Life On The Road (Blog)

23/09/22-London and Lessons From Tour!

The final morning of tour! Those words definitely didn’t feel real! With a relaxed day prepping for our final show, we made our way to Aces and Eights in London, for a celebratory, last show of the tour, gig! We’d asked our friend, and the amazingly talented, Claudia Kate, to join us for a songwriters circle style event. The gig was a perfect cozy setting to conclude a whirlwind few weeks and we had a wonderful audience joining us! With a celebratory drink in hand the realisation that I had one final train, and then I’d be home, sunk in! But whilst the days on the road have ended, the fun and the memories will stay for forever! 

Here’s a few lessons that I thought I’d share with you that I’ve learnt on tour:

1: It’s all about who you tour with. Pretty self explanatory, but you’re going to be spending 24/7 with whoever you’re on the road with for an extended period of time so it needs to be someone you get along with. (Pick Lea G or someone similar!)

2: There is so much beauty in the world! Nature, kindness of strangers, the everyday little things (like double decker trains). It’s very easy to get caught up in routine and forget about the big wide world but travelling is always eye opening. The main takeaway I’ve got from this tour is that the world is full of amazing people and that human connection is a very powerful thing! We were shown so much kindness. People opening up their homes to us, providing food, a bed for the night,  sharing stories and becoming friends, and all without asking for anything in return. This tour has left my heart feeling full to the brim. 

3: The power of asking. None of this would have been possible without the simple question, can we play a show for you. It may have taken 100’s of emails, and many many hours, but ultimately all it took to plan the tour was asking a simple question. Never underestimate the power of asking the question that you want to ask. It can end in new adventure. 

4: Important but perhaps overlooked… bring snacks 🙂

And with that I’m signing off this chapter of Life On The Road! But I can safely say it won’t be the last!

22/09/22-Returning to London

And just like that the time had come to leave Germany, and head back to the UK! Waking to a delicious breakfast, and an accompanied journey to the train station with Darcy the doggy (the only way to go to catch the train), we said goodbye to Carolyn and headed back to Cologne for our onwards connection to Brussels. Even at this point, European trains are exciting to me as they have lots of things that we don’t have in the UK. From Cologne to Brussels the only available seating was in the train restaurant. Yes, they have a restaurant carriage on board, not just a grab a snack area, but a sit down restaurant area! In order to sit there we did have to order a drink, so orange juice in hand I very much enjoyed the civilised experience. 

Arriving in Brussels well ahead of our scheduled Eurostar, we found a piano to play for a short while, and then relaxed, both feeling the effects of 2 and a half weeks on the road. A Eurostar journey later and we were back in the UK, albeit now a little colder. I was reminded quickly of London being London from the grunts of a man desperate to race past to be one step ahead in the queue leaving the station. The taste of pollution on the underground another sign that we were well and truly back! With just one gig left of the tour, it’s crazy to think that it’s all coming to end! 

21/09/22-Cologne and Düsseldorf

The day began in Cologne with an early start, (have I overused this phrase by now, most definitely) to accompany Lea to cologne train station. I had some free time as she was heading to Brussels to film a video. A mug of tea the size of my head in hand, and I spent the first part of the morning doing some admin, with a view of the cathedral in the background. With the world waking up, I then wandered towards the river and enjoyed the views, although a very cold mist was in the air! With Lidl my first stop of the day, I then wandered through the old town and towards my planned destination, the chocolate museum! Yes, you read that right! And it was in collaboration with Lindt!! 

Receiving my first chocolate as I walked into the museum, there was plenty of information on how cocoa is grown, harvested, and turned into chocolate. The main attraction however is definitely the next part of the museum. Here you get to take a look at a working chocolate production line, taste a chocolate with the help of a robot, and try some chocolate from a chocolate tree! A stroll through the rest of the museum, with less tasters, and I decided to have one final bit of chocolate in the café before heading back to town, once again down the riverfront. I took a quick look in the cathedral and then headed back to Brühl to collect my belongings. 

After meeting Lea back in Cologne station it was time for our onwards journey to Düsseldorf to play our final show in Germany of this tour. We met Carolyn in Hamburg and she reached out to ask us to play a living room show. With just enough time to add it to our tour itinerary, we were delighted to spend some more time hanging out, and meeting her lovely family and very cute dog! Being treated to some homemade Pumpkin soup, we were made incredibly welcome, and before we knew it it was show time. We had another wonderful audience, silently watching, and a stage dog, and it was the perfect gig to conclude our overseas gigs! Yet again the generosity of strangers turned friends was on full display and we couldn’t be more grateful to Carolyn, Patricia, Florian, and Darcy the doggy for welcoming us into their home!

