Touring in Europe is...chaotic (gig vlog) 

Petition for Sungazer to play Oeteldonk 2024. Let's make it happen.

Patronaat realizing that travelling musicians may want to have something other than fast food for a change is heartwarming.

I had moved to London from the States a couple months before the Helsinki gig and decided to go. Unfortunately I have really bad ADHD and while I booked a flight and airbnb I realized a week before the show that I forgot to get tickets to the concert, and it was sold out. All week I monitored Finnish ticket resale websites and couldn't find anything available. The morning of the show I arrived in Helsinki and was in the line to go through customs and checked the resale website for the millionth time and 1 ticket was for sale for even less than retail, I was literally shaking trying to go through all the sign up prompts on the site just trying to buy it in time. Fortunately I got it and got to the show and it was a blast. I'm the guy in the front row obnoxiously recording the performance of Vital Transformation at the end of the video, but Mahavishnu Orchestra is my favorite band of all time and I couldn't resist catching a snippet of it.

"Jacob Collier showed up"! I burst out laughing! 🤣

The mindfuck of seeing your own front door in an Adam Neely video is immense, while being a totally expected thing to happen that I think about it :D The Helsinki show was amazing!! Being home in literally 30 seconds after such a massive rave was a nice perk too

What a fun lifestyle this is, I probably wouldn't survive a week of it. Mad respect for all the touring musicians.

Best quote: "A classic Spinal Tap moment" being lost backstage in Helsinki! Love it!

Shawn's excitement at 15:01 about the synchronised clapping gives me life

Hahahaha seeing Oeteldonk in a Adam Neely video the most surreal feverdream sht ever. All the love from 🇳🇱

Interesting to hear that the clapping for the encore doesn't syncronize in other places, I thought it was universal! Awesome show!

The hospitality and venues in the NL is always top tier, despite the chaotic nature of touring once you hit that stage it becomes more than worth it

I was at the Helsinki gig and it was increadible! Had been waiting for this one ever since Glad your bags made it but also disappointed your bags made it

SUNGAZER AND PLINI IN AUSTRALIA OMG OMG OMG I NEVER THOUGHT THE DAY WOULD ARRIVE

Many thanks for also stopping by at Metropolia university in Helsinki! It was an honor to meet you and to hear your thoughts on music!

Wait wtf. America doesnt do the syncronized clapping for encore?! I thought that was a universal thing lol

Hey Adam, I saw you play in Brisbane last night and.. honestly when I saw "Sungazer" on ticket I couldn't believe it. Sungazer is touring with Plini?? I never ever thought I'd get to see you live let alone playing with my favourite Australian artist. The show was amazing and I am so so grateful that you came over here - Australia is a pain in the ass to play, thank you so much you guys were ridiculous tight and I will never forget last night.

can we all just for a second that Neely has always been there for us and I don't think this is recognized enough so I will just state that everybody should be happy. He is like the grandpa we never had.

Jared’s tone is god-tier

You need to really be devoted and passionate to endure this level of lifestyle stress. When I was younger I thought I wanted that. But now I've realized, I'll be happy to play in a local band at our village festivals every once in a while to get that on stage rush. Props to you for chasing this dream and making it a reality though. Life is all about purpose, and making dreams come true 🤘

Bedankt dat je een veer in onze reet steekt, Adam!

You guys were so good with Plini last night. 1st time hearing you, truly great. Come back to Brisbane anytime! Safe travels

Context: I'm a sound engineer in The Netherlands. I'm so happy for you that you are well received in the venues over here. I agree; most of them are a blast and hospitable to work in. And I'm genuinely sorry for Oeteldonk and the *BASS* taxi-drivers. There was a big culture shift in mindset during the transition from official taxi companies to Uber drivers. P.S. The rest of the Netherlands also hates Oeteldonk/carnival. You either love it or you hate it.

The venue in Haarlem is actually pretty close to the station, only a fifteen minutes walk. Might have been a better option than looking for a taxi for over an hour. That being said, I really enjoyed the concert, especially the Ba(ch/ss) solo!

man how i love this kinda of videos, adam kills it with editing, storytelling and everything else

thanks for this video Adam, people don't understand how hard it can be touring as an independent artist.

