Report on Frankfurt

Frankfurt, home of the airport.

While we had been in Frankfurt before (airport and trainstations) this was our first ever trip onto its streets and mingling with its inhabitants. Our host group was Appler Express and we were to perform in the Gallus Theatre. For the first two nights we performed we actually stayed in the basement of the theatre. It was a mix of awesome and strange to sleep in the empty building after everyone had gone.

The shows were very fun to do. The first night was our own show and the suggestion was Friday the 13th (because that was the date) and so stories of scary movies and murder tickled the scary bone (and made staying there alone that night that much more scary). We had audiences who travelled in from other cities to see us (which is cool). The second night we performed with Appler Express and jammed some Harold action as well. Good stuff off a suggestion of Clouds: A plane crash on a desserted island forcing the pilot to decide between the flight attendant or the sole passenger, a weather man with a whole new spin on weather reports... don't report the weather, and a mysterious man who sits better then anyone else.

I don't know it even hinting at these shows does anything for the blog readers out there, but it is fun for me none the less.

So after doing some shows and teaching some workshops in Frankfurt it is almost time to say goodbye to Europe. Almost, there is a little bit more adventure to go...

next stop Basel

Basel is about an hour away from Zuerich by train and we made this trip with EIT. EIT is the name of the host group in Zuerich that invited us. They are a good bunch of folks and we ended up doing the show in Basel togerther as two Harolds. The Hotel we stayed in was not a Rock and Roll Hotel. The show we did however was. Both harolds were so much fun and rocked the house. EIT are a fun group of folks (i even said it twice).

So we collected our Swiss franks and said our last farewell to Switzerland. Next year we need to spend some more time in this country.

Report on Zuerich

Switzerland, a country so rich that they check you at the border to make sure you have enough money on you to survive.

On our train to Zuerich we had our first late arrival which caused us to miss our stop over. We had to take some regional trains and were then an hour late for our train station pick-up. It all worked out though, and we learned that the 300 seat venue was already sold-out.

We dropped our stuff off at the hotel and realized quick that this wasn't any ordinary hotel. It was the Rock and Roll Hotel. The Fleetwood Mac room and the REM room were ours (we could go our own way and lose our religion). Awesome.

We then showed up at the theatre (Miller's Studio) which was an old Mill, and a very nice looking theatre. We were asked if a singer duo could open up for us because their show's ticket sales were lagging (we said yes). After making sure that we had everything we needed backstage (wine and beer) we started our intense pre-show warm up.

The opening act we could have done without, there is nothing like almost starting the show and just pacing backstage waiting for it to happen...

We hit the stage and re-warmed up the audience to our liking and then we let them have it (it being our show). The suggestion was Dog, which was perfect for that moment. Lee has been threatening to buy a dog upon his return to Winnipeg and Craig goes ga-ga over any dog we have seen on the road. The Show was full of dog and cat stories, an idiot who lost his little sister gambling and all three of us having a ball onstage. The show went so long we didn't even need to do an encore (who knows if this is a good thing of not?>?>?>?). When the dust settled and the pizza arrived, it was a great show. After litting off a few explosives, it was time to go back to the Rock and Roll Hotel.

more blogs...

Well it feels a little strange updating this blog now that i am back in Canada and safe. The tour is over and was a very successful one on a lot of levels.

Even though i am back though, the updates are not done and there are still a lot of unanswered questions out there, so here it goes...

Reports almost complete...

Still to come:

-Zürich
-Basel
-Frankfurt
-plus bonus material

coming soon

Marburg is a town

Marburg is a town we played, the name of the group there is Fast Forward Theatre. (which is a good name, i think they should do VCR or DVD inspired formats)
We played a couple of shows, again doing a Crumbs show in one set. Very funny stuff came out of these shows. We stayed outside of the town in a small village in a cool farm house. Craig did an Old Seed show here as well, it was really cool. It was in this tiny tiny room that had maybe ten people in it, a small wood burning stove and trains passing by.

Fun times in little Marburg

Oh yeah, we also dubbed our 2nd nickname of the tour. Andreas became 'the Captain' pass it on.

Nürnberg

In Deutch -burg is castle and -berg is mountain, but Nürnberg has a better castle then Freiburg... what gives?

Anyways, we hung out with one of germany's most famous improvisers and one of our biggest proponents Sigi. It is always a fun time with Sigi in your corner. When we were in Göttingen we gave Lars the nickname 'the coach' but Sigi needs no nickname whatsoever.

We did a Crumbs show in one set, we did a mixed show with '6 auf Kraut' in the secound half and the show went pretty well. We even had some fans come up from Wurtzburg.

Oh yeah, i forgot to mention our tour mistake! We actually did the cliche mistake. We get on the stage and thank the audience and tell them it is good to be in Nürnberg and the audience yells that we aren't in Nürnberg, we are in Fürth. And Fürth is the little town attached to Nürnberg with the inferiority complex... Oops.

