Music
Tour diary: In Hearts Wake take the Ticketmaster Blog on the road
Aussie metalcore mob, In Hearts Wake, give us an all access pass to their UK tour with this latest photo dairy.
Follow frontman Jake Taylor as he takes the Ticketmaster Blog behind-the-scenes from Vans Warped Tour UK to their support run with Asking Alexandria.
19/10/15 – Warped Tour, Alexandra Palace
“We walked into the monumental ‘Ally Pally’ and checked out the setup. Five stages, plenty of stalls and so much gear. Absolute chaos. We went straight into a couple hours of press followed by a communal shower to freshen up. 27 bands but only two showers? Crazy. Main stage was running behind by 20 minutes due to an unidentified crane that was left on the dance floor. By the time our set was due, the schedule was behind by twenty minutes so it ended up clashing with Memphis May Fire. Unfortunately the crowds were a bit split. Other than that misfortune it was a great experience and almost one hundred people turned up for our signing. All in all a very productive day.”
20/10/15 – Leicester
“After Warped Tour UK, it was hard to get moving. The overnight bus trip was a bumpy ride with a cacophony of coughs (excuse the pun). Everyone was a little bit sick, but stoked nonetheless to get gigging. The sun decided to pop out (rare for the UK) so the drummer for August Burns Red (Matt Greiner), our manager Ben and myself decided to go for an afternoon kick. Seeing as the venue was practically on a college campus, there were football fields a plenty. We asked four chums who were having a casual kick if they would like to have a match. They agreed and the stage was set for a football fiesta. After sliding around on the grass and nailing some set pieces we ended up beating them 10-7. All in a days work… Oh that’s right, we still had the gig to play. Post gig our UK label manager took us out to a curry house. One of the best meals we have had in a long time!”
21/10/15 – Newcastle
“I’d almost forgotten that Newcastle was such a cool city! It had been over two years since we played at the O2 with The Amity Affliction. I explored the old cobbled streets and a local food market. For £1.70 I picked up a slice of pizza so large I could have caught a wave on it. Walking down any side street the stone buildings felt like they told a thousand stories. Sure enough it was show time. The crowd was a little stiff but that’s kind of expected at 6:30pm on a cold Wednesday night.”
22/10/15 – Lincoln
“Slept solidly through the night and awoke at midday to the sight of load in. We got her done fast and had a kick of the soccer ball in the venue. It’s always good to remain active off the stage to bring back some balance. The old town of Lincoln was beautiful. There was an 11th century castle, and all the streets looked like they belonged in a history museum. There were so many cool shops and I ended up walking away with a woollen vintage jumper from the ’80s. Only £15, what a bargain! The show was great and the crowd was super positive. What a great day in autumnal England.”
23/10/15 – Glasgow
“We had been informed that there wasn’t going to be parking for our bus today so we all prepared for an early drop off. Eighteen sleepy humans clambered out of the bus in a huff. Definitely the biggest venue we’ve seen so far in Scotland. Standing on the stage looking back at the sound desk, it looked like our sound guy was standing in an episode of Star Trek, right on the bridge at mission control. I managed to fit in a quick sneaky walk around town and saw some sweet Scottish buildings. I even stumbled upon a Chocolate Factory, which was neat. The gig was great and we made a lot of new friends. Black bean and soy glass noodles for dinner and a dance with the ABR boys at the bar next door was a laugh. Off to a good start Scotland!”
24/10/15 – Dundee
“The only time I’d ever said the word ‘Dundee’ before was when referring to the Aussie classic ‘Crocodile Dundee’. So here we were in a city named after an Australian hero. I motivated myself to have a walk around the city and I wasn’t let down by the sights. Unique buildings plotted out the tightly knit CBD which ran along a wide river, once a rich food source and trading route for the locals. I picked up a tasty lunch from Wetherspoons for just four pounds and after the show I ended up returning there for dinner at the same price (go the spoons!). What started off as a glass of red wine turned into a spontaneous night on the town and it resulted in a bunch of us having a dance off in a middle-aged nightclub. The DJ ruled and a cheesy dance circle was formed. I even ended up having a go at breakdancing, haha! The local people were so friendly and accommodating to us traveling vagabonds. Dundee, thank you for having us!”
25/10/15 – Aberdeen
“Today’s show marks the farthest North we have ever played. I set off for my daily exploratory walk and just two hundred metres from the show I stumbled upon the coolest looking graveyard I had ever seen; which was three hundred or so years old. The head stones were covered in moss and littered with an array of autumnal leaves. You could tell winter was well on its way. Heading back to the venue the ABR tour manager Josh and I decided to fit in a yoga session and it was well needed. Below the venue there was an all-American themed bar and they were serving up free meals for all the bands – what a lovely surprise! The Rugby World Cup semi-final was also live on TV so we got to watch the Aussie Wallabies defeat the Argentine Pumas. World Cup final here we come!”
26/10/15 – Glasgow
“Glasgow was the perfect halfway point on route to Sheffield to spend the day off. Woke up earlier than usual and decided to go rock climbing with the ABR crew. Six metre walls, no harnesses, no ropes, just core strength. So many Scottish wizards crawling up the walls like Spiderman made it look easy, but it was everything but easy for us newbies. Blisters, grazes and tense forearms were the causalities of the day. Definitely going to be sore tomorrow but it was lots of fun. Made it back to the bus in time to join the rest of the guys en route to watch the James Bond ‘Spectre’ Premiere.”
27/10/15 – Sheffield
“Super sore today from rock climbing, feels like I ran a marathon yesterday. Misty and thick with fog I got out of my bunk just in time for a three-pound breakfast. Back at the venue for load in and I discovered that the venue had both a washing machine and dryer; can’t believe my luck! I was on my last pair of clothes so this perfect set-up saved a lot of stank. Getting to the laundry room involved three flights of stairs and a Willy Wonka hallway that kept winding as if it went forever. Twenty minutes before stage time Eaven dared Ben to go clean-shaven and Ben agreed but only if he would also do the same. So after many years of facial hair, both moustaches came off. Who ever said you couldn’t grow younger? The gig was a blast for us. Unfortunately later for Asking Alexandria set the guitarist Cameron collapsed on stage. Waiting for the diagnosis but we are told he is okay and it’s possibly just dehydration.”
“Our final day in rainy England, and yes we awoke to rain. Up and at ‘em we all went out for breakfast in Sheffield for Matt Greiner’s birthday (drummer for ABR). After breakfast we all hopped back on the bus en route to Manchester. The German driver decided to take the windy snake road through Yorkshire, which is not really designed for double-decker buses. The view was amazing though and I was glad he took that route. Misty rolling hills covered in ferns all changing into shades of red. Half the bus was carsick and the other half in awe of the landscape. We pulled up out the front of the venue with nowhere to park so it was another drop off and run. We all scurried out and began doing trips back and forth with all the gear. Sure enough stage time and the saying ‘save the best to last’ was definitely a thing. Manchester went off, everyone was jumping and singing. Really enjoyed it. Afterwards we went for a farewell dinner across the road. What a tour!”
