The 2012 summmer tour diary

[jarmo]

I'll try to use this thread to post little updates from the daily happenings on the 2012 summer tour of Europe and Israel...


May 9:
Flew from Sweden via Germany to Moscow, Russia.
It's my first time visiting Russia. Exciting to see all those well known places in real life.

May 10:
Take a walk around Red Square. Somehow I bump into a few band members and a TV crew outside the Red Square...


May 11th:
First show of the tour, always special to kick of a new leg in a new place.
Show was awesome, as was the audience in Moscow.


May 12th:
Went out for a little stroll out on town, had lunch and then off to the venue for show #2.
Yet another great show.

May 13th:
Woke up, had some breakfast and left Moscow to fly via Copenhagen to Dublin.
This part of Kastrup airport is pretty boring. Nothing to do and the only source of food is a 7-eleven...


May 14th:
Day off in Dublin. Went to Kilmainham Gaol, an old prison and Guinness Storehouse (guess what that's about!).
Fish & Chips for lunch and plenty of Guinness...




May 15th:
Day off in Dublin. Walked around town, ate food, drank coffee. Ended with dinner in an Italian restarant and a pint of Guinness in a pub.


May 16th:
Went to see the mummies at St Michan. Pretty amazing.

[jarmo]

May 17th:

Show day in Dublin.
Great crowd, and a great surprise in the set, when There Was A Time was played.
Back to the hotel for a few hours of sleep after the show.


May 18th:
Wake up, and after some coffee off to the airport. Fly to Birmingham and then catch a tour bus to Nottingham.

Go out in the evening for dinner and drinks. I visited Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem. I also went there in 2006, which is the last time I was here.

[jarmo]

May 19th:

Show day in Nottingham. The first show in the UK since 2010, and the first one in Nottingham since that hot July in 2006.

Unfortunately the weather this May day is a bit chillier than the show day in 2006. But the show was hot and made up for it.

After the show, I ate some noodles and went to my bunk. Woke up the next day....

May 20th:

... in Liverpool. Home of The Beatles.

The Echo Arena is located next to the Mersey. So I walked around the docks and went to have lunch there.

The show was almost three hours long tonight.


May 21st:

After the drive to Newcastle, we had the rest of the day off. Walked around a bit before heading to an Indian restaurant in town for an early dinner, or very late lunch.

[jarmo]

May 22nd:

Day off in sunny Newcastle. Walked around town the whole day.

Carvery for lunch, coffee for dessert.



Awesome weather today...

[jarmo]

May 23rd:

Show day in Newcastle. Went for a short run along the river in the sunshine in the morning.

[jarmo]

May 24th:
Wake up in Glasgow, go to hotel room and fall asleep. Wake up again and it's noon. Perfect time to head out in the Glasgow sun and have coffee.

Walk around town until evening and then sleep.

May 25th:
Take a walk to Glasgow Cathedral and the cemetery.

Then off to the SECC for the show.




May 26th:
Wake up in sunny Birmingham. Actually at the LG Arena parking lot.

It's another beautiful sunny day.

[jarmo]

May 27th: Early morning, we left Birmingham to go to London. Watched Bruno on the bus.
Arrived in the morning and slept. Woke up and went to Tate Modern with Chris. Then, in the evening a music festival at Alexandra Palace, with the Afghan Whigs headlining. Awesome show by them.






May 28th: Walked around in the sunshine. Went to the British Museum in the afternoon.



Ended the day with dinner and drinks.

[jarmo]

May 29th: Traveled up to Manchester for the show. On the way, we stopped at a rest stop and Dj got recognized by some school kids.


May 30th: Back in London. Went to Camden Town.


May 31st: First show at the O2 in London. Great to be back, it's a nice venue. Izzy made a surprise appearance with the band.


June 1st: Second O2 show. Another guest appearance by Izzy.


June 2nd: Arrived in Amsterdam. Went out for a walk and had Indonesian rice table for dinner. Great food.

June 3rd: Walked around in the rain. Amsterdam is a beautiful city.



June 4th: Before heading to Rotterdam, I went to the Van Gogh Museum.

June 5th: Arrived in Paris, at the Bercy in the morning. Spent the day at the venue.

June 6th: Arrived in Dusseldorf, Germany around noon. Went out to get a coffee. Later at night, it was time to try some local food at a brewery restaurant.

June 7th: Another day in Dusseldorf.  Less rainy than the previous day.

[jarmo]

June 8th: Drive to M?nchengladbach for the show. The venue is an outdoor arena. Modern.

Rival Sons open again. Awesome.

During GN'R's set, it starts raining. The stage and fans are soaked.