Oh well, we did a show the next night in Nürnberg proper. It was a part of a festival called bleu night (or something like that) where everything is free. Museums, art galleries, music and theatre. So people would wander in and out of the show, it was quite distracting actually because the door was right beside the stage. It was a nice stage though and we played more for us then anyone (and performed for 4 hours).

We got our live cakes* and left town. Thank you Sigi and Romina.

*live cakes are famous Nürnberg gingerbread cakes

Thomas

Thomas from Stuttgard was at one of the Freiburg shows, he is a nice guy.

Report on Freiburg

Freiburg what is with you?

So it is our 2nd stop in Freiburg, the university town. We were there last year with the Die Mauerbrecher and this year we were with theatre L.U.S.T.

Q- Did we have a good time with Die Mauerbrecher last year?
A- Yes

Q- Did they come to any of the shows this year or try and get a hold of us?
A- No

So we have a good time with theatre L.U.S.T. but we can't help but think that Die Mauerbrecher are somehow mad at us. The impro polotics we are starting to get a taste of here in Germany is not as tasty as the chocolate and cheese is.

We do some theatresports matches and we have some fun and then leave Freiburg, but not after i get some free stuff. I went for a walk in the lovely city and saw a whole bunch of people lining up for some reason. My natural instincts told me to line up as well. As I got closer i could see them handing out loot bags. When i got to then end of the line up one of my worst nightmares was realized... i was in the girl line up... After quickly figuring out the german words spoken to me i found the right line up and was handed a grab bag. Free stuff included:
-one cherry flavoured drink (read cough medicine)
-one alko-pop
-one iced tea
-one beer (pilsner)
-one pack of gum
-a million flyers completely useless to me

But now i understand Freiburg a little better (Freiburg translated is Free Castle)

Berlin

Ohh Berlin,

How bitter sweet it was in Berlin this year. We didn't attend the official festival in Berlin, although we were a part of the festival as a touring company. We did have one show there and it was just not enough to really satisfy the hunger for Berlin. That and there just was not enough time to see everyone. We had a good show though, a little on the intense emotional side (like the Beil show) but still done in that kind of Crumbs way.

Next year Berlin, we are going to stay longer, wether you like it or not...

May 1st

May first over here is much more a big deal. They take to the streets, they riot, they burn police cars. It is crazy... or at least, that is how the story goes.

CRUMBS were to play a show in Berlin on April 30th and then get up the next morning and travel back to Hamburg to teach another workshop on May 1st. So really, we were to be in Berlin and Hamburg both on the special day known as Mayday.

We couldn't really party the night after our show in Berlin because we were tired and had to travel. Even though we were in Berlin (where the action is) and not only that, we were in kreuzburg, which is where the action really is. We then arrived in Hamburg (again) and had to teach a workshop during the day, so we couldn't really join in the riot-like festivities (although Craig did join in an anti-fascist march with some anarchists). so although we were right in the middle of what could have been some fun action, we missed out on what we really wanted... which was to light a police car on fire.

FOZZY

What is Fozzy?
Well, Fozzy is a metal cover band (that now plays originals as well) that is fronted by Chris Jericho, the Professional wrestler, and who happens to be Lee's cousin.

Fozzy also just happened to be in Hamburg while we were in town, so we went and saw them. It was an awesome Metal experience (and coming from this non-metal type guy, that is saying a mouthful). After the show we stuck around so that Lee and Chris could have some family time. It was quickly decided that we would go out and party a bit with the Rock and Rollers. This of course ment strippers in the famous area of Hamburg where the sex is sold off the streets legally. They have a red light district as well as Amsterdam. The difference is that they also have prostitutes on the streets as well. These prostitutes are very aggressive, they will actually bump into you right there on the street and chat you up. Thnk goodness we are very strong willed.

So a party with Huge Rock Stars in a Rock and Roll strip club is good fun if you can get it. And it is also a part of the complete Hamburg experience.

report on hamburg

Wow!
My first ever trip inside the beast known as Hamburg (aka The Hammer). What a great town, i got nothing but a good vibe here.

We arrived (Lee and I had left Craig alone for a couple of days, for everyone's own good) in Hamburg and dropped off our bags. The first thing we like to do in any town is drop off our bags (as they are heavy). We went to go see Steife Brise (our host group, whose name means stiff breeze in Deutch) play their impro show. It was a slick Comedy styled show, and it was slick, and in a nice theatre. We hung out a bit with the group and then went home to rest up for the next day.

It was to be the premiere of the CRUMBS in Hamburg. Nervous? Of course! This is Hamburg, home of Hidden Shakespeare, home of Steife Brise, home of Die Speiler... Of course we want to do a good job. And i think we did.

The show involved a nerd kid who blamed his mom for his nerdness and didn't want to go to special nerd school. It invovled a fireman who lost his mojo after he could't save a little kitten from a tree. It invovled a lonely woman and her one night stand with a french lover. And my favourite part, it invovled a couple of teenagers who listen to doom metal, the music was so intence that it engulfs them in flames and it prompts one of them to become a robot, because humans are too fragile. Oh to explain an improv show, it just doesn't work, but i like to sometimes just give a hint of what happened.

So success in Hamburg... (but wait, there's more)