（今回最後のツアマ ネ、ダンのブログ。お？ちゃんと昨日俺が書いた続きから書いてる！？本当は日本語で書けるのではなかろうか？）
No time for sight seeing today as it is 8 or so hours to Vitoria & the van is beginning to make worrying squealing noises…more on this later although Maekawa san has kinda spoilt the ending with his blog yesterday!
ツアー最後の地、スペインのVitoriaから全く観光などする余裕もなく、８時間ほどドライブする予定だったが、とうとう機材車がベルトが滑る異音を発生し出した。どうやらここまでは昨日、前川さんが書いてるみたいだね。
The last show of the tour is in another great little rock n roll venue on an industrial estate outside the city. This seems to be a common thing in Spain, doubt it would work in England, people here don’t like to travel to get to shows.
ツアー最終日は前日同様、町の郊外にあるかっこいいロックベニュー。どうやらスペインでは普通っぽいけどイングランドじゃここまで郊外に足を伸ばしてくれないだろうなあ。
The place is called Hell Dorado (see what they did there??) & we have a great night, over 200 people show up making the venue pretty full & again Peelander put on a great show. As you probably know the Eel Shock crowd these days consists largely of ‘gentlemen of a certain age’ such as myself. It is great fun each night watching these guys getting involved in the silly games that Peelander force on their crowd. Actually I suspect that an older crowd is more willing than kids to do this kinda stuff…we’re well past worrying about looking cool at our time of life!
Hell Dorado（まあ、エルドラドのもじりやね）というベニューですごい良いショーだった。200人ぐらいのお客さんでかなり満員、そして最後もピーランダーがぶちかましてくれました。ご存知の通り、最近のイールショックのファンは俺のような「大人しい立派なお歳」の方々。そんな人々がピーランダーの「お遊戯」に巻き込まれてるのを見るのはオモロいね！ちょっと心配だったけどね、もはやカッコつけるような歳でもないし、結構みんな楽しんでるわ！
We have a little PA trouble (it seems I’m too loud again…oops) & the right side of the PA cuts out a few times. My mixing position is up on the balcony so after turning down it takes me a while of running up & down stairs before I get it sounding right…sorry about that. Worse still during this time I don’t notice that Aki is signalling that he can’t hear himself…the fault should not have affected his monitor but it seems that it did. We are into Iron Man before everything is running smoothly…piss.
僕の方は右のフロントスピーカーが音が途切れ始めたり、ちょっとしたトラブルが頻発（どうやらまたも音がでかすぎたみたい。。。）、しかもPA卓がバルコニーにあった為、下の観客席と階段を上り下りしなくてはならず、かなり大変だった。そしてそんなこんなでアキがモニターを上げてくれと合図してるのも全く気づかず。。。彼のモニターには影響するはずないんだけど、実際にアイアンマンを演奏してた中盤まで全然聞こえてなかったみたい。。。ああ、失敗。
Despite this the response is great & we are so happy to have finished the tour in Vitoria…well, the bands are, I have to confess to being a bit tired & grumpy…I can’t remember the last night I got a good night’s sleep.
そんなこんなにも関わらず、観客の反応はすごく良く、この地、Vitoria（ここか去年イールショックがフェスティバルに出演した土地なんだ）でツアー最終日を迎える事が出来て最高だった！ってんだけど、正直僕は疲れ果ててボロボロ。正直ちゃんと寝たかどうかも覚えてないや。
After the show I drop Gian & Aki at the hotel (Aki has a lot of driving to do tomorrow…more than we thought as it turns out) & Kazuto & I drop Peelander at Bilbao airport which is about an hour drive away.
ジャイアンとアキをホテルに送って（アキは翌日かなり運転しなければならないからね。って実際は俺らの想像を遥かに超えてしまった。）からカズトと僕はピーランダーを約60km先のビルバオ空港に送る為に出発。すでに朝の３時半。
It has been an absolute pleasure to work with them for the last 3 weeks…I was a bit concerned before the tour because they have known Eel Shock for years & obviously are Japanese too so I thought I might be kinda excluded but they were a great bunch of guys & always made sure I was involved. I hope we will work together again soon…hopefully they will be back in Europe early next year.
ピーランダーと一緒に過ごした３週間は本当に楽しかった。彼らは長年のイールショックの友達だし、日本人だし、俺だけ蚊帳の外みたいになるかとちょっと心配してたけど、彼らはいつも気にかけ、僕を輪の中に入れてくれた。また一緒に仕事出来ればいいなあ。早ければ来年の始めにはヨーロッパに帰って来てくれるかも。
The drive back to Vitoria is pretty scary as I am struggling to keep the van between the lines on account of seeing two or three lines for every one that actually exists because I am so tired. Fortunately there is very little other traffic about.
空港からの帰り道はかなりヤバかった。もう疲れ果てて車線が２つか３つかもわからない状態。車があんまり走ってなくてよかったよ。
It seems that I didn’t take any pics today…maybe Kazuto can add a few.
あ、写真が全然ないや、カズトが追加してくれるでしょ。
After a few hours kip we get up at 11ish & head for Paris where EES have flights the next day. The plan is to do most of the drive today & then stop for a decent meal & a few drinks somewhere short of Paris & then finish the journey on Monday…never make plans!!
2,3時間仮眠のように寝て、11時頃、パリに向けて出発。明日はイールショックがパリからフライトで帰国。予定では今日はパリの手前まで走って、豪華なディナーでツアーを打ち上げるつもりだったけど。。。予定は未定だ！
Just over the Spanish border the fan belt comes loose & we have to pull onto a parking area by the side of the motorway.
丁度スペインの国境を越えてフランスに入ったところでファンベルトが外れ、機材車は走行不能に。

