Alex Webster's SWR Cannibal Corpse 2009 Blog/Tour Diary
Cannibal Corpse bassist Alex Webster will be checking in with a tour blog as he and his New York-bred death metal cohorsts lay waste to the concert trail. Webster is toting an appropriately seismic SWR rig and his colorful writings will appear in this very spot to tell you all about it. Take it away, Alex ...
Dec. 9, 2009
Today we're in Maplewood, Minn., which is basically a suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul. We just finished a four-show run through central Canada as part of the Decimation of the Nation 2 tour, consisting of Calgary, Edmonton, Sakatoon and Winnipeg. The shows were fantastic, as we've come to expect from that part of the world—there are some truly raging audiences up there.
We've been to central Canada before, but never in the winter ... it's definitely full-on cold up there this time of year! We checked the temperature in Sakatoon, and it was -24 degrees Fahrenheit (-31 degrees centigrade). Today in Minnesota it's around 10 degrees, and it actually feels warm compared to where we just were!
Onstage in Vancouver.
Photo by Alison Webster
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Now that we're back in the States, we'll be playing throughout the Midwest before heading back into Canada for a third time to play Toronto and Montreal. It will be our first show in Toronto for this tour cycle, so we're really looking forward to that, and Montreal is always incredible. After that we'll be heading down the East Coast for a few more shows before the tour comes to an end. It has been a killer tour so far, and we're sure the last few dates (Worcester, New York, Philly) will really end things on a high note. This will probably be my last update on the road for this year, but I might check back to do a year-end review. Thanks for reading, and hope you all have a great holiday season.
Alex
Alberta, Canada: Ice on the inside of the tour bus window.
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Dec. 1, 2009
Everything is still going great out here on the Decimation of the Nation 2 tour. We recently did three shows in California; now we've headed up to the Pacific Northwest to play shows in Portland, Vancouver, Seattle and Spokane before we work our way back east across Canada.
Of the three shows we did in California, two of them (San Francisco and L.A.) were mini-festivals where our tour combined with the Trivium/Chimera/White Chapel/Dirge Within tour that's also currently under way in North America. We all have a lot of friends in the bands and crew on that tour, so we had a great time catching up with those guys. The shows themselves were also really well-attended and had some really massive slam pits.
OK, that's all for now. Check back soon for more updates as the Decimation continues.
Alex
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Remember the Alamo.
In San Antonio with Ron Jarzombek (left).
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Nov. 26, 2009
We've been on tour as part of the Decimation of the Nation 2 tour for a few weeks now, and everything has been going great. The tour is a great combination of various genres of extreme underground music, and the slam pits have been as huge and raging as you'd expect with this type of lineup.
We started the tour in the Northeast before heading south and then west. We've played at some of our favorite venues on this tour, such as the Masquerade in Atlanta and the Ogden Theater in Denver, and we've also played a few venues for the first time ever, like the Lone Star Pavilion in San Antonio.
Most of the venues have been in areas where there weren't many sightseeing opportunities, but the Lone Star in San Antonio was a short walk from the Alamo, so a few of us went over and checked it out. It truly is one of America's great historic sights; if you're ever in San Antonio be sure to make a point of going there. The day in San Antonio was actually great all the way around; after the trip to the Alamo we played our set to a raging audience, and then I got a chance to hang out with S.A. native Ron Jarzombek, the guitarist in my other band, Blotted Science.
A few days later we played in Kansas City, and our friend and ex-guitarist Jermy Turner dropped by and took us to what might have been the best barbecue restaurant we've ever been to—a K.C. masterpiece, indeed!
Since then we've continued west, playing 14 shows in a row total before finally taking a day off for Thanksgiving in Las Vegas. When you can't be home for Thanksgiving dinner, the Excalibur all-you-can-eat all-day buffet is a pretty decent substitute!
Up next we have a string of dates on the West Coast and through Canada before heading back east for more shows, including our first appearance in New York City this year. I'll try to check back in the coming weeks—now it's time to continue the Decimation!
