We left home in the middle of the afternoon, which is always weird for us… A few hours of sleep before getting on a flight? Really? Is that even possible? Well, looks like it was… After saying goodbye to everyone at the HQ, we headed to the airport. Despite the fact that we had way too many road cases and suitcases with us, we managed to make everything perfect – at the borders and at the security as well! We got on the plane and found seats all together. Alex had to swap seat because his TV wasn’t working – and no matter how long or short the flight is, you want that TV in front of you to work! The guys have a tradition all together when we’re on the plane. One after the other, they choose a movie that they all watch together, at the same time. Same time meaning there’s a countdown before they press play on the movie. First one was a choice by Ben (who didn’t have much success with his previous choices). He chose Guardians of the Galaxy, and didn’t have much more success with it. So little in fact, that the guys all fell asleep watching it! You can find pictures of that on the SFCC Community Club, just saying 😉

We then arrived at Frankfurt airport, where we stayed a few hours before catching our flight to Hannover! And what did we find over there? A newspaper featuring the very best sports team in the world, the San Francisco Giants! We were greeted home in our apartment by a wonderful sunset, reminding us all that this tour ahead of us was full of colors yet to be unfolded, and that we were the only ones that could make them show…

Followed a toast… 1 bottle for 10 people – that we didn’t empty… you can say it wasn’t the best choice of wine! But despite this, we made a toast to something we had told at home before: “We will only go as far as you allow us to go”. Meaning that we are the ones determining where this tour leads us, we are the only ones setting the limits to what is going to happen… And that also means it’s up to us to determine the level of freedom and let go we want to meet on that tour…!

And then, a little night out! We headed to the City Center of Hannover, all dressed up as pirates. Our costume was really easy; a pirate hat. But 10 people with a pirate hat is really impressive, no matter where you are! And what a night we’ve had! Everyone we’ve met made sure that this night would become a very memorable one!

We have spent a few days in Germany already, in Hannover and Marburg to be exact. Germany, at least in Canada, is often described as a cold country, not only because of its architecture, but also because of its people. Maybe is it because people are incredibly tall in Germany, maybe is it because the language is really hard to understand and a bit harsh to the ear, let’s be honest! However, since we landed in this country, we’ve had nothing but good and meaningful encounters. And the day of the rehearsal also made sure this was well engraved in our memory! Beatbox, in Hannover, is simply a memorable place! Not exactly a rehearsal place, it was a small venue, equipped with a stage and lights. Cookies, coffee, soft drinks and juice were waiting for us on the counter… As for the rehearsal? It was a typical YFE rehearsal. Meaning it was intense and that it heated up the place! As Alex said himself, it’s only real if I am soaking wet after a rehearsal. And for that, he was! He basically looked as if he had gone in the shower with his clothes on… as simple as that!

They started by rehearsing the set they would play on the first night… And after that, just started having fun playing songs they knew wouldn’t be played live, but that they felt like playing “just for fun”, because they wanted to. I remember a time, not so long ago, where rehearsals were a pain to do… Where the mood that surrounded them was stress instead of excitement… Not that there’s no more stress at all right now, but let’s just say it’s a positive stress 😉

And then, we got on the bus. It is only our second time touring in a bus, as we usually drive… The first time was in 2007, on our first European Tour (our first tour ever actually, and pretty much the first shows for the band, too!). The place is spacious enough to hold the 16 people that we are, but let’s be honest, we gotta love each other to be that tight on the bus! We met with a few of the members from Trail of Dead, a few of the crew people, but most of them were sleeping in the bunks due to jet lag… A few hours later, we arrived in Marburg, a city none of us had heard of before. And being a Sunday night, we expected that it would be a very calm and quiet type of evening. I mean, everything is closed on Sundays in Germany. But something else was waiting for us…! The owner of the venue liked us so much he wanted to show us across the entire city. And we have followed him absolutely everywhere…! He guided us over the hills of the city, overlooking all the lights, visiting churches and castles… We finished the night in a German restaurant, where we thought the food was simply out of this world! Later on, people who knew the restaurant told us it was an “ok” place. Now I know someone (or more than one!) who just can’t wait to try out some more German food. And to make sure it would end in a YFE tradition, we went in a pub in the basement of a very old building, where the walls were all made of stone, because YB wanted to treat us all to a flamed sambuca!

