Away I go to Tokyo!

It's been a while since I've written. Not because nothing's been happening - it just seems that I need to have myself planted in an airplane seat before I find time to do certain things that I intend to! 

You may have seen in a post over the summer that King Diamond was booked to play Loudpark Festival in Tokyo. Talk of negotiations being in the works came out back while we were in Helsinki. I think I can speak for everyone when I say we were excited. None of the band or crew have ever been to Japan so this was an opportunity for all of us to see a new part of the world. I am always very grateful for the opportunity to travel that working for KD gives me. Japan is not somewhere I would ever plan to go on my own, and until now, didn't expect to go with the band. I don't take these opportunities lightly and have become more and more determined to take advantage of them to the fullest. That being said, there was no way I was going to Tokyo for a weekend.

Step 1. Change flight ticket for a later return date.

Step 2. Figure out the rest!

In the past year I have found some great ways to travel cheap. The downside of looking for bargains is it's time consuming. The past few weeks have been eaten up by countless hours emailing and researching places to stay. Just in time to go, I had my accommodations *mostly* figured out, but was happy that when I arrived In Japan there would be a couple days to iron out details while we prepared for, and played Loudpark - not to mention festival staff to greet me at the airport, take me to a hotel and feed me for a few days.

So the days before my departure were filled with the usual packing and preparing, and also cramming in work to launch a collaborative project that I will be telling you all about in a future post. To top it off my niece Christine, who I haven't seen in years, was in PA visiting from Arizona with her fiancé Anthony - so of course despite all I had on my plate I had to clear time to spend with them. I just wish it could have been more! I went to bed Wednesday night with a long list of things to get done the next day… you know, while I wasn't driving home an hour after seeing family, at work during the day, or in class that night. 

8:20 am Thursday. Yawwwn, wipe crust from eyes, check email. "Sorry for the result. Please stop taking flight for all crew."

Nooooooooo! Our show was cancelled due to all of our gear getting delayed in transit. (If you want to read the whole story go here: http://www.kingdiamondcoven.com/site/category/news/) Panic ensues. So begins the mental debate: Do I still go? I don't have a hotel - I need a place to stay! How much is this gonna cost? Should I still go? How will I get around? What do I know about Tokyo?? I don't know Japanese!!! Why I bother freaking out over things like this I'll never know, cause deep down I already knew I was getting on that plane.  

Which brings me to Friday - departure day. I've had 2 hours sleep and despite yesterday's mixed feelings, I am psyched to be writing from aboard ANA flight NH1. I am already loving the Japanese airline staff. Everyone is so polite and sweet and smiley. Why don't more people smile? It makes even dreadful events like stepping onto a plane for a 14 hour flight delightful - at least for a moment. I've already eaten with chop sticks and even my airline food was well decorated :)

This is going to be awesome!

Yay for leg room! Plus empty seat next to

me - bonus!

Subway signs. Apparently super hero pandas get very 

upset when their capes get caught in the doors.

Psyched to see right away that Halloween

is alive and kicking in Japan!

Always a good sign :)

Seemingly high-end jewelry store rocking the skulls

Where I will dwell my first 3 nights. 

Another bonus - no one is renting out the other beds !

Sleepless Nights

As it got closer to the end of tour I was no more ready to go home than I was during the previous months. It is for that reason, I'm convinced that the series of events during my last 2 days overseas was the universe' way of mentally preparing me for retreating to the US. Normally, at the end of a tour we depart wherever we are as soon as possible. Often this means flying on no sleep and parting ways in a whirlwind so fast that I don't feel like I got to say a proper goodbye to my road family. Last year after playing Hellfest I extended my stay in France a couple days. It worked out so well that I planned ahead to stay in the UK an extra day. I would stay at Bloodstock, have one last hurrah watching 3 Inches of Blood and Lamb of God, then head back to Philadelphia. Or so I thought…

For starters, our hotel was about an hour away from the festival. Not only that, it was an hour away from Birmingham Airport, in the opposite direction. Normally there are shuttles providing transport between festival sites, hotels and airports and it isn't too difficult to hop a ride with another band. But because Bloodstock is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, this was not the case. I reached out to friends playing on Saturday and to the festival organizers for help, but after several days of trying to find a way to get around, it was becoming apparent that I was not going to be able to attend the fest on Saturday and be able to make it to the airport early Sunday morning.