We have a running gag on the tour based around Aki’s belief that Déjà vu means actually having done or seen something before rather than the feeling that you have. For instance if we miss a turn at a roundabout & have to go round twice THAT apparently is déjà vu. Having said that the pic above does kinda remind me of something.
このツアー中、「あ、デジャブー」つって、ラウンドアバウトを２周するギャグが流行ってたけど（へー、英語でもギャグって言うんやね）、これはまったくその通り。上の写真半年ぐらい前に見た事ある気がしない？
Fortunately this time we have AA cover (well, sort of, the less said about that the better!) so we get towed off to a local garage where initially we are told we will be stuck until at least Monday. Aki & Kazuto start attempting a repair which prompts the local mechanic to help out & between them they bodge a repair that may get us home although there is damage to the fan belt so we are not sure it will hold.
幸い今回はヨーロッパをカヴァーするロードサービスにちゃんと入ってた（ええっと、ちゃんとではなかったけど、、まあ言わん方がええな）ので、そのまま現地のガレージのおっちゃんがレッカーしてくれて、ガレージへ。ロードサービスによるとこのまま月曜日まで足止めを食らうというので、アキとカズトはなんとか自力で直そうとし始め、それにほだされたガレージのおっちゃんが修理を手伝ってくれた。なんとか傷はついたものの切れなかったファンベルトをもう一度巻き始め、オルタネーターを留めてたボルトが折れたのを取り替え、とりあえず仮で走行可能な状態に修理完了。マメにチェックすればなんとかなりそう。

We have also developed a water leak which means that for the following 500km to Paris (& the 500 beyond that to London) we stop every 50 mins or so to top up & cool down.
しかし３時間ほど足止めの後、走行し始めると他にもラジエーターの冷却水が漏れ出してるのも発見。今度は4,50分に一回水を補給しながら走行しなければならない事に。後パリまで500km。。。現在夜の９時。。。
We crawl in to Orly airport’s hotel area at 4 in the morning & then Aki & I have to stay up doing homework until 6am.
途中で停まったら終わりだっつうんで、結局パリのオリー空港の近くのホテルまで辿り着いたのが、朝の４時。そして僕とアキはこのツアーの清算をやる為、朝の６時まで作業。。。
When I go out to get a bag from the van I see a long trail of oil running across the car park to our van. It seems our bodge job was not as successful as we thought & a bolt on the alternator has pierced the oil filter…lucky we got this far I suppose!
しかも車から荷物を降ろそうとしてる時に駐車場に停めた機材車からオイル漏れの後が道路に続いてるのを発見。。。どうやら仮修理で無理に留めたオルタネーターから飛び出たボルトがオイルフィルターに穴をあけたらしい。。。ホント、途中で停まらなくてよかったけど。。。
Next day we find a Kwik Fit style garage near to Charles De Gaule but do not have time to visit before I need to drop off the guys for their flights. They seem very guilty about leaving me to pick up the pieces again but I am just glad that we have got them there & that we have not picked up any extra expenses like last time. Besides, if shit didn’t happen no one would need tour managers would they!
また数時間だけ寝た後、シャルル・ド・ゴール空港へ。ガレージは発見したもののフライトの時間までに行く時間はない。イールショックの面々はすごく申し訳ながってたけど、僕にとっては彼らがフライトに間に合って、余分な出費かけずに済んで本当に良かった。これもツアマネの仕事、トラブルが全く起こらないなら誰もツアマネなんていらないからね。
The garage should be about 10 minutes away but the road signs in France are extremely confusing & I get badly lost & very worried as the oil light has been on for some time & I imagine the engine will seize up at any moment.
そのガレージは10分ほど走った先だったんだけど、フランスの道路標識はややこし過ぎで、激しく道に迷う。しかもオイルランプは点滅し始めるし、いつエンジン停まってもおかしくない状態。
Finally I find the garage but they can’t fix the leak but kindly top me up with oil for free & point me in the right direction. Thanks Speedy!!
遂にガレージを見つけたものの、そこでは修理不能。しかし彼らは無料でオイルを補給してくれて、フォードのディーラーまで道をちゃんと教えてくれた。ありがとう！
At the Ford garage they fix the oil problem for the price of the filter (thanks again!) but can’t do the fan belt or the water so I hobble up to Calais on a wing & a prayer (translate that Kazuto!).
そしてフォードのディーラーではオイルフィルターの値段だけで修理をしてくれた（またまたありがとう！）もののファンベルトと水漏れは修理出来ず。フェリー乗り場のカレーまで祈りながらよちよち行くしかなかった（訳してみやがれ）。

I get on the ferry at 11.15pm & treat myself to a meal at Eel Shock’s expense. Check out the tea…not sadly the pyramid bag but it is PG…JOY!! My stash ran out a couple of days ago so this & more PG at the Costa shop makes my day.
なんとか夜11:15（イールショックを空港に送ったのが１時半頃。あれから10時間！ありがとう、ダン！）発のフェリーに乗り込んで、イールショックの経費でディナー。ほら、紅茶みて！PGティップス！ここ数日持って来たPGティップスが切れちゃってたから売店でも買い込んでご満悦。

I pick up Bob at his house & we unload the stuff into mine at about 4am before he drives down to Autodan to fix the van.
そしてボブスレイヤーの家に向かい、彼と荷物を降ろし、朝４時にボブスレイヤーが車の面倒見てもらってるオートダンに出発。
So, another tour over & all in all a bit more successful than the last one…at least financially! It’s always great to be involved with Eel Shock…can’t wait for the next time.
そう、ようやくツアーが終了。色んな面で前回に比べてこのツアーが成功だったんじゃないかな。本当にいつもながらイールショックと一緒にいると波乱万丈面白いよ！次回が待ちきれないね。
Arigato!
それでは皆さん、乱文乱筆失礼。ご清聴どうもありがとうございました！

またも要約だけ。バルセロナを出発し、ヴァレンシアへ４時間ドライブ。少し余裕あったので、アキの提案どおり、途中のリゾート海岸でランチ。ほっと一息の瞬間。

ヴァレンシアのDurango Clubは写真通りのでかめのハコ。ちょっと心配したけどピーランダーが始まる頃には結構人が入って来た。さすが週末。この日もピーランダーは強烈。特にレッドは縦横無尽に会場中を走り回り、２階からダイブ！かっこいいぞ、レッド！

そしてイールショックも堂々のステージ。ライブ前に行ったレストランもすごく良かった（ベジタリアンフードも！）けど、スタッフ達も最高。スペインのスタッフたちは皆親切だし、皆イールショックを熱心。素晴らしい。

明日はとうとうツアー最終日Vitoria。ライブ後、そのままピーランダーは寝ずに空港から早朝フライトでNYへ。ってことでツアー最後の夜飲むぞってホテルに帰った僕らはメールチェックして（カズトはなんでiPhoneとMacBookの両方でオンラインしてるのだ？）そのまま就寝。なんてロックンロールなんでしょ。

おっと、その中で一人ロックンローラーのピーランダーグリーン。今度はツアー経費で賄えるように灰皿を破壊。やるねえ。

Sorry, I’m a bit behind with this…we are all home in our respective parts of the world now & I have been in bed most of the day…you’ll find out why tomorrow I expect.

