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Haggis, hostels and hoagies: going backstage with PLANET on their European tour

PLANET have been busy boys lately. Fresh off the release of their killer debut EP Waking Eight, they’ve spent the last month and then some jetting around the globe with DMA’s. And now that they’re back on Aussie soil, they’ve got their own tour kicking off next weekend.

I’ll be the first to admit we would have loved to spend the last coupla weeks backstage at O2 Academy in Bristol or smashing burgers in Berlin, but sadly we couldn’t join PLANET overseas. So, we decided to tee up the next best thing and asked the lads to keep a tour diary.

Here’s what they sent through.

PLANET european tour diary DMA's

5 weeks, a shit ton of shows and a few sick boys: go backstage with PLANET and DMA’s with their European tour diary.

Week 1

After about a day of transit and an 11 hour stop over in the always beautiful Changi International, we finally touched down in Heathrow, London. Me and Jim were rewarded with watching Matty and Harry glide through customs on their pommy passports while dragging ourselves through immigration AND the bloody royal wedding was on repeat across all visible screens…

Lapping up the all-you-can-eat lounge in Changi Airport, Singapore

Greeted by our splitter van and backline hire, we were pretty much stuck straight into it. Spent most of the first day running through the setlist and trying not to get robbed at London’s Hell Hostel (Gordon would tear the place a new one).

Nottingham was the first show of the DMA’s album tour and our first real taste of playing a big stage with great production. After the nerves had settled, we’d found our place on stage and the crowd reaction was overwhelming. Also had a good go at the in house catering backstage, thinking we’d have it the whole tour but were swiftly corrected..

#1 UK fan ‘TF’ showing us some love in Nottingham

Manchester Academy next up and by far one of the tour highlights. The biggest headline show DMA’s had sold out to date and easily one of the biggest crowds we’ve played to. The energy in Manchester is something else, you can tell how much they back music and it resonates through the crowd and bands.

After a “soft” afterparty backstage we ended up at a highly recommended bar across the road that, apparently, was owned by Aussie’s. Mad vibes.

Tom @ Manchester Academy

One last stop up in Newcastle, land of the Geordies, before wrapping the first week up. The first of many universty O2 shows, our first decent night of sleep and big chunk of the night missing from my memory.

Week 2

Kicking off the week back in London at the O2 Forum Kentish Town (fucking beautiful venue) was a very memorable night. We had the pleasure of meeting Andy Bell (Ride, Oasis) and Peter Crouch (football legend) who had come along to watch our set and have a laugh afterwards.

Matty & Johnny after he joined us on stage for ‘You, Just a Little More’

An hour south to Brighton for the first ‘club’ show of the tour and probably one of the more stunning towns in the UK, once the skies cleared and the rain settled. We were playing in an ancient venue underground near the famous Pier. The last independent family owned venue in the country, so I’m told.

Felt comfy playing a slightly smaller venue, closer to what we’re used to, and sleeping in another superb hostel.

Brighton Pier

The rest of the week was pretty cruise-y (apart from the constant loading in and out of all our gear), we played in Cardiff with DMA’s and then played our first sideshow back in London. Almost like a mini showcase with five bands on the bill, it was a very fast paced night. We kept things pretty chill that night (I think) because next week was much busier.

Post pre-show dinner in Cardiff. Have you ever had a Hoagie?
Post pre-show dinner in Cardiff. Have you ever had a Hoagie?
Obviously didn't pack for the hottest day in London all year...
Obviously didn’t pack for the hottest day in London all year..

Week 3

Coming into week three, we played the Junction in Cambridge and the O2 Academy in Oxford, feel like we left those two slightly smarter. Relatively quieter early week gigs with uni having finished. We also played Norwich (where Matty had an almost hostile encounter with some idiot who left their dog in a car) and Leeds.

It was that point of the tour where we knew at least someone was gonna get sick soon and I was that lucky duck. Don’t remember much of that show but I was basically on death’s door and had to drag myself onto stage, pockets stuffed with tissues for the cheeky mid set blows.

Having a dip in the green room @ Leeds Beckett University

The next day was Friday and we got up early to make the pilgrimage to Europe. Still sick as a dog, I slept virtually the whole way and woke up in the city of angels, Amsterdam.

We stayed with a good mate of ours who’s lived in Amsterdam for over a decade. He took us to his local bar the night before the show where we ran into some troopers from the UK who had travelled for the gig at Paradiso. A beautiful venue and great start to the Europe leg.

Somewhere on a canal?
Getting “Teuro” in Amsterdam

Week 4

The week began in Hamburg at the famous Molotow on the Reeperbahn (place is as chilling as it sounds). We shared a big spread with the DMA’s lads and had a real wholesome night. I was feeling great again having crawled out of a wretched pit of illness and despair.