20/09/22-Linz to Cologne

If you’ve been following the tour via this blog so far, you may have wondered what happened to Monday’s blog, but the simple answer is that Monday was a proper rest day. Lea had a doctors appointment that couldn’t be moved, which meant another day in Linz, and I took the opportunity to truly rest. The highlights of my day included washing my hair, reading a book, and sitting staring into space so I didn’t think it warranted a full blog entry!

So lets pick up the following day, although I don’t actually know if it’s the next day or the same day, as it began at 4am! With a start that can only be described as a very very early start, Lea’s dad gave us a lift to the train station (absolute legend, also Lea’s mum is an absolute legend for leaving us some sandwiches for the train) and we headed for train number one of the day. The day was to be filled with lots of trains, 9 hours 30 minutes of them to be exact, to take us from Linz, Austria, to Cologne, Germany. The first train was a quiet one, and took us just across the border to Passau. We were pleasantly surprised to find train 2 was waiting on the platform opposite and, with the cold outside taking aim, we dived on board a little early, ready to depart for the rest of our journey. Despite a long journey, we were glad that it was only two trains. We even managed to sit in a private compartment, another fun feature of European trains! With the sun rising, the train journey went fairly smoothly, and we got off in Bonn to get some food. Then we headed to a Cologne suburb, Brühl, where our host for the evening and concert organiser, Tobi, welcomed us into his home. 

A quick break to get ready for the show, and we headed on another few trains to Ehrenfeld. Stopping for some food, at a vegan Asian restaurant, we headed to the concert host, Oliver’s, house. The show was a concert with Cologne Living Room Concerts, and Oliver had only hosted one show previously, but had the room set up perfectly. There was a small stage in the corner, some very cool artwork, and a welcoming host! The room quickly filled out, and we found ourselves performing to a silent audience, there to experience the music above all else. Living room concerts are a treat in this way. No other show allows you to perform to such attentive audience members, and we’re thankful for the chance to have played a few of these shows (including one tomorrow) on this tour! After the show we stayed to chat for a while, and then headed towards the train, via a stop at a late night falafel shop. With the trains a lot less frequent at this time of night, we ended up getting back at 1am and were excited to finally hit the hay after a wonderful but long day! 

18/09/22-Linz

Waking to a delightful buffet style breakfast, (thank you Lea!) myself and my boyfriend headed to the Pöstlingberg tram, that starts 539 meters up a hill before descending to the city centre. Despite another very rainy, and now (less than 10 degrees, what happened to summer) cold day, we enjoyed the journey down past some lovely scenery, and grand design style houses! 

Getting off at the stop for the Ars Electornica Centre, we headed to the technology museum to spend a few hours indoors and out of the rain. Some very cool exhibits were on display, including a microscopic look at some moss that had been mixed with Danube river water, and it was full of tiny crawlies, and a section for AI music with several interactive exhibits. For any visitor to Linz I’d definitely recommend it, especially on a rainy day! With my boyfriends train to the airport fast approaching, we headed back out into the cold and through town, past some sort of festival, and to the station. Thankful for a lift back to Lea’s, I enjoyed some time to get through some admin (it’s definitely a challenge on tour to keep on top of it) and have a home cooked dinner with her family. 

In the evening we headed back to the city centre, to the OK Linz centre, which is where the restaurant I ate at last night is housed, and an independent cinema. We went to see the new documentary style film about David Bowie, Moonage Daydream, and if you’re thinking of going I’d also recommend it! It’s not so much of a film as a montage of performances, interview snippets, and imagery, but certainly an interesting insight into an icon, and an inspiring watch. 

17/09/22-Vienna and Linz

With a wonderful nights sleep on a very comfy bed, I awoke to one final morning in Vienna. Along with my boyfriend, we headed out into, the much colder, city centre, to have brunch at the famous Café Central. Joining the queue of other tourists we waited a few minutes before walking past the pastry cabinet and to our table. Tempted to eat cake for breakfast, but deciding to put health first, we opted for a hot drink and a few other breakfast items. The decor and service is brilliant, as was the food, so I’d recommend a visit to anyone visiting Vienna. 

A slow stroll back to the hotel to collect our belongings, via some of the incredible architecture in the museum quarter, and we headed to the station for our onwards journey to Lea’s hometown, Linz. The third largest city in Austria, the journey began well with another double decker train, much to my excitement. Whilst arriving to an equally cold and a tad drizzly station, we headed into the centre to do some exploring. 

We explored the many pretty churches, cathedral, and shopping streets but, with rain hitting thick and fast, we headed to a restaurant, Gelbes Krokodil, to try some traditional Austrian cuisine. Next, it was time to head to the evenings venue, Alte Welt. A cosy cellar space and candlelight awaited, and we played a fully acoustic show to a silent audience. With a full room, it was another lovely gig, and a pleasure to perform for such a kind and welcoming audience. Some post gig conversation ensued and then it was time to head to Lea’s family home a little out of town for a little more rest. 

