From Tokyo to Kyoto under the rain!

We all went in our different rooms for the night after our late dinner… And it has been a very eventful night, at least for some of us! Call this the influence of Japan on some of us!

We started our day split into 2 groups. Some of us went to get some more rental gear while the others stayed at Starbucks… where else, really? 🙂

First step for the first crew: solve the puzzle that is packing all of our suitcases and music equipment in our 2 vans! We managed to do so with even a little extra space left…

During that time, at Starbucks, something very important was taking place. Indeed, his daily coffee dose was something very important to Alex this morning!

We then left for one last pick up at Korg’s office, where everyone found something quite interesting to play with! Want to please musicians? Let them play with instruments, they’re happier than kids in a candy store filled with toys where everything is free 😉

After endless detours, we found an access to the highway, and hit the road, heading to Kyoto! Not very long after, we stopped at a rest area, and got our fix of Japanese food! Menu: Oden, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, udon, yakisoba! For those of you who don’t know about Japanese convenience stores, the food they sell is very cheap, but delicious, and you have a wide selection of food to choose from! Not exactly healthy, but always exciting! Whenever we get there, it always becomes an adventure on which we make new discoveries. Today’s was the oden… And it got mixed opinions!

We finally made it to the temple, where we unpacked everything, tried the acoustic guitar, listened to Kosho’s father play music, and shared a meal all together! We were blessed with some home cooking, a delicious nikujaga for all of us!

Definitely, we can’t deny this is home… From the very warm welcome we received to the conversations we had, we really can’t deny this same passion that lives within each and every one of us. We are back home… and it never felt so good to be here!!!!

“Find your people, and you will find your purpose”.
A simple and short sentence. But it is when you feel at home that you truly realize how impacting it is. Because no matter where you find yourself around the world, as long as you are with people you love, you will be home. And we can definitely say that we are home!

We’re now ready to go to bed… well, almost ready 🙂

– Stephanie

We are leaving Australia, a place we never even thought we would visit one day. No matter how far from Montreal Australia is, we can definitely say that we feel at home in Australia! We just spent 2 weeks here, and it went by way too fast! 

Our last morning was spent getting our suitcases ready, and doing all the changes necessary to the guys footboards and pedals, getting them ready for Japan, as electricity is different over there!

Once finished, we got down to business! We reviewed our schedule and itinerary for Japan, and then talked about all the people we met, the memories we’ve shared, all the different moments that happened… Sef also did his daily reading. Alex soon joined him to try and teach him what something genuine, honest and soulful was… Without much success!

We decided to end our time here with a true Australian experience, after a friend’s strong recommendations! So Harry’s it was for us! The guys ordered Harry’s famous “Tiger” pie, as well as curry pie, and a hot dog de Wheels. Verdict? Delicious!!!! They all loved it! Well, except for Alex who stayed true to his healthy lifestyle on tour and had an apple instead! 

And then our driver brought us to Starbucks, the very same one we went to when we first arrived in Australia! 

We arrived at the airport a little earlier than we expected, but we didn’t have to wait long for check-in to start! 85 minutes and a lot of questions about Sef’s pedal later, we finally made it through the whole process, at least until security, where the question process started again! 

We walked all the way to our gate. For some reasons, it feels like it’s always way too far. That may be due to the weight of our backpacks, though 😉 And it’s at the airport that we met all of Australia’s classics… sheeps, kangaroos, wombats, and someone who strangely looked like Crocodile Dundee!

We met on our flight people from Japan, France, Germany, Russia, and of course, China & Australia! 

Alex and I were sitting beside one another, a few rows in front and left of everyone else. Our seats were 37A and 37C. Window for our Alex, aisle for me, just as we love it. Until there, everything is perfect, you think. Perfect but for one thing. The little TVs in front of us aren’t working! But it got taken care of very fast: we were given a magazine… Needless to say, it hasn’t been opened… 😉

After our 10 hours flight, we landed at the Beijing airport… It sure was emotional to be back here! So much happened in China for all of us! It’s crazy to think we’re back here, if only for a short transfer! And really, nothing has changed in this airport, it’s the same as it was before!