And then came show day. And what a day! The tour bus was parked in the venue, that opened at 6:00am, with hot coffee. 6:00am, really? But yes, the owner was there that early, all smile and waiting for us. At least, when I got out the bus at 9:00am, that’s how he was! Most of the band members got up late, which is a very good thing, as the tour ahead of us is going to be quite an intense one. We spent the day in the artist room, where food was waiting for us, all disposed on the table like we were kings and queens. Coffee, around 10 different kind of tea to choose from, juice, fruits, cereals, breads, cheese and cold cut meat. The last part is not exactly our typical breakfast, but it seems it is in Germany! I know some guys who really didn’t complain about it however! We spent the day here, doing our things behind our computers for some, making sure all the gear was ready for tonight for others. It was simple, we all had different things to do, but it really felt like we were one. The room was shared with the members of Trail of Dead and Midnight Masses, incredible people with whom we’ve had interesting discussions. All of a sudden, it wasn’t 3 different bands no more, it was only a bunch of artists hanging out together, sharing common moments, common interests, and looking forward to one same thing… That communion with people.

And what a communion! If you guys could have seen the smiles of the people in the crowd as they were dancing, trashing and head banging to the music, you would understand all that I mean. It was a surreal moment. And I mean, totally surreal! We weren’t in Germany no more. They didn’t speak German and us English no more. They weren’t in the crowd and us on stage no more. There was no us or them. There was ONE. And it was miraculously empowering. I think that’s the best way I can describe what happened tonight. A moment to which we collectively all let go, and that brought us further than we could have ever imagined. Tonight, we didn’t go as far as we allowed ourselves to. Tonight, we went much, much further.

Thank you very much, Marburg. You may or not remember that bunch of crazily intense dudes that got on stage at KFZ tonight. But I promise you we will never forget you. It was more than a gig on a tour. It was a life-changing moment that brought us to discover new horizons. Thank you. From the bottom of our hearts!

– Stephanie

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The drive to NYC has been a good one. Even though we were told to travel light, let’s just say that this isn’t exactly what happened. I can’t remember one time we traveled light… Your Favorite Enemies doesn’t know how to do this at all! How many pairs of socks & shoes do you think Alex has brought with him? I’ll let you guess…! Nonetheless, we’ve had an amazing time squeezed between pillows and suitcases on the way there, a road that is simply breathtaking, especially in the fall season, as the colors have only started to change in New York State…

We unpacked everything, and then headed to Times Squares. I mean, where else could we start on a night in New York City? Many of us had never seen Times Square before… But no matter how many times I have seen this place, it never ceases to amaze me. There’s a reason why NYC is known all over the world, and a reason why it is called “The Empire State”. It sure does deserve its name!

And then, already the day after, it was show day. First time ever in NYC, something that Jeff had wanted for a long time… Being the one taking care of the business, he knew we would come here when it would be the perfect time… We arrived at the venue, that had been changed last minute, and that was much smaller than what we expected. No stage, the band was to play on the floor. Alright, that can do, we usually end on the floor anyway! And in the middle of the stage? A pillar, so huge it’s impossible to hug it. Right in between Alex and Sef. Probably one of the weirdest things I have ever seen! But hey. It’s New York, the birthplace of punk rock, and as Alex said “I can tell you from the vibe of the room that it’s gonna be pretty punk rock… no room for bored bystanders looking too cool to engage themselves into the stream of the moment… it’s small, it’s trash and it’s raw…”!

