Eurovision: A Musical European Odyssey Part Two
Presented by Hung Supply
Good morning or good night from wherever you’re reading this from, time has become totally irrelevant to me now.
What is time? As long as I wake up in the morning and get in the van to the next destination it really doesn’t matter what day it is, but for this journal entries sake its 9am Monday morning, August 7th. Mini Skirt are all still asleep inside with 5 beds lined up along the floor. Jesse - the tallest band member - slept on the equivalent of a beach chair after losing a game a darts last night. I however, won said game of darts to attain the comfiest bed of them all. Sorry, not sorry.
The last four days have been spent in Italy, consisting of three shows and a very well- earned day off, which was spent laying on the beach all day getting sunburnt. Currently I am writing this from the hot concrete beer garden of last nights show while the boys still sleep. There’s no rush to get on the road today, so every extra bit of sleep counts. I’ve made myself a baguette full of assorted vegetables found in the fridge, but I’m honestly not that hungry. Tonight will be our final show in Italy before another day off that will be highly occupied by a whopping 9 hour drive to gosh-darn Hungary, Budapest...hardly a ‘day off’. In the meantime here are some notes on the Italian leg. 5 days of scorching heat, pizzas and Aperole Spritzin’. Ciao!
WATERWORLD SKATEPARK, Brescia - 2/08
Yet another seamless boarder crossing from Sweden into Italy with no passports shown. Luckily no one stole a $20 salad from the servo earlier...definitely wasn’t me. Instantly hotter crossing into Italy. Hot dry air. Playing the show at a skatepark tonight, don’t know what to expect. Super epic park, highly recommend visiting if that shit tickles your fancy. Small sound system difficulties, nothing to stop the rocking. It’s a skatepark show after all.
Pizza’s delivered to park for dinner. The first of many pizza feasts I’m sure. Great vibe for a Wednesday night show, crew of all ages, this kind of stuff would never happen back home. Everyone kept it responsible tonight and ready for an early night at a near by hotel. Still ended up being a late night of editing photos. Very tired, but it’s hard to find spare time to edit photos and write.
ARNO CAFE, Cattolica (Rimini) - 3/08
Fresh as a daisy this morning and or just getting used to constant alcohol consumption. Regardless we’re feeling good! Really getting used to the free hotel breakfasts. I know this glory can’t last forever. Today it is 36 stinking degrees, aircon is on full blast as we blast towards Rimini. Luscious vineyards line the highways throughout Italy. Another expensive servo salad for lunch, worth it.
Cattolica is giving me serious Surfers Paradisev vibes. Probably the most ‘touristy’ zone we’ve been in yet. Wasted no time buying 2euro Moretti’s and heading straight to the umbrella covered beach. Not sure how chair hire system works, just using whatever ones we want. Italian disco tech blasting across the whole beach, riddled with gun shot and airhorn samples. Relaxation at it’s finest. The Hung Supply ‘Roscoe Pouch' has been saving my unorganised ass lately. It’s super handy for the quick beach trips and perfectly fits the point and shoot + handy cam in it.
Ask expected: pizza provided for dinner, no complaints. Starting to worry no one is coming to show. It would appear that the Italian public doesn’t appear until 10pm, suddenly the venue is a lot busier thankfully. The show was loud as. Open front cafe meant the whole street could hear it, lucky them. Beers and Campari spritz in the gutter after the show. Hotel accommodation tonight, need sleep.
HOLYDAYS FESTIVAL, Scopoli - 4/08
Italians really love pastries for breakfast. That’s what the majority of these free hotel breaky’s are. Just watched a kid go back for his 5th plate. Finally attained a new SIM card, let’s see how long this shit lasts me. Probably not long. First big supermarket shop at a ‘LIDL’. Way cheaper than eating at service stations. Salad is slowly entering the steady dietary rotation. No cold drinks section in Italian supermarkets, perfect for 34 degree days.
Today we’re heading into the Italian hills to play ‘Holydays Festival’. Amazing mountainous scenic drive with sunflower fields aplenty. Arrived at incorrect venue, took the opportunity to snack in an empty 35 degree carpark. The sky is turning very dark and ominous. A storm be brewin’! Just as we arrive at the festival the heavens open, and I mean really fucking opened. Torrential rain, small hail, ferocious winds, pure chaos.
Mini Skirt went full Australia mode, clearing leaves and mud from the gutters and drains to assist drainage. Local Italians kind of confused why Jacob is stuffing his bare hands in a drain. Finally the rain stopped, kind of. Staying a few hundred meters from the festival in log-cabin style accommodation. If we were going to be abducted this would be the place for it to happen.
Cooped up in the cabin all watching the NRL on Jesse’s iPad. Shit reception making it a very slow game. Despite the persistent rain the show went ahead under a small marque rather than outdoors. Luckily it didn’t turn too many people away. It was a great show with Italy’s first sign of moshing. Early night tonight. We’re all very ready for our first day off tomorrow.
DAY OFF, Cesenatico - 5/08
The day started with a large sleep in before driving towards a small Italian town called Cesenatico, where we treated ourselves to a hotel overlooking the beach. Listening to the new Mini Skirt record masters on the drive. Top secret stuff, but all I’m saying is watch this space. Day off = washing day. It’s not all fun and games you know. The remainder of the day was spent drinking beers at an old video rental cafe and topped off with our first proper Italian pasta feast.
MAGAZZINO PARELLE, Cesena - 6/08
You know what hotel accommodation means - free breakfast - which means more artery clogging pastries. Spending the whole day on the beach today as tonight's venue is only 20 minutes away from us. Between the five of us, no one knows if we’re meant to hire beach chairs or just pick one of the 10,000 that cover the beach. Locals are looking at us like they’re 100% meant to be paid for.
Ah well. DIY venue in a local industrial area. Venue feels like we’re in Mexico or Bali. Staying at the venue tonight. Five beds scattered on the floor of one bedroom. One bed is basically a beach chair. Just played a game of darts to determine who gets the shit bed. And that would be Jesse, the tallest person. Sucks to be him. He took it like a champion. The show was fun although Italy has been a hard place to crack in terms of moshing/crowd involvement. Campari Spritz before bed.
ORTI SOICALI, Parma - 7/08
Big sleep in for the boys this morning. Another small drive today so we can afford to sleep in.Tonight is the final show of the Italy leg. Back to the same beach we were at yesterday, chilling as much as we can before some serious touring kicks back in. Nailed the beach chair hire system today. Another pasta, can’t get enough of this shit. Jacob left his camera at the restaurant, luckily Jesse keeps giving the Mini Skirt Instagram to all the old Italian ladies, who messaged us before hitting the highway.
Cool venue tonight, authentic Italian equivalent of an Australian bowling club. Local kids playing fuse ball.Fun fact (that I originally did not trust): Parmesan cheese was invented in Parma. Cue 4 tablespoons of parmesan cheese on tonight's pasta. One of the busier and rowdier shows of the Italian leg. Sleeping in a squat house tonight, kind of like a hostel but spookier and sketchier. No hot water or blankets but no ones complaining. Jesse's bed is in the kitchen. Tomorrow is another day off. But it will be far from a ‘day off’ as we have to drive a whopping 9 hours to Budapest. Apparently we’re getting up early to attack the mammoth mission. I have my doubts.