Alex
Nov. 5, 2009
Today I'm writing to you from Charlotte, N.C., where we're taking a break on our way up north to start the "Decimation of the Nation" tour with Hatebreed, Unearth, Born of Osiris and Hate Eternal. The tour kicks off in Cleveland and will hit more than three-dozen other cities throughout the U.S.A. and Canada before wrapping up in Philadelphia on Dec. 20.
We only had one full day off at home between this tour and the European tour we just finished, so we're definitely keeping busy! I figured I'd take this opportunity to update you on how the rest of the European tour went.
Onstage in the Netherlands.
Photo courtesy www.metalkrant.net
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The last time I had checked in we were in Spain. After the Spanish shows were finished we headed back into France and then south to Italy and Greece. We then headed north and did shows in Serbia, Slovakia, Poland, and Berlin before taking a day off in Munich.
The Munich day off was one of only three days off during the tour. We pulled up to the venue (called Backstage) a day early and had a great day off that, for some of us, included a visit to a really cool hunting and fishing museum in Munich's center. Later that night I checked out a great show put on by another tour that was playing the Backstage, and the following day before sound check I was able to do laundry there as well, which is a pretty big deal on tour! So, many thanks go out to the folks at Backstage for letting us use their venue and its facilities during our stay in Munich; we really appreciate it.
After a few more shows in Germany and Austria we headed up to Holland for two shows; both went extremely well. The Dutch shows were the last of the tour on mainland Europe and also the last with Obscura and Evocation as support-we want to say thanks to both bands for a great tour.
The final five shows of the tour were in the U.K. and featured two different support acts, Trigger the Bloodshed and Annotations of an Autopsy (fellow Americans Dying Fetus were direct support for the entire tour; only the first two bands changed upon entry to the U.K.). All of the shows on the tour throughout Europe had been fantastic, and the U.K. shows were no exception. In fact, the highest point of the tour might have been the sold-out show at London's Koko venue, which has a capacity of 1,400. We also had over 1,000 people come out to the Glasgow show, which happened to be on Halloween night. Of course, that holiday creates the perfect atmosphere for our type of music, as did the venue for our show in Colchester, an old church with an eerie graveyard.
So overall I'd have to say this was an extremely successful tour of Europe; maybe even the best we've ever done. Many thanks go out to Dying Fetus and the other bands on the tour for doing a killer job night after night, and most importantly we'd like to thank all of the fans who came to the shows and made the tour so great.
So that's all for now ... time to start the Decimation of the Nation!
Alex
The creepy venue in Colchester, England. |
In Munich, with huge antlers. |
Oct. 11, 2009
We're a little over a week into our headlining European tour, and so far it's been a huge success. We started off the tour with two really cool festivals in Germany and then went on through Switzerland, back to Germany for another show, Belgium, France, and now Spain. Today we're in Bilbao, which is the third of three shows in Spain for this tour.
So far the shows have all had great attendance. Last night in Madrid was sold out, and several other dates were really packed although not completely sold out, including a raging show at La Locomotive club in Paris ("La Loco"), which is located right next to the world-famous Moulin Rouge (see photos below in Paris ).
Tomorrow we head back into France for a show in Lyon, and then we head south to Italy and Greece, and then on to Eastern Europe before returning west again. I'll try to post a few more updates with some cool photos as the tour progresses. Until then I want to say thanks to the great fans who've attended the tour so far, hope to see the rest of you soon!
Alex
Sept. 10, 2009
Greetings everyone, we’re currently on tour in Australia and New Zealand, and everything is going great so far. We started out in New Zealand with two shows; one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. Both shows were killer—many thanks to the great fans there and also to the local promoters and crews who took such good care of us during our stay.
Today we’re in Perth, which is quite a long way from our last show in Christchurch (check a map—it’s thousands of miles). We had an off day yesterday, which was basically a full day of travel. Anyway, we’ve had a chance to get a full night’s sleep, so we’re ready to go full-bore at tonight’s show. We’re sure the crowd in Perth will do the same—we’ve always had intense shows here. After Perth it will be on to Adelaide, then Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
My rig for the Christchurch, New Zealand show.