Indeed, even we musicians that don't tour and just play local venues, we have many times said that what we are getting paid to do is move our gear in and out of the venues and setting it up and tearing it down and not for actually playing music. That's why we charge the same for a three hour gig as anything longer. It doesn't matter how long we play. That part we love. It's hauling the gear around that is the real work. And it's the same amount of effort whether we play for an hour or for four hours.

Oh tour life on trains. I know it too well. Running from connection to connection with gear is the worst workout. I have slimmed down my setup so much that I can do the connection sprint now easily.

I just got back to Melbourne from touring the East Coast of Australia. I know it's a lot smaller than what you were doing, but man I relate to that 'Oeteldonk was yesterday' moment. We were driving 8 hours every morning and performing that night, and it felt like months.

Dude, Avant George sounds fucking so good. Also I love that some jazzy metalcore started playing when running through the airport. Lol

This was so entertaining. Love it and hang in there, I'm happy to hear the struggle is worth it. I do want to say something though. I'm Dutch and our government (especially the last 10 or so years-and for the foreseeable future) does not care about the arts at all. If there is some sort of support for the arts it is because very passionate people dedicate their lives to it and there is still an audience passionate enough to pay for art and culture. The budget keeps getting cut year by year and the tax incentives keep getting taken away. However, the people that care about the scene try to support it in very different ways. For example, have dinner (or some drinks) at the independent cinema or music venue even if you don't plan to catch a movie/show. Catch up with a friend at the Public Library and get a coffee and a brownie there. This of course on top of supporting your favourite artists and local unknowns by buying tickets and merch if you can afford it. Having said that, thank you so much for your videos! They always make me wanna pick up my guitar and play something! ❤

Man, I could really feel the stress from watching you guys try to travel. That was intense.

I can't wait to see you in Australia with Plini :)

Sync clapping in Switzerland as well. You're more than welcomed to play here as well 🙂

I love your gig vlogs, I haven't been able to tour just yet, but I want to so bad, and this is just like an actual reality T.V show of what hopefully my my future life will have in store for me lol.

Wait, audiences DON'T sync up their clapping when asking for an encore in other places? Great video, makes me even more thankful and appreciative of you coming over to Helsinki, it was a privilege.

That synchronized clapping is something You could experience in Germany, too.

Hi. I have a trick for you: When travelling in Europe (eg. Amsterdam-Helsinki), I suggest using Copenhagen as travelling/layover hub. First of all CPH airport has way more connecting flights from all over the world, to other Nordic countries. Secondly the airport is much better (faster services, better food, logistics, the lot), several hotels are within 5-10 min. from the airport (using the metro, which runs every 3-4 min. 24/7/365) or by taxi. And you will always(!) be able to find a taxi in the airport ready to transport your backline. (I have traveled like a touring musician for past 35+ years, still out there doing the miles..... :) ) Best regards, Michael

the layover portion of this lovely video reminded me of the time our 6-piece band had a layover from Boryspil on the way back home after a 5 stop EU tour. Even though we managed to get the guitars into the cabin the first time, on the return when boarding a suited guy spawned with a portable scale and demanded us pay 66 € per piece to get them on cabin because they were "overweight". So we unloaded our personal equipment and filled our pockets with TS9's and whatnot, I wrapped my curly Vox jack on my body and put my shirt on to board the plane, all the while thinking how on earth I was gonna explain it if people saw my naked body somehow wrapped with cables, and that it was not what it looked. Good times.

Feel we do the synchronised clapping in Norway too. Encores and large casts where everybody bows… Never thought of it as a regional thing. It’s a special kinda funny and sad when there is no encore, and slowly the synchronised clapping dies out as the audience looses hope🤣🤦🏼‍♂️ In the end there’s one person, or a small enclave, that keeps going.