June 9th: Arrive in Lyon and head out to see the old town. Nice views from the hill.




June 10th: Show day in Lyon. Spend the time before the show watching the F1 race on a bus.


June 11th: Arrive in Strasbourg, at the venue. Spend the day there. After the show we head to Toulouse.

June 12th & 13th: Days off in Toulouse. Walking around, drinking, eating... The usual.

[jarmo]

June 14th: Show in Toulouse.

Visit a museum before going to the venue:


June 15th: Arrive in Nantes, for a day off before Hellfest.

June 16th: Show in Clisson, at Hellfest.

June 17th: Arrive in Montpellier. Go to the sea side for dinner:


June 18th: Show in Montpellier, France. The venue is next to the airport.

June 19th: Wake up in Toulon. Last show in France. Early morning after show BBQ in the venue parking lot.

June 20th: Arrive in Milan, Italy. Catch up son sleep.

June 21st: Day off, walk around the city.


June 22nd: Show just outside Milan. It's a hot one.

June 23rd: Fly from Milan to Brussels. Go find some fries.


June 24th: Show at Graspop in Dessel, Belgium. Motorhead are on the bill too.

June 25th: Arrive outside Basel, on the German side of the border. Walk to Switzerland and take tram into Basel.


June 26th: Take the tour bus to the H.R. Giger Museum. Amazing displays of art. Pretty dark stuff.


June 27th: Show in Basel, Switzerland. Indoor arena, which means it's a hot one!

June 28th: Arrive in Graz, Austria for a day off. Wander around and eat schnitzel.



June 29th: Show just outside Graz, in a beautiful setting by a lake.


June 30th: Wake up, fly to Bucharest, Romania. With a stop in Germany.

[jarmo]

July 1st: Take a walk in Bucharest. It's hot. Show at the same place we were in last time here. Except the stage is at the opposite end of the park.

July 2nd: Catch a flight to Tel Aviv. Arrive at the hotel and fall asleep. Had to catch up on sleep.

July 3rd: Enjoy the sunshine in sunny Tel Aviv before heading to the park for the show.

July 4th: Spend Independence Day in Jerusalem. Amazing place with lots of history.





July 5th: Fly to Istanbul and arrive at the hotel in the evening.

July 6th: Walk around a bit in Istanbul before going to the park for tonight's show. It's a bumpy ride there.



July 7th: Wake up and have breakfast, pack and get going to the airport. But first, a stop at the gas station. On to the airport and lines at passport control. Make it to Vienna and our flight to Sofia is delayed.... After 12 hours of leaving the Istanbul hotel, we arrive in Sofia.

[jarmo]

July 8th: Hear that Iggy and The Stooges canceled. Bummer. Walk around the town in the afternoon. Spend the night at the venue and go to the airport in the morning to fly to Krakow.


July 9th: Arrive in Krakow, Poland. A beautiful city. End up having dinner and sausages for dessert. Find a old blue van on a street that sell sausages. Amazing.



July 10th: Visit Auschwitz. Humbling experience.



July 11th: Travel to Rybnik for the show. And then to Bratislava for breakfast.

July 12th: Wake up in Bratislava and go for a walk. Goulash for dinner.


July 13th: Bus ride to Piestany airport for the gig. Amazing fireworks afterward.

July 14th: Bus to Vienna airport, well the arrivals parking lot, and then walk to departures. Fly to Belgrade and vans to Novi Sad. A Big Mac for dinner.

July 15th: Walk around in Novi Sad.



Then to the old fortress for the show. Back at the hotel in the morning for a nap, then to the airport and fly to Split.

July 16th: Arrive in Split, take a nap. Fish for dinner with some friends.

July 17th: Show day in Split. Travel to airport after the show and fly to Spain on a chartered plane.

[jarmo]

July 18th: Fly to Valencia on a chartered plane. Siesta time. Dinner at night. Wine and tapas.

July 19th: Went to the aquarium and walked around in the old town.



July 20th: Show day. Walked around a bit in the sun, then off to Benicassim for the show.

July 21st: Back to Valencia after the show, some sleep and then check out to fly on private jets to Nice. Arrive in Nice and take vans to Saint-Tropez for a private show.

July 22nd: The show is early on the 22nd. GN'R rocks. We pack our gear and go straight to the airport to fly to Palma on Mallorca.

Arrive at the hotel and get some sleep. Wake up, go out for lunch/dinner/breakfast. Then go to the gig for the last show on the tour. Amazing end to an amazing tour!

July 23rd: Stay up until 8am. Have breakfast and take a nap before heading to the airport to fly home.....