Admitting defeat, I hit the production office so I could get online and look for a place to stay one last night in Birmingham. I found a few spots but had to pack up and get ready for the show before I had time to book a room. I met some cool peeps at this show, unfortunately missed seeing some other friends, and was reunited with the Bloodbound boys. I opted to stay on the bus that night so I could have some extra time to hang out and get some time in with the crew. That backfired on me tho as I was running around until after the crew was asleep, and the snores made it impossible for me to get any zzz's! Ok, my anxiety of not having all my plans finalized may have been cause for some trouble sleeping as well ;)

After a sleepless night we drove to the hotel to pick up the others and say our goodbyes. I had 2 hours to book a room in Birmingham and get some sleep before catching a cab to the train station… so of course I couldn't get online. One hour later, after 3 trips to the lobby, I finally had a room reserved for that night. Determined to get a little rest I plopped into bed - only to be disturbed by a knock on the door not once, but twice during my 60 minute window. So much for sleep!

It was time to jump in a cab and catch the train to Birmingham. At this point I was traveling with all my luggage - 3 months of personal items and all my stage gear adds up to a lot of lugging! I spent half the ride listening to a group of loud English boys boasting about their various drunken adventures - something about hearing this conversation in an English accent just seemed so cliché. The train let me out at the airport and I grabbed just enough cash to get me to the hotel and back, and a little something to eat. I based the amount of course on the fact that booking.com told me the hotel was 3.7 miles from the airport. All I wanted after all was an inexpensive place to stay where I could shower, re-pack my bags and get some sleep, while being as close to the airport as possible.

So that plan was foiled when I was in the taxi and it kept driving and driving. Turned out the hotel was actually 10 miles away and therefor the fare ate up all the money I had just taken out. I entered the lodge and was quickly confused by the lack of a front desk. After poking around I managed to find a guy behind the bar. He gave my my key, remote, and then restarted the internet for me after I checked in and found it not working. After a while I decided to take a walk to a supermarket where I could get some food and take out more cash for the morning cab ride. This of course annoyed me because I was not only spending more money on cabs than I expected but because I was now doubling up on ATM fees (if only their taxis took credit cards!).

After walking back to the hotel I began re-packing and checked my email. I found a note from the airline saying my flight was overbooked. At this point I was set to head home but knowing that people often get compensated very well when this happens, I opened up Skype and gave them a call. They offered me a $600 voucher in exchange for flying the next day on an indirect flight. They would not provide a hotel so I said I'd think about it and call them back. Either way, I was flying to Germany first so I started to look for a place to spend the night in Frankfurt… then the internet went out.

I returned to packing hoping that it would come back up soon. It was at this point I realized that the cash I got on my supermarket walk was gone. Nowhere to be found, must have fallen out of my pocket. Now I was pissed. Between the cab fares and loosing money, I could have stayed at a much nicer place next to the airport. Eventually I headed to the bar to see if someone could do something about the wifi.

So apparently, this place is all the rage on a Saturday night. There was a cover band playing terrible music at a deafening level. Seriously? I just got done touring with a heavy metal band and THIS is killing my ears?? I exchanged screams with the bartender and figured I better ask him now to schedule 6:30 am cab for me. He preferred to just give me the number. Um, no. I explained that I actually needed him to call because I could only use my computer to do so and the internet was down!

I was now stewing back in my room. All I wanted to do was get some sleep but I still needed to figure out what was happening with my flight and where I could stay. This place was now not cheap, close to the airport, or allowing me to get the rest I wanted. I needed to get online to sort out my trip and check into my flight. After several trips to the bar I grabbed my computer to sit in there, holding my ears, to attempt to get some wifi. It took a while, but eventually I was able to get some stuff done, but there was no way I could call the airline back with all the noise. I would just have to talk to them when I got to the airport.

