Tegan and Sara's European Tour Diary: Part V
By Tegan Quin
Photographs by Lindsey Byrnes
After 10 years of playing just about every venue in London (Bar Fly, Water Rats, Koko, Shepherds Bush) we finally made it to the Roundhouse. Built in 1847, the Roundhouse was used as a railway engine shed for ten years and then as a warehouse which sat empty for decades. When it reopened after World War II it became a performance art space. It is one of the premiere venues in London and easily one of the most beautiful we have ever had the privilege to play in. Unlike us, the Doors, only played one show in the UK before Jim Morrison died, and it was here at the Roundhouse. Spooky.
Sara and I spent most of the day doing press and organizing our belongings (looking for socks in my bus bunk etc). The day was so busy I barely had time to take in the magnitude of what we had accomplished. Selling that many tickets in such a beautiful venue on the eve of Glastonbury is a big deal. As I stood side stage, getting ready for the show, my stomach butterflies started to flutter.
After a quick huddle with the band and a Red Bull Light (I can't help myself) we hit the stage at 9 p.m. sharp. Sara suggested we start with an acoustic version of Back In Your Head (which typically in a venue that big, 3,000 people, we would start with something full-band like "The Con" or "The Ocean") and so I walked on stage, mallets in hand, nervous to see if we could calm that many excited fans. It's amazing when it works, and it worked that night. Back at Southside Festival in Germany Sara told the audience that because of the noise from Prodigy we would "need" their voices. And although we didn't "need" London's voices that night they were there with us from the first song. The show was brilliant all around. The crowd was perfect, the sound was awesome, the set worked great and I wore a hat. Magic.
After the gig we were whisked to BBC1 to be interviewed by Nick Grimshaw. What a fantastic dude and a neat idea for a show. Here is a link to the interview. I could never do it justice in print
Then we raced back to the venue for a quick shower and then we were on our way to the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts.
What is there to say about Glastonbury? As teenagers we watched each year as Much Music (Canada's MTV) aired the best bits on television. In awe we'd watch bands like Green Day and Pulp and The White Stripes play to hundreds of thousands of people. To say I felt sick to my stomach before we took the stage would be an understatement. Glastonbury is a three-day festival where over 200,000 people enjoy 16 stages with nearly 200 bands a day. This basically means they have options, so you better get it right.
Even though it was early in the day we were playing to a massive crowd on the John Peel Stage. We walked on to a warm reception. I nervously started "You Wouldn't Like Me" instead of "The Con" right off the top of set. Fail. After that I got it together. At some point I asked the audience if one of them would offer up a spot in their tent so Sara could spend the night and truly experience Glastonbury to which I received 5,000 "YES" responses. Pretty awesome!
Post show I traveled 1% of the grounds but managed to get Wellies, sunglasses, a hat, a hot dog and a lot of hugs and photos taken with me. As we pulled off the grounds I felt a little melancholy. At 29 years old I'm desperately trying to find balance in my life between work and my personal life. The addiction to the road and the obsession with succeeding has subsided a bit. Some say that's normal when you get closer to 30. Some say its because deep down inside I want to have a family and stay home to raise a baby. Some says its all the yoga I've been doing. I just think it's that all the dreams we had 10 years ago, we've accomplished. Every time I scratch something else off my list of "must-do's" I feel...content and perhaps I just mistake that for melancholy. In whatever case, I'm sad to be leaving Europe so soon, but glad we went.
--Tegan
Sara and I spent most of the day doing press and organizing our belongings (looking for socks in my bus bunk etc). The day was so busy I barely had time to take in the magnitude of what we had accomplished. Selling that many tickets in such a beautiful venue on the eve of Glastonbury is a big deal. As I stood side stage, getting ready for the show, my stomach butterflies started to flutter.
After a quick huddle with the band and a Red Bull Light (I can't help myself) we hit the stage at 9 p.m. sharp. Sara suggested we start with an acoustic version of Back In Your Head (which typically in a venue that big, 3,000 people, we would start with something full-band like "The Con" or "The Ocean") and so I walked on stage, mallets in hand, nervous to see if we could calm that many excited fans. It's amazing when it works, and it worked that night. Back at Southside Festival in Germany Sara told the audience that because of the noise from Prodigy we would "need" their voices. And although we didn't "need" London's voices that night they were there with us from the first song. The show was brilliant all around. The crowd was perfect, the sound was awesome, the set worked great and I wore a hat. Magic.