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Since I’m blogging for SWR, I always like to mention the gear I’ve been using at the various places we play (on tours in Australia and New Zealand you fly to all of the shows, so we use different amps every day). They had a really cool rig for me in Christchurch—an older SM 900 with Goliath cabs (check the photo). It’s older, but it still sounded killer. Can’t wait to see what sort of SWR rig is waiting for me at the venue today in Perth.
OK, that’s all for now. Check back soon for another update. Thanks for reading!
Alex
New Zealand tour poster.
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July 28, 2009
We’re about halfway through the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Fest, and so far everything has been awesome. The crowds at the shows have continued to be killer with more huge pits day after day.
Since this is an open-air festival tour, we’ve dealt with all sorts of different weather—including 116° heat in Phoenix (reduced slightly late in the day by the shade created from a small dust storm); an impressive display of lightning in Albuquerque, which thankfully stayed miles away from the festival site; a “dust pit” in Denver that left us, the audience and our gear covered with a layer of dirt by the end of the show; wet and (relatively) cool conditions in the Midwest; and all the sweat-inducing heat and humidity you’d expect from the Southeast at the Atlanta show.
Onstage in Chicago.
Photo by Alison Webster |
One of our favorite things we do on this tour is a daily signing at the Hot Topic tent. This starts at 3 p.m. and usually lasts about an hour. We’ve been having a great time meeting our fans at these signings—it’s a perfect way to get fired up for the upcoming performance.
After our shows we’ve started getting in the routine of having dinner and then watching some of the main stage bands. This is an amazing tour to be on, not only as a musician, but also as a fan.
OK, that’s all for now. We’re home in Buffalo right now (chicken wings!!!) enjoying our first day off in ten days. See you all when the Mayhem resumes!
-Alex
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Hot Topic signing in Indianapolis.
Photo by Alison Webster
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July 16, 2009
Onstage Mayhem.
Photo by Char Tupper
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Well, we’ve been on tour for over week as part of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, and I have to say it might be the best tour we’ve ever been a part of. It’s certainly the biggest, with thousands of people attending every show so far. The whole tour is really well organized and all the bands and crew get along great. There are three stages on Mayhem—two side stages that are set up outside and the main stage, which is usually an amphitheater. We’re headlining the Hot Topic side stage.
The crowds at Mayhem have been AWESOME. I’m pretty sure we’ve had the biggest slam pits in our band’s history at these shows. Although it’s hard for me to see everything from the stage since I’m usually keeping an eye on my fret hand, I’ve still managed to catch some of the action ... definitely intense! When you see literally hundreds of people slamming to your band’s music, well, there’s nothing quite like it. According to members of our crew, at some of the shows there’s been more than one pit, with San Bernardino being the current champ with reports of four or more pits raging simultaneously!
Gear-wise on this tour, I’ve really been able to unleash the full force of my rig, with both SM-1500™/Megoliath™ stacks roaring on each side of the drum kit. I like to have some extra power onstage when we're playing outdoor festivals like Mayhem. In my opinion, you really can’t be too loud at an outdoor fest.
So, that’s it for now. I’ll try to check back in later in the tour; hopefully I’ll also have some cool photos from the road to add at that time. Thanks for reading ... now it’s time to go and continue the MAYHEM!
-Alex
June 10, 2009
Hello everyone and welcome to the first entry to my new tour blog for SWR. For this first edition, I’m writing to you from Osaka, Japan. We’re currently on tour here; it’s a three-show mini-tour consisting of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. We’ve already played the first two shows of the tour and are currently taking a breather in Osaka before the final show in Nagoya. It’s been 13 years since Cannibal's last tour of Japan, so we’re extremely excited to finally be back. The tour has been fantastic, and right now I'd like to give you a little recap of how things have been so far.