16/09/22-Vienna

Glad to have had a roof over my head, but slightly less enjoying a deflating blow up bed, the day began extra early, but on the bright side that meant more time for exploring. A quick bite to eat and waiting for everything to open, and I headed to Karlsplatz to see another area of the city. Enjoying a wander past yet more pretty buildings I then ventured back towards the Hofburg ready for a morning tour of the parliament. 

Whilst usually held in a different building, repair works meant that the parliament was temporarily set up in part of the Hofburg, and with a free guided tour I didn’t miss the opportunity to have a look inside. Functioning, but not as grand, most likely due to this change in location, the tour provided some interesting insight into the workings of the Austrian parliamentary system, and was a perfect 1 hour overview. 

Next, it was time to head back across town for lunch with one of Lea’s friends and we enjoyed another lunch of good company, and tasty food. With my boyfriend arriving, ahead of our evening gig, I went to grab some dinner with him before heading to B72. Once again a very different experience to any of our previous gig venues, we had put the gig together ourselves, along with 2 other artists. Soundcheck out the way, and a bit of time to relax, and in came the punters ready for an exciting evening! 

I played first and thoroughly enjoyed my first gig in Austria, especially being able to hear myself brilliantly with onstage monitors! It was great to have an engaged audience who joined in with some singalongs, head nodded, and some of whom I enjoyed speaking with after the performance. It was a particular highlight to find out that someone in the audience had attended after checking out our music online,  and having Anything At All stuck in their head since! Sometimes you don’t realise quite where your music is reaching and meeting people who have listened to it online first is a real treat! Enjoying listening to the other artists perform, the night flew by, and soon enough the evening drew to a close. 

15/09/22-Vienna

With the delightful tune of building work waking me up early, I took advantage of the early start and headed off to wander the streets of Vienna. Seemingly, my morning adventure didn’t quite go as planned, with most of the stops I’d planned being shut for varying reasons, but I enjoyed seeing many of the sights we’d walked past last night in the dark, now in daylight, and still looking just as cool! With the rain hitting, I played the game of diving between shop fronts with cover, and continued my exploration of the city before meeting Lea to head to lunch with some friends. A delicious lunch later, and some lovely conversations, and I ventured off on another solo adventure to one of the main tourist attractions, the Schönbrunn Palace.

Sat in stunning parkland, the palace was the home of Franz Joseph, the longest reigning emperor of Austria. I arrived a little late in the day but opted for the Grand Tour which was an audio guide tour of 40 of the state rooms. Whilst diving between organised tour groups, I enjoyed learning more about the history of the palace, but admittedly was a little disappointed at the price point. As the most expensive site I have visited this tour, I was expecting it to take a little longer than the 40 minutes it took to go around. Unless you have a strong interest in royal palaces, I’d suggest saving your euros and exploring the grounds and parkland as this is mostly free (apart from some special areas, such as the Orangerie). I climbed to the top of the park to the Cafe Gloriette, which provided wonderful views over the city! Sitting on a bench to take in the view and recover from a very uphill climb, I took my time before meandering back down a different route to see other areas of the gardens. Statues a plenty, and many finely manicured hedges, and it was time to head back towards the flat for a relaxing evening. 

With our Vienna gig tomorrow, a more relaxed itinerary, and a no travel day, was very much welcomed! 

14/09/22-Brno and Vienna

Another wake up to the sound of an alarm, and it was time for a long long train journey! 5 hours to Brno and a quick stopover whilst Lea would take a meeting, and I would briefly explore the city. The train journey, whilst seemingly lasting a lifetime, also took us past some stunning scenery, and into our third country of the tour, the Czech Republic! 

Arriving to an incredibly rainy Brno, the desire to explore was, you could say, slightly dampened, but regardless I was glad to leave some belongings in the coffee shop with Lea before heading out for a brief wander. I had intended on going to an art gallery, that I’d read offers selfieccinos made by a robot barista, however with a delayed first train our stopover time was less than expected, so I opted for the next best option, a walk to the centre in the hopes I’d find the sights! This turned out to be a good choice, with a very nice central square. It houses a number of museums, formerly palaces, and an opera house where Mozart performed in 1767! Thankful for some signs with information to provide a quick overview, I then headed to Lidl to pick up snacks for the onward journey, and had the fun guessing game of what’s in the smoothie, as my language skills were certainly lacking. 

