Earlier this autumn, the Bay Area pop group Chime School flew over the ocean for a tour of the United Kingdom and France and they documented it all for chickfactor and you can read it here.
Buy their latest album, The Boy Who Ran the Paisley Hotel, here.
Andy is also in Seablite, who we interviewed in CF19, 2022.
Copies still in print and for sale.
Bandleader Andy Pastalaniec writes: From the moment “Chime School” transformed from a bedroom-pop solo project to a debut LP on Slumberland Records with a fully formed backing band, it’s been a goal of mine to take the project across the pond to the land where so much of its “formative jangle” originated.
The opportunity arrives on New Year’s Day, 2024, when we’re invited to play the Paris Popfest in September. My sophomore album, “The Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel” is slated for release in August on Slumberland. Paris Popfest is exactly the anchor we need to build a tour around.
I’ve always done pretty good booking DIY tours, but I have no idea how to book a tour in the UK. Luckily, I don’t have to, as I’ve convinced Reuben Miles-Tyghe, of UK tour agency Outsider Artists, to add us to his roster. OA have been leading a sort of reverse “British Invasion” of California indie groups to the UK and Europe, booking tours for many of the contemporary indie cognoscenti: Cindy, The Umbrellas, The Reds, Pinks & Purples, Kelley Stoltz, and others. I am a bit nervous that we are not as big as those groups (our second album hasn’t even been announced yet) so this whole thing could flop in a most-embarrassing fashion. But I resolve to do what I can to make it a success.
So, over the next 9 months I’ll spend many hours making videos, posters, flyers and other promo materials for the upcoming album, and what has become an 11-show France/UK tour, beginning September 27 in Paris, and concluding October 7 in the legendary indie pop city of Bristol!
Travel Day: September 25-26 – San Francisco to London to Paris
Andy: We have about 20 hours of travel ahead of us, flying first to London, then lugging our bags and instruments from Heathrow on the tube to St Pancras station where we’ll take the Eurostar to Paris.
Josh: Our travel day starts off with an important victory: we’re able to convince the people at Virgin Atlantic to let us carry on our guitars, so they can be stored in the cabin for our flight instead of having to be checked (and maybe lost). So this puts us at ease for the journey right away.
Andy: Pro-tip, if you’re touring overseas, avoid connecting flights and take your instruments straight to the gate. Play dumb, and be very very polite.
Andy: We arrive in Paris on September 26 in the evening, exhausted, to a Haussman-era flat overlooking Porte Saint-Denis where Emmanuel and Joanny, our gracious hosts from Paris Popfest, have arranged for us to stay. It’s under construction (which is why it’s available) but it’s unlike anyplace we’ve stayed in Paris, so we’re totally energized as we head to night one of the Popfest.
DIY popfests are one of my favorite events to play and attend. Night one doesn’t disappoint, we’d been looking forward to catching Blue Orchids, and they are great. We are tired but the best way to beat jet lag is to stay out as late as possible, and then sleep as long as possible. We succeed on both.
Day 1: Paris Pop Fest
w/ Gentle Spring, Les Freluquets, The Orchids
Andy: We have only one full day in Paris (and we sleep through most of it), but three of us have been before. We spend our limited time wandering around some cafes, eating as many pastries, bread, meats and cheeses as we can before it’s time to head to sound check. The fest is at Le Hasard Ludique, a venue built on a decommissioned Metro station with an outdoor terrace on the former train platform, overlooking the former Metro tracks, which have been transformed into a makeshift park.
Josh: After our soundcheck, the fest’s official photographer asks us to take some photos outside. It’s the platonic ideal of band photo backdrops (the ne plus ultra, even). You literally could not take a bad looking picture back there. So much so that after the photographer is done, we start taking some of our own, which gets him started again.
Andy: It’s definitely surreal to be on a bill with indie pop legends the Orchids, and The Gentle Spring, they are both great. The Orchids are incredibly friendly and we really hit it off. Les Freluquets are a more obscure French indie pop group from the 1980s who have reunited for the fest, and they are fantastic as well.
Josh: Everyone is great, especially The Orchids. James Hackett’s voice sounds pretty much identical to the records, and the band sounds fantastic. One of the guitars has a “Within Your Reach” level of flange on it for the entire set, which is really working for me. Late in the set they go into “It’s Only Obvious” and the crowd goes as nuts as an indie pop crowd can go, singing along.
