me greatly. But I think this is only the reflection of who we have become all together… We’ve learned that peace is something that comes from inside of you, and not from the circumstances around you. There are always circumstances. There are always things you wish would not happen. But somehow, these elements seem to add no gravity to our weightless flight.

And the show, our very first one in Switzerland, has been simply mind blowing! We didn’t know what to expect, didn’t know how this would happen, but we knew that the people would answer to us to the measure we would let go on stage. And it was simply magic. You can ask Séverine and Pascal who were there with us that night, they’ll be able to tell you all about it… 🙂

We drove by night to Winterthur. Another city none of us had ever heard of before. None of us saw the road that we drove on, the sceneries, the villages, the cities we passed by were just ghosts of a distant dream as all of us were asleep in our bunks from the moment the bus left to the moment we arrived at the venue in the morning. Ghosts of a dream, maybe, but ghosts that were nonetheless very alive under the rain that was hitting the city we had just arrived in. It seems as if rain has not stopped since we hit the road with Trail of Dead and Midnight Masses, never allowing us to see the beauties of any of the cities we have been to in Switzerland so far. We were blessed enough to however discover the city through the heart of their people with every show we have played in that still unknown country. And what a wonderful discovery it has been. We were blessed in many more ways than one through the smiles and words of absolutely everyone we came across. And once the show was over, we learned that the city had its first snow. Like that, early November. And as much as I hate winter, I am sure this first snow was a blessing on our heads, reminding us that miracles do occur even when we don’t know about them, and that even if we are not first-hand witnesses of these miracles, they are true nonetheless, equally powerful and uplifting. Because we do not see things doesn’t mean they do not exist. There’s so much we need to discover about, so much we need to learn from. And believing in more than meets the eye is that little secret to believing in what’s impossible. Because after all, look at us, we are still all together, a bunch of people who should have never met, that shouldn’t be together, but who are still a true family.

And then came the show in Lucerne. Our last one before our first day off on the tour (but that’s another story, right?). We arrived there quite early in the morning, and then set out for a walk outside. We heard Lucerne was such a beautiful city, and that there was so much to see, that we all decided, on our own, to enjoy the lack of rain, and go out for a walk. On my way, I met with Jeff, Sef and Miss Isabel. No idea where to go and where were the sights, we all found ourselves by a lake in front of a city built on a hill, where “the ducks are so nice you can even touch them”, as Sef said. Well, he never succeeded as ducks kept running away from him whenever he approached them, but I mean, I can’t blame them; I do the same when he approaches me…

We were wonderfully greeted by our dear friend Sue from the UK, who came to the city to see the band live and to spend a few days in that wonderful city. She took the time to talk to a few of us, telling us how much the vibe of the show had changed since she last saw us live. And she’s seen a lot of live performances, in North America, Europe, and Asia… If there was a record to be had for the most gigs seen by someone, I think she would be the champion 😉 But she is right. The vibe HAS changed, and it’s something that cannot be denied anymore. To give you an idea, during soundcheck, instead of going one instrument after the other, the guys simply added to the noise, layer after layer, to create a new song, just like they sometimes do at home when they rehearse. “Glimpses of the upcoming album, maybe?” said Alex. Who knows? And who cares? At that moment, I didn’t. I was simply happy to see them so happy and free on stage. But now that I think about it and take the time to write about it, I think it’s simply awesome. I can remember how much “Between Illness And Migration” cost each and everyone of us all throughout its creation process, and still today. “We knew it would cost us everything, but we didn’t know how much we had”… And somehow, though I know the eventual upcoming album will also cost us everything, I know that each and every moment will be cherished in a way a moment has never been cherished before; because we know how precious a true moment is, how it can’t be faked, and how life-changing a split-second is… And it’s with a destructively raging peace that the band got on stage a few hours after the sound checks, ready to put the walls down, whatever they might have been made of…

And after a day off, we came back to Switzerland, for one last concert… It was hard to believe that after this one, we wouldn’t be coming back to Switzerland on the tour. So we made sure to promise ourselves quite a party. A party like never before we’ve had. The venue was in the middle of nowhere, an ancient train station and factory that once had known glorious days but that were now over. A collective of people bought the place, transformed it into a venue the best they could. Cause that’s what the Biomill is. A collective of people who volunteer once a month only to open the place for a music event. Once a month. And this month, Your Favorite Enemies, along with Trail of Dead and Midnight Masses were the lucky guests of that friendly and welcoming place. The promoter/owner of the place told us the place was sold out, and that they could fit 300 people in there. Hard to believe, as it was so small! The floor was small, but so was the stage; Sef needed to add road cases to enlarge the stage in order for everything to fit on it (not that his spaceship is a bit too large, though… never!)

But the Swiss people must like to be close to one another, because the venue was hot that night! People were on fire! The changeovers are very long, so most people go outside for a smoke in between 2 bands playing. But as soon as the music started, people gathered in front of the stage, head banging, dancing, trashing. And just like it was for the members of the band on stage, it felt like their life depended on that night. The level of let go and self abandonment was magic. For those of you who have already been to a YFE concert, I think you can understand what I mean; it feels out of this world. As if for a moment, the place didn’t matter, the time had no power. You have no name anymore, you don’t come from a certain place no more, and you’re not following any kind of fashion. You’re one. With everyone else. One big collective of people letting go to the sounds and noises… going as far as you allow yourself to. And at Biomill, there was no limit…

Switzerland, it was our first encounter with you. And what an unbelievable first impression! Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts! We cannot wait to see you again!

– Stephanie

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