And you know what? This is exactly what it has been like! Totally punk rock! No drum in the crowd, but Alex did crowd surfing, and pushed it further by doing something I have never seen before: he walked on the ceiling! People were holding him upside down, as he was moving forward, his feet on the ceiling!

And what a moment it has been. Really, there are no words to express this. So many people traveled all the way to NYC to see us, some we knew of, some who surprised us, some we met for the first time, some we had not seen in many years but that have always held that very special place in our lives… One thing that didn’t change, though, was the time we spent talking with everyone after the gig. That’s something we just can’t miss. And let’s be honest, that’s also the best part! Different people, different countries, different ages, different styles. But one.

Looking at everyone gathered together, discussing what had happened in the last years, talking about the show, about what was coming up next, sharing about dreams and visions, I remembered Frank Sinatra’s famous lyrics… “If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere”. But somehow, they rang in a very different way. I used to think those lyrics were about any type of success. Being known. Being a celebrity. Becoming someone. But on that night, I realized this is about staying true to yourself. In a city where everything is possible, where you can do what you want, become who you are, this is the true meaning of “making it”. And to this, we can say we’ve succeeded. Brilliantly!

The day after, we decided to go out and explore Manhattan a little bit. It’s been a short trip as it was raining, and let’s just say New York City isn’t as interesting under the rain when you’re a group of people…! We made sure to stop by one of Sef’s favorite places after the M&M Store, the LEGO mega store…!

The next day has been a very quiet one… But we made sure to make the Saturday pay for it! We went with some of the biggest tourist attraction in NYC. Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, and Finnerty’s. What? Don’t know Finnerty’s? They say it’s the Giants’ home away from home! We got to watch the game over there, and what they say about it is no lie! People were lining up outside in hopes of coming inside to watch the game, where everybody was chanting, screaming at the TV. It was unreal. You could have never said we were in NYC. It felt like San Francisco all the way. At least, the way I imagine SF on a game day!

And then came the Bla Bla Bla! It was a special edition, one that was on the road, something we were doing for the very first time! It was something I was really looking forward to. Somehow, the Bla Bla Bla in itself wasn’t that special; it was only the set-up that was really different! This day was the only opportunity we had to do a Bla Bla Bla before leaving on our European tour “Shadows of Dreams to Come”, and it was important for us to do it! There’s no way we would miss this opportunity. Sadly, being on the road doesn’t give us perfect control on everything, so we had to cancel the Encore and the French edition of the show. Nonetheless, it’s been lots of fun! Something we definitely should do a lot more…! Your thoughts about this? 😉

Following the Bla Bla Bla, we enjoyed that last day in NYC to walk around a little bit. There was that very special place that Jeff wanted to show us ABSOLUTELY. And that place was the Rough Trade Records store. We walked around in a nearby park and enjoyed the view of Manhattan skyline, where we headed right after for a tradition we have every time we are in NYC, Eataly! We took the metro back to Brooklyn, and went to the park once more, this time to see the Manhattan skyline at night, and to share a toast…! New York might need nothing because there’s already so much in there. But the spirit we brought in that city that never sleeps sure had no equal. Here’s to another milestone on our road…!

Love you guys!
See you around next time on the road, hopefully very soon!
– Stephanie

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We came back to play in Montreal after an absence of 2 years… A first home gig in Montreal, after spending the last 2 years touring across Europe several times, China, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, as well as releasing the album “Between Illness And Migration” in Japan, Australia, Canada, in Europe soon, and filming 3 video clips for the songs that appear on the album… Feeling out of breath? We also were! However, this home gig came as a fresh breeze upon us all, a little haven of rest for our minds and spirits (but not so much for our bodies)!

We left Drummondville in the afternoon, over excited about the show that we were about to play! We reached the Club Soda and met the crew working there, a truly awesome bunch of people! Load in started around 6:00pm, followed by a quick sound check. People started coming in as the guys went downstairs in the dressing room! We stretched, changed, talked a little about the show that was on a strict time frame, and then I went back upstairs to find a spot close to the stage amongst the 950 people who sold out the venue that night.