So morning came and I gathered my things and went to check out. I should have known that would be too easy… There was a door between the rooms and the bar, and it was locked. How the hell do I even get out of the building??!! After some investigating I found a door to a deck area and made it to the outside that way. Of course, there I waited and just as I feared, no cab showed up. GGGGRRRRRR!!!! I banged on the door but no one answered. My only hope was to wander the halls with my computer and try skyping the hotel. Whew! Someone picked up and after getting cut off 4 or 5 times I managed to get across "I need a taxi!".

After stopping at yet another ATM, I reached the airport where they told me I had a seat all the way to Philadelphia. I didn't trust it was true since I had to switch planes in Germany and my second flight was with another airline - the one who said it was overbooked. I also hoped it wasn't true cause at this point I wanted the voucher. In the end I did fly all the way home, only after running thru Frankfurt to catch my connection which was already boarding before I stepped off the first plane. 

I was done for when I reached PHL. I had been trying to get a message to my bat girl Susanna during my travels but had no idea if any of them went thru. All I had to call with was the last bit of a pre-paid Dutch sim card. Thankfully, I made the call and had just enough credit to let her know "I'm here!" before getting cut off. The last thing I felt like was one more cab ride, and 20 minutes later, I could't have been happier to see a friendly face :)

So that is how I ended tho tour. I was going to spare you all the details but a lot of people asked me what went wrong in the UK. My 3 months is Europe were awesome. I worked with amazing people and was thrilled with my solo excursions. Now it's back to life in Philly. This is the first time I am returning from tour and not going back to my old job. I'm returning with a new outlook and a new venture into freelance design. I'm anxious to get into the studio and work on my own artwork, and of course see all the peeps I've been missing!

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I'm realizing I barely took any pictures of my 

peeps on the road :( so here is a ad one, of a 

good guy - Matt Thompson!

Bloodstock set us up in a hotel that used 
to be a church.

The queen may have slept here, but I didn't!

A blurry shot of Henrik and Patrik of Bloodbound.

Sébastien Blaize - guitars, drums, and microwaves!

Birmingham's Best

When my off time in Amsterdam was over I met up with the crew and shuttled off to Tilburg to play the 013. We've played there twice before but the town looked much different from what I remembered. Apparently it wasn't just me - there is a new area right around the club full of bars and restaurants.  Its a cool spot to grab some dinner, go see a show, and continue the party afterward. We were all rejuvenated after the break and glad to be playing again. I tend to like the club shows better. Each one is different but there is just something about the energy a crowd brings when they are crammed inside to see you. So that day I woke up, took in a run, saw some familiar faces at our meet-n-greet, had a blast playing the show, then hung with the guys and friends for one of the last party nights of the tour. All in all, a great day!

After Tilburg there was just one more stop - Bloodstock in the UK. The day before the show was ours to spend in Birmingham. I'd never been there before so you know I was eager to check it out. I stopped in Brew Dog Brewery's bar - I've seen a couple of their beers in Philly and I am a fan of their graphic design. *Design nerd alert!* What can I say? I've seen their IPAs in my home town, but I that's too much hops for me. In this case it's the label I love! I did enjoy trying the "Fake Lager" tho :)

Matt suggested we leave there and go around the corner to a "proper pub". We stepped into The Crown. It did indeed have the feel of a true English pub. Nothing special - a few locals, a friendly bartender, and decent priced pints… That is, until Matt struck up conversation with the barmaid who assumed we were there because we heard it was were Ozzy played his first show.

WHAT??!! We had no idea! The GM took us upstairs to see where it all happened (only after promising to be careful and not sue if anything happened, we are American after all). The old room was completely run down. Nothing had happened up there for years, except some duct work installation for the heat on the lower lever. A thick layer of dust covered the broken floor boards and tables strewn about. It was pretty much the coolest thing ever. Old gig posters are still on the walls, and the small stage intact. The manager was ashamed that nothing had been done to preserve the place. Matt kept telling him they should fix it up as a tribute and collect the tourist dollars. They probably should - but I am so grateful I got to see it before that ever happens. What a totally random, incredible treat!