The first show of the tour was in Tokyo, so that was the city we flew into. We arrived early in the afternoon on Sunday, the day before the first show. The concert was booked into Tokyo’s Club Quattro in the Shibuya district of the city. Although we were exhausted from the long flight from the United States, we decided to stay up the whole day in order to get on a good schedule. Keeping moving is pretty essential to staying awake after a long flight like that, so my wife (who was along for the trip) and I set out to explore the area around the hotel. It would really be hard to exaggerate just how awesome and overwhelming the bustling city of Tokyo can be for visitors—we were just blown away by the sights and sounds of this amazing city. The atmosphere was incredibly exciting, and despite our fatigue we had no problems staying up the whole day as planned.
On the street in Tokyo (above) and aboard the bullet train (below).
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The next afternoon we walked over to the venue from the hotel and got set up. I was pleased to find an SWR 750X head and two Goliath cabs waiting for me there as arranged (shipping my U.S. rig of two Megoliath cabs and two SM-1500 heads over for three shows would be just a little on the expensive side, ha ha). That’s the same rig I had used for our European tour, so I was up and running quickly. We ran through a good sound check and then let the other bands on the tour (Misery Index and the Faceless) take over the stage for their checks. Then the rest of the day prior to the show we did interviews and also a photo shoot.
So, after a long trip and a busy day of press it was finally time for our first Japanese gig since 1996. The Faceless and Misery Index had played killer sets and the crowd was really warmed up. We hit the stage and gave it everything we had and the crowd responded with equal intensity. We were really impressed by the energy of the fans, there was a killer pit throughout the show and during the songs the fans were loud. It was one of the most exciting shows we’ve had in a long time and it was definitely worth the wait. After the show we had the chance to meet some of the fans outside of the venue and also back at our hotel. We had a great time talking and taking photos with them and we made sure to let them all know the wait to see us in Japan again would be a lot less than 13 years if we had anything to say about it!
The next day we got up fairly early in order to catch the bullet train to Osaka. That train is fast and so smooth you can walk around without losing your balance at all, even at top speed. We arrived in Osaka after around two and a half hours on the train and went directly to the venue for sound check. The venue in Osaka was also called Club Quattro (as was the venue in Nagoya). We had played at that particular venue on our tour in 1996 and there was actually still graffiti in the backstage commemorating that gig. After sound check we had the opportunity to get some much-needed rest at the hotel since there were no interviews that day. A few hours later we returned to the venue and played in front of a smaller but equally energetic audience. More killer pits and headbanging mayhem. After the show we had the chance to hang out with our fans for an even longer time than in Tokyo, as there was a great metal bar nearby called RockRock that hosted an after-show party for us. With no show scheduled for the next day, the party went long into the night and probably until dawn and beyond (I wouldn't know exactly when because my wife and I turned in at around 3 a.m.—Rob and George were the last men standing from the CC camp on this particular evening).
So that brings us to today, which wound up being a great day of sightseeing and relaxing in Osaka, which is also a very busy and impressive city with lots of interesting things to check out. The hours of the day went by quickly and soon it was time for all three bands to go and have a traditional Japanese dinner at a nice restaurant. The food was excellent—everything I ate was great, although I’m not entirely sure what some of it was! Menus in English are not as common as you might think in Japan, but they usually have pictures of the food on them, so we just point and hope for the best, ha ha. Anyway, the meal was awesome and we all had a great time hanging out. Much thanks to Nambu from Extreme Dojo for arranging this feast.
OK, I guess that’s all for now. I want to say a huge thanks to the amazing fans we’ve met on this tour—you all have made us feel so welcome here in Japan. We’re looking forward to meeting more of you at the final show of the tour tomorrow in Nagoya. Also, much thanks to Extreme Dojo and Metal Blade Japan for taking great care of us since we’ve been here.
I’ll be checking in from the road throughout the summer and into the fall,
In Tokyo at sound check (above) and the show (below).
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as Cannibal has a lot of touring lined up for 2009. Some of my posts will be shorter than this, some longer, but I’ll try and make sure all of them are interesting and packed with cool details about our life on the road. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next report, coming to you from a location yet to be determined!
Alex
6/10/09
Photos by Alison Webster
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