hey guys, so i got on a responsibly sized air craft about 3 days bound for Europe. I flew with china southern....by myself.... to my surprise the it was a decent flight to china. I stopped in Guangzhou, China for 18 hours. I got off the plane and wondered straight through immigration and straight through costumes, with a bag full of banana's, apples, bbq shapes and more. I jumped on a bus to the hotel i had for the day (covered by China Southern), and discovered Budweiser long necks for $1.50AUD. Got stuck into those, did some internet in my B.O smelly hotel room and went for a wonder. I soon discovered that the Chinese diet is gross. I found live snakes, scorpions, spiders ect. i also, to my disgust, found live puppies, kittens and rabbits for sale to eat, in which the "owner" was kicking them, throwing them, putting them in bags, head first, and throwing then at people buying them. I wanted to buy every single one of them and take the with me.
Yes i would be a crazy dog, cat, rabbit lady but it would have saved some beautiful animals. Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to get them on the plane. It didn't feel right leaving them behind knowing the fate of the animals. Seriously, it was fucked. I don't care if its there way of life there, it was fucked and no animal should have to go through that.
So i drank several Buds wit some fellows i met that were heading to Europe too. Went for a little bit more of wonder, saw about 1000 fireworks get set off at once. I crap my pants because it was so loud. Was sick!
After all these shenanigans, China is a pretty cool place to check out, i jumped on the bus to head to the airport.
I checked in and headed to the gate. Without any hiccups i got on the plane. The China to Europe leg i had a screen to watch movies. Good times. Watched The A-Team (re-make) which is a pile of crap. Ice Age 3, X-Men Origins Wolverine which rule.
I landed in Amsterdam at 6:25am local time and got off the plane. grabbed my bags, headed for nearest cafe and ate bacon. Bacon rules.
I then got a cab to the hotel. I was in Amsterdam for a day and night by myslf. I though i would have a nap about 2pm, after waiting 4 hours to get into my room and exploring. I went to sleep, slept through my alarm and woke up at 4am the next morning, opps. waited another several hours, got a beer at The Bulldog Hostel bar, ended up drunk and then bumped into Steve and Stacey. Hugs all round then as we were walking to our room up the road we bump into Francis.
Me, drunk, stumbled up the stairs and put our luggage in out room. It rules. Went down to the bar to drink beer and other stuff. I passed out before everyone went into the Red Light District for a wonder and more beers. I drunk to many beers is the moral of the story. I always drink to many beers. 2Euro beeers is awesome, long necks. Boom.
Today we went a gondola cruise around Amsterdam with beers. It was a really cool way to look at Amsterdam and get some good history on the place. Crazy place. We were suppose to go to the Heineken brewery but we procrastinated and drank to many beers. We'll go tomorrow!
Heading to the ice bar tonight, a bar made out of ice. Cant wait. Beer.
Laters
Sharpy
y6hu6hrgtj8urtu8i5th6
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The Resignators / Blog
Taking the heat in Europe
The Resignators aren't really the cleanest bunch of guys but the search for a washing machine between shows has become an obsession. It used to be "where the free beer?" Now its "Do you have a washing machine .....Please?
The heat European summer cant quite compete with an Aussie summer but we did not expect to play to so many badly ventilated underground bunkers packed the the gills! Everyone is losing kilos of sweat each gig. Jono and Francis are as thin as Steve and I and me and Steve are eating twice as much to keep the weight on.
Jez and Stacy always well dressed is running out of waistcoats and corsets and Sharpie cant see for the fogged up glasses.
Stepping off stage is like getting out of the pool. Next tour we will be bringing an extra trailer for dry clothes.
Finally we got to a washing machine last night after another sweat soaked gig at the Mudd Club Strasbourg - but it couldn't handle the intensity of The Resignators sweat. BUSTED!! On to the next show - wet stinking and ready to skank, rock and sock it to em.
PS Watch out for Sharpies nocturnal emissions.
Brucinator
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The Poo Shelf - I shit you not!
Holland is an interesting country, very flat, lots of canals, relaxed pot laws, old roads and building but as we leave, after having played some awesome shows, I realize the thing that may stick in my mind about Holland is the poo shelf!
