Alarm bells.

I got a scan which revealed no break or fracture – just an excruciatingly sore foot that requires crutches. I didn’t even think of pulling out of the shows – which is proof of something… stupidity I think. I was pretty bummed out about it given how great this tour has been – I really wanted to go out on a high on the final leg and WA is a great place to play live music.

The mind is willing...

Tonight is soldout in Fremantle and the venue, Mojos, has a lot of character. Everyone forgets that Sydney is 3 hours ahead so when we’re on stage at 11pm, it’s actually 2am our time (usually the first show on the WA run is a mixture of delusion, exhaustion and exhileration). None of this matters, the crowd is great – and sympathetically scream as I hobble onto stage on crutches – my debut crutches performance. Horrorshow play a massive set – one of their best.

Due to an accommodation slip, we’re staying at a backpackers tonight. We wind down outside as an Israeli, a Japanese and an Australian discuss world politics. Brings back memories of life on the backpacker curcuit – I have a sudden urge to rob them of their Thai fisherman pants and read ‘The Beach’.

Luke Snarl - indefatigable soundman

Onto Bunbury! The Prince of Wales is a classic venue with a classic publican, Mitch. Mitch “doesn’t believe in riders” so he disregards any written requests (as are included in artists contracts) but he happily provides most of whatever you request in person. Our backstage is upstairs in the pub accom and we have to decline bongs from a few Aussie hip hop fans also staying upstairs, shirts off, already cutting loose.

Me: “Sorry fellas, we’ve got to do the show .”

Bloke: “Awwright, afterwards then?”

Me: “We’ll see how we go.”

Bloke: “Sick cunt!”

Bunbury is always wild. One guy drunkenly spilt bourbon across a number of our tees on the merch stand and then stumbled off, only later to return and demand a discount on a fresh tee. Most of us are fairly sober, but some of our clientele are drunk as maggots – it’s an awesome dynamic.

Back to Perth and our final show of the tour at the Amplifier Bar. We’re clashing with Phrase, Pearl Jam and Ladyhawke tonight so there’s no guarantees except the party afterward. Mondo has worked with Urban Monk to create his own song about tour managing, featuring autotune and synth hip hop production – and performs it unannounced onstage as a surprise for us at the end of soundcheck. We fall about the venue laughing!

Horrorshow rockin' Amps!

Amplifier turns out! We pretty much sell the venue out and the vibes is heavy – we spot Drapht kickin it with his lady and it turns out to be the perfect show to close it all out. Cameras are flashing constantly – our touring party madly trying to capture the last moments before the tour finishes. We conclude the night with an all-in jam session and everyone, including Mondo, joins us onstage dancing to our final track.

Solo, Chips, Gusto (back), Urban Monk, Mondo, Cam, Adit & me

Urth & Chizzzle

Big up Urban (Polo Club)

Solo is mos def in the house in 2009

What would J Dilla do? Elgusto killed it on this tour

Absinthe (?) is hectic.

We fly home slightly less energetic.

Thanks to all the people that came to the shows for making this tour so great!

We collected our hire car and packed our belongings for Wollongong Uni quietly confident that tonight’s ‘End of Session’ party was going to be pretty large. It turned out to be a more sedate affair: ‘End of Session’ means the end of classes and the start of exams. A fair few people tempted fate and shunned their studies for us, and for that, we love you. Then we left.

Arriving home at 2.30am the night before meant the 7am wake-up for the Albury flight was red-eyed and memorable. I really love the randomness of check-in: ‘will we get charged for excess this time?’ or ‘will we get someone who sympathises and is kinda excited that we’re in a band and asks “which band are you”, only to draw a blank when we say Urthboy and Horrorshow?’ We proceed through the x-ray and see if they don’t choose Adit to test for explosive devices – his browner skin means he’s usually last to the shitty airport coffee stand.

ROI Bar Albury feat. Timmy

Albury hasn’t changed much since our last visit, the crowd are loose and excellent tonight – buying way more merch than is reasonable for 200 people. We last spot Solo clearing off into the night with a couple locals..

Next morning we dropped a very pale Solo to the airport in the safekeeping of Adit, while we drove to Canberra for the Stonefest Festival.

Someone get Solo some berocca or 10 hrs sleep

It must’ve been 35 degrees when we hit the stage and a big crowd braved the heat to check us out. Apart from us, Art vs Science and Josh Pyke, the lineup is all rock music and despite wanting a dose of Frenzal Rhomb, we bailed out of there early..

Backstage Stonefest Art vs Science in background

And then everyone lived happily ever after…