Andy: Chatting with organizers Emmanuel and Joanny before our set, they ask if we speak any French. We do not. They kind of goad me into giving an introduction in French when we take the stage. Why not? I write out something very simple on a handbill. At least the most stressful part of the tour will be over fast. I approach the mic, “Bonsoir, nous somme Chime School de San Francisco…” applause and cheers of “ouais!” erupt from the crowd as I continue my little speech, and we are off!
Andy: Our set is supercharged by the excitement of finally starting the tour, and the experience of being an “exotic” group to a foreign audience– something our friends in other California bands had told us about. We make a bunch of new friends, sell all the merch we’ve brought (the rest is waiting for us in the UK) and think, if the rest of the shows are even half as fun as this, we are going to have a great tour.
Day 2 – Cambridge, UK at NCI Centre
w/ The Lord Mayor’s Horticultural Society, Garden Centre
Andy: We wake up somewhat early in Paris as we have another long travel day back to the UK on the Eurostar, then on the train from London to Cambridge.
Josh: Gary, Phil and I are waiting downstairs while Andy goes back up for a final idiot check. It’s starting to rain, Phil goes out a bit into the thoroughfare to smoke. With his all black outfit, watchman’s cap and cigarette, Phil seems to fit right into this Parisian street scene. Just as Gary remarks on this, we watch as someone passing by tries to ask Phil for directions.
Andy: Phil definitely looks natural, which makes sense as this is his third or fourth Euro tour. The first he did in his early 20s, in a hardcore band that toured Europe for like a month straight staying in squats and the like. In short he’s a total pro and pretty much goes with the flow the entire time.
Josh: As we finally get on the train to Cambridge I start to relax a bit. I look out the window and watch England going by, looking quite a bit just like it does in movies and teevee. The band is in a state of semi-delirious giddiness. I think we’ve skipped right to being on “tour-time,” where you can’t really tell what time of day or even what day it is, you just keep moving.
We arrive in Cambridge and start looking around for the tour van. We catch sight of a tall and burly dude with a wiry mane of sandy blond hair, wearing a sleeveless cutoff denim jacket over a flannel shirt. That’s our guy, Charlie Fitzgerald, aka “Fitz.” He’s recently driven our friends The Reds, Pinks & Purples, and Kelley Stoltz on their UK tours, and we’ve heard nothing but good things. Fitz leads us to his van, a large Euro-style conversion. In the back there’s four seats arranged around a wooden table, behind which is a loft with a mattress. Below the loft, a secure gear-hold. This will be our second home for the next 10 days.
Andy: The first UK show is at NCI Centre in Cambridge, a historic neighborhood social club/pub that is occasionally transformed into a DIY music space. Setting up on the stage in the back of the well-lit social hall, I’m reminded of famous photos I’ve seen of Shop Assistants, and other legendary indie groups who played similar places in the 1980s. We’re set to play two shows with Garden Centre, one of the many groups with shared members from the prolific London-based “Gob Nation” scene (The Tubs, Ex-Void, Suep, others). I read a profile about them in the Guardian that made me feel a bit intimidated, like they might beat us up and steal our lunch money. Then a small car pulls up to the venue and the band tumble out and introduce themselves. They’re all very nice and honestly, hanging with them we feel totally at home like any DIY show we’d play in SF or Oakland.
Josh: You may have never guessed they all knew each other, it’s only when you notice their interactions have the quality of an endless comedy sketch built on a deep foundation of inside jokes and running bits that this was, in fact, a band. I had done no research whatsoever into any of the bands we’d be playing with, preferring to experience them fresh at the shows. Andy had told me some things about Garden Centre – Owen from The Tubs plays guitar; they’re affiliated with a scene called “Gob Nation,” which sounds not unlike our corner of the current SF music scene, which Gary describes as “13 people playing in 35 bands.” Being in around five bands myself, I’m in no position to argue.
Andy: Opening the show are The Lord Mayor’s Horticultural Society, a gentle acoustic duo composed of a classical guitarist/vocalist and cello player. Their set is beautiful and I can imagine our friends back home loving it.
I’m not sure what to expect from Garden Centre live. Their records are abstract and eccentric, mostly featuring Max, the lead songwriter. They set up and start playing and the live group is a fully formed powerhouse. Seriously one of the best groups any of us had seen in years!