Patronaat folks are legit good folks. They know. All of the tourbands live on fastfood and microwave steam meals.. It's hard out there, especially for international artists. A good homecooked meal might look awesome, but it's just what they do to make sure artists are at the top of their game. And it's paying it forward by means of you guys giving it a spot in the video. More artists will want to come to Haarlem now they've seen this. And I'm all for it! Everybody wins!

You guys are gladiators. I'm exhausted just watching this. Unreal.

This perfectly captures it. Getting through Amsterdam Centraal with a 31kg IEM rig; that’s a test of your spirit for sure

Helsinki show was so amazing! Honestly probably the best live music I've ever heard. I really hope we can see you guys in Helsinki again on your next Europe tour!!

The editing and story telling were stellar, would love to watch more of these, Nice, thanks Adam

that board mix in haarlem sounds amazing

For a long time I lamented the end of Adam Neely's Bass Lessons (not to knock your video essay content, just not my cup of tea), but I absolutely love your gig vlogs man. I've learned so much watching these and they've made a legitimate impact on my music career

Not only did I get to witness an awesome performance in Haarlem, I also made it into an Adam Neely video!

I'm a UK musician just returned from a US tour and had an amazing time, although in my experience touring Europe is much easier. First of all European cities are much closer together, and its easier to plan a tour that follows a logical route.. travel takes a much bigger chunk of the touring budget. .I know this can happen anywhere but i've been extremely unlucky with lost luggage at US airports over the years. The infrastructure - airports and roads seem to be getting worse in the thirty years i've been travelling to the US, particularly away from the coastal population centres.. & while taking the train is sometimes the best and fastest option in Europe (without backline of course), thats never the case in the US. Saying all that I still get a thrill from playing in the home and birthplace of the music that mean most to me, and i've got a fetish for old school US tour busses and an undimmed love for the road at the age of 60. .

Sungazer NEW ALBUM?? woot woot great video Adam as always, not stress inducing at all

The synchronized clapping for encore is a thing in Denmark too. It's pretty awesome. I thought it was actually a thing in many places.

I've been commuting with SAS with transfers at Stockholm Arlanda airport for five years up until recently. I had such a déjà vu feeling when I saw you guys running through the terminals to catch your flight, only to find that it wasn't even close to boarding. 😄 Can't even count the number of times I've missed my connection at that airport because of something like the plane just lingering somewhere for undisclosed reasons. Flying really sucks! Thanks for the on tour tag along!

Haarlem station to Patronaat is like a 10-15 min walk max - Big yikes on waiting an hour for a cab, damn. Thanks for coming though!

I was at the Helsinki gig and that was amazing! It's incredible that you've gone so far, and I'm so glad that you've made it. Thanks!

Ooh ahah YES OETELDONK!! My Hometown...ahah so nice to see!

7:09 ... nice use of the Jaco lick!

We just came home from a 3-date "mini tour", leading from Western Germany to Vienna, Budapest and then Brno in Czech Republic and then back home to Western Germany. Even thought we drove by van and had all of our stuff like securely luggaged in the car, I feel every single bit of struggle. I feel the appreciation for a self cooked meal after all of the junk you plant into yourself. I feel the sensation when the crowd goes rampant on your music. Nice vlog!

The gig in Helsinki was spectacular! And that impromptu high five at the end of the gig by that person in the first row was comedy gold. Seeing you live for the first time was amazing, and seeing what you had been through the same day makes it even more incredible. Thank you, and welcome again! 🤩

you were IN my city?? aaaaahh i shouldve payed more attention :( awesome to see you go through all these adventures. thankyou for anbother beautifull story!

Love this episode. Been there more than once and I sympathize. Love your postings!🎶🎸😎

Every show I watch lately is scored by Blake Neely

So happy for your success Adam and crew... What a great thing how you bring people together.... please let me know when you want me to down tune the bands instruments to 432.... I hope to have my songs out this year.... thank you for the inspiration

It was absolutely amazing to see you guys in Estonia and see all the stuff you guys go through. Can't wait to see you guys again. Next time will need to take some earplugs, as the place was tiny, so had ear pain for a week straight, funnily enough you guys were the first actual concert I have ever gone to.