After the gig we were whisked to BBC1 to be interviewed by Nick Grimshaw. What a fantastic dude and a neat idea for a show. Here is a link to the interview. I could never do it justice in print
Then we raced back to the venue for a quick shower and then we were on our way to the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts.
What is there to say about Glastonbury? As teenagers we watched each year as Much Music (Canada's MTV) aired the best bits on television. In awe we'd watch bands like Green Day and Pulp and The White Stripes play to hundreds of thousands of people. To say I felt sick to my stomach before we took the stage would be an understatement. Glastonbury is a three-day festival where over 200,000 people enjoy 16 stages with nearly 200 bands a day. This basically means they have options, so you better get it right.
Even though it was early in the day we were playing to a massive crowd on the John Peel Stage. We walked on to a warm reception. I nervously started "You Wouldn't Like Me" instead of "The Con" right off the top of set. Fail. After that I got it together. At some point I asked the audience if one of them would offer up a spot in their tent so Sara could spend the night and truly experience Glastonbury to which I received 5,000 "YES" responses. Pretty awesome!
Post show I traveled 1% of the grounds but managed to get Wellies, sunglasses, a hat, a hot dog and a lot of hugs and photos taken with me. As we pulled off the grounds I felt a little melancholy. At 29 years old I'm desperately trying to find balance in my life between work and my personal life. The addiction to the road and the obsession with succeeding has subsided a bit. Some say that's normal when you get closer to 30. Some say its because deep down inside I want to have a family and stay home to raise a baby. Some says its all the yoga I've been doing. I just think it's that all the dreams we had 10 years ago, we've accomplished. Every time I scratch something else off my list of "must-do's" I feel...content and perhaps I just mistake that for melancholy. In whatever case, I'm sad to be leaving Europe so soon, but glad we went.
--Tegan
Your Comment
Posted at 6:27 on Jun 29, 2010
I was at the Roundhouse show, best night of my life!!!
Thank you so much for these tour blogs, they have been great!
I hope to see you on stage again soon,
Best Wishes Tasha.
Posted at 6:56 on Jun 29, 2010
Good to hear that they had a great time... but I hope I am wrongly reading between the lines of the last section.
And thank you very much for these tour blogs... really entertaining!
Posted at 7:07 on Jun 29, 2010
*sigh* So warm and gooey. Nicely done, Tegan.
Posted at 7:25 on Jun 29, 2010
You guys are fantastic i saw you at Glastonbury- great set. I will be looking out for when you come back to the UK so come back soon!! xx
Posted at 7:36 on Jun 29, 2010
Aw, Tegan.
Posted at 7:41 on Jun 29, 2010
Thank you for sharing your European tour experience :D I wish I was here :) Can't wait to see you one day in France or in another country :D Thank you Lindsey for all the photos, they're awesome :)
Posted at 7:42 on Jun 29, 2010
This makes me wish i lived in London to experience that! But i did get to see you 3 times in Ireland and that was quiet AMAZING! and a big adventure.
Posted at 7:57 on Jun 29, 2010
i still can't get over your day in Dublin. can't wait for you guys to come back =]
Posted at 8:01 on Jun 29, 2010
Tegan and Sara, you two are the cutest!!! i just want to put you both in my pocket!!! the round house was so so so great! please come back to london soon.
lots of love,
Lauren. xxxx
Posted at 8:22 on Jun 29, 2010
The Roundhouse show sounds awesome! I wish I could have been there. I mean, you wore a hat! :D
No, but I seriously want to see you guys live! So please, come to northern Europe? Please? Pretty please, with cherries on top?
I live in Finland, but even Sweden would be amazing!
Hopes to see you perform live one day...
-Katja
Posted at 8:40 on Jun 29, 2010
Wow. Seriously wish I were there. I have to say with delight.... I felt an overwhelming sensation of happiness reading about their euro tour. Looking forward to seeing them again....I have a crush!
Posted at 10:59 on Jun 29, 2010
I enjoyed this blog the most for some reason.and the bit about the hot piss from the last one was a nice touch :D
Posted at 12:13 on Jun 30, 2010
The last paragraph made me tear up. Not sure. But, imagine...having you dreams come true. Your wildest ones! Living them must feel unexplainable. Wow!
And also, I want to start a family and raise a bay with Tegan. I can dream, can't I? And dreams do come true, right? ;D
Posted at 2:55 on Jun 30, 2010
Oh, I'm gonna miss this diary a lot...