Josh: Their mix of folkish melodies and anthemic indie pop knocked me out right away. Max has a unique voice and uses it to great effect – with great pitch and a convincingly forceful delivery. Great songwriter too, with the kind of lyrics that seamlessly transmute everyday humdrum into high drama. The band is fantastic – a perfect combination of disparate musical personalities and charming stage presence. The between-song banter is a continuation of their off-stage humor. Midway through the set Max starts a bit about how he’s against Horticultural Societies, and he particularly doesn’t like the Lord-Mayor either. Then someone from the audience shouts, “I’ll kill you!” Hecklers don’t fuck around in Cambridge! When we hit the stage and Andy gives his standard introduction: “Hi, we’re Chime School from San Francisco” I have to add “Please don’t kill us.”
Andy: We apologize for being the only non-plant band on the bill.
Day 3 – London, UK at The Victoria
w/ Dignan Porch, Garden Centre
Andy: In the van, Gary starts talking about how we need to get a “Sunday Roast,” this English tradition where you go to the pub on Sunday and get a huge plate of meat, potatoes, gravy, etc. It’s a Sunday as we arrive in London and we have a bit of time, let’s give it a shot. We spend about an hour wandering around Dalston, trying to find one, but we fail, every pub is sold out! I guess it’s really a thing?
Instead we head to The Duke of Wellington, a “classic old boozer” where Garden Centre have invited us to have a few pints and watch some footie. Our drummer Phil, is a huge football fan (we refer to him as our “English translator” on tour) so we certainly don’t have to twist his arm.
The show is at The Victoria, a cozy bar with a dark, dank venue hidden behind a secret-passage bookshelf door.
Josh: It’s adorable. Layout, and size-wise it’s comparable to the legendary SF venue The Hemlock Tavern. I amuse myself for the rest of the evening by privately referring to it as the “Harry Potter Hemlock.”
Andy: Opening are Dignan Porch, who are on the Safe Suburban Home label, which we are fans of. They are friendly and their performance mesmerizing. Garden Centre totally rule again, and we are sad that we won’t be playing with them more on the tour.
Josh: Garden Centre play basically the same set as the night before, so I’m prepared and perfectly situated to take a video of my favorite song from their set, “Chicken.” I’m fairly certain it was this video – which I posted later in the night – that led directly to a purchase of a Garden Centre album by Kevin Linn aka “Kevin Paisley” of Paisley Shirt Records, back home.
Andy: That’s right! Garden Center are totally up Kevin’s alley!
Andy: At the show I finally meet Fran Carolyn, music writer and radio show host, a huge supporter of the SF Bay Area groups for the last few years.
Andy: Also in attendance is Peter Momtchiloff of Heavenly/Talulah Gosh, etc. which makes me really nervous as we play, since his playing was so influential when I was learning to write songs on the guitar. He’s a really nice guy and he digs our set so we’re feeling chuffed.
We also meet Beth Arzy who says she loves the painting of the tabby cat on the cover of the new Chime School album. She asks if it’s a portrait of my cat. I tell her it’s not, but that I do have a tabby cat that my partner named Aberdeen!
Day 4 – Nottingham at JT Soar
w/ Plum Jr., AHCB
Andy: It’s cold and rainy when we pull into Nottingham. First stop is “Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem,” recommended by Garden Centre as it’s “thee oldest inn in England.” We spend a couple hours there, eat some steak & ale pies and have a few pints.
Josh: It’s entirely possible the place is a tourist trap but it’s still pretty damn cool. Built into the side of a rock hillside, the walls in some of the rooms are actually walls of caves within the larger rock. As it rained on into the afternoon some of these walls started sweating and dripping with authentic English damp.
Andy: mmm… authentic damp.
Andy: We split the pub and head to JT Soar, a DIY space that kind of feels like our practice space back home. They throw tons of shows and we see flyers for some friends’ bands on the wall. The rain is pouring, but it doesn’t stop folks from coming out, and it’s a very welcoming crowd.
Josh: The space is full when we go on. “We went to the oldest pub in England today” Andy says during a mid-set tuning break. “Which one?” a few people in the crowd shout out. “The one named after a Mekons song,” I add.
Day 5 – York at The Fulford Arms
w/ Vehicle, Speedreaders
Andy: We are excited to play York, as it’s home to Safe Suburban Home, a great record label. With our spare time before the show, we head into town and check out The Shambles, a street in the city center that dates back to the medieval period. Someone suggests we try something called a “Yorkie Pud” which is apparently a yorkshire pudding in wrap form. We find the place that sells them, and eventually realize the recommendation may have been sarcastic… but it gives us some fun between-song banter during the show. “Eews” abound as we share what we ate. The show is a great time and Vehicle and Speedreaders are both excellent.