I waited not so patiently surrounded by people I did not know and had never seen before, but who definitely knew YFE and were looking forward to see them live! “I am telling you, dude, I have seen them live once before, and their singer is crazy and jumps everywhere all the time, and their guitarist with the long hair is like a beast… THEY’RE INSANE” have I heard someone say. Yep, that’s a part of the band on stage! The intro started, and the band appeared on stage; we could only see their shadows through the dim light, like ghosts from another world… They opened the show with the song “A View From Within” with Sef playing his guitar with a violin bow… And the songs followed one after the other, giving the audience an unbridled 40 minutes of concert that the everyone welcomed with some major head banging! Alex jumped in the crowd during Midnight’s Crashing, and went all the way to the end and back on stage, and went back walking in the crowd a little later, hugging people as he walked by them, singing to them and with them. People screamed at every move Sef made, and seemed to be delighted every time he was getting closer to the stage, gathering closer and closer every time! The song “Open Your Eyes” has been a huge success as well. First song heard by the long time fans of the band, we could hear the title resonate from every corner of the venue. Needless to say, when the song started, the heat in the venue rose as well! We finished the show and started unloading, wondering why we haven’t played more often in Montreal in the last 2 years!

And then came the best moment… Being with you all! That’s the true gift and the real privilege in every concert we play! Thank you so much for everything you’ve given us… Last night, we could fly, and it was because of you, for this chance you took at living and sharing the moment with us!

We just can’t wait to see you guys again!

Stephanie

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It’s finally the day…! We’re leaving for Quebec City! Time went by so fast since the announcement of that gig, it felt like it was just yesterday! But somehow, even though we’re left wondering where time has flown by, there’s no stress about that concert. How can I say… Everybody’s at peace. But a peace that I have rarely been able to witness amongst us all, what’s more before a concert in a festival, in the province of Quebec. Because every gig we play in Quebec City or Montreal feels like a hometown gig. And the stress that’s associated with those is usually higher. But not this time. It’s a peaceful yet euphoric feeling that has its hold on us all today… It’s guided by our faithful driver that we hit the road for Quebec City…!

It took us over 2 hours to get there… A lot longer than it should have! The festival grounds are huge, and we did have a little bit of a problem finding where the artist entry was. We got there only a few minutes ahead of our scheduled sound check time… Not a problem, though, because they were running late… So it allowed us to set up everything properly, without too much stress! The stage was big. Very big. Just the size we like it when it comes to a YFE concert! The first thing Alex did when he got there was to find ways to get down easily… in case the mood of the night would allow it! The soundcheck was quick, but went super smoothly. We even managed to get a little bit more time, and played a few more songs. We shouldn’t have, but the techs offered us to, as they enjoyed the music too and “wouldn’t mind listening to a little more”…!

We then got back to our caravan for an interview with the SFCC fan club. It was the first time for us to do one backstage like this, and it probably won’t be the last either! 🙂 We then relaxed a little, had a little something to eat, and stretched for the show… and it was already time to get on stage!

And oh my gosh! What an incredible show! I have had the privilege to follow the band on almost every concert they did (I have only ever missed one, back in 2008). And honestly, they do get better with every show. This one was no exception. The sound was mind blowing. It was loud, and clear, and I am sure the rumbles and the noise could be felt deep down the guts of every one watching the show, no matter how far from the stage they were! The lights added depth and personality to every note that was being played. And the guys… they owned the stage! Literally! And the crowd, too, as Alex went crowd-surfing twice over the 50 minutes that the show lasted! Alex even dedicated a song to his late father, to which the people answered by turning on their mobile phone’s light… A magic sight! Here are a few pictures, so you can understand better just how wonderful of a concert it has been! And you guys know us, we LOVE spending time with you. So we all gathered at the merch booth at the end of the concert, talked, took pictures, signed autographs. Until the time we got kicked out of the festival grounds by that poor security guy who came over at least 4 times to tell us it was time to leave…!

