And Singapore, the last date of TWO ON TOUR!

First days  in Australia  at Stereosonic Festival until Perth! Then finally some days off…

Back in our favorite home on wheels for the week end, parked outside of Paris. Trapped in traffic, had to turn back to get my bass guitar forgotten at home in a rush. I slept all day recovering from a stressfull week busy at home. Finding back the joys of festivals, finally meeting the Gossip, their bus parked next to ours. Hopefully I’ll see their show. It’s raining, luckily our stage is indoor. Few interviews later and a proper dinner, I am getting ready in the dressing room next to Gossip’s again. Tomorrow we hit the road to Ireland, two ferries to take crossing UK. No time to think about it, I feel it’s a gonna be a good night tonight… =’.'=

Sonar festival, Zonar for the friendz, usual perfect start to summertime, a pilgrimage. The show at Loft was very punk, maybe because I drunk a strong vodka before getting on stage, which always hit me bad with stress. It surely helped me get the crazy moves I normally find myself too shy to do. All our friends were here, we had time to get some fun, our favorite still the Beatport party on a rooftop to start with. We also went to see Loco Dice and Luciano. The best memory was for sure our beach party near the airport, far away enough to bring the right people. There’s nothing like dancing feet in the sand on a James Holden sunny DJ set!

The following week stayed very Spanish, 3 hard gigs flying right at the big holiday start. We missed the bus badly, recovering the flying equipment trouble. I got travel sick, had to take strong pills that knocked me out for the day. I was half fit at night for the show in Madrid, on a 8m high stage, thanks I don’t suffer from vertigo…
Last breath to Ibiza. Landing on the island is such a strong moment, sea breaze puts you in this high emotional state of mind. Ibiza is really special. I missed it. We didn’t know what to expect, performing at Space. Ibiza is such a DJ Kingdom, was there really room for a real electronic show where laptops rule. We were wrong. Space team made a miracle, getting all the lights we wanted, nearly impossible on an island like that. The stage was big, behind the DJ booth, I nearly didn’t recognize the room. And the magic happened. I was too focused to feel the crowd, on my mission to sing right, we couldn’t miss this one… The feedback was huge, we seemed to be the first ones to do such a show. If Grace Jones will also perform at Space, why not trying? My next visit for a DJ set in August will be a real holiday after that! We were all relieved and happy. Sadly, no time to enjoy the beauty of the island, must go home.

Check the video!

Air conditionning broke down in the club last night. Neither Michel nor I could move a finger without nearly fainting. It’s mainly why I wasn’t so talkative last night during the show, too busy trying to breathe in the heavy smoking dirty air! But we made the show right. That’s the point: never show anything but the show! The walk in the afternoon by the canal and the city center was brilliant, the little light you need in the busy tourbus life.
Today, arriving in Jena around 2, soundcheck and internet work, looking forward dinner, the first real one since Grenoble. Kassablanka is a very punk alternative venue. Do people really live in these old wagons??? Funny for this little neat town Jena is, kinda cute, lots of students. Let’s see if they’ll show up tonight! If you gimme proper food, I’ll be on fire one more time! HUNGRYYYY!!!!!!!

Didn’t write in a long time, didn’t feel like. Back in France for the 1st 3 shows in very good conditions. Lots of driving but such a nice weather, happy about all the performances especially Lyon for Nuits Sonores. Let’s say it wasn’t technically the best one -hard location with feedback not hearing very well what we were doing…- but emotionnaly the strongest. All friends and family showed up, Michel’s sister and brother in law who are so dear to us. She heard us writing our 1st songs in his bedrooom in 96 and her boyfriend does all our videos. 1st time they could see us since our last appearance at Benicassim 8 years ago, and I think it was a shock. They didn’t expect such a big show with lights and Regis’s precious videos. Backstage everybody was a little dizzy from it, including us, it was so hot on stage, sweat in my eyes. We enjoyed the night till sunrise, cooling of with our crew.
We drove to our hometown Grenoble for a day off. Michel was overwhelmed by sleeping in his own bed, while I stayed at my beloved grand parents’. We all went to a classic Brasserie restaurant called “Les Archets”. If you ever go to Grenoble, try the Ravioles and Quenelles, the locals dishes, there’s nothing like it. If you wonder what it is, search on internet!
Next stop: Vienna. Bus parked in front of the canal, summer heat, a walk in the city and a nap before the low tech show. Easy after Lyon!
See you!