Josh: Between sets I meet Jim Quinn, who aside from helping to promote the show was also the proprietor of Safe Suburban Home records, who co-released the recent R.E. Seraphin record that I played on. Nice guy! We talk a bit and I get a pic with him to send to Ray and the boys back home.
Andy: Perhaps my favorite part of the show is this teenage kid who dances like crazy during our set. After the show he chats me up at the merch table about how he’s getting into indie pop. He’s got no money to buy merch so I just give him a copy of everything we have.
Day 6 – Manchester at Gulliver’s
w/ Autocamper, Severe Girls
Andy: Manchester is one of the shows we’re most looking forward to. We’re playing with Autocamper, one of the more exciting new indie pop groups in the UK (and new SLR labelmates!). I met Jack and Arthur two years ago when seablite and the Umbrellas played Manchester. As we catch up I learn Jack and Arthur met that night as well, and that was the night they started Autocamper!
Andy: Autocamper do not disappoint! Jack’s guitar is trebly and noisy, a great counterpart to Niamh’s gentler organ. The show is great and afterwards, they take us to Peer Hat, a low-key bar near the venue that for some reason feels like the English version of the late Cafe Pergolesi in Santa Cruz.
Josh: The show is great – in my opinion the best crowd of the tour. It’s also the loudest show of the trip – I like the sound guy a lot but by the end of the night he seems almost comically gacked. Autocamper are great though – cool kids through and through, and fun to hang with. There was a cool couple who stayed upfront and danced like mad throughout the entire show – I can’t tell you how much this helps when you’re well into a tour and your energy is always in danger of flagging.
Andy: No tour of the UK is complete without a stop at Bernie’s, a Manchester institution. Part of the music scene for decades, she started hosting bands in the basement of her house about 20 years ago. Gary has stayed there a number of times over the years, and I’ve stayed there once before as well. We are lucky, as Outsider Artists have arranged our tour in such a way that we’ll be staying at Bernie’s on three separate occasions, which probably accounts for the excellent health we remain in for most of the tour. Bernie is very politically active, and it’s comforting to get the hell out of the U.S. and talk with some fellow leftists. We have some great chats and even watch a bit of footie one morning.
Josh: We didn’t make it to Syd Barret’s house in Cambridge, and we couldn’t stop by Mark E. Smith’s house in Prestwich (it’s for sale if anyone’s interested), but we did make it to Salford Lads Club and took the obligatory band picture outside the front door. Gary’s been here and done this before, sharing that they never let people inside and generally seemed suspicious of any interest people had in the place. But it’s been a while since his last visit and things have changed. As we’re milling about, a nice older man pops his head out the door, sweeps us up and takes us to see “The Smiths Room” inside the building. Clearly a pet project of his, it’s covered from floor to ceiling in Smiths and other UK punk and indie memorabilia– and lots of pictures that tourists had taken of themselves out front.
Andy: Morrissey is a reprehensible nativist shitheel, but it’s cool the Salford Lads Club is able to sell memorabilia and leverage their Smiths association to fund childrens’ programs. There’s probably a bunch of working class immigrant kids who benefit from them, and I bet that makes Morrissey really mad! So that’s worthy of my support.
Day 7 – Glasgow at Mono
w/ The Cords, U.S. Highball
Andy: The typical motorway stop in the UK is ten times better than most of what you’ll find in the US, with actual nutritious food options that are so incredibly crucial when you’re staying up late, getting very little sleep, and drinking more alcohol than you probably should.
On the drive from Manchester to Glasgow, Gary insists we stop at Tebay, which he says is one of thee top roadside stops in the country. He’s not joking, the place is full of snacks, beers, and all kinds of fun tchotchkies. None of us are vegetarian or vegan, but throughout the trip we’re kind of obsessed with finding the craziest— err, most “authentic” local fare. Tebay has a massive assortment of Scotch Eggs, a hard-boiled egg deep fried in a sausage and breadcrumb casing. In California parlance, gnarly cuisine. We get a few of them for the van, and some meat pies. I’m glad we have plenty of spicy mustard to go along with them.
