It’s already the second week of the new year. Time flies. We’re really busy with rehearsals and preparations for the recordings that are starting this weekend, but I thought it was time to look back for a second. Usually only while typing these kinda overviews I really grasp what happened during the last year. While we’re experiencing it, it just all goes by so fast.
2009
January 2009 started with the return of Joost. As you might know he was off to Taiwan for the last half 0f 2008. Wiser (we hope that is) and a great experience richer he returned to our small town. Quite a bit different from the hectic surroundings he was used to in Taiwan to say the least. He quickly took back his seat behind the drum kit and it was like he never left. To get fully back into gear we decided we would do all the remaining shows in January with Henri. Aside from that it gave us some time to organise a kick-ass goodbye show for Henri. Those shows in January were cool, especially the one in Hamburg at Rota Flora. An amazing venue (and old theater I think?) and Joost was enjoying the show from the crowd (something we don’t see that often haha). So in February Henri played his final show with us in his hometown Boxmeer. Just a small bar filled with friends. It was a blast to say the least. Just check the video below to see the end of the set (some covers and “Into The Distance”):
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Between February and June we worked on new songs and played some cool shows like the Shield Showcase @ the Stage in Arnhem, the AZ (another amazing venue!) in Germany with No Turning Back, again @ the Stage with Bitter End and in a town nearby on our friends from Make Them Suffer their releaseshow etc.
In July we were invited by mister Alex (Remember Hoods Up?) to come play 2 dates of the 3 day weekendtour of Cold World in Germany he was organising. It brought us back to the Rota Flora in Hamburg and made us play Essen too. Two totally different places, but both were really cool. Needless to say we had a blast and so did the people visiting these shows (including the one in Rosswein) I think. It was, amongst other things, cool to talk to some people again we haven’t seen for quite some time, to see Cold World 2 nights in a row, to see Dirty Money tearing up the place and No Turning Back showing why they’re so big right now. Good times.
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In August it was time for our trip through Europe. Since Joep couldn’t make it to the trip we welcomed back Henri, this time as our bassplayer (dude’s like a local Dave Grohl!). Together with Goran (from Make Them Suffer) who acted as merch-man-roadie-‘the-guy-who-you-can-call-names-all-day-and-nightlong’ dude, we set out for a trip that brought us to 5 countries in 6 days. Highlights include playing 3 shows with Trash Talk (Those dudes are c-r-a-z-y. Destroying everything in their way.), playing France again (Always good to see our friends from France. Check out Wank For Peace people!), getting a great welcome in Poland (Kuba, Kasia and co, thanks once again!), visiting Vienna (most beautiful city ever? Good schnitzel too haha) etc. But that whole trip was pretty much one big highlight. You can read all about it in our trip report.
In September Korneel, a Dutch comedian (or something like that) wore one of our shirts on a Dutch improvisation program called “Badgasten“. Cool to see our shirt on national TV.
In the last months of 2009 we played the Some Hardcore Fest in Belgium, featuring an exclusive show by Guns Up! amongst others. A cool location with less people than expected but it was a good day anyway. Our friends from France (Simon and co) made it out to Belgium as well, so it was cool to talk to them again. We also made a little trip to Weisswasser in Eastern Germany together with Strike First. Something we should do more often, always cool to hook up with Emiel and co. I don’t think those Germans knew what the fuck was happening when two groups of Dutch men were screaming at the top of their lungs outside of the venue. No worries, just a small “megabombe” fight as patented by those dudes from Strike First.
Maybe less interesting, but being the little nerd I am I have to mention it; 2009 was also the year of changes on the web for S&D. In October we started to use this new website (based upon WordPress) and during the year we witnessed the growth of Twitter and Facebook (Myspace is more like a sinking ship at the moment or so it seems). We opened accounts on both and it gave us another cool way to interact with people and give them updates on what we’re up to. Check us out on those social networks if that’s your thing. Follow/join us!
2010
All in all 2009 was good to us once again, let’s hope 2010 will be good too. A short glimp into the future already shows some nice things:
This weekend we start the first day of recording the “Weight Of The World” 7″ for Carry The Weight Records from the UK. We’ll be recording with Nico van Montfort once again. We’re aiming for a release at the end of February / early March. Just in time for our Euro trip in March. This time we’re hitting Belgium, France, Spain and probably Portugal. Keep an eye on our showlist to see if we’re coming close. We can’t wait. In May we’ll do a weekendtrip to the UK and that’s just what already is in the pipelines.
Let’s get this year started. Are you doing a show? Hook us up!