Tegan and Sara's European Tour Diary: Part I
By Tegan Quin and Lindsey Byrnes
Identical twin sisters and indie-pop deities Tegan and Sara
released Sainthood in 2009 and have since been touring the Chris
Walla-produced album. At the moment, they're traveling across Europe, and playing shows in Ireland, Denmark, Holland, Germany and England. Throughout the journey, Tegan will be sharing tales from the road with PAPERMG, alongside photos snapped by Lindsey Byrnes. Here's her first installment:
I need to pull it together and stop napping. I've been in Ireland for four days and so far I've napped three times. One of the naps lasted 12 hours. I'm not really a "nap person" in my regular life. In fact I think that naps should only be for babies, the elderly, pot heads and sick people. But apparently I'm all of those things now because I cannot stop napping. I've suffered through jet lag a billion times in my 12-year career and each time I've followed specific guidelines to help expedite the jet lag experience. Things like exercise regularly, avoid alcohol and NEVER NAP have been gospel on past international trips. But not this time. Straight up, I'm a hot mess. The show, thankfully, is not. Our first gig in Belfast last night was awesome. The fans in the front row were beaming from ear to ear. One even threw sunglasses on stage at one point for me to wear during Northshore. I feel it really heightened the viewing pleasure for the whole audience. Another gaggle of fans threw bras. This always embarrasses me. The psychology of why is hard to explain in a few words or less. Our stage crew has strict instructions to get the bras off the stage as quickly as possible. It's incredible to me that at 29 years old I still have such bra shame. Every-time a bra flies at me on stage I am transported back to age 13 and shopping for my first bra at Sears with Sara and my mother. Irish people are fantastic audience members, though, regardless of the bra situation. When they aren't singing along, clapping over their heads or dancing, they are yelling in their cute little pirate accent. Something about hearing a request for "Daaa-ck Come Soon" just makes me smile. I had to shot gun a Coke Classic before we hit the stage but once I was a few songs in I started to get my groove back. Hopefully tonight in Dublin I manage to play as good a show AND get a good nights sleep. If not, I guess I'll just order more caffeine for tomorrow.
-Tegan
Photos by Lindsey Byrnes
I need to pull it together and stop napping. I've been in Ireland for four days and so far I've napped three times. One of the naps lasted 12 hours. I'm not really a "nap person" in my regular life. In fact I think that naps should only be for babies, the elderly, pot heads and sick people. But apparently I'm all of those things now because I cannot stop napping. I've suffered through jet lag a billion times in my 12-year career and each time I've followed specific guidelines to help expedite the jet lag experience. Things like exercise regularly, avoid alcohol and NEVER NAP have been gospel on past international trips. But not this time. Straight up, I'm a hot mess. The show, thankfully, is not. Our first gig in Belfast last night was awesome. The fans in the front row were beaming from ear to ear. One even threw sunglasses on stage at one point for me to wear during Northshore. I feel it really heightened the viewing pleasure for the whole audience. Another gaggle of fans threw bras. This always embarrasses me. The psychology of why is hard to explain in a few words or less. Our stage crew has strict instructions to get the bras off the stage as quickly as possible. It's incredible to me that at 29 years old I still have such bra shame. Every-time a bra flies at me on stage I am transported back to age 13 and shopping for my first bra at Sears with Sara and my mother. Irish people are fantastic audience members, though, regardless of the bra situation. When they aren't singing along, clapping over their heads or dancing, they are yelling in their cute little pirate accent. Something about hearing a request for "Daaa-ck Come Soon" just makes me smile. I had to shot gun a Coke Classic before we hit the stage but once I was a few songs in I started to get my groove back. Hopefully tonight in Dublin I manage to play as good a show AND get a good nights sleep. If not, I guess I'll just order more caffeine for tomorrow.
-Tegan
Photos by Lindsey Byrnes
Your Comment
Posted at 6:18 on Jun 17, 2010
Dublin show was amazing! Thank you for coming to Ireland like seriously I've been obsessing for years!!
Posted at 6:35 on Jun 17, 2010
I queued for tegan and sara all day for the Dublin show and I'd do it again. They're just amazing. Not just great musicians but their personalities and humour too. (I got in front row btw and held a sign saying we are Irish pirates
Posted at 6:36 on Jun 17, 2010
It’s rare to find a band who make their fans feel as appreciated as Tegan & Sara do. The show was fan-tastic.
Posted at 6:36 on Jun 17, 2010
hahahaha! It's very true we do talk like Pirate Esp us in Northern Ireland ;) arghhh.
Posted at 7:07 on Jun 17, 2010
I am a "nap person"... but I am spaniard too, the country of napping, haha! :P
Posted at 7:17 on Jun 17, 2010
haha, tegan, you're like a kid :)
Posted at 7:20 on Jun 17, 2010
The belfast show was great. If i had the money, i would probably travel to each and every venue across the world just to listen to and see Tegan and Sara in the flesh. I am quite tempted to do so. Over and over is not enough. Some bands are just awful live, but T&S were fantastic. If you didnt go you really missed out. I think the tour diary is a great idea as it brings fans closer to the band and even though were not there with you, we can get to experience it aswell.
Posted at 7:35 on Jun 17, 2010
till when are you guys in Holland?
I wanna show you around!
don't blaze too hard :p
Posted at 9:19 on Jun 17, 2010
This blog thing was a good idea!
Posted at 9:32 on Jun 17, 2010
I love the way you write :) It's funny and entertaining :D
And obviously I adore the photos. You guys rock, I can't wait for you to come again to France.
Posted at 10:12 on Jun 17, 2010
Ahh I missed the show in Belfast..