Andy: We arrive at Mono in Glasgow, load in, and hit up Monorail. Glasgow has always been such a welcoming place every time I’ve visited, Mono especially. We’re all very grateful for the work Monorail puts in to help promote DIY music and culture. It’s nice to catch up with Stephen and Dep at the counter.
The show that night is terrific, one of the best of the tour. I’m nervous because there’s some indie pop icons at that show as well. After our set, friend Kenji introduces us to Katrina Mitchell, and I meet Tim Vass from the Razorcuts, who were supremely influential for Chime School.
Andy: We’ve been hearing so much about The Cords, and they are indeed great fun. I realize I have a Kitchenettes badge on my tote bag from the last time I saw them in SF. Knowing what fans The Cords are of Morgan (Kitchenettes, Umbrellas), I offer it to them and they are stoked!
Andy: It’s also fantastic meeting James and Calvin from U.S. Highball. They play a beautiful set and I really hope we can see them again someday. James is wearing a jumbo Tiger Trap badge, and I ask him about it, he says he just made it up on a button machine he bought, and offers it to me. Pin badge gifts all around!
Josh: Like Manchester, Glasgow looms large in the music nerd imagination. So it was extremely gratifying to have such great shows in both places.
Day 8 – Halifax at The Grayston Unity
Andy: Halifax is the last of the smaller towns we’re playing on this tour. It’s nestled in a valley, along a river, cold and green, with a bit of a Pacific Northwest feel to it. Marc Dobson, who runs Prefect Records (and was also in the Field Mice and Northern Picture Library) says he’ll be coming out for the show. He doesn’t live in Halifax. I thought we might see him in Manchester, but he says “I’m saving my support for when you really need it.” We might need it tonight. The Grayston Unity is a small venue located in a dank basement beneath a bar. We have no idea what to expect, maybe this will be one of those shows that’s more like band practice?
Josh: The owner of the bar and venue is super friendly and seems genuinely excited to be hosting bands – which is not as common as you’d hope. He’s been holding it down in Halifax for years, his claim to fame having brought Pulp there in the 90s, with several posters to prove it!
Andy: We wander a bit before the show, eat some pizza with Marc and his daughter and head back to the venue to find the opener is already playing, and the show is packed! Where did all the indie pop fans in Halifax come from?
It’s about time for our set to start. I walk backstage to find Gary and Phil sipping from a giant bottle of Buckfast ….uh oh! Everyone in Glasgow warned us not to drink Buckfast, a fortified wine supercharged with caffeine, so obviously Phil bought a huge bottle. We all take a big swig before we hit the stage. After a song or two, I start feeling super loose and chilled out, yet totally energized! This stuff is great! It becomes a bit of a pre-show ritual for the remainder of the tour. Everything in moderation, I guess.
Halifax is a great town, and a sleeper candidate for funnest show of the tour.
Day 9 – Liverpool at The District
w/ Yee Loi, Irene & The Disappointments
Andy: Our time in Liverpool is somewhat limited, but number one on Phil’s list is finding somewhere to watch the Everton F.C. match. Phil is a huge Everton fan. I don’t know anything about football, but everyone we meet seems bewildered that an American has even heard of Everton, let alone is a supporter. We had hopes of catching the match in person, but time won’t allow it. The venue is located near the Mersey river in a former industrial area. There’s a kind of outdoor market, beer garden sort of place nearby, where we can take some goofy pictures at a Beatle-bar, and find a place to watch the match and eat.
Andy: The District is one of the larger venues we’re playing on the tour, and the sound is really good. I think it’s one of our best sets of the tour. It’s good to catch up with Ade Burke who runs Carnival Brewing, a local brewery who have been making signature brews for Glas Goes Pop fest for the last few years, and also booked a seablite/Umbrellas show at the brewery back in 2022.
Andy: We also meet Ann Nazario, who does a podcast called “Ask a Drummer” (which is great, as drummers tend to be so underappreciated). She says she recently interviewed Keith from The Umbrellas and asks if I could introduce her to Phil. When I tell her there happen to be three drummers in Chime School, she lights up and we hatch a plan to do an interview with all three, so look out for that in the future.
Day 10 – Coventry at Just Dropped in Records
w/ Lande Hekt
Andy: We’re thrilled to cap off the tour playing two shows with Lande Hekt and her band, and that the first show happens to be at a record shop. For the most part, we’ve been moderating our record buying for fear of spending too much money and having to lug a bunch of records around, with the exception of Josh, who we regularly lose for hours at a time to whatever record shops might be in walking distance.