With time running out I headed back to the station, and we boarded our next train, on towards Vienna. After arriving in our fourth country of the tour (cheer here!) and dropping our bags at Lea’s sister, Mia’s, flat, we headed out to try some more traditional Austrian cuisine. Beginning with a pasta dish that had a type of mushroom only found in Austria, we then walked across the city centre on a hunt for Knödel, a dumpling filled with either savoury or sweet food in the centre. I think Lea was questioning my sanity as I was wowing at every building we walked past! Without spending long here I already am amazed by the buildings and the feel of the city! Arriving at the traditional restaurant, Pfudl, we took the plum dumplings. I enjoyed trying a new cuisine and would definitely recommend giving them a try, although whilst tasty, I found them a bit too dense. Onwards to more dessert tasting tomorrow! 

We then attempted to walk to the bar that Mia works at, however the heavens opened, and having sheltered for well over 30 minutes the rain showed no sign of clearing. A taxi was the only option! One drink and tired eyes later, and it was time to head back for some rest before another relaxing day of exploration tomorrow! And the big Vienna show this Friday! 

13/09/22-Dresden (Coswig)

Another, you guessed it, fairly early start in Berlin, and 4 flights of stairs with our bags later, and we headed off to catch the train to Dresden (Coswig, so a little outside the centre). Greeted by Lea’s friend Julia, it was an odd feeling to get into a car after spending so long on trains for the past few weeks! Thankful for this, we went back to Julia’s family home, met her lovely parents, and gratefully received some home cooked food! 

A relaxing afternoon awaited, with plenty of time sitting in the garden in the sunshine, and a 4pm treat of coffee, cake, and a truly delicious wine, that tasted absolutely nothing like wine! It’s only available for a few weeks of the year, produced in the local vineyards, and quite honestly was the tastiest wine I’ve ever tried! 

With more guests arriving ready for the concert, and my distinct lack of German speaking skills apparent (note to self, learn the language a little before travelling to the country!), we set up ready to perform to friends, family, and neighbours. The age rage of the audience made for a really interesting gig, and we once again alternated songs so that Lea could translate the song explanations. With a break halfway through the performance, to dive into a delicious buffet spread, I enjoyed sampling some traditional German foods, including a spread usually made from Lard, although I tried the vegan version, and a potato salad. Soon after we returned to the wonderful stage setup to play some more songs each, some joint songs, and an encore! With a hat passed around, we were stunned once again at the generosity of everyone attending, excited to afford food again on the road tomorrow! 

Selling some CD’s and chatting, well Lea chatting and translating on my behalf, with some lovely friendly faces, the evening soon ran away and we were grateful to play and stay in the same location! Julia’s family were some of the loveliest and most welcoming people I’ve ever met, especially as I was so useless at speaking German, and a complete stranger to them. I’ll be forever thankful for the experience they provided of not only a comfortable place to stay, but a magical concert experience, and I’ve been told that the neighbours have requested another performance next year so watch this space! 

Berlin-12/09/22

Day 8 of the tour and a full day off in Berlin to explore! Beginning the day with a salad, yes we are those kind of people, we headed out ready to see as many sights as possible in one day. 

We started our day at the Jewish museum, which provided great insight into Judaism through the ages in Germany. Spending much longer than we thought we would at the museum, it was already time for lunch, and we enjoyed an Indian meal and a seat! We then headed towards the centre of Berlin via Checkpoint Charlie, and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Next was a quick look at the Brandenburg Gate, and the Reichstag, and then a walk past the Berlin cathedral and many more museums, before reaching the DDR museum. 

The DDR museum explores the history of East  Germany under soviet occupation and offered some really interesting insight! We then ventured out of the centre slightly to the east side gallery and a remaining part of the Berlin Wall. Some amazing artwork lines the wall and it’s a stark reminder of history that still feels so recent. 

With time having ran away we returned to the hostel to collect our belongings and then to Lea’s friends house for some dinner to conclude a day of being tourists in Berlin! There’s definitely plenty of things to see and do and much more than we had time for but it was a great overview of this historic city. 

Berlin-11/09/22

Having made it once again to the train station, we set off towards Berlin, on a train that brought me much excitement! It was a double decker train, a novelty to anyone from England as we don’t have any, and we sat upstairs! With views of the German countryside and a few pretty towns, we arrived in Nürnberg, before switching to an incredibly busy train to Berlin. 

Thankful to arrive and not travel too much further to our hostel, we freshened up and headed for some much needed food, with Lea’s friend, at an Asian restaurant. Next it was off to Zum Krokodil to take part in their open stage evening. Receiving a free drinks voucher, which I gladly swapped for a mint tea, we took a seat and waited for the show to begin. The evening was a variety night with comedians, musicians, and one man shows. It was certainly a different evening but we were both feeling the exhaustion of travel. Touring is great fun but some days the constant travel starts to hit! So with the need for sleep pulling us towards our hostel, we played our sets, listened to some of the other acts, and headed off fairly swiftly for bed. With a day off to explore Berlin tomorrow, the rest has come at a much needed time!