Back on the road. Alarm clock 5am flight to Berlin bus to Poznan. We left rain for sun, the sky showing us how warm can be Poland and its people. Nice way to start again. We spent the last 10 days at home recovering from the trouble of the past dates. I didn’t write about it, just needed to forget, pass on. I even asked my friends to talk about something else than work, sorry for no details, unglamorous. Period.
Back in music in lovely Poland. Yes, Poland is lovely, believe it or not. We have a new driver, seems lovely too but you never know. Discovering the beautiful red brick venue, giving a special flavor to the show for sure, especially with the projections on it. The magic of lights. Polish audience so enthousiastic, singin all the songs along, we just had to follow the flow. I enjoyed hugging Jacek yesterday, the only techno Polish star running Recognition label. Such a sweet guy. But we missed his live act, as well as Pier Bucci as we had to leave straight after the show. In the ferry to Denmark under the heavy rain. Goodbye sun. Through the dark windows of the bus, a landscape of weather desolation, grey and green, bridges over a futuristic sea with a romantic scandinavian touch I feel for. Reminds me the trips to Finland as a kid.
Tonight Martinez will DJ, he has a special place in my heart, playing for my Batbox release party in Paris a few years ago, he left a great impression, able to mix a groovy minimal track of his own with an Aphex Twin hit. He invited me back at Vega, same place tonight, for a memorable back to back vodka DJ set! I doubt I can reach this kind of mood tonight, not easy on tour. A show needs so much focus and balance, there’s a time for everything!

Amsterdam. A beautiful day off. A mass of orange happy people celebrating Queen’s Day, but with a bitter taste: everybody’s shock about the attack of the Queen’s cortege, 4 casualties plus the porcine fever terror, sometimes it’s good to be in the bus bubble away from the world’s trouble. A lot of tonight’s events are cancelled.
Sitting at the canal watching the boats’ parade, assholes on the other side were selling eggs to throw at people and boats, sometimes with children on board, hurting a few persons. Besides that the whole atmosphere was very friendly. We imagined if French people would celebrate 14th of July dressed in blue white and red in the streets, it would be chaos, they would break everything. We were so lucky it didn’t rain. The bus is parked behind the venue and we will drive straight away to Glasgow. Long drive with a ferry to take, waking up cos for security reasons we can’t stay inside the bus…
Before that, we have a big show to go. We played last year at Paradiso and we are looking forward to present our new lights and stage set up, plus new songs like Ray Ban or the improvised Dimanche. We started looking at videos on internet, it’s incredible how the lights look good, Sylvain did an amazing job, we don’t have this vision on stage.
A lot of bands are playing since 6pm, Erol Alkan cancelled, let’s hope our show can keep the happiness of this sunny day alive.

The time in Luxembourg gave us our energy and self confidence back. We loved playing there. Soon we will get back to night shifts, meaning driving by night, to surely be fit again.
We arrived in Brussels on time, discovered the beautiful legendary venue Ancienne Belgique and got a proper shower plus the best catering so far, and time to walk around in the city. Too short though, the show was early and Neon Judgement played before, a serious influencal band for Michel. It was a pleasure to finally meet them and spend this evening together. These guys are much older than us, but it doesn’t seem so.
I think we did a good job, knowing how tired I was. I always enjoy singing our songs, cos it’s a very important time of our artistic life, a dream come true were everything is falling naturally into place after the hard hard work. I also can be thankful to my voice for not suffering too much nights after nights. Belgium is surely one of the strongest place for us, the crowd gave us so much one more time. We didn’t want to be disapointing cos they never disapointed us. Maybe I get used to be better on stage and start to be more demanding with myself. Stupid, I shouldn’t forget I am just tired.
Two friends joined us on board, fresh input after the heavy past days stuck on the road.
We so need that day off in Amsterdam. We need good vibes from the outside world, real life. Music is not it. Just the little walk outside today did so much for our mind.
I am so not in a hurry to get back to the bus. I am sick of it, and soon it must come back to what it’s made for: driving at night. I wish I could just sleep and wake up in Amsterdam.