Written By: Ola’s Kool Kitchen
Day Six: September 13th – Cologne (Drunk and in Love!)
The Telescopes contemplating the doors of misperception at Kölner Dom Cathedral in Cologne with: Byron Jackson, Nick Keech, Dan DNA, Stephen Lawrie, Jim Beal, and Dan Davis. (Photo by OKK)
[This is the final chapter, continued from Part II, in OKK’s adventures with The Telescopes across Europe]. As arrangements were made to depart Berlin, a band member went AWOL. James Messenger decided to stay in Berlin with his new lady friend; he was drunk and in love. This was the second major obstacle, a loss of a band member on the tour. James planned to skip Cologne and catch a flight to meet us in Brussels the next day. This course of action was met with some disgruntled humour at James’ expense. When you commit to a tour, it is expected that you act professionally, honour the full commitment and not skip off on a jaunt and subsequently miss dates. In the end, James got off lightly and the rest of the band made do and soldiered onto Cologne. As with all the setbacks, it was handled with acute aplomb. These guys were tight as a unit and did interact exceedingly well with each other overall.
We stumbled out of the van just before night fall at The Tsunami Club in Cologne. This was another night I was multi-tasking as both DJ and merchandise girl. I had fun with my set; I was in the DJ zone! Dan, our video blogger, stepped in to replace Messenger for a short One Unique Signal gig. The Telescopes went on and even with one man down, the sonic boom was still there. But as Stephen would later remark, he missed Messenger’s energy. I would have to concur. Once you’ve seen his shoeless acrobatics, and then witness a gig without him, there is this wee gap present, like a shadow cut out of a missing person. Nobody can flail about quite like Mr. Messenger. The night was the quietest on the tour. Unlike Paris or Berlin, there was a misunderstanding between the crowd and band. It was dream pop they were looking for and instead they got music that melted their faces off and left underneath was a question mark of incomprehension.
Day Seven: September 14th – Brussels (Sound Bomb Shelters)
There was time before we headed off to Brussels to have a quick expedition around Cologne and partake in some 5 minute, get-the-money-shot tourism. Aside from Lille, where we had too much time to see the sights, there were few opportunities to bask in the places we passed through. The Kölner Dom Cathedral, space age train station, and plaza centre were ticked off as we whisked past, until it was time to embark.
Messenger was there to greet us upon arrival at the venue. We were reunited and it felt so good! The show was held at Le Bunker, a former cinema. It was my favourite locale on the tour. The place had real grungy character. A proper crusty air permeated with step-like coliseum seats fixed within this WWII burnt out, bomb site decay chic. A subterranean garage of ripped walls, plaster and pipes were the perfect backdrop to house the maelstrom of both One Unique Signal and The Telescopes in full formation. The lighting at the bottom of the stage was provided by these square cube lamps. The shades of these lamps were composed of striking sepia photographs on the various sides adding a cozy space age atmosphere of candid unfettered experimentation. The final artist was pedal-to-the metal psych freak-outs, Sunflares, from Portugal and the most impressive other act I had seen on the tour. Their band name was apt; afterwards you felt as if you have been scalded to the bone by a massive blast of skin singeing sound. My ears and brain were extra crispy in the blow-out aftermath.
Day Eight: September 15th – Tilburg (Welcome to Lego Land)
We had time to explore Brussels but instead we engaged on a search for a forest to do some filming. It was a fruitless venture in the end as we drove rather aimlessly through woods and no commitment to a place could be made. The late nights, long travels, and any over pursuit of bacchanalian delights took their toll and manifested in a thin layer of tetchiness. For the first time, a grouchy dissatisfaction underlay the frustration of the forest hunt. Some days, the universe will endeavour to thwart the completion of an action; in dreams, it manifests in trying to make a call and not being able to dial the numbers, or running very fast but not moving an inch. A build up will occur, and one day of crankiness is to be expected on a tour at least.
When we breached The Netherlands, the distinct architectonic creations of the country impressed a surreal feeling on the eye. It was like entering a ginger-bread, tinker toy town of Legos. I kept expecting lollipop children to appear, Postman Pat to deliver the mail, and the Trolley from Mr Roger’s neighbourhood to zip by, tooting along the tram lines. We had entered the children’s story zone and I was afraid some sinister cookie cutter person would come along and snip us into cartoon characters next. Holland just doesn’t look real!
Tilburg was the final stop on the tour. There was no gig tonight. We picked up our wrist bands for Incubate Festival which enabled access to the shows. The festival spanned several days with a varied and good line-up.
Day Nine: September 16th – Tillburg (Endings)
At the venue Incubate Festival, Tilburg Holland with: Nick Keech, Dan Davis, Ola’s Kool Kitchen and Byron Jackson
The day started with everybody in good spirits. The end was nigh and this lovely bubble we were floating in would soon pop. I would work at the merchandise counter from early afternoon till we left. Unlike past shows of makeshift tables set up hastily, we had a felicitous spread. I missed all the shows as the counter was quite a distance from the stages. I caught The Silver Apples‘ live audio only because it was pumped into speakers nearby. On the last day, I worked hard for the money and it was the best financial turnout for sales. There were a lot of happy fans queuing for autographs with the CDs and records that they bought.
The departure scheme was to leave very shortly after the show as we had a small window to catch our booked Euro tunnel train. Only 40 minutes for the boys to talk with the fans and pack it up and leave. A very long journey occurred across the border to the UK and the equally long sojourn over the sprawling metropolis of London to get everybody home. This particular excursion overall was blessed with congeniality and pleasant company. The surprise here was not the expression of tethered patience but in how infrequently it did manifest. I was kidnapped by the best circus ever. I totally recommend hitchhiking on a Telescopes tour; it is such a blast of good fun! When I got home at 5am on Monday, I said to myself, ‘Vor you, zee tour ist over!’ and I smiled before I fell asleep for nearly 13 hours.
There are further videos and a blog recording more of these fine adventures. If you would like to check out The Telescopes/One Unique Signal Death Defying European 2012 tour video diary, here is the link: http://www.webdoc.com/OneUniqueSignal.
TPR-Mag.com 