After a very long wait for international customs, and then for a completely useless security check where we needed to completely empty our back packs (and believe me, this is no easy feat!). Our gate was the furthest one, but we found midway a Starbucks! 

We then finally made it to our gate, where the circus was born once more, in grand style! We never go unnoticed, and sometimes it’s easier to understand why 😉

While this was happening, Ben and Jeff were nowhere to be found! They reappeared 10 minutes before boarding, 1 huge duty-free bag in their hands! No, it wasn’t a bag of souvenirs. It contained instant noodle soups, the same ones we used to eat all the time on our trips to China! It came as a surprise to everyone, a good one for many, and a not so good one for Matt who cannot stand spicy food! And in case you didn’t know, China is extremely popular for its spicy food – think Szechuan food 😉

A short trip to Tokyo later, we landed in yet another place that feels like home! 

We met with Momoka at the airport, as she will be part of the circus with us for that part of the tour! We then headed to our traditional airport meet&greet spot, Starbucks! 

Then came the time to load our gear in the vans! 2 of them this time, so no rest for our drivers!

A few stops for rental and hotel check in finished, we went out to get something to eat! Needless to say, Jeff was more than excited to guide us around the streets of Shinjuku! He did try to convince us to get McDonald’s, but we all wanted something more typically Japanese… and no, the mcshrimp wasn’t a good alternative 😉 Katsudon and udon time!

We also raised our glass to that section of the tour that is only beginning… a glass of delicious sake, with a velvety smoothness 😉

“We learned the biggest giants are those living inside of us, and we have learned to face them one at the time… And because we are together, we will win over them all!”

“We are back here in Japan to play music after 2 years… Let’s take what’s offered to us, and let’s make it ours… Before we can share it with others, we need to taste it… So let’s enjoy every moment!”

– Stephanie

Very late nights and very early mornings are characteristic of our days on tour! And today is no exception, as we came back home from Newcastle at 4am and woke up around 7am. Last day of the tour, Sounds of the Suburbs festival!

One thing we all needed this morning was coffee! Because we need it every single morning, but also because none of us had slept much! But we ran out of it!!! All of the Starbucks Via packs we brought have been used!!! Imagine the panic… Now imagine twice that much panic. Double it once more. And you’re close to the panic we actually felt this morning!

We packed everything back in the van, and off to Cronulla we were! We arrived on the festival site, an alley turned art gallery turned musical festival for the day! 2 stages, an ambiance like no other that somewhat felt like the 70s from its colors, oversized everything and welcoming feeling, with free tacos and oven baked pizza for the bands (guess who enjoyed it most?) and music starting from 12pm!

It truly felt like a family reunion this time again, seeing people we have known for years and met for the first time, and seeing familiar faces who came to our Australian gigs before!

1:30 pm, the band was on! Very early show, under the warm Australian sun, a midday spot reminiscent of the Midi Festival in Shanghai! And this last show of the More Than Noise And Makes-Believes tour sure was a blast! As soon as the music started, people got closer and closer to the stage! Even the chef stopped cooking to come front stage and enjoy the band’s performance!

Once again, the band members died on stage, were reborn, and gave us all that they didn’t even know they had inside of them!

We then went to a nearby beach with a few friends. Low tide, sunset, good company! What can you ask for more?

Then back to the festival site all together to watch some more music! By night this time, the festival had a different vibe. Its unique energy, however, was still as high as it was in the beginning of the day!

Then came the heartbreaking time of goodbyes. A moment we pushed back as much as we could, but that we could not avoid. A moment that has been very emotional. But we know it’s family, and we know it’s only the beginning of a new chapter in our common story, a story that is ongoing, no matter where we find ourselves around the world.

We then headed home, but decided to do a short stop at Cronulla beach, where we shared a meal together and had a toast.

