Soilwork fortsätter sin resa på vägarna i USA och Kanada och Björn bjuder här på del 2 av sin exklusiva turnéblogg. Bland annat har de spelat på scenen där Dimebag mördades och grillat med Gammeldansk.
“Here I am, in Knoxville Tennessee. Writing this while the southern sun rays are shining in through the windows and a freight train passes by outside.
Last time I wrote to you I was in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. We hit Winnipeg the next day, which was a pretty long drive. I think I slept through the whole thing. This tour bus has some really nice mattresses for a change..
I did my yoga inside the venue ”The Park Theatre”, real nice place with a mini sports bar inside it too. Watched some baseball and got some really good Mexican. Who would’ve thought that about Winnipeg? We’ve played the venue before and show was fantastic. Canada was really fantastic in general. Great crowds and great vibes. And good beers.
In the morning it was time for border crossing to the US again. It went pretty smooth and we didn’t even have to get off the bus this time. Next up Minneapolis. We had not played there for a while and it was a pleasant return. We played a really big theatre that looked like something from 1982. It was like I could picture Toto performing ”Africa” on that stage. Had a great show and a real good meet and great with our fans who ended up with us hanging out in the streets talking. A couple of drunk ladies approached us in the their PJ’s, really interesting indeed.
Next day in Joliet, IL was one of my favorite days on this tour so far. Me and David were a part of a cooking show and set up a grill in front of the tourbus. We marinated a steak in Gammeldansk and other yummy things. We even flambeed the damn thing in Gammeldansk. Caught a really nice afternoon buzz and the boys in opening band Shattered Sun, decided to join and they also cooked up a storm, making south west burgers with hawaiian burger buns. Absolutely delicious!!!
Next day we played Clive, Iowa. Strangely enough they had arranged a festival on a Monday.. not a lot of people showed up but we still had a real good time. Met up with Kris Norris of Scar The Martyr (ex Darkest Hour) as well. It was real good seeing him, it’s been ages.
Next day we hit Cleveland and also the first day with really bad weather. Puddles of rain filled the street. The venue is called The Agora and is one of the most classic venues in North America. Some people claim that it was here, where the term ”rock n roll” was first mentioned. It was also here where the scene with Spinal Tap not finding the stage was recorded. Epic. The next day we had a day off in Niagara Falls. It’s such a beautiful sight to see. Did some laundry – you only get a few chances to do that so you better make it happen once the opportunity occurs. Finished the day up with a steak and some hockey at a bar.
In the morning it was time for border crossing. Again. It was very tiring, especially when it happens 6 in the morning and we all have to get off the bus and wait for a grumpy officer to let us through.
Next up was Toronto, one of my absolute favorite cities in the world. I’ve spent quite a lot of time there the latest 5 years and it’s just perfect. It’s like a mini New York (well…still 6 million people living there..) but it doesn’t have the same high tempo and feels rather calm, unless you’re stuck in traffic that is. Had one of best shows on the tour at ”The Opera House”. What a crowd!!! Wow!!!
We played Montreal the next day and I woke up real late. Made a stupid decision of eating a ”poutine” for ”breakfast”. For those of you who don’t know what that is I can tell that it’s basically fries with cheese curds and gravy poured all over it. I know, it sounds horrible. It is pretty good though… Show was fantastic as usual and crowd was insanely loud.
Columbus was up next and I had very mixed feelings playing there. Not because of the city, but the venue. On that same stage at Alrosa Villa, Dimebag, crew members and people in the crowd got shot in 2004. We’ve played there before and I had a really weird feeling all day. This time the same feeling occurred but the crowd helped us overcome the fear and giving it all for Dime. I hope he could see us somehow.
A show in Pontiac, Michigan followed the next day and I decided to go for a run on possibly the biggest parking lot I’ve seen. It felt great and I instantly celebrated with a beer afterwards. World Class counterproductivity..
An intense day in NYC followed the next day with loads of press. After a fantastic show me and David had dinner with a former secret service agent, at a bar nearby. Very interesting to say the least!!!
Last night we hit a pretty bad area in Baltimore. The ”Ottobar” as the venue is called is a classic place with sticky floor and a real punk vibe. It ended up being the most intense show on the tour. The place was literally shaking and people were flying… My body is aching as we speak but this tour has been so much fun and we still have almost 2 weeks to go, so I say bring it on..
Björn Speed Strid”