Munich Show Day
The Backstage Club in Munich is actually a really well run club. We arrive late the night before we actually play and they have parking space put aside for us, power for the van, and leave an access code for us to get into the office overnight to work if we want to. I wish more places in the UK were like this.
So, anyway, show day...it’s all a bit strange...we’re playing in the bigger of the three rooms here, but we really should be in the smaller hall, we haven't sold close to enough tickets to be here. It’s a 1200 capacity room, and by the time we take to the stage there are maybe only 400 people in, so they’re not overly keen on coming down to the front.
Not quite sure why Mike's got that look on his face, but I'm guessing it's got something to do with where the other leg of the mic stand had gone.. 
As usual, it’s a few songs into our set before people start to get into it, and they are actually really getting into it tonight.
After the show, we’re in no hurry to go anywhere.. as I said, we’re in a little secure compound here, with power, so we’re quite settled. We can leave in the morning and still get to the next show no problem. So drinks are had, abuse is dished out in good spirits, and everyone goes to bed happy.
Aschaffenburg
I can't remember why the name of this venue rings alarm bells until we pull up out front of the club, then it all starts coming back to me. The last time I was here I ended up in a big fight with the club owner, and we were literally run out of town by the locals.
Thankfully, the club owner doesn’t seem to recognise me, which is strange in itself. Funny thing is, Jake, the guy doing all the merch for FFAF is the guy I had doing merch for me the last time we were here...so when I walk into the dressing room, he’s got the same worried look that I have. We have a good laugh about it all...
It’s a busy night, the crowd are all up for it, so it works out well for everyone.. smiles all around.
Prague
Another country, another different currency...it all gets a little confusing after a while. Prague is a really beautiful city, if you’ve never had the chance to visit, I do recommend it. Unfortunately, we’re not in the city centre for this show, we’re out in the sticks, in an old industrial area. I’m not sure what this building used to be, but it’s a nice old building.
Today is one of those strange gigs where the promoter is bending over backwards to keep us happy, but the actual gig it’s self isn't that great...you feel like you want to complain and kick up shit, but the people are nice, so you don’t want to make a scene, so we just get on with it.
It ends up a rocking little show, the kids are well up for it, so we give them what they want.
There's a bit of a party in the venue after the show, everyone having a good time, a few drinks, a good wind down to end the night. Jasons eating what's left of his dinner, which was a Pepperoni Pizza, when all of a sudden some raging drunk, radical vegan asshole gets all upset that he’s eating meat and there’s a bit of a scene. It’s all over in a flash as the club security guys haul the guy off to introduce him the the very big staircase that leads down to the front door. I don’t have any problems with veggies and vegans, but I don't shove meat in their faces, so I don’t expect them to try and rip it out of mine...
Paris
OK, just let me say straight up...I HATE Paris. Something always goes wrong on days we’re in Paris.
Today starts with no exception to that rule. We had the day off yesterday, so we broke up the journey from Prague with a stop in Strasbourg. We’re just on the outskirts of Paris as I’m crawling out of my bunk...my phone starts ringing. Just as I’m answering it, Mike shouts at me out of his bunk ‘Dude...Where’s Jason?’
Well, Jason is on the phone, calling me from Strasbourg, where we somehow managed to leave him behind when we left in the early hours of this morning. There’s a quick flurry of phone calls to try and figure out how we’re gonna get him back before the show tonight, and we eventually get him onto a train that will get him here in time...
One of the big problems in Paris is getting parked anywhere, it’s a nightmare. We pull up outside the venue and end up blocking the whole street, the road is so narrow. So it’s a case of throwing all the gear and bags out of the trailer and moving the van off to a big bus park outside of town.
Once we get the gear into the venue, we realise that Jason isn't the only thing we’ve managed to leave behind. Brendan cant find his kick drum pedal...he’s left it behind at the gig in Prague.
Ah...Paris...never lets me down…
While FFAF start to sound check, I head off to the train station to get Jason...he’s not very happy. The train station staff in Strasbourg were as helpful as French people usually are to English speakers, which means not at all...and the French don’t understand why people think they’re ignorant at times.
So we borrow a kick pedal from FFAF and do the show...as soon as we can we get back into the van and get out of the city before anything else goes wrong. Only one quick stop for the boys to see the Eifel Tower...
Schaffen
If there was still such a thing as a one horse town, this would be it. It’s literally only one main street with a few little side streets.
It would also seem once we get into the venue, that we’re playing in the local Scout Hall. Oh dear.
Still...a show is a show, and we have to get on and do what we can.
It ends up being a very strange little gig...for the size of the room we’re playing in, it’s actually quite busy. Unfortunately so busy that we’ve had to set up all the merch outside. Poor Jake the merch guy is freezing his balls off...it’s below freezing out there...
No gig pics tonight...place just wasnt big enough for me to get any decent ones...so here are the FFAF crew instead..
Jake the Merch Guy.. 
Brian the Guitar Tech.. 
Clem the Sound Man.. 
George.. obviously the Tour Manager with the phone stuck to the side of his head.. 
Other than that, everyone is quite happy to get out of Belgium and head for civilisation.
Luxembourg
Last Show!
This is another strange gig...it’s quite a big venue, a proper music venue, with all the facilities we need. Huge Car Park, with power for the buses, nice big stage, proper dressing rooms and backstage area...just not very many tickets sold.
We decide just to go for it, make sure what few people are there have a great night and go away talking about it all. The FFAF crew let us play for an extra 10 minutes (Thanks George and Brian) Mike uses the time to personally say thanks to everyone who’s been involved in the tour and make jokes about them.
When the show is over we all say our goodbyes, swap phone numbers and email addresses, then its back in the van for a long drive to London to put the band on a plane back to their sunny homes in LA...
All in all this has been a great little tour. We’ve had our misfortunes, but nothing that ever got us down...it’s been an adventure...
The Team 
From Left To Right..Colin, Brendan, Ryan, Chris, Stubbs, Gareth, Brad, Mike (front), George (back), Me, Matt, Jake (back), Clem (front), Brian, Darren, Jason.
Everyone at the back apart from me are standing on the drum riser...