Anyways, Valencia…

It’s a relatively short drive from Barcelona to Valencia but Aki has the bright idea that (especially as it is the first time in Europe for the Peelanders) we should take the opportunity to actually see a bit of ‘real’ Spain so we leave relatively early & after the Sagrada trip we head off down the coast.

We break for lunch at a little resort called Miami Platja. We take a walk on the beach & then have an excellent lunch at a café up the road. Good work Aki, it was really nice to take a couple of hours out from the venue/ van/ hotel routine. I love touring but sometimes it is really frustrating when you drive through amazing countryside or visit famous cities & see nothing but the venue.

After lunch we head down to Durango…will you look at the size of the place!!

Scary.  This could have been very embarrassing. At the time that we were originally told that Peelander were due to go on there are 5 people in the place that must have a capacity of 800 or so. Fortunately our info is wrong & we actually have another hour during which a respectable crowd show up.

Before that we are taken out for another excellent meal. They go to ridiculous lengths to accommodate my veggie tendancies, so much so that I need help from the carnivores to finish me food.

Peelander again go down a storm with Red climbing all over the building & knocking bits off it in the process.

Another excellent show from EES & I have a great night too, the staff at Durango are excellent , again, as at most of the Spanish venues they are super professional but also really into their rock. The house sound guy even spends most of the show ferrying drinks to me from the bar…that’s what I call service.

Peelander fly out after tomorrow’s show so tonight is the end of tour party. In my room this consists of me, Kazuto & Green sitting at our pooters for an hour & then crashing out…we are so rock n roll.

Maekawa san is so addicted to technology that he insists on being on line on two different devices at the same time.

Long drive to Vitoria so we are up early & Green rescues our R n R reputation again by smashing an ash tray. Not quite your Rolls Royce in the swimming pool but we work to tighter budgets.

長げー。

要するに。首都でのライブはあんまり良くなかったりするけどマドリッドのライブは良かったよ。でもバルセロナでのライブは今回のツアーのベストを更新。人数はそんなにいなかったけどめちゃくちゃ熱烈だった。以上。取り急ぎ。

もうちょっとだけ補足。

マドリッドのベニューはGruta77。由緒あるベニューだったけど、ちょっとスタッフたちがいじわる。ディナーに行ったレンストランも一番まずかったなあ。でもライブは良かったよ。ホテルも豪華で、ピーランダーグリーンは地元の友達とディスコへ。1000人ぐらい入ってたらしい。じゃあもっとライブに来いよなあ。

翌日バルセロナへ６〜７時間ドライブ。朝食を買いにスーパーマーケットへ。こっちのハムは骨付き。でかいねえ。ジャイアンのお陰で色んなもの食べれて満足。

バルセロナのベニューはメインストリートのデカイ三越のようなデパートの地下にあるバーのような、ダンスホールのような。全然パンクじゃなくて心配したけど、ご無用だった。少ないけど熱心なファンに囲まれてピーランダーもイールショックも最高のショーだった。

そしてプロモーターが選んでくれたホテルも骨董通りにある良いホテル。駐車場が遠かったけど、その間の通りを観光がてら歩いてホテルに戻るのも楽しめたな。

翌朝はちょっと早く起きてピーランダーイエローとカズトが待ち望んでたアントニオ・ガウディのサグラダファミリア教会へ。カズトは３度目にして初めて来たらしい。僕は上まで上った事あるけどね。今回のツアーの僕のお気に入り、グリーン君をパチり。

 

After Burgos I broke a well established band rule by looking forward positively to a show...school boy error!

Actually, the show itself & the crowd in Madrid were fine, I just could not get in to it. Whether this was because we arrived late having got lost or that I didn’t get on with the house sound guy or simply that I’m a tired, grumpy old bastard I’m not sure though I expect we can all guess.

The show was at Gruta 77 which is a kinda legendary old punk venue on the outskirts of Madrid. During sound check I was told it was too loud but where I was it was really quiet?? To make it loud enough for me I probably would have had ears bleeding at the front so it was a bit of a struggle.

Anyway, enough of my whinging...oh no, here’s some more...as last night we went out to a local restaurant for dinner but there the comparison ends. This food was so spectacularly bad that it was hilarious. For starters most of us had roast veggies which must have been prepared by someone with either Alzheimer’s or attention deficit disorder, either way he seemed to have forgotten that he had already salted the dish...four or five times! The other guys ordered the salad which must have just been too complicated a dish as it never arrived.  They didn’t have a second course I could eat & from what I can gather that was quite a result!

The show went pretty well. Capital city crowds are never quite as crazy as in the small towns but both bands had a good response & Green had some friends in which was cool & meant he disappeared after the show, to a pretty grim hip hop club apparently.

Overnight in a nice hotel & on the road at 10 for the 6 or 7 hour drive to Barcelona. We stop fairly early for a MacDonalds breakfast but I can’t stomach fries for brekky so Gian & I head for the supermarket where he admires the veggie options...

Dutch cheese, French bread, Spanish tortilla & American salad for breakfast...cosmopolitan or what?

Tonight’s show is on Av. Diagonal (formally I believe, the Av. De General Franco...wonder why they changed the name??) This is the main road through Barcelona which concerned me a bit...not very punk.

I needn’t have worried, the place was great, really good staff who were helpful without being patronising & made for a really cool atmosphere.

The show was one of the best, not a huge crowd but everyone really getting in to it & many had clearly done their homework & were aware of Peelander. The guys who got up on stage for Mad Tiger even mimicing Yellow’s pronunciation.

The promoters had booked us in to great hotel right in the middle of the Gothic district which is great if you have time for sightseeing but not so good if you have a band van to park. Morimoto san & I end up persuading a night shift coach park attendant  about a mile away to let us in...at least it meant we got to see a bit of the city! The old town in Barcelona is beautiful so I kinda enjoyed the walk but another hour in bed would have been preferable.

In the end the hassle proved worthwhile as it meant that before we left for Valencia next morning we had a chance to check out the Sagrada Familia cathedral, something Kazuto & Yellow had always wanted to do. So here’s a piccie of Green there.  