Back at the hotel we were joined by Brian Slagel, CEO of Metal Blade Records and all around nice guy. We excitedly talked about future plans for the band and bussed away from Birmingham amped up for the last show of the tour.

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Not the craziest building in Birmingham, 

but pretty unique indeed.

View of the stage, now obstructed by some pesky ducts.

We were officially on an Ozzy kick - 

had to go find the star next.

Will Work for Metal

When doing graphic design work, it's always a treat when I get a project that I especially enjoy. I recently spoke with guitarist Bob Ballinger about creating a new logo for his band Power Theory. The band has been going through some changes and it was the perfect time to improve the look as well. The timing was great for me too. Being surrounded by metal bands provides the perfect atmosphere for creating a new metal design. Now that the logo is done I'm looking forward to getting back home and meeting Bob face to face! Check them out online for tour dates as well as new album news coming soon.

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Power Theory

Power Theory on Facebook

Hang Time in Amsterdam

After Metal Days we had some time before we were due to play Tilburg so I took one last opportunity to do some traveling on my own. I had only been to Amsterdam once for an evening so it immediately popped into mind as a place to spend some time. I used couchsurfing.com to find a place to stay my first few nights. My host wound up being an awesome, really interesting guy named Cleverson. This Brazilian born, 9 year Amsterdam resident looks like a pretty extreme guy. Big, muscular build, waist-long dreds, stretched ears, and tattoos on his face… this look doesn't phase me but it makes me laugh to think that many people would be suspicious of a man with his appearance. Meanwhile, this animal-loving vegetarian, doesn't drink, smoke, do any drugs, keeps a tidy apartment, and was in the midst of purchasing some investment real estate while I was there. I can't help but love when people squash stereotypes. Cleverson was a generous host and great company, telling me his tales of world travel. His roommate Bruno was also very nice, but the real treat was getting to hang with his Rottweiler, Jimmy :)

3 days in, I left West Amsterdam and headed to my next residence up north by the docks. Amsterdam is a busy city and Gay Pride was bringing even more people into town, so I found my second place to stay through airbnb.com. This place had a very different atmosphere - a modern apartment in a very quiet neighborhood. My host Ken was also a friendly guy who worked from home helping companies out with their branding and collateral. From this location I could easily hop the tram downtown, and even better, borrow a bike and cruise around the city. I visited the Rijks Museum, and while there was a slew of super impressive work, looking at all the classical artwork reminded me that I'm really more interested in contemporary art. Unfortunately I never made it to the Stedelijk Museum, but I did wander into quite a few galleries and saw some really cool work along the way.

One thing I did not expect to do during my visit was go to the beach. There was one exceptionally hot day while I was at Ken's, and lucky for me, a Bjilburg Beach was just a tram ride away. It was no Catalunya, but it was pretty cool to find a spot so close to the city to enjoy the water. It was really more of a lake, and the water only got about 2 feet deep, but it was a beach! People came from all over to claim their spot on the sand - even tho it was a bit like dirt. It made me smile when I imagined the same place but in Philly - tattoos and PBRs as far as the eye could see - and I'd probably be having an awesome time there with my friends :)

The best part of going to Amsterdam tho was reconnecting with an old friend. David German, "the Knife", now "the Germ" played drums for Shadows Fall back in 2000 when they supported King Diamond on the US House of God tour. It's been 12 years since I last saw Dave when I went to Brooklyn to watch his final show with the Shads. Through the wonders of Facebook, I found him last year living in Amsterdam, married to a lovely lady named Lana and playing in a punk/reggee band, Jaya the Cat. After all this time it was SO great to be reminded why it was so much fun touring together years ago - I forgot how funny that fool is! I had a blast getting reacquainted, hanging with his better half, and tearing up Amsterdam with the Jaya guys. Can't wait to see you again!

