Bad Manners On Tour 2011

Hello to all you fat bastards out there! Here's the latest and greatest from the road: But first, I have no idea how Steph managed to blog at all on the last tour. The amount of drinking, waiting to drink, and recovering from drink, not to mention playing 6-7 shows a week really takes it out of you. You shower when you can, wear the same clothes for days, and for me, also try and get some vegan grub up in my belly. I'm tired, smelly and lonely for my own bed. Does that paint a picture? Bless meh fadda, it's been 4 days since my last confession. Let's catch up...I'm Jake Smith, recently out of a job, at loose ends and decided to run away with the circus, AKA Bad Manners. In a previous life I was a working musician and record producer. I've been working "real" jobs for the last 10 years and dabbling in music and dj'ing. After losing my dream job as Senior Recruiter at a large non-profit in Los Angeles, I got the offer from Big Mike Redd, BM Tour Manager, to join up. I took the gig, and here we are. Special thanks to Popeye in Boston for setting up the show there, and for coming to Lupo's and playing The Beat's tambourine w/ us. On the way up to Lupo's in Rhode Island we have a scary blowout on the highway. Left front tire goes out with a bang, I'm jolted awake, but Angry Frank safely brings us to a stop and we eventually get over to the shoulder, where a helpful state trooper parks behind us with lights flashing until the tow truck arrives. Big Mike has also sprung into action, and in minutes a van pulls up to take band and gear to the venue. It's Jamie from Midnight Creeps. Fucking aces! Thanks for saving the day. Lupo's is a huge theater, with dressing rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors. The production staff are rude and have stupid accents. We play a good show. There's a strong contingent of our fans there and much disposable income has been spent on Fred Perry gear. I see a lot of folks from Boston. After the gig (isn't that a Discharge song?), we go to Jamie's bar and drink heartily. We need to leave directly from Rhode Island and drive to New York to make an early load-in.