 |
| Somewhere in the desert, California May 2015 |
You know there's something really funny about all that USA topic. In the end of SBE's career we had much more fans in North America than anywhere else in the world, more than half the records sold there despite that we didn't have a proper distribution there, nor had we ever really played a lot over there due reasons that I maybe will try to explain here one last time, because actually this is sth that still kind of bothers me until this day ...
Our first big tour ever had been along the US Westcoast in 2009, after being contacted by two guys out of Redwood County, North California who dug our twenty minute two track Demo EP enough to invite us to play concerts there in the "promised land". And, this was all kind of ridiculous tbh. Yes we were young and cocky and didn't care much about anything but our band and our music I guess. And if I could I'd probably do it all again just like that, only maybe with a bit more planning and also: playing experience! You have to imagine that at that point in history this band had existed only a few months.
So after a few weeks of sorting things out we decided to do that tour. None of us had more touring experience other than a few days in Germany, yet we had already flown to a show in Rome and seen that things worked just like that: bringing guitars and necessities while local bands provide the rest of gear. This was also one of the main points in my own philosophy at that time, try to play as much shows out of the ordinary as possible. Guess I was tired of playing little shows for gas money in youth centers somewhere in Germany, I wanted to see the world. So I contacted musicians in Italy, Holland etc trying to exchange gigs and knowledge. Myspace made it all possible ;)
But then the first tour in the states was of course not paying much at all, and that was not even any of the main concerns. We knew there wasn't much to expect and just being there was an only gratification. The story of how we managed to play that tour actually helped to serve a s a kind of "PR-gag" for years to come after that, because yes it was very unusual and yes, maybe we got even a couple of fans over there from these early days on.
With the years after that, the internet and youtube helped to make the band popular. We owe a lot to the fame of the group to debut album, and maybe the naked girls on the cover or just these weird long songs, I don't know what it is ... it was the perfect fit for that scene I guess, and no it is not all calculated. I totally immersed in that scene, ran my own webzine, made posters for many bands, and really dug the hell out of it. Wore my flares with pride, a long time ago ...
So with the years we got more and more fans, particularly in the USA and North America. They don't even bother about the accent in my vocals, which seems only a problem for some Germans. However, in about 2014 I started to write long mails with an "agent" in Texas. I don't want to name the guy and I am not interested in personal bs but he turned out the biggest disappointment in my whole career as a musician. So the tour that we had tried to get organized for 2015 turned out a disaster really.
There is a difference also from many other musicians in general I think, and that is: SBE was not always about having to "make it" (money, success or whatever is not in the very first place for me) - and I also don't want to say that every American band would be like this: but we all know that the whole system there is very much "money-based" and that is a big problem, plus: it is not easy to even enter the states when you want to play there. Although some say: JUST DO IT! despite that thing about (having to) get a visa, which for me is about the weirdest thing in that country. Why are they so closed?
So the years went on, some in the band got kids and commitments apart from the band while I for myself at some point decided to live an "artist life", not being dependent more than necessary (also from hoarding possessions that I don't really need etc) which probably helped me live here in sunny Brasil ;) but then it became more and more difficult to do "crazy things" that don't pay money, while tours in Europe got very well-paid. It's all a bit fucked up, and my best advice would be: when you're young and free, take all chances you get - even the craziest one, where you have to pay to play, if it's worth the effort - and then try and stay free from bs that you don't need.
But then what I also don't even really understand is WHY there is such a bad treatment for bands in the states. I can tell you there were ridicolous experiences that we haven't had in any other country: for example at one of the BIG festivals we played they didn't even provide a sleep place or decent feeding. At the other BIG festival that we played they didn't even provide anything of a backline at all. This is just so weird. And when you play the smaller venues, it is common that you get no food (few exceptions) and no place to sleep. Nothing. On the other hand: We played in a lot of squatted houses in Europe in our early career and food was the first thing they offered.
There is much more to say about all this I guess, and maybe I should really try and structure all these things for a book ... sometimes I feel like I have a lot to share, other days I am in no mood for nothing, because these times have a lot of other stupid sh** going on in the world that no one could foresee. But anyways here are all the dates:
SBE - USA-vacation 2015
15/05/2015 Santa Ana - Psycho California
10/05/2015 Austin - Psych Fest Levitation
I call it vacation because it turned out just that, with the exception of these two festivals we stayed for almost three weeks in the US and visited some state parks and scenic areas. Was actually good for the band climate, also because we just went through a line up change and had always a bit troubled times after November 2013.
SBE - Krauts in the USA - Tour 2009
27/03/2009 Seattle - The Josephine
26/03/2009 Olympia - Le Voyeur
25/03/2009 Seattle - Comet Tavern
24/03/2009 Bremerton - Winterland
23/03/2009 Salem - The Space
22/03/2009 Eureka - Aunty Mo's Lounge
20/03/2009 San Francisco - Bottom Of The Hill
19/03/2009 Los Angeles - The Echo
Concerts before first US-tour, just to show how ridiculous this was:
14/02/2009 Berlin - Linse
13/02/2009 Wuerzburg - lmmerhin
18/01/2009 Rome (IT) - Traffic Club
04/12/2008 Berlin - Wild At Heart
29/11/2008 Magdeburg - Heizhaus
09/11/2008 Kiel - Rathausbunker
08/11/2008 Berlin - Red Rooster
07/11/2008 Luckenwalde - Alhambra