日曜日は丸一日車の中。アキと二人で運転を交代して、途中のDejinという町でEtapホテルを見つけ宿泊。なんとか11時超えても開いていたピザ屋で夕食。
翌日それでも６時間走っていよいよモンペリエに到着。かっこいいパンクロック御用達って感じのライブハウス。スタッフもきっちり仕事してくれるし、ディナーは最高においしかったけど、お客は入らなかったなあ。ショーは２バンドとも最高だったのに。
翌日も９時起きでスペインに向けて出発。９時間ドライブでようやく、スペイン最初の目的地、Burgusへ。僕の好きな雰囲気のいいベニュー、Estudio 27が闘牛場の目の前に。オーナーは20年以上ガレージやロックロールもプロモートをしていて、素晴らしい雰囲気。
ショーが始まるまで誰も町を歩いてなくて心配したけど、ショーが始まる前に続々人が入って来た！ピーランダーが始まる頃にはバッチリ人も入って、２バンドとも素晴らしいライブ。このツアーのベストライブを更新。去年のイールショックが出演したThe Azkena Festivalを観て来てくれた人がほとんどだったようで、終わってからも物販に長蛇の列。

 

「スペイン、最高！」

Sunday was spent on the road again. Aki & I once again tag teaming on the driving, four or five hours each saw us get as far as Dijon in France where we checked in to the Etap & found the one pizza place still open at 11 pm.

We finished off red’s Jack Daniels...it’s taken us this long to get through a half bottle...middle aged rock n roll, ain’t what it used to be!...then crashed.

Getting that far left us a five or six hour drive to Montpellier where we arrived bang on time at Secret Place. This is a great venue that hits the perfect balance between professionalism & punk rock. The crew are awesome, the food is better & Eel Shock are firing on all cylinders. For my money Peelander have blown them off a few times on this tour but tonight they are back to their best. Just a shame no one is there to see it...almost literally.

Up & on the road at 9am the next day for 9 hours of van time before we finally arrive at Burgos. Tonight’s venue is a really cool little place called Estudio 27. This is really my kinda venue. The owner has been promoting shows for 20 years & is obviously a real enthusiast as the walls are covered in signed posters of the bands that have played there, all of them awesome garage rock stuff...Jim Jones, Fuzztones, Tokyo Dragons etc. It is also right next door to the Plaza de Toros...proper Spain!

It seems that almost no one in Burgos speaks English but to everyone’s surprise (including, to be fair, mine) it turns out that I have enough Spanish to organise hotels & food n shit. Eel Shock have only previously witnessed my monosyllabic Japanese so the look on Kazuto’s face when I start constructing full sentences in Spanish is priceless.

Our hotel is fantastic (the shower comes at you from all angles!) & the restaurant where we have dinner is superb...it is a bit of a lottery as my Spanish can only tell us roughly if we are getting fish, meat, veggies etc. But once the food arrives it is by far the best we have had on the tour.

After last night this is a bit worrying & we are all really hoping for a good night...it can be a bit embarrassing when you are looked after this well if you don’t pull a crowd.

Fortunately we needn’t have worried, while not packed the place is well manned by the time Peelander take to the stage & we are told afterwards that it is an unusually good crowd for a Tuesday night.

Both bands are on top form tonight & the crowd are brilliant. Everyone is really buzzing after the show & we sell a buncha merch.

Everyone’s favourite show so far I think & the final date is in nearby Vitorria so I think we will have a great final show as a number of tonight’s crowd will be coming there too.

As m’colleague Red so eloquently put it ‘Fuck France’!

The title of this blog refers of course to the Rudyard Kipling poem.

Cultured, me.

またまた要約だけでごめん。
土曜日はイールショック、３時間の移動挟んでフェスティバルを二つ掛け持ち。一つ目はkaderockという町の真ん中でやってる無料の家族向けフェスティバル。夕方４時の出番で、子供たちが大盛り上がり。ピーランダーはライブ出来なかったけど、物販や片付けを手伝ってくれて、お陰でばっちり予定どおりに次のフェスに向けて出発。
次のGideon Festivalはグローニンゲン郊外の廃墟で行われてる、まさに70’のヒッピーフェスティバルスタイル。ピーランダーの本番45分前に飛び込み。彼らはセカンドステージでのライブだったけど、キャパの倍ほどの観客が溢れかえって、メインステージはがらがら。しかもフェスのスタッフも半分以上は持ち場ほったらかしてピーランダーのショーを見に来てた。まるで嵐。
急いでサンドイッチを食べて、メインステージのイールショックへ移動。メインステージのヘッドライナーとして最後にでたイールショック、多分このツアーで一番でかいステージで一番良いライブだったんじゃないかな？
さあ、奇麗なホテルでようやく就寝。でも明日は13時間かけてフランス、モンペリエへ。はやく寝なきゃ。

Saturday started with a 3 hour drive to Den Haag & the first of two festivals today. Kaderock was a free community festival on the edge of town.

We pulled up to the only obvious gate & a large African ‘gentleman’ comes over & starts bellowing in Dutch. Eventually we persuade him to speak English & he continues to shout that we can’t come in here & directs us to a fence that is the actual backstage area...wouldn’t it have been easier to simply explain that?

Other than that Kaderock was a great experience, unfortunately there was no time for a Peelander show but Eel Shock went down well & sold more merch than we expected as we had to leave the site almost immediately after they left the stage.

The organisers were really helpful & we got at least one quiet hour to chill out with a drink before the show...that would be the last break for the day.

Once I’d picked up the cash we put the gear in the van &, Aki having had a beer or two, I took over the driving for another 3 hour drive up to Groningen which is right up the top of Holland.

Gideon (pronounced with more of an H than a G, as if you are bringing up phlegm!) is on a travellers site & is a real throwback to 70s/ 80s hippy festivals. We arrive 45 minutes before Peelander are due on stage & after a little hassle on the door we park up behind the main stage where EES will be headlining in a couple of hours & cart the PZ gear over to the Trash stage.

Peelander go down a storm pulling at least twice as many people as the previous band on the stage & it seems like half the festival crew are hanging around to catch the action too.