My favorite section of the Rijks Museum was the 
Asian Collection

Random Amsterdam park alligators!

I was super lucky to spend a night cruising the canals 
with Amsterdam friends!

Shore decor is a bit different here than in Jersey!

Sun!

Ljubljana - Who knew?!

I never heard of Ljubljana before I booked my flight there to meet up with the band to play Metal Days Festival. I arrived 2 days before and hit rehearsals. Having had no sleep leading up to my flight there, my first night was fairly uneventful, and the next day was filled with costume washing, catching up on sleep, and booking future travel plans. I did venture out that night tho to grab something to eat. I of course had checked happycow.com and was pleased to see that Ljubljana had many veggie restaurants, unfortunately, it was late and they all seemed to close pretty early. I wanted to wander a bit anyway so I stopped at reception, grabbed a map and hit the street. 

Wow! What a great little city. Just a short walk from the hotel was the main street leading to the town square. The woman at reception told me "it's beautiful at night and people talk to each other there, face to face!". I laughed at her comment, but it was true that there was a friendly, festive feeling in the air. As I ventured further I noticed a lot of street art, and a cool creative city vibe for a pretty small town. Even better, I also noticed a sign that read "VEGAN" and stepped in to grab some grub. 

Available outside seating was limited to a large table, so when I sat I told the waiter I'd take the table and if anyone wants, they can join me. Minutes later a girl came along, was seated with me and we wound up hanging out the rest of the night. From Finland, she spoke excellent English and was about half my age and traveling alone for the first time. We swapped stories of travel and life, discussed theories regarding gender perception, how people treat each other, and how, if ever, society's deeply rooted thought processes can be altered. I was impressed. Barely in her twenties, she was the most intelligent person I've encountered in a long time. After hours of talking we said goodnight and I realized I never even got her name!

But back to the task at hand… Friday came and it was time to head to the venue. We took shuttle vans 2 and a half hours west, up the mountain to the fest. The ride was windey, bumpy, even a bit car-sickening, but the views were breathtaking. Blue skies over snow capped mountains in the distance; tree covered hills all around. The road followed the river which was a bright green color like no water I've seen before. Were we really headed to a metal show? Upon arrival, it just got better. I addition to the setting I just described, there was a beach where 2 rivers met. The temps were in the upper 80's and plenty of people were taking advantage of the cold water. Standing there on the rocky beach, I also had a metal bar with Testament playing over the PA behind me to my left, and a 24/7 vegan food truck behind me to my right. Could it get any better?! Lastly, back up by the dressing rooms, I watched all day as parachutes filled the sky. One after another parasailers launched from the peak directly behind the stage. At one point I counted 23 in the air. To me this seemed very similar to hangliding which I've always wanted to try. Between that, the great vibe in Ljubljana and everything I was loving about the fest, I pretty much spent all day planning to come back and take full advantage of them all :)

As quickly as we arrived tho it was time to leave. Most of us had early flights in the morning so we had to pack up and start driving right away. Another sleepless night of travel. Sorry fellow flyers for showing up with half my stage makeup still on - probably a pretty confusing sight for many so early in the morning!

I dunno anything about this door but I
want to find out!

Mike Wead hanging out at what is probably the prettiest
hotel terrace ever.

Pretty sweet spot to relax before the bands go on.

Awwwwww yea!

The small stage - saw Candlemass here at the end of the night.
Nothing like rocking out right in the middle of the woods :)

Sunny Days in Catalunya

One of the best parts of being in Catalunya over the break was that Andy and his family were also on vacation just down the road. Whenever I had the chance, I met up with him and his better half, Pernilla for some fun. It was a quite the change of pace swapping stage gear for bathing suits and hitting the beach with my metal family. Highlights - soaking up the sun, warm waves, cold cocktails - pretty much all we needed!

