Jo Fo Euro. Day 13 Prague

We once again say goodbye to beautiful Germany.

And then, for the first time say hello to beautiful Czech Republic.

The drive flies by and next thing we're at the venue, Klub 007.

The atmosphere of the city is just lovely. Our new local friends insist the university recreation district we're in is one of the ugliest parts of the Prague. We I couldn't care less; the way the city is just bombarding us with positive jams, I couldn't be happier.

Backstage we discover another reason to love this place; it's the second gig of the tour where the promoters have followed the "one small robot" request on our rider. not only that, but some kids have brought us an inflatable power ranger, brandishing a sword and wheel of cheese.

We get on stage. Run around. Try to reciprocate the awesomeness this city has given us. The wonderful crowd beams the same straight back us and what follows is what has to be the best back and forth barrage of good vibes between us and any crowd of this tour.

We finish our set but are only backstage for a few moments before we race back on stage and gladly deliver the encore the crowd's calling for. This ends with lex surfing around said crowd. The top gun theme firing out of his guitar as he's passed around above the heads of this loveliest of crowds.

Afterwards we have the best time hanging out with the kids that got us here and came to watch us. Cue many many little glasses of green liquid.

By the end of night Dan needs to drag us away kicking and screaming. This place is just too cool and I wanna stay here forever.

On our way to our guesthouse, some of our new friends take us to see a great view of their awesome city.

And then it's time to head home.

You are invited! Us Kids how to go to Durban!

Rock and roll ragamuffins, baby toy breakers and SMAC favourites Us Kids Know are once again taking their delightful live show on the road. This weekend the kids are following up their highly successful Cape Town tour with a visit to the sunny city of Durban!

SHOW 1

Unit 11

Friday 27th May

21:30

R30

Featuring:

-Us Kids Know

-We've Been Hacked

-Nev The Butcher

-Commodore 64

RSVP here!

SHOW 2

The Winston

Saturday 28th May

23:30

R30

Featuring:

-Us kids know

-Big Zero

-The Trees

RSVP here!

Jo Fo Euro. Day 12. Aachen, Germany

We wake up.

Get in the van and get through to Aachen pretty early.

I'm really excited about the venue we'll be playing tonight; AZ is a bomb shelter from the 50ies that's become a live venue.

No-one is around to let us into this huge concrete block, but we do find a little clue that this is indeed the spot we'll be playing at in a few hours.

We grab some lunch, do some laundry.

When we get back to the venue we find a large couch has magically materialized outside.

A while later a dreadlocked girl shows up and tells us we can get in through the back entrance. Inside AZ feels like something out of a movie, every surfaced covered in graffiti, a huge stage, backstage lounge and skatepark inside it.

While waiting for the first band to start we work on once again making sleeves for "... shooting star..." records.

Then watch local support act Periscope who are breath of fresh air playing music that I can never pin down into a genre.

And then it's time for Young Legionnaire to do that loud thing they do.

And then we do that ghostly thing we do. The crowd are fantastically responsive, maybe the best one we've pulled all tour. Needless to say we have tons of fun.

Afterwards we hang around this anomaly of a venue. Sell a bunch of records. Meet some cool kids. When it comes time to pack up we figure we should get some band shots of us in this crazy space.

And then leave are mark on it forever.

You are invited! Us Kids Howl Again!

Last year Us Kids Know played a pretty landmark set on one of Wolves' first Howl nights. It was just before the band released thier momentous "Problems Tape" and it saw the then duo unveiling a whole new incarnation of themselves. Reverb drenched acoustic guitar, toys and noise. The new sound stuck - Colin played a good few shows with just acoustic after that. So yeah, that the Howl gig debuted a new version of the always changing band. In the less-than-a-year since the band have already grown into something new, with the return of electric guitar and the addition of multi-instru-mentalist Cammy Lo Lo. And now this new version of Us Kids Know will be bring thier new bag of awesome back to Wolves - tonight!

RSVP here!

Jo Fo Euro. Day 11. Heidelberg, Germany

Jun and I have plans to wake up early and get some photos of beautiful Laussane.

But having fallen asleep so late I fail dismally and only meet Jun at the van at 9...

...before we all climb in and start the drive back to Germany.

Along the way I play Final Fantasy III on my DS, watch 30 Rock and animate ghosts floating over slo-mo landscapes of European countries we've passed through. Nestor safely delivers us to Heidelberg.

It's a really pretty town. Surrounded by mountains, it reminds me of Stellenbosch. Unfortunately, after driving through the city's lovely streets we find ourselves in what must be the most un-pretty part of it - a colossal construction site. According to the address this is where the venue should be, but there's nothing but this ugly wasteland and some half finished buildings. We sit around, confused for a few minutes. Then deiced to drive around the site and see if the venue is someplace close by. Eventually admit defeat, landing up in front of a seedy looking establishment called "Eroscenter 13". An elderly looking metal head on a bicycle drives up to us and flashes us a huge smile of metal teeth.

The dude turns out, not to be a retired James Bond villain, but instead our sound guy for the night. He directs us to the venue, which turns out to be a totally awesome old train station come live venue. It's huge.

Young Legionnaire, the band that will be supporting us on the rest of the tour, show up. They're a lovely gang of dudes (comprised of former members of Bloc Party, The Automatic and Yourcodenameis:Milo) and it's nice knowing they'll be with us for the rest of the tour.

We soundcheck, then go for a walk, hoping to see a bit more of the pretty town we drove past.

A half hour later we return defeated, only finding the constructions site, freeway and Eroscenter13 around us. We make ghosts for "You thought..." record artwork.

Eat delicious dinner and then start to worry about how few people seem to be showing up for the show. This worry turns out to be totally justified as 2 hours later Young Legionnaire start playing to 6 people. By the time we take over the situation isn't much better. We play to what has to be the least people I've ever performed in front of. Wether it's been with Kidofdoom, Johnny Neon or Eyes Like Mirrors, I've never slung Seafox over my shoulders for so few pairs of eyes to see my visuals.

I spend most of the show running around the empty hall of a venue, we kid around and honestly, just being able to make pictures to the sounds of The Foreigners makes me really happy regarless.