“No matter what valleys we have faced in the past, nothing can keep us away from this infinity we see and share today”

“To the love that we share and that allows us to push back our limits in ways we never thought were possible”

Related show

• Artist: Your Favorite Enemies
• Tour: More Than Noise & Make – Believes Tour
• Date: 22/09/13
• Venue: Sounds of the Suburbs Festival – Space 44 Gallery
• City: Cronulla , NSW
• Address: Wilbar Lane
• Country: Australia
• Admission: 60$
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

We only have a few days left in Australia… But oh how are we looking forward to them! We know we will be meeting people we have previously met on the tour, people who are true family to us!

The day started earlier than usual, thanks to yesterday’s early night! We found something very special in the garden today, an ode to Sef’s rocking persona…

Ben and Sef individually rehearsed on acoustic guitars, getting ready for the upcoming shows! Moose also rehearsed on drums, with special pads to keep the noise down, and in a very special setup!

Then we shared breakfast all together, and then had a very passionate discussion about the upcoming projects for the plans… Recording, singles, videos, releases, touring… And let me tell you, there’s a lot coming up!

We then hit the road, direction Newcastle!! We talked baseball, obviously, we need to have our daily dose of it! We then talked about the band, how we started, all that we faced, who we ha become as people individually and as a family collectively.

“For every time we heard people say we were wasting our lives and that we would never make it, look at this, we are in Australia!”

Those were the words Alex said just before we shared our meal in the van, and he couldn’t have said better! Nothing is impossible to those who dare to believe and be themselves!

We did a quick stop at a convenience store… Sef & Moose strangely insisted we needed to stop there, a no would not be accepted as an excuse. We found out quickly what was so important to them… 😉

Finally arrived at the Cambridge Hotel, our home for the night! Very cool place, we loved its vibe right from the start! High stage, large enough for all the members to move freely! Only, there was one very important problem, but Alex dealt with it very fast, YFE’s way!

And what a show it’s been today! I am at a loss for words, completely! 1 hour of pure sounds and noises, a true brick wall of music! It couldn’t have been any better! In all its imperfection, the show was perfect… Simply perfect! So intense, so real, so genuine… Everything we’ve been fighting to “be” for so many years. Another night none of us will forget, a gift that had waited for us for a long time, a promise that wanted to be unveiled.

Today was a day off for Your Favorite Enemies and their crew! So to speak, as you probably all know that a day off never really is off for anyone! Jeff left with Matt early in the morning to go to downtown Sydney where he had a few meetings to attend. On the menu for the others? Ben was working on some audio tracks, Alex on other interviews to finish, the video team worked on that special video project I briefly told you about before, and Sef, Moose and Miss Isabel took the opportunity to rehearse and compose a little at the same time!

And today was the day the girls decided to do their laundry. Our story? After spending an hour sitting in front of the machine trying to figure out why it was filling up and emptying endlessly, I had a genius idea: put soap in the rinse cycle! And it worked great! So great that there was leftover soap on all of my clothes. Kim then decided to do hers the same way I did. The only thing is, this time the machine overflowed, so she also ended up doing her laundry in the sink. We then put our clothes outside to dry, but that hasn’t been much more of a success story, as they kept falling on the ground… Laundry, anyone? 😉

We decided after this to go downtown Sydney all together. Well, almost together, as one of us stayed home. As it’s quite cold outside today and that he is starting to get sick, Alex felt it was better for him to stay at home. The Australia leg of the tour may soon be over, but the “More Than Noise & Make-Believes” tour is far from being over! Destination: Sydney Opera House! After a very eventful ride in Sydney’s traffic and what seemed to be an endless search for a parking spot, we walked down to Sydney’s world famous sight! And what a sight it’s been… We’re as far as we can be from Montreal, and it still feels home! It truly is a privilege to know we are here today, thanks to our music, sharing a soulful communion every day with people who are family to us… For us tonight, the Opera House and the Sydney Bridge were a great reminder of this!

After all those emotions and such a long walk made our big guys hungry, so we stopped at McDonald’s, where we watched a rugby game! The guys immediately fell in love with the sport! They had all heard about it, but it was the first time for everyone of them to watch a game.

Early night for all of us! We’ve got a very long day ahead of us tomorrow with the show in Newcastle!