Josh: It’s certainly true, but I’m pretty certain I spend less money than the rest of the group, since I mainly live in the bargain bins these days – after all what’s the fun of paying today’s prices for a record you already know is going to be good, when you can buy a small stack of weird looking records you’ve never seen before for the same price?
Andy: Fair point, but now that we’re close to the end, we all indulge. The folks at the shop warn us that The Umbrellas recently tore through and cleaned them out, so of course now I’m feeling competitive! We look through just about everything and find lots of really great records. I snag a bunch of Sarah, Creation, and Factory stuff, and lots more. They give us a nice “artist discount” as well, so we’re all very happy.
Lande’s band is even better live than on record and they’re all lovely people, we have a great chat about the Bristol and UK DIY scene and comparisons with the US.
Andy: Our set is super fun and there’s a great crowd. I really can’t say enough about Just Dropped In and the people there. Super kind, fostering a wonderful DIY music space and also running a top-notch record shop. We are super grateful to play here and hope to come back!
Josh: After the show, Joe, the promoter who runs Sink or Swim Promotions, takes us around the corner and treats us to an incredible Indian feast. I had been wanting to get some Indian food for the entire trip. Lande Hekt told us the Midlands was the best region in England for Indian food, and I don’t doubt it.
Andy: It’s more of a Northern Indian style of cuisine, and the first time any of us try Parotta bread, which is very different than Naan you typically find in the states. Incredible stuff.
Day 11 – Bristol at The Cube Microplex
w/ Lande Hekt, Silk Cuts
Andy: It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the last day of the tour. I’m super excited to visit Bristol, home of the Subway Organization and of course Sarah Records. Our route has us crossing the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and even though it’s pouring rain, I insist we pull off the road and have a look. Whether you’re a Sarah nerd or not, the view from the Clifton Observatory is breathtaking.
Andy: I’m hoping to check out Temple Meads Station, but it’s clear across town, and I’m told it’s also under renovation; the whole thing covered in scaffolding. We’ll have to skip it. I suppose public spending on transit infrastructure is a fitting reason to miss a Sarah Records landmark.
The Cube Microplex is a DIY venue in an old movie theater. Lande and the group were telling us about it in Coventry and we’re all really excited, as it sounds like the Bristol version of the 4-Star Theater back home.
Andy: At this point we all admit to being a bit tired. I’ve done a couple long-ish tours as a drummer, but I’ve never fronted a band playing hour-long sets every night for eleven straight days. It’s a lot of singing! I’m not sure how my voice still works, but I think I’ve got one more show in me.
Silk Cuts and Lande Hekt are both fantastic. Reuben from Outsider Artists (our booking agent), lives near Bristol so he’s come out to the show. It’s great to finally meet him in person, after we both put so much work into the tour. Of course there’s a part of me that thinks “oh shit, I hope he likes the live group.”
Andy: Backstage, Phil, Gary, Josh and I pass the bottle of Buckfast around and toast to one final show. I start to get a bit nervous as we begin our set; the venue is nearly full, everyone is politely seated far from us, and the stage is extremely well lit with no dark or dramatic lighting to hide behind.
Josh: It’s always psychologically tricky to play high-energy music to a seated audience, But it’s also nice to look out at a full house, seated or not!
Andy: After our third or fourth song a San Francisco sports heckler makes himself known, trying to ask us about the 49ers or something, but giving us some fun barbs to exchange and break the ice a bit. Our Bristol set goes off without a hitch, and the tour is done!
We’ve done so well on this tour that we basically have nothing left to sell, which is a major relief, as hauling a box of merch home always feels like a sign of defeat. We exchange hugs with Fitz and Reuben, and go our separate ways.
Noah from Lande’s band kindly hosts us for our last night in the UK. Walking to his flat from the venue, with all of our luggage and instruments, the sky completely opens up, and we get completely drenched.
All of our stuff is totally soaked mere hours before a long travel day. We kind of can’t help but laugh but hey it’s ok, things dry really fast in England, right??
Andy: After another 20-hour travel day on a bus from Bristol to London and a flight back to San Francisco we’re finally home.
Thanks so much to everyone who made our first UK tour so memorable: the promoters, bands, venues, all the people who came to see us and walked away with a T-shirt or record, especially the folks who saw us on more than one occasion! We hope to visit you all again someday!