For a moment, I though I was watching an episode of Jet Lag The Game. Please please please, make a crossover!

Glad to see you will be on North Sea Jazz this year on July 13th!

Pier was about to press triangle a la GTA to hijack that angry taxi van lmao

Adam I liked your 'I feel good' sound check line... another good sound check line is from lordes team.... "Im kinda over gettin told to throw my hand up in the air" sung in the same way Lorde does.... it triggers people to wake up in this life... i hope you try it stud

Haha, the trick is: you do not make tight connecting windows in Europe. When travelling, I allow for at least 30-45 minutes between trains as (at least in Germany) they're ALWAYS late.

Thanks for sharing those 2 days. Looked like more than 2 to me too.

Love your European tour videos - thank you!

I miss touring. I've had prima dona and bootstrap tours. I miss that connection. Thanks for posting.

your gig vlogs are really a work of art. Thanks Adam!

"Oh sick" is the craziest response to someone telling you something ever xDD

This is why is so important to have good tour manager! Nice Video🤗

Wild.. thanks for vlogging! Keen to see you guys in Brisbane

That little piano interlude at 11:30 is EVERYTHING

WOW! Truly encapsulates what Tour can be like. Cheers Adam this was awesome.

The incredible stamina that touring musicians like y'all have never ceases to amaze me. Looking forward to the next album! ❤

Cycle toured in Europe in September. Haarlem is an awesome place!

Love the Tour vlog stuff Adam , Thankyou !

I had no idea you were playing in Stockholm! Would attend the concert for sure! Greetings!

Lol that tiny "Take the A Train" when you said "A" xD

I thought synchronized clapping was universal. It means "we won't stop clapping until we get an encore". I've seen it at classical concerts too.

ten years ago I lived in Toronto for like 10 months. One day I went to L&M and rented out a nice Yamaha digital piano with stands and everything. I carried those back to hotel via subway and it was like hell lol. Luckily it's not like going through Shibuya JR station or anything. Well I did carry those back to the store months later using the same method. that twice the hell! Can't remember why I didn't just take taxi...

That last set reminded me a lot of the stuff I have on my various Dancing Cat labels from the 80s-90s.

As a big fan of Kiesel (and known a few basses and guitars) so cool to see you carrying a Kiesel bass through Europe.

Would it ever make financial sense to hire a company to handle the logistics of a band tour? For instance, the business would take your gear the second the show is done, and then their soul mission is to make sure it all arrives at the next venue early and intact. I imagine that would take a huge stress off your shoulders, but would the cost outweigh the benefit?

Haven't toured in my life and this vlogs give me nightmares and adrenaline at the same time.

Dude I love you. You inspire me. Still can’t forget that show on the MS stubnitz Keep on creating

Adam i was so bummed when you announced that you were stopping your regular videos. This vlog style of the realities of the touring musician is great. Your style is great and Sungazer is awesome. Hope to someday see you live and in person. Have fun chasing that musical dream.

"Beyond the 7th Galaxy" ❤

Wow, been following this channel since forever and totally missed you were playing in my country 😮

Always happy for another gig vlog instalment!

awesome vid, appreciated it!

Great video! I've always been curious about touring, but most of all about what it's like to tour in Europe. Very enlightening! What chaos! Wow! Sungazer are real troopers!

Don't worry, Adam. I'm sure there will come a day when the bags don't make it. (I totally cracked up at the spinal tap moment though LOLLLLLL)

Thank you so much! We loved every beat! 13:44 ❤

You put on an absolutely brilliant show in Helsinki, and now knowing what you had been through to get here just makes it all the more impressive! Well done!🔥

The comment "My brain keeps track of time as it relates to physical space" is exactly my experience of almost any tour, including touring europe.

It's a good day when Adam upload a gig vlog, thank you Adam!!

I had the pleasure of seeing you and the band perform in Tallinn. It was a great experience. Thank you for doing a tour in Europe, and especially the Baltics!