Unfortunately for Matty, I had passed the baton onto him and he was hating me for it.

The 5th Beatle?

Berlin was up next. For weeks before the tour started, months even, Johnny from DMA’s had been talking up this food joint called Burgermeister so it was literally the first thing we hit when we arrived. It was worth it. After we played at SO36, an old friend of ours took us out to some mad local bars. Me and Harry went back to the hostel in the late hours of the morning and had a few cheeky ones at the bar there before jumping in the van for Cologne.

We had a couple nights in Paris so ended up with some time to go for a wander and check out the city. The venue was right next door to Moulin Rouge and the area was like an exaggerated Kings Cross. Great spot for a Starbucks and anything the heart desires…

Getting “Teuro” in Paris
Is that a fucking Venti? Animal.

A fitting end to the Euro tour in Brussels at Botanique, we were paid handsomely by the venue in food and had some solid down time before playing a real laid back set in a small theatre. This show was easily one of my favourites because of the tightness and clarity on stage.

Botanique, Brussels

Week 5

We made our way back to the UK for a show in Bristol on Monday, gliding through customs until me and Jimmy get pulled up by some grumpy guts and told off for not having the correct visa. A 20 minute lecture later and we were finally fucking through.

Matty @ O2 Academy, Bristol

Bristol’s that town where they filmed Skins, really beautiful place and it was mad to slide back into the UK leg of the tour. We were all pretty tired and rundown so as soon as we finished we were packed up, in the van within the hour. Had to save it for the most anticipated show of the tour – The Barrowlands in Glasgow.

Rock fucking bottom…

Firstly, I wanna say, I’ve always been one to shy away from foods that make me slightly uncomfortable. BUT if you’re ever in Glasgow and you DON’T try Deep Fried Haggis then you’ve fucked up. Granted me and Harry couldn’t move an inch afterwards and barely finished the thing, it was on point.

Speaking of food… ECK this Hoagie

The Barra’s. That venue is amongst the world’s most reputable and I’m still buzzing that we had the chance to play it. The crowd there was something of its own. We had the chance to meet some lovely Scots who had been following us for years and made it down early.

We played another show of our own later that night at The Priory Bar – a grimey, squashed, glorified house party. There was no room to wiggle a toe and I ALMOST tripped over my mic stand and took out the front row…

Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow
Matty @ Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow
Matty @ Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow

After all that mayhem, we had a VERY late drive to Edinburgh to stay at Jimmy’s sister’s home, where we were lucky enough to get a couple days of pure R&R in before playing the last Scotland show in Dunfermline at Alhambra Theatre. A proper old school theatre with amazing acoustics and beautiful architecture. We watched DMA’s set from one of those Juliet balconies and it looked incredible.

Johnny joining us on stage @ Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline

The week’s almost wrapped up now and so is the UK tour. Only a few more shows left. We doubled up again in Birmingham, finishing up our set at The O2 Institute then headed to The Actress & Bishop for a midnight slot. Pretty weird vibes there with overly staunch bouncers not letting some of the group in because they were wearing hats or trackies! Animals.

Jimmy @ The O2 Institute, Birmingham

Sheffield. The final show of the tour. I think this was one of the first to sell out instantly. Everyone was feeling pretty dusty from the night before so it was a fairly slow start but once the room was full, it was magic. We ended up hanging out all night with the one and only ‘Chris’ (that dude smoking a ciggie on the cover of the Arctic Monkeys album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not). It was a great end to the tour with our pals DMA’s and we’re forever grateful for the opportunity to go overseas and spread the wings.

Cheesy, so cheesy

We had one more show of our own to play in London. It was at a joint called Dublin Castle. Ended up being a real cool show and it was mad to have a night off afterwards before flying back to Sydney on the god damn Dreamliner.

 

Next stop for Planet is their Waking Eight  EP tour back on home turf. Kicking off in Melbourne and twisting through NSW and QLD, this ain’t one you want to miss. Grab all the details below.

Waking Eight EP Tour

Sat 16 June – Yah Yah’s – Melbourne, VIC – w/ Sprung Bad + Sometimes Sonny
Thurs 21 June – Strawberry Boogie Festival – Wollongong , NSW
Fri 22 June – The Lansdowne Hotel – Sydney, NSW – w/ The Phazes + Sunscreen
Sat 23 June – The Northern – Byron Bay, NSW – w/ Jade Not Jane + Sometime Sonny
Sun 24 June – Cambridge Hotel – Newcastle, NSW – w/ Sometimes Sonny + The Phazes
Fri 29 June – Park House – Mona Vale, NSW – w/ The Phazes
Sat 30 June – Bloodhound Bar – Fortitude Valley, QLD – w/ Jade Not Jane + Sometime Sonny

Tickets & Info