Once we have finished there I grab a quick bite to eat & head for the main stage where Eel Shock are preparing to go on stage. We have a one hour slot in which to line check & play the set. There is a very strict curfew which we must abide by or jeopardise next year’s festival. The house crew are extremely helpful (this is my first proper festival so I need all the help I can get, it is very different from setting up for a normal gig but I won’t bore you with details) & we set up in about 15 mins allowing EES a pretty full set.

It’s probably the best set they have played on the tour & certainly the best crowd.

During Metal Man, Red comes over to tell me that I need to be at the office in 15 mins to pick up the cash or they will close...er, I’m kinda busy! As it turned out they did actually wait for me so we got paid & a few more beers into the bargain.

We pack up & head to a surprisingly nice hotel where I have a little trouble persuading them that we have a reservation but eventually we get in & crash out.

Tomorrow we start the 13 hour drive to Montpellier.

すいません、なかなか和訳する暇がないので要約をとりあえず。
木曜日のスタートは大変でした。やっぱり祝日で店が開いてなかったし、ホリデー渋滞で１時間以上の遅刻してようやく、今晩のベニュー、ハーレムのパトロナートに到着。オランダはイールショックにとってはヨーロッパ大陸の故郷。友達がたくさん遊びに来てくれた。そしてプロデューサー、アティ・バウも忙しい中、ライブ来てくれただけでなく、翌日ランチに招待してくれました。僕は初めて会ったけど、すごく良い家族だった。
そして本日の目的地、Sevenumに。イールショックのオランダの親友バンド、Peter Pan Speedrockのプロモーターが主催の小さなインドアフェスの前夜祭。あまりEESやピーランダーを知らない観客たちの前だったけど、盛り上がったな。良い感じの小屋だったけど、ピーランダーグリーン君、楽屋のハンガーにぶら下がって壊しちゃった。これでようやく良い人バンドの汚名？返上だね。

OK, I’m sorry, Yellow is not really a motherfucker, I was just trying to up the rock n roll element. I’ll stick to being nice & polite like EES & PZ from now on.

Thursday morning started badly. It is a public holiday in Germany which meant that the PG Tips store was shut so all I could do was stare longingly through the window at box upon box of the stuff. My tour stash is getting very low now...does anyone know where I can buy proper tea in Spain?

The public holiday also screwed up our travel plans. As soon as we hit Holland we got stuck in traffic which put at least an hour on our journey.

Once we finally got to Haarlem (yes, that is where the NYC borough gets its name. NY having originally been called New Amsterdam by the Dutch settlers who then had their ass royally kicked by the mighty English). We also pass a place called Breukelen on the way, The original Brooklyn perhaps?

We had to check in to the hostel before the show & then go shopping for a fishing license for Aki & Yellow. Aki has not been fishing for over a month...it is beginning to effect his mental equilibrium.

We arrive at Patronaat an hour late. It is a modern venue, a bit like a lot of Japanese venues...very well equipped but maybe a little bit clean & soul less. (Although Fandango in Osaka is pretty punk!)

EES have spent a lot of time in the Netherlands over the years so we were joined by several friends tonight including their record producer Attie Bauw...I’m glad I didn’t know he was there until after the show!

After catching up with old friends we head back to the hostel for an earlyish night as there are fish to be slaughtered in the morning. (As it happened no fish were caught & Yellow broke his rod on the first cast!)

I get up early enough for brekky in the morning & as if to mock me for my PG Tips failure yesterday I find this waiting for me in the breakfast room...

THE HORROR, THE HORROR.

Kaori may well have a point about the milk being part of the problem with tea abroad but the finest milk in the world could not do anything for this abomination.

You find Lipton’s Yellow Label all over the USA masquerading as tea.

I rest my case.

Friday

We have a shortish drive to Sevenum today which allows us time to go to lunch at Attie’s place...we look round his studio. Rob Halford has recorded vocals in that room...we are truly not worthy.

The Sevenum date is a pre-party for a thrash all dayer the next day. The crowd is not really a PZ/ EES crowd but the show was pretty cool & it was nice to meet some of the Peter Pan Speedrock crew who are the promoters here.

Much more punk than last night & a good vibe in the place. Finally we got a bit of rock n roll behaviour on the tour when Green ripped the coat hook from the wall...not sure why, tho’ I did hear him muttering something about the size of the bread & brown M & Ms.

We crash in the flat above the venue & get up at 10ish to head for Den Haag & the first of two festivals on Saturday.

More of which later.

Apologies for the gap between blogs, internet access has been a bit shit of late!
ネット環境悪くブログ更新出来ずにすんません、ツアマネ、ダンでおま。
Well on account of the staying up & talking shit business last night we didn’t really get around to too much or indeed any culture today.
うーん、なんて書いてるかわかりまへんが、大した事ではおまへん。読み飛ばしてくれなはれ。
Got up around mid day, spent a couple of hours in the laundrette where Gian got a bit of drum practice in  & then drove past the Ampitheatre which seemed to be mostly covered in grass so I decided not to get dropped off.

お昼ぐらいに起きて、コインランドリーへ。ジャイアンは真面目にドラムの練習してはった。帰りに円形劇場の前を通ったけど、芝生が密集しててほったからし。いいのかね。

In the evening we went out for some top Chinese scoff in town & then settled down for a quiet night in.
そいで夕方には夕食を食べに近くの中華料理屋に行きましてん。おいしかったですわ。
It is nice to have a proper day off without even any driving to do. We have one more rest day on the tour but it is after Groningen & the next date is Montpellier which is something like 13 hours away so most of that day will be spent in the van.
全く移動のない休日はやっぱりいいですな。このツアーでもう一日休みがあるんですが、オランダのグローニンゲンというとこから次がフランスのモンペリエという13時間かかるところで一日中、車の中ですわ。
Tomorrow we head back to Hamburg, it is good to be back in Germany even if it is for just a couple of days.
明日はハンブルグへ。２、３日とはいえ、ドイツに帰って来れてよかったですわ。
One last thing regarding Trier...after the show when I was settling up with the promoter he said it must be nice to tour with EES & Peelander because they are so polite!!!.... I think we need to start trashing some hotel rooms!
最後にトリエラに感謝。ショーの後、プロモーターがピーランダーとEESは礼儀正しいからツアーは楽しいでしょうって言ってきはりましたわ。こりゃホテルの部屋めちゃくちゃにするぐらいやり始めな、ロックンローラーの名折れですな。