And because we just love that time with you all, we decided to go all together for breakfast the morning after the show. It has been a true challenge to get everybody to sit down (and not once has everybody sat down all at the same time). It’s been a simple moment, but a true one. It really was like a family reunion. Because it was one! We had seen some of the people when we played in Toronto in May, had seen some others only last time we played in Quebec City, and met some others for the very first time. But it simply felt as if everybody knew everybody else forever. We went outside for a not so little photo session, and then walked the streets of Quebec City all together, until we reached a Starbucks, where we all sat down with a cold drink in hand…!

And the best part? We will be back in Quebec City on January 24th, at Théâtre Le Petit Champlain. Not only for that concert. But for a whole YFE weekend with all of you! Tickets are already available, so make sure you grab yours fast!

Love you guys, and can’t wait to see you again!

– Stephanie

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We left home at 2:30am on the 10th of July, another sleepless night for us. Indeed, after the rehearsal that we had with the SFCC members, we just only started packing, not without taking the time to raise our glass to the journey that was ahead of us! Even though we knew it meant no sleep, those 2 moments were so important for us we couldn’t even think of not having them! Once at the airport, we split ways, as we were not all on the same flight!

The band members had the privilege of being the first ones to leave. After a transit in Toronto, a surprise stop in Vancouver, and then another transfer in Tokyo, where their flight got delayed for over an hour, they were also the last ones to land in Taiwan, around 10pm on the 11th of July. Yes, that means 32 hours in transport from the moment they left home! We hit the road again (for the last time!), headed to the hotel! It was dark, but we could distinguish the mountains surrounding us as soon as we got outside the capital city, lit up by the houses and temples on their flanks, as well as the ocean just beside us on a very sinuous road. We arrived in Fulong Beach past midnight, exhausted but excited!

Some might go to bed. But that’s not how we do things. We packed the equipment in a room, some went out to grab some food while others got connected to internet to update you with what was happening. We ate, watching an old American movie, and then decided we should go outside. After all, there’s a pool, and it was still surprisingly hot and humid at this time of the night. We all got changed, only to find the lobby empty: it closes at 2:00am – and the pool way before that! Oh well. Too bad. Let’s just go back to our rooms. But oh, is that door really locked with only that small metal rod? And is it that easily removed? Looks like it is! And is that patio door leading to the pool the very same thing? Yes? Well, looks like we got ourselves an all-access to the pool, right beside our bedrooms! Once outside, in the pool with view on the ocean, we decided to have a toast. It was our first time in the country, and we all promised ourselves we would make the most of it!

3:45 in the morning, time for bed. After a very short night, I got up at 5:00 in the morning to head outside in order to see the sun rise over the ocean! Not much sleep, but we only have 2 days to catch the sunrise, so I didn’t want to miss the opportunity. I wandered around the hotel once the sun rose, a little fisherman village, where men go out to the ocean on small boats, and where women stay behind, taking care of humongous gardens where roosters can be heard with every step I took. It’s not even 6 in the morning, and it’s already very hot and very humid! Nobody speaks a word of English here, but everyone is very welcoming.