My brother and I had been trying to get me in for the past few
weeks.. But I never got.. Damn it sucks being 16!
I would have been the best "Pirate" there :D
I hope T&S will be back in Ireland again soon. I'll have a fake I.D ready by then ;) I kid...
But seriously :|
Posted at 10:15 on Jun 17, 2010
so nice
Posted at 10:15 on Jun 17, 2010
"apparently I'm all of those things now" It could be the fact that you are almost Thirty Years Old now, you just can't handle it like you used to! HEEHEE!
P.S. I love naps. But they have to be short ones, not 12 hours!
Posted at 10:24 on Jun 17, 2010
Hey Papermag, it´s Tegan Quin not Quinn :]
Posted at 11:53 on Jun 17, 2010
Hey ladies... just got news of the new US dates!! I Cant wait till your done rocking the rest of the world and can come back for a second round!!!
Lyndsey- the pics are beautiful!!!
Haha and oh ... Happy Pride Month!
LOVE
Posted at 12:23 on Jun 17, 2010
The both of your gigs where amazing. have to say better crowed in Dublin. very exciting. And the Record store was good but we where at the back and couldn't hear one thing cause of the night before. Thanks Tegan & Sara.Hi5
Posted at 12:29 on Jun 17, 2010
You had an AMAZING show in Dublin and it could of been class to meet the both of you! Cant wait till you both come back,
love your Irish Pirates
YYAAARRR
Posted at 12:30 on Jun 17, 2010
You had an AMAZING show in Dublin and it could of been class to meet the both of you! Cant wait till you both come back,
love your Irish Pirates
YYAAARRR
Posted at 1:14 on Jun 17, 2010
This is awesome!
Tegan's Girlfriend is such a good photographer!
Posted at 1:52 on Jun 17, 2010
i love you guys.. :) greetings from mexico
Posted at 1:59 on Jun 17, 2010
these guys never fail to amaze me. i was unable to go to their belfast show because, being 16 i was too young for their over 18 gig in belfast. fortunately, i got to go to the dublin gig and it was absoulutely amazing. i queued for ages, and it was completely worth it. their humor on stage, and their incredible talent makes the show so worth while.
Posted at 2:19 on Jun 17, 2010
I loved the Dublin gig(s). You both most definitely played a good show, and I hope you got a good nights sleep too.
A good few people stuck around the stage door after the show in the hope of seeing you leave, but I'm kind of glad they didn't, as I'd rather you be rested and healthy. Make sure to eat your vegetables and wear clean socks too.
To be honest, I was kind of disappointed with the audience at the gig. Not nearly enough dancing for my liking. But at least they weren't as violent as the previous T&S visit. Ted got them moving a couple of times, however. He is good at that. Tell him to do that more.
I'm looking forward to Sara's blog that she mentioned in Tower Records also. It sounds like she was deeply moved by this book, whatever it is, and I would be glad to hear an account.
Anyways, stay safe and keep well rested, we'll see you next European Tour. :D
Posted at 2:24 on Jun 17, 2010
Can't wait to hear the rest of This serious.
Gives me something entertaining to look forward to.
Posted at 2:40 on Jun 17, 2010
"Something about hearing a request for "Daaa-ck Come Soon" just makes me smile." HAHA that made me laugh so hard! I love you, Tegan! :)
Posted at 2:59 on Jun 17, 2010
wuhoooooo I was the one who the glasses up in Belfast!! :-D great show! was at the two in dublin aswell! you two were so funny in at the dublin concert with the blow up aligator and being "drug obsessed"! COME BACK SOON!! :D
Posted at 3:22 on Jun 17, 2010
Tegan makes me laugh extremely hard. I am so in love with her.
Posted at 3:33 on Jun 17, 2010
omg this post made my day/YEAR !!! them sunglasses are now sitting with the ticket, wristband, a poster AND train ticket i used that day all ready to get framed WE WERE LORDING OVER USE !! amazing
Posted at 5:12 on Jun 17, 2010
well hopefully you'll get back on your feet. also you shouldnt be embarassed as a fan we think its amazing..
Posted at 6:36 on Jun 17, 2010
I wish I was there! but anyway I think enough with the bras. Let them perform and be funny. I was at their show in San Diego and my God the number of bras were crazy! I was embarrassed just being in the crowd. The first time I saw T&S was the launch of their Sainthood tour in LA. A crazy girl rushed the stage and got kicked out. I hope the next show I go to which will be in Anaheim for the closing of the Honda Civic tour with Paramore is a good crowd. Im happy Tegan is having so much fun... and I'm really interested in Sara's secret project. Love them both! (Rest Well) I bet it gets exhausting... Working hard and Playing hard.
Posted at 7:23 on Jun 17, 2010
Love you TEGAN AND SARA
Posted at 10:56 on Jun 17, 2010
seeing you guys live was one of the best days of my life, and also the fact i met tegan and lindsey in town hours before the gig was brilliant. i was so happy and starstruck! it was such an amazing experience and everything was flawless. job well done :)
the whole way through the gig i kept shouting 'FLOORPLAAAAAAAAN' as it's my favourite song, even though you didn't play it i still had an amazing night. come back to belfast soon!
Posted at 1:24 on Jun 19, 2010
Yaarrr, ye lassies were brilliant in Belfast. :)
Posted at 4:30 on Jun 24, 2010
Im nearly SURE i passed Tegan at City Hall in Belfast... Dammit. The gig was IMMENSE. I was the really tall idiot frantically waving a small Canadian flag :)
Posted at 6:19 on Jun 24, 2010
You guys were honestly amazing!
Me and my friends have been talking about your show in Dublin since then, You have to come back soon!
You's were fantastic and put on a great show!