.....
Up bright & early for the longish drive up to Hamburg. We loaded out last night in preparation. We have picked up all the merch that we left in Trier for the Swiss gigs so it was quite a squeeze to get everything in.  We need room to breathe in the van so if you are coming to a show, PLEASE buy some merch! Buy some Peelander merch for your mom!
翌日早めに起きてハンブルグまでロングドライブ。前夜に機材積んでおきましてんけど、トリエラに置いていった物販とかも全部積んだので本当に機材車満載でおま。なんとかしたいからとにかく物販買って！あんたのお母さん用にな。

Tonight’s show is in Hafenklang down near the harbour...Hafen being German for Harbour fact fans.
今夜のショーは港の近くのHafenklang。Hafenはドイツで港の意味ですわ。

 

Before the show we are treated to some ace veggie scoff which is great for me & Green claims to be impressed too but I’m not sure it suits the EES contingent. They go out for Kebabs after the show to maintain their kill count.
ショーの前にめっちゃうまいベジタリアンフードが出まして、私は大満足。ピーランダーグリーンも同意してくれましたが、EESの皆には物足りなかったようで、ライブの後、ケバブを食べにいきよりましたわ。
Peelander had to work hard to get the crowd going tonight but eventually won them over. Judging by the number of old shirts in attendance I think this was very much a returning EES crowd.
ピーランダーは静かなお客さんばっかりで大変だったけど、なんとか最後は爆笑に持っていきましたわ。古いEESのTシャツを着てる客が多かったから多分、皆待っててくれたんやね。ありがと。
Hafenklang has a really nice band flat next door & at 10am they make us breakfast before the drive back south for an early load in at Dusseldorf. Apparantly our soundcheck has to be early because of a theatre production in the same venue.
Hafenlangはえらく良い宿泊所持ってましてなあ。10時に朝食も作ってくれて同じ道をデュッセルドルフまで戻り始めましてん。劇場のロビーでやる為、サウンドチェックが異様に早かったんですわ。
We get to the venue (FFT) a bit late & discover it is a theatre/ arts centre kinda place with a noise limit which they inform us about after we have finished the sound check so we have to start again with Peelander.
ちょっと遅れて到着したFTTはシアターってかアートセンターみたいなとこで、ノイズ制限と劇場の催し物が終わるまで音がだせないのれす。
With have a very posh dressing room but the internet access doesn’t work & there’s no food yet...time to trash the place methinks.
ちゃんとした楽屋があるけどネットは繋がらないし、ケータリングもなし。早速ロックンローラー、ダンが登場か？？
It’s sushi for tea tonight. To quote Green, “raw fish is a stupid idea”...so nice to hear that from a Japanese person...I like Green...Yellow on the other hand is a motherfucker. (Incidentally, note to promoter...don’t boast about how you have bought from the most expensive sushi place in Dusseldorf if you are going to hand us the bill at the end of the night...sheesh!)
今夜はお茶にお寿司。ピーランダーグリーンによると「生魚なんて馬鹿げてる」いやあ、日本人の口からそれが聞けるとは。グリーン君、めっちゃ好き。それに比べてイエローは嫌い。（しかもプロモーターがいかに高級な寿司を買って来たか自慢したけど、その後で伝票持ってきやがった！フッワァックー！）
The venue was really quiet until 5 mins before PZ took to the stage...where was everyone? Eventually a decent crowd showed up & really got involved in the show. Over the course of the night I gradually nudged the sound past the 100dB limit & I think we finished much closer to a more acceptable 110. The house guy was standing next to me doing lights & was kind enough to turn a blind eye.
ライブ開始５分前まで静かだったけど、ピーランダーがステージあがった瞬間、急に人がぞぞっと（どこにいたんかなあ？）一番盛り上がったかも。音量制限も無視してでかい音出したった。

So, in summary, great crowd, iffy venue.
After the show we walked round half of Dusseldorf looking for a place to eat & just as we were giving up & heading for Macdonalds we found an ace little Greek place that welcomed us in & provided some awesome scoff to compensate for the meagre offerings at FFT.
ベニューはダメだったけど観客が素晴らしくて救われたなあ。
さすがにお腹すいたので深夜のデュッセルドルフを徘徊し、ようやくマクドナルドの光が見えた横に普通の食堂がまだオープンしてるのを発見！料理もうまかったし、１時間近くさまよったけど良かった〜。

Better still on the way home I found a shop selling PG Tips but I am worried because tomorrow is a public holiday & it may not be open...lost a good deal of sleep over that one!
途中にPGティップスの売ってる店を発見したけど、明日は祝日らしい。開いてるかどうか心配。神様、お願い。（胸の前で両手を組みながら）

To finish off a really good gig experience the good people of Bad Bonn put us up in a top quality hotel last night & we didn’t have to get up for brekky til nearly 12 so every one was well rested for the short drive to Laufen.
はい、真面目にブログ更新。ツアマネ、ダンです。昨日のフェス、Bad Bonnのライブは本当に良かったぜ。スタッフは皆良い奴らで、かなり良いホテルも用意してくれて、チェックアウトもお昼だったので、ゆっくり休めたぜ。
This involved a steep climb into the hills which didn’t impress our poor little van’s engine so we gave it a rest & a chance to cool down at a viewing point near the top before making the descent into Laufen.
Laufen行くまでは結構な山道。機材車もエンジン積み替えたものの大事を取って、山の山頂近くの休憩所で一服。この辺は尾道ラーメンが食べれるそうです。嘘。