To attempt to demonstrate what the poo shelf is, and I assure you this is not a joke, nearly every toilet here in Holland has a dry shelf above the waterline where you "lay your turd" before flushing the water. The flushing of the water pushes the turd into the water ,like a tidal water pushing sand off a beach, and out of the system.
I'm not really sure of the purpose, maybe it's to check on the health of the layer of the turd or maybe the people here just have a turd fetish, but I shit you not (pun intended) when you first have a look down after evacuating you bowls it is one of the strangest thing you'll ever see!
Anyway I thought you needed to know... oh and shows have been great... We leave Holland in about an hour for France... what do the toilets have in store for us there...
The Captain
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Leiden!
'The Greatest Show Ever Seen In Leiden', or so says the blog below:
http://www.sleutelstad.nl/nieuws/archief/2012/07/australische-ska-sensatie-the-resignators-zet-qbus-op-zn-kop
If you can't read dutch you'll just have to trust me. I can't read dutch either, so good luck with that. The Ressies blew the roof off the Q-Bar in Leiden last night, ably supported by 'The Shakedown 8' who smashed their way through their set. A hot and sweaty time was had by all, and the skanking was abundant. The after party at 'Die Twee Spieghels' was tinged with a little sadness as the band came to terms with having to leave Leiden, but also because musically, this club was hallowed musical ground. The great Ben Webster played his last gig on the stage at Die Twee Spieghels, and those in the band who on occasion worship at the Jazz altar felt the spine tingle of history keenly. Amongst the smoke and mirrors of the bar you could almost hear the big virile sax sound echoing across time. What a beautiful city, The Ressies won't forget their gig in Lieden in a hurry!
Jeremy Trumpet Man
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more on that topic http://wonomagazine.blogspot.nl/2012/07/ska-pop-punk-heaven-resignators-with.html
Drunk Sharpy in the Red light district 04/07/2012
hey guys, so i got on a responsibly sized air craft about 3 days bound for Europe. I flew with china southern....by myself.... to my surprise the it was a decent flight to china. I stopped in Guangzhou, China for 18 hours. I got off the plane and wondered straight through immigration and straight through costumes, with a bag full of banana's, apples, bbq shapes and more. I jumped on a bus to the hotel i had for the day (covered by China Southern), and discovered Budweiser long necks for $1.50AUD. Got stuck into those, did some internet in my B.O smelly hotel room and went for a wonder. I soon discovered that the Chinese diet is gross. I found live snakes, scorpions, spiders ect. i also, to my disgust, found live puppies, kittens and rabbits for sale to eat, in which the "owner" was kicking them, throwing them, putting them in bags, head first, and throwing then at people buying them. I wanted to buy every single one of them and take the with me. Yes i would be a crazy dog, cat, rabbit lady but it would have saved some beautiful animals. Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to get them on the plane. It didn't feel right leaving them behind knowing the fate of the animals. Seriously, it was fucked. I don't care if its there way of life there, it was fucked and no animal should have to go through that.
So i drank several Buds wit some fellows i met that were heading to Europe too. Went for a little bit more of wonder, saw about 1000 fireworks get set off at once. I crap my pants because it was so loud. Was sick!
After all these shenanigans, China is a pretty cool place to check out, i jumped on the bus to head to the airport.
I checked in and headed to the gate. Without any hiccups i got on the plane. The China to Europe leg i had a screen to watch movies. Good times. Watched The A-Team (re-make) which is a pile of crap. Ice Age 3, X-Men Origins Wolverine which rule.
I landed in Amsterdam at 6:25am local time and got off the plane. grabbed my bags, headed for nearest cafe and ate bacon. Bacon rules.
I then got a cab to the hotel. I was in Amsterdam for a day and night by myslf. I though i would have a nap about 2pm, after waiting 4 hours to get into my room and exploring. I went to sleep, slept through my alarm and woke up at 4am the next morning, opps. waited another several hours, got a beer at The Bulldog Hostel bar, ended up drunk and then bumped into Steve and Stacey. Hugs all round then as we were walking to our room up the road we bump into Francis.