We did also take a drive, along with our guides Jordi and Albert, up to a couple really cool spots in the mountains. The first was to visit an ancient dolmen in the middle of a cork tree forrest. Let me tell you, cork trees make for a really cool forrest. Their twisted limbs and spotty color make for quite a gothic feeling atmosphere - quite magical! I was told to lay in the dolmen to feel the energy of spirits that had passed through, but with a group of people around I wasn't able to relax enough to really get into it. It would be an great spot to go back and hike tho. We also visited one more dolmen at the top of a mountain. The view from the peak was incredible! It was a hazy day but we could still see all of Spain (or close to it :) The ride to the top was also pretty cool - would be super fun on a motorcycle. If you go, just don't go with Albert because he drives like a maniac!

Chillin Platja d'Aro style.

Compliments of the 3rd best gin mixologist in the WORLD!

Cork trees :)

Dolmen de la Cova d'en Daina

At the top of Spain!

My last day on the beach - must get sun!

Quite possibly the best piña colada I've ever had 

- on the beach at Sant Feliu de Guixols.

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Livin It Up at the Hotel... Golf Costa Brava

I have been keeping myself busy in Spain hanging out at Hotel Golf Costa Brava. In exchange for hosting me I have been working on a blog for the hotel. It was so cool of the director, Albert, to let me stay here that I was happy to do whatever I could to get the place some attention. I like supporting good people in their business. I hope by writing the blog for the hotel I'll encourage other people to do the same.

Aside from life at the hotel, I have managed to get around town a bit. Jordi has carted me a few places and invited me along on a couple boat trips. His friend Jan has a small boat one town over in Sant Feliu de Guixols. Jan is a super nice guy who is doing waaaay better at learning a second language that I am. Earlier this year he didn't know a word of English. He went to England for 4 months and can now converse quite well. He was happy to have me to practice with and I was happy I didn't have to try and speak Spanish!

I actually told myself I would study Spanish the whole time I was in Europe. Not only useful in Spain, I decided after I visited Puerto Rico a while back that if I ever want to live anywhere warm, I should learn the language. Turns out, traveling with people who speak Danish, Swedish, French and Polish - and visiting a new country every few days where even other languages are spoken - does NOT make me want to try and concentrate on Spanish! On top of that, here on the East Coat of Spain the main language is Catalan, so my brain could not be more confused. Everyday my friend Carlos, the hotel's chef, tries to chat with me. He speaks Spanish, and while I am grateful for his friendship, our conversations are ridiculous. If it weren't for hand gestures and laughing, we wouldn't have much to communicate at all.

I don't know if the timing was coincidental or not, but the day after the verdict of the Zimmerman trial was announced, Carlos asked me "Philadelphia, mucho violencia?" I responded with "Sí", and it made me very sad. I have been to a lot of towns in the past couple months. The city girl in me is always on the look out for situations and places that don't seem safe. Back in Prague I started to wonder if I was cautious or paranoid. Do people here constantly scan the scene around them? because I keep doing it and finding no threat. Here I was, weeks later, again feeling safe and secure in my surroundings, struggling to chat with my new friend about anything we could understand with our limited common verbal ground, and we met in the middle over the violence in my home town. Don't get me wrong, I know there are far worse places in the world. It's just that when you are used to hearing about cars being broken into, people being robbed, gunfire in the hood, all happening on a daily basis, it becomes somewhat normal. Then when you're away from it for a while, and someone from a different continent points it out, you realize just how obviously abnormal it should be.

Anywhoooo, here are a couple pics of fun in Spain. There will be more coming, but others will be popping up on the hotel's blog over the next 4 months or so. They will be brief posts about the hotel and ventures I took while staying there. You can check it out at HGCBblog.wordpress.com

A blindingly sunny boat ride with Jordi and Jan.

A sweet spot to anchor.

A couple of cuties I had the pleasure of meeting one 

night. I've had almost no time with fuzzy ones in ages... 

was happy when this little guy jumped right in my lap!

I wish I could have gotten a better picture of this 

one's haircut!

Mi amigo Carlos.