Laufen is a very small town & these gigs can go either way. Either they are completely dead or they are awesome because there is nothing else to do in town so everyone comes out, gets drunk & has a good time. Fortunately in Laufen it seems to be the latter.
Laufenはすごい小さな町でこの手の町でのライブは良い時と悪い時が極端やねんなあ。全く人が来えへんか、他にする事ないからやたら盛り上がるかやねんなあ。このLaufenは幸いにも後者だったぜ。
On the down side they do adhere to the 100dB limit there which makes life a bit tricky when the guitar amp sounds a bit shit unless it is 100dB on its own. Sound check therefore took a while but with the help of the local guys we got a workable sound.
その一方でやはり100dbの音量制限で結構大変やった。なんせギターアンプ鳴らした時点で100db超えてんもん。なんでサウンドチェックは時間かかったけど、ハコのPAが助けてくれたんで、なんとか良い感じになったわ。
The crowd here loved Peelander which was great to see. In Luzern & Winterthur they had to work really hard to get a response but in Bad Bonn & even more so last night the crowd really went for it which really makes a difference. They are not the kind of band you can just stand & watch...the crowd has to be part of the show too. Maybe big city crowds are just too ‘cool’?
この日はピーランダー、めっちゃうけてたなあ。LuzernとWinterthurはがんばって乗せてた感じやったけど、こことBad Bonnはオーディエンスが自然と乗って来ててえらい違った。彼らのショーは観客は完全参加型、ただぼさっと立って観てるだけじゃオモロないからね。やっぱ都会より田舎やね。
After a leaving shot of Jagermeister (except for your scribe who is on night time driving duties) another great hotel was provided just down the road in ‘downtown’ Laufen. So after a good night’s sleep we are now about to leave for super rock country Germany....
最後にイエーガーマイスターのショットの洗礼を受けてから、すぐ下ってホテルへ。また感じのいいホテル。そしていよいよロック大国、ドイツへ。
Switzerland is cool with some amazing scenery & we had some really good shows there but it’s all a bit conservative e for my taste. Looking forward to Germany where you are at liberty to deafen yourselves & drive at stupid high speed on the Autobahn (sure enough almost as soon as we entered Germany we saw a nasty lorry crash!).
スイスは景色が奇麗だし、ショーも良かったけど、俺にとってはちょっと保守的やったなあ。やっぱ、ドイツは音量もがんがん出せるし、車もアホみたいにスピード出せるからね。（って言ってる矢先にタンクローリーが反対車線で事故ってたわ）
I can’t believe the amount of people in Switzerland who still wear ear plugs to these quiet shows. Remember the words of the Nuge...”If it’s too loud, you’re too old”.
それにしてもスイス人はあの音量制限バリバリのライブで耳栓付けて観てたで。信じられへん。テッドニュージェントが言ってたで。「もし音デカイなあって思ったら歳取った証拠やで。」って。

We left Laufen pretty early to allow for a lunch break & any trouble at Customs. As it turned out we got all our tax money back at the border with very little hassle. That was a pleasant surprise. We stopped for a cuppa in a small town called Wasselonne near the border.
結構早めに出たし、税関でも全く問題なかったので、途中フランスの小さな町のカフェでティーブレイク。税金の先払いを払い戻してもらうのにちょっとめんどくさい思いをしたけど。無事タックスフリーで通過。

As you no doubt aware Johnny Foreigner has come along in leaps & bounds culturally in recent years but sadly he / she still has no idea how to make a decent cup of tea so I have taken the wise precaution on this tour of carrying a supply of PG Tips. I honestly believe the PG Tips pyramid tea bag is the peak of human endeavour...it’s all down hill from here.
もうツアー慣れして久しい俺ぐらいになるとマイ紅茶を持ち歩くようにしてるのさ。なんせヨーロッパの紅茶はまずいからねえ。やっぱPGティップスでしょ。リプトン？ふざけんな！
Fortunately when I order tea abroad it often comes as hot water with a nasty little bag of dry leaves on the side so I can make the substitution to the tea of the gods.
幸いにもヨーロッパでは紅茶頼むと熱湯としょーもないティーバッグが別々に出てくるので、PGティップスのティーバッグさえ持ち歩いてたらいつでも最高の紅茶が飲めるってわけ。
Aaaanyway, back to the tour. Tonight’s show is in a celler bar in a venue called Ex Haus in Trier. This is a graffiti covered arts centre in an old monastery on the outskirts of town. Another great show (including a Motley Crue cover from EES!) with a very enthusiastic crowd & a good merch day.
お、脱線。今夜のショーはTrierという町のEx Haus。古い学校を改造した落書きだらけのカルチャー施設って感じのところ。たまたまモトリークルーのTシャツ着てた奴がいてたからってライブワイヤー炸裂！ええショーやったわ。

We will stay here for a couple of nights in the band flat which gives us a full day off for the only time on the tour...no gigs & no driving so I get to have a beer after the show (which Kazuto steals as soon as I put it down!) & we sit up til the early hours talking shit & watching Peelander videos. Tomorrow is laundry day & hopefully some time for an explore of Trier which has a Roman gate & Ampitheatre which look pretty cool if you like that culture stuff.
そしてそのままベニューの上のバンドアパートメントに連泊させてもらって、ツアー唯一の移動なしの一日完全off！運転もないから俺もライブの後ビールが飲めるってわけ（いきなり置いてたらカズトに取られたけど）。そしてピーランダーのビデオを観ながらわいわい打ち上げ。明日は洗濯とちょっと観光出来ればええなあ。Torierってローマ時代からの由緒ある町らしいわ。
Apologies for the rubbish pictures in this blog.
今回の写真はあんま良くなかったなあ。ごめんね。

Last night was much more fun...it’s nice to know some Swiss venues are willing to stick it to the Swiss Man & crank up the PA a bit. It makes my job a hell of a lot easier. Aki said tonight was 100 times better than the first night which I have decided to take as a compliment but it does give an indication of what he thought of my first effort! (Well in my defence I barely turned the PA on in Winterthur).
昨晩はもっと楽しかったで～す。スイスにも音量制限を気にしないベニューがあるってわかってうれしいで～す。おかげで仕事が100倍やりやすかったで～す。アキも100倍やり易かった言ってくれましたし、私の仕事を彼がどう思ってるか、ちゃんと教えてもらえてありがたいで～す。（ウインターツアーでPAほとんど出せなかったいい訳ですけどね～）
Top scoff too.
今夜も素晴らしいディナーで～す。