Me, drunk, stumbled up the stairs and put our luggage in out room. It rules. Went down to the bar to drink beer and other stuff. I passed out before everyone went into the Red Light District for a wonder and more beers. I drunk to many beers is the moral of the story. I always drink to many beers. 2Euro beeers is awesome, long necks. Boom.
Today we went a gondola cruise around Amsterdam with beers. It was a really cool way to look at Amsterdam and get some good history on the place. Crazy place. We were suppose to go to the Heineken brewery but we procrastinated and drank to many beers. We'll go tomorrow!
Heading to the ice bar tonight, a bar made out of ice. Cant wait. Beer. Laters
Sharpy
y6hu6hrgtj8urtu8i5th6
Reply
Didn't believe ben wrote all of this... until the mention of bacon.
On the Road!
The Resignators are all enroute to our big Attack of the Killer Cherries European Tour 2012! Francis is still in the Red Light District of Geylang (shopping afd trying to tell the girls fron the boys) in Singapore waiting to board his Air France flight to Paris, Steve, Stacy and Bruce are in Doha Qatar in 40° weather waiting to board a flight to Brussels, (this morning they dined on camel jerky and bought Camel cigarettes for $18 AUD/carton), Jeremy and Bridget are in Northern Ireland hanging with the Queen and Michael McGuinness, Sharpy is somewhere in China trying to find a Subway (which bread do you want your dog sandwich on?), and Jono is packing his bone in Montreal for the flight through Rekjavik Iceland). All will be covening in Amsterdam just in time for a big July 4th rehearsal, then we start our 26 show tour, PS Stacy did NOT have to cover her dreads in Qatar!
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Last Melbourne show before tour! Cherry Bar!
The band are all packing bags for Europe. Jeremy and Bridget fly out first on Monday, the rest of us following closely behind, but we are playing one last show in Melbourne at Cherry Bar, Sunday June 25 with Workinghorse Irons and Between the Wars. Come say farewell!
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09/11/2011 - part 2
After several days of recovery over Cup Day monday and tuesday, the Smashers road the train to the final wednesday show in lovely Adelaide at Enigma Bar with locals Son of Dad, who opened the show well for The Resignators and Planet Smashers. Matt opened the floor for requests at the end of the night and played my favourite punk anthem "Death Threat" and Son of Dad's request "Girlfriend" (for the first time this tour). A smaller but dedicated weekday crowd dominated the dance floor, moshing, skanking, and even stage diving. It is always a bittersweet moment at the end of a tour, but despite farewell tears and beers, we all had a great time!
Various Smashers went off to stay with various Resignators to wind out their time down under, scattering around Sydney, Melbourne, Dandenongs, Daylesford (where Alex Smasher sat in with myself and Stacy in a Radio Springs "Family Farm" set). We will miss the zany Canadians, and can't wait to get back over to their fine country for more touring, maple syrup and poutine!
If you missed this legendary tour, you can still get a taste of The Planet Smashers, as Care Factor Records has released their newest CD "Descent into "The Valley of The Planet Smashers" in Australia, with 12 bonus tracks from previous releases. Thanks to Francis, Cassie, Stephanie, Jacob (sound) and crew for putting this whole event together, and a big "good on ya" to all the bands that made this such a fun week!
Cheers! Steve Douglas
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09/11/2011 - part 1
It was a whirlwind tour of Australia for their first trip down under, but Montreal's Planet Smashers made their mark on ska fans in the "lucky country" by hitting all the major east coast cities, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide with 5 dates spread across Melbourne Cup Day Weekend. The band landed in Brisbane and had a day off, so they took that time to see some off our distinctive wildlife, and singer/guitarist Matt Collyer had one of his highlights of the trip when he saw "a wallaby lick a kangaroo's nuts".
Well-rested after that first day off the band launched into their first show at Jubilee Hotel in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. Supported by the punk reggae upstarts Kingston Stomper's, the big 10 piece second wavers and 30 year veterans The FunAddicts, and Stomp records labelmates The Resignators, the night was a great success, partly due to $2 Coronas and the presence of Anarchist Ducks, Jules and Flawless who jumped up with the Resignators on "Emotional". Thanks to the Jamies for putting up a bunch of folks before and after the show!