Posted at 4:00 on Jun 30, 2010
Nice one Tegan, I would have loved to be cheering you guys on during your Glastonbury debut, but I was still on the train and didn't arrive until two hours after you finished :( Hope you had an amazing Glastonbury experience - really hope you made it down to Shangra-La and Arcadia on the Sat eve - that was what Glasto was all about for me, wow!
Thanks for your beautifully written reflective blog entry. I can relate to the feelings of contentment (melancholy?)... I've been living my dream, travelling and rock climbing for several years, and approaching 30 my mindset has shifted some.
Thanks for your music which is truly magical.
Enjoy.
j.
Posted at 5:03 on Jun 30, 2010
you feel melancholy because it's human nature to want something more and go after it and to never be satisfied. it's a terrible thing to be satisfied Tegan. Never never get too comfortable. Than you start to lose passions and life.
Posted at 8:31 on Jun 30, 2010
Awesome show at glasto, thanks tegan for having a pic with us after the set. Can't wait for u to come back.
Also after tegan and sara and also I blame coco I spoke to two girls and I wanted to get in touch with them to see how thier festival went. If your one of them please tweet @katwantsyou thanks
Posted at 8:31 on Jun 30, 2010
hehe what an interview! I'm still laughing... this freak is laughing like he is on something, but u girls r not far from him. :)
Posted at 8:32 on Jun 30, 2010
All of your blog diaries were magnificent!
Posted at 8:58 on Jun 30, 2010
thats so sweet. thanks for sharing
best of luck to you.
xx
Posted at 12:56 on Jun 30, 2010
you do not have to read between the lines to realize tns (obviously) won`t last forever. i`d give them two albums tops, i.e. stopping at their artistical, musical peak, before an indefinite hiatus. "but don`t you worry there`s still time" before that inevitable moment is here, so let`s all enjoy the present and a good deal of fine music still to come!
cheers tegan!
ps: this is not supposed to be a downer, just sayin, and hopefully i`m wrong
Posted at 2:24 on Jun 30, 2010
i like you
you are too the best
i want meet you
Posted at 2:55 on Jun 30, 2010
I was at the Roundhouse, loved your hat and you were totally awesome!!! Loved it!!! x
Posted at 5:34 on Jun 30, 2010
I know TnS won`t last forever. C`est la vie! But reading this blog and recent interviews made me feel like they will be taking an indefinite hiatus “pretty soon”. Probably after touring the next record…? I don`t know.
Basically we`re saying the same thing “I hope I am wrongly reading between the lines…” and “… just sayin, and hopefully i`m wrong“
I just hope the inevitable moment is still far away… but I don`t think so. And I won`t jump for joy at the thought of a longer hiatus. No kidding! ;)
Anyways, I wish Tegan and Sara all the very best with whatever they decide to do in the future!!!
And you`re right… “let`s all enjoy the present and a good deal of fine music still to come!”
Posted at 3:27 on Jul 01, 2010
Really sincere, and heartwarming. It sound's like you've been busy, but still loving what you do. I think on my list of "must dos" I have to add meet Tegan & Sara. Who knows if I'm able to accomplish that I might be able to travel the extra mile, and jam with Tegan & Sara.:) Keep at it, and I can't wait until you guys are around my way again.
Posted at 3:36 on Jul 01, 2010
i saw u at glastonbury and waited outside to meet u. thanks for stopping for a picture and please come back soon id like to see a propper gig as u only had about 45mins in the festival. u were amazing though x
Posted at 6:15 on Jul 01, 2010
This was fantastic. This blog has been just great, and I really hope you get to do this again.
Posted at 4:22 on Jul 02, 2010
So wonderful.
Thank you, Tegan.
Posted at 5:05 on Jul 03, 2010
wonderful to read as always tegan.
i´m sad too but looking forward to see you again in germany, anytime..
take care and get much new energy again!
love,
janine
Posted at 5:21 on Jul 13, 2010
it's always a pleasure reading you guys, i know it's hard but you should make this more often!
**cute**
Posted at 5:13 on Jul 21, 2010
What that sounds sick sounds like you guys once again out did your selves. And thats crazy that you used to watch Glastonbury on mtv years ago and know you can say you got a chance to play @ Glastonbury!
p.s Good luck w/ the kids
Posted at 3:41 on Aug 15, 2010
I love your work, you are quite a rush, but in the end it's worth, I am a Brazilian fan and I wanted to, we all want you here in Brazil, would be a dream come true for everyone and guarantee it will be worth it, love you