Spent the night in the local Etap, following a bit of a panic when Green lost his passport. Fortunately it was found in the hotel lobby.
前日に続 き、Etapで宿泊。部屋に入った途端、ピーランダーグリーン君のパスポート紛失騒ぎで一時騒然となりましたが、無事ロビーで発見されまし～た。
Just a couple of hours in the van next morning (would have been less but Aki got lost...AGAIN!) & we were down in Bad Bonn for the Kilbi Festival.
翌日はわずか２時間ほどドライブで数年前にも出演したBad Bonn Festivalへ。（もうちょっと短いかと思ってたけど、またアキが道間違えまし～た）
This is more like it, a very friendly crew, awesome veggie scoff, more drink than anyone could reasonably be expected to handle & a PA that is allowed to approach 11.
このフェスは最高で～す。スタッフは親切だし、ケータリングはベジタリアンフード！ドリンクもたっぷり。そして誰も音量制限なんて気にして ないようで～す！
A great crowd too, for both bands so everyone is in a good mood. Plus we have finished work by 9pm & can enjoy the rest of the fest.
そして観客も素晴らしかったで～す。ピーランダーもイールショックも良い感じでした。しかも両バンド終了してもまだ夜の９時！後はフェ スを十分楽しみまし～た。
Bad Bonn Kilbi is in a little town called Dudingen just south of Berne & situated by a nice lake which Aki informed me is stocked with Perch. A very chilled time is being had by all.
Bad Bonn KilbiはDudingenというBernの南に位置する小さな町で行われてまして、小さな湖が近くにあり、アキが私にパーチの大群を見せてくれまし～ た。素晴らしいリラックスした時間でし～た。

Also Aki has made a new friend.
そしてアキは新し い友達を見つけたようで～す。

 

We thought that we left Trier in good time to comfortably make our get in time for the first show at Winterhur, Gaswerk but unfortunately our map software doesn’t take into account Police & Customs.
はい！ツアマネ、ダンで～す。カズトが和訳遅れてごめんなさ～い。これからはもっと早くやらせるようにしま～す。
こないだの続きで～す。初日スイスのウィンターツアーという町のGaswerk（ガス工事屋？）というライブハウスに向けて、トリエラのモーテルをちょうどいい時間に出たはずなのに、残念ながら私たちの地図には職務質問や税関で停められる時間は入ってなかったようで～す。
About half way to the Swiss border we started getting tailed by the Filth & at the next services they pulled ahead & ushered us in for the usual pointless drugs search...not really our scene. Alcoholics, yes but not junkies.
スイス国境へ向かう途中、突然、ポリスに停められ職務質問を受けまし～た。どうやらバンドマン、ドラッグ持ってると確信してるのか、全員ボディチェックで～す。勿論、私たちはクリーンで～す。お酒は大好きで～すが。
Next stop was the Swiss border where because it is a non EU country you have to pay tax on any merch you are carrying. This is an annoyingly drawn out process that netted the Swiss government almost £200 in our case...well worth their while I’m sure.
お次はスイス国境で～す。ここはEU圏外なので、物販の持ち込みには税金がかかりま～す。といっても私たちのような200ポンドに満たないような税金を取る為にこれだけの人々を動かすなんて、まさしく税金の無駄遣いですけど～ね。
When asking if we spoke German & discovering that we didn’t I’m fairly sure that after saying it was lucky that he spoke English the customs guy added a friendly “Fuck You”...Welcome to Switzerland!!!
そして税関員は私たちにドイツ語をしゃべれるかと質問し、僕らがしゃべれないとわかると自分が英語をしゃべれる事をラッキーだねと前置きし、親しげに「Fxxk You」と付け加えまし～た。wow、まさに「スイスへようこそ！」
So on to Gaswerk which oddly is sign posted from the main road but not on the outside of the building itself?? Sound check is interesting...they have very strict noise limits in Switzerland keeping the sound below 100 dB. Eel Shock are louder than this before I even turn the PA on!!
何故かGaswerkはメインロードからサインを出してるくせに、自分の建物の外にはサインがないで～す。変なの。そしてサウンドチェックでもスイスは厳しい音量制限があり、100dbを超えてはなりませ～ん。イールショックは私がPA卓を立ち上げる前に既に超えてま～す！
What with the noise & customs hassles I don’t think Switzerland really likes rock n roll...except maybe the mighty Krokus.
クロークスという有名バンドを抱えてるものの、税関や音量制限を考えてもスイス人が本当にロック好きかは怪しいもので～す。
After much compression & turning down of amps we finally get a workable sound & go off for some scoff...plenty of chocolate on offer but comely milk maids are sadly lacking & not a cuckoo clock in sight god dammit.
なんとかコンプやアンプの音を下げさせて、ようやくなんとか出来そうなとこまでチェックして、ディナーへ向かいま～す。チョコレートが有名なスイスですが、鳩時計は残念ながら見かけませんでした。日本人の皆さんにはあまりピンと来ませんよ～ね。
Once the show started & there were a few people in the sound is a bit more manageable & Peelander put on a great show to a somewhat confused crowd. I won’t go into detail in case you are coming to the show...best to see them without prior knowledge I think.
一旦、ショーが始まってしまうと、観客が音を吸ってくれるので、結構やりやすくなりまし～た。そしてまだおどおどしてる観客にピーランダーZがごっついショーをかましてくれまし～た。ピーランダーのライブを観たいなと思ってる人に多くを語りたくありませ～ン。変な知識つけるよりもまずいきなり彼らを観た方がいいと思いま～す。
EES having done there one man show recently means that they can play some really old stuff on this tour. Today they did an audience request for SOS...I think it is 4 or 5 years since I last heard that.
イールショックはツアー前に日本で単独公演をやってきたようなので、このツアーはレアな古い曲を聴けそ～ですよ。この日はリクエストでなんとS.O.Sをやってました。最後に聞いたのは４～５年前だった気がしま～す。
Let us know what rarities you’d like to hear & where.
是非、どんな曲を聴きたいかリクエストしてくださ～いね。
After a night in the Etap we made the short drive to Luzern which is a beautiful looking town overlooked by the Alps. We arrived early & went for a walk around the lake...it is nice once in a while to actually see the towns we pass through!
この日はおなじみのEtapホテルに泊まり、次の地、Luzernへ。一時間半のショートドライブで、アルプスの麓のきれいな町。早く着きすぎたので湖で一休み。いつもはゆっくり観れないのでたまには観光もいいです～ね。

We are now in Bar59 which is a very cool little venue with a much more relaxed attitude to decibel levels which means I actually get to turn some mics on tonight!
そして今夜のベニュー、かなりかっこいいBar 59で～す。音量制限もそんなに厳しくないし、今夜はもうちょっとガツンといけそうで～す。
The house sound guy has just told me that he is off home...leaving me in charge of the PA...arer you sure????
しかも今夜のサウンドガイは私にPA任せて家に帰るって。。。ほんと～ですか？？
Here’s a picture of Gian showing his usual impeccable taste.
最後にジャイアンのかっこいいファッションをどうぞ。何のTシャツか知ってるでしょ？