On to Sydney, at the legendary Annandale Hotel, still holding court despite threats of closing due to neighbours complaints (they need to read a brief history of The Tote to learn how to stay afloat). This room had the best production of the tour, resulting in a great show for Planet Smashers and Resignators, as well as Pete Porker (backed by Los Capitanes) and Chris Royal and the Dukes. Unfortunately that many ska musicians went through the rider too quickly and the upstairs bar got raided by the bands resulting in a $600 tab that had to be paid. The house was a bit quick to cut things off (I guess due to neighbour's complaints) and The Planet Smashers could not do the encore that the crowd called for....cue house music, turn on lights, go sleep on bench at airport. (Who ever heard of a major international airport closing at midnight?)
Melbourne was next, with a saturday All Ages family style show in a warehouse in Clayton South behind the very hospitable Fairbanks Cafe, who kept everyone fed with their tasty and reasonably priced wares. Area 7, Kujo Kings, The Bennies and FunAddicts joined The Smashers and Resignators here, and a great time was had by all (even in a no-alcohol environment!) There is something very special about families that skank together, and the giant Panda and Hippo were a great hit with the kids!
The Ska Nation event at The Corner Hotel on sunday was next with Pete Porker, Los Capitanes, and Kujo Kings back on the bill with fresh faces Jobstopper from Queensland and the Resignators and Planet Smashers. Kujos started with a spoof of The Resignators "See you in Hell", altered to "get off the unicorn, get on the bong". Due to a late arriving Resignator, Los Caps did their own set first, then Resignators, then Los Caps/Pete Porker's "I Can't believe it's not The Porkers" set. I think Pete was glad to be back in Melbourne for a show, cause he really came into his groove here. The Resignators set was fast and furious and short but sweet to make up for their lateness, then The Planet Smashers pounded out hit after hit, culminating in the oft-requested "Super Orgy Porno Party" during which the entire crowd spilled onto the stage in mayhem. The conjunction of Skalloween and the Melbourne Zombie Walk made for interesting costumes in the house. The Corner's excellent sound system in the hands of Jacob Munnery made all the bands shine!
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02-10-2011
The Resignators have travelled the world and met some fantastic people in some fantastic bands so we've decided to introduce you to some of our favs! Each week we'll feature a band that The Resignators have played with for you to check out...
Next up in our feature on bands that The Resignators have played with is a band that will be familuar with anyone into the ska / punk scene of the mid 1990's! MUSTARD PLUG who we played with in Lansing MI, USA, in March 2009.
A fantastic and seminal band in the Ska / Punk scene, Mustard Plug continue to play live (after 20 years) and promote the ska scene through the "Ska Is Dead Tour" and releases...
"What is in a name?" The members of Mustard Plug must have considered this when they casually came up with the title of what seemed at the time to be a short-lived distraction. While also considering the equally ridiculous "Wanker Daddies," "Shrinky Dinks," and "Cookie Puss," it was the title "Mustard Plug" that was chosen as the masthead to carry forth in the band's crusade to bring ska-punk to their humble abode of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Twenty years, 1500 shows and 200,000 album sales later, it can not be denied that the band has surpassed all expectations and permanently staked their claim in contemporary music.
Check them out - great band and really nice guys!
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25-09-2011
The Resignators have travelled the world and met some fantastic people in some fantastic bands so we've decided to introduce you to some of our favs! Each week we'll feature a band that The Resignators have played with for you to check out...
First up from Montreal, Canada, The Beatdown who we toured with in Canada in 2010 (you may remember the One Night Band, who toured Australia in 2009, which The Beatdown share many members)
You’ve known them as hardworking road warriors with an unyielding passion for reggae and Jamaican music.
The One Night Band is now on a break, but this hasn’t stopped singer/guitarist Alex Giguere from keeping busy. He has taken this opportunity to initiate a more personal and introspective project.
Joining forces with ONB bass player Pascal Lesieur, ex-drummer Nicolas Fizzano and longtime friend Jovanny Savoie, Giguere introduces The Beatdown.
What to expect from this new musical venture? Pure and uncompromising reggae and ska, with soul overtones and a punk edge.
check them out!
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