After sharing breakfast all together in the hotel restaurant, with a wonderful view on the ocean just in front of us, some decided to go to Taipei, to discover the city a little while we had a few free hours. Taipei is a big city with very low buildings, except for a few ones. The tallest tower in the world stood in its heart until 2010, which is very surprising considering the height of the other buildings. The least we can say is that the 101 Tower stood out against all the other buildings. We were expecting to see people everywhere, to find the city very crowded, the same way we’ve always known Asian cities to be. But Taipei is incredibly vast. We walked around quite a bit. And though the buildings are very plain in appearance, we can’t say the same of the people walking its streets. They are colorful, friendly, outgoing, very welcoming, and always ready to help a bunch of strangers obviously lost! We finished our visit of Taipei with something everybody had told us we absolutely needed to see: the night markets! We got there around 5:30 pm, and we weren’t exactly impressed… Until the sun went down. Along with the lantern hanging over our heads, illuminating the way our feet walked the already crowded streets of the night market found a way to welcome a lot more kiosks; meat, seafood (some of them still alive!), clothing from t-shirts with colorful prints to shirts and ties, pet shops and fish tanks, clocks and watches, restaurants serving local delicacies such as pig blood pudding, marinated black tofu, shaved ice. The darker the night, the more lively the night market.

We got back to the hotel, talked about each and everyone of our days, what we did, talked about the people we had met and things we had seen. We went to bed around 2am. At 4:45, some of us woke up again (thanks to a somewhat loud alarm that woke up more than only 1!), and headed to the beach to watch the sunrise. A few minutes after we got outside, as the sun was slowly rising, Alex ran back inside, waking up everyone so we would all witness the sunrise together. The sky wasn’t dark, but clouds were obstructing the way… We decided to raise our glasses to the evidence of things unseen. Some things, just like the sun that morning, can’t be seen with our eyes, but are real nonetheless.

Quick breakfast, and then came time to leave for the soundcheck. Already! It was hard to believe a full day had already gone by! The soundcheck started as early as 8:00am, and some of our friends who came back from theirs before we left told us we better get ready; it would be incredibly hot! We arrived there at around 10:30 in the morning, only to learn that our soundcheck would be delayed. It gave us time to get to know the stage, talk with the staff, discover how burning hot the sand was, and go to the beach as well. And then we started the soundcheck. It was 12, very exactly. And we were all thankful not to play our gig in full daylight like this. Soundcheck was painful enough…!

We came back to the hotel very fast after soundcheck was over and did the only thing possible. We went to the pool, with an urgent desire to refresh ourselves a little! Far from refreshing though, it felt like we were entering a giant outdoor bath… Needless to say, we didn’t stay there very long! Most people went for a quick nap, and we all met again at 6:00pm, for a last look at the soundcheck!

We arrived at the festival only to be amazed by the enormous quantity of people that was there! People had dug out holes in the sand, from where they were watching the festival comfortably, others used cardboard boxes to sit down on, others were watching from tents… No matter what you could imagine, it was happening there. There was no doubt, it was a festival on the beach! They didn’t stay comfortable like this for long. As soon as the over excited girl started announcing the band people got up, ready for the mind blowing performance the band was about to give them. The band got on stage, and right away, the audience got on fire! So were Your Favorite Enemies. One song after the other, the intensity rose and rose. No matter what stress and anxiety was felt before, it seemed like everything suddenly melted away, leaving room to the madness of the night. With all the circumstances that surrounded the festival, as Alex told us during the song “From The City To The Ocean”, he had lost his father the previous week, it made absolutely no sense to be there. Yet, it was important for Alex to be there, to perform, and to give his all, as he had promised his father he would do so after he had asked him to. And this is what this concert felt like: a complete let go. From the very beginning of the show, when Alex went to the very front of the stage, to the sides, running… He was told way beforehand he couldn’t jump off stage, so he managed to climb on the side of the stage, singing “she’s thinking of jumping”… And soon after, security invaded the area, thinking he would probably jump! Despite running from one side to the other like he did, he seemed however more fragile than he usually is. But I guess that this is also what being real is all about. In the good times and the bad times. And I can understand why he was so happy that the festival was broadcasted live… Because he wanted to share this moment with you all in a special way. Because you are the ones giving us courage on a daily basis. Because you are the ones allowing us to see new dawning lights colors.

And for all those of you who might have missed the show, you can watch it again here. The band’s performance starts at 4h 12m 27s 🙂

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