November 1st and 2nd travel to London

We headed to the airport with all of our guitars, luggage, and stage props (3 trunks of skulls, mannequins, rubber chickens, crucifixes, monster masks, zombie puppets, space pistols, etc). Luckily everything goes smooth through security with no problems. We had a connection in Dallas, where we were informed that we were now called “The Band” as everyone asked “Hey are you guys the band,” even though no one knew who the fuck we were. We get on the plane that afternoon, we all pass out and when we wake up we are in London. Problem number one on arrival, we loose our drum pedals on the flight. We hop on the tour bus, and go and collect our drums, guitars, and to buy a new double bass drum pedal that is 2 times the price it would be in America. Everything is collected by the afternoon and all looks okay so far. We stopped at services over night and heard that LA Guns was there just an hour before us, so we knew we were on the right path. I wonder if they tour on Harley's with an Alf doll on the front like the old days? So the crew, Kid Kid, Ghastly, Pig and Myself crawl in our bunks like Hollywood Vampires and call it a day.

November 3rd Cardiff Wales

Cardiff Wales is the first stop on the tour. I first heard of this place on the Tigertailz home video when I was 14. I hoped the Tailz would have shown up, but they didn’t. We also found out that Bush had won the election, what a bummer, 4 more years of bad luck. The show is great and the kids were rabid...although our amps started to go out half way through the set. We figured out afterwards it was an ohm problem, but we managed to make it through and it was fun. Also someone stole my screwdriver from a stage prop and if your reading this asshole, give it back, that cost 75¢ at Wal Mart. I went out and met the fans, and then crawled in to the bunk for some much needed beauty sleep.

November 4th Exeter

Crawled out of the bunk, took a leak in our little tiny bus toilet, and looked in the mirror to see I have crusty, black, eyeliner boogers in the corner of my eyes…very attractive. I got dressed and headed into the venue to help put our stage together. The venue starts to fill up full of ghouls and all looks well, until one of the support bands starts being complete fuck-sticks (the all look like CC Deville and tend to act like him at his craziest) and we have to kick them off the tour after the night. I’m all for being crazy and rock-n-roll, but these guys were trying to hard and were fucking up things for everyone…so good bye!!! The show was cool, and we went out and met everyone afterwards. I’ve already started to lose my voice (which really fucking sucks), so I went to bed hoping I’ll wake up with a voice in the morning.

November 5th London

Here we are in London with a full day of press, and my voice sounds like a squeaky little mouse. Straight off the bus, at the crack of 2, and on the way for a TV interview. I sounded like shit and the chair I’m sitting in for this interview is gigantic. My feet barely touched the floor and I looked like Emanuel Lewis with dreadlocks for this piece. After this it’s more press, and more press and more press. The band we had kicked off the tour shows up again and we have to send them away very aggressively - Doyle from Sling Blade style. Show time arrives and we rock the asses of the masses. Afterwards, we met with everyone from the label and friends and the mob of crazy ghouls waiting outside. By this point, my voice is gone and I’m sweating if I’m gonna make it the rest of the tour…..to be continued????

November 6th  Staffordshire Rugeley Rose

So I wake up squeaky and not in very good shape for singing, I sound like Marky Mark on Boogie Nights. I'm drinking hot tea (throat coat) and taking these throat lozenges called Vocal Zone. We do sound check and I don't sing at all, and I just keep my fingers crossed and hope all goes well. We cut a couple songs off the set and make it a 15 song set. I squeaked my way thru an interview and stayed quiet until Showtime. Showtime finally arrives and I walk on stage hoping the spirit of Sammi Curr will come alive. Believe it or not, I make it through okay and nobody seemed to notice, thanks Sammi. I  met the kids, took a shower and went to bed right after....rock-n-roll all nite and then go to sleep!!!

November 7th Manchester

I wake up and realize I can speak, and worries of the show sucking are behind me now.  Metal Hammer joined us for the day for a tour piece, so we spent the afternoon just talking, gossiping, and hanging out. Sound check was successful and my voice is much better, but still not 100%. Some fans I met outside the bus gave me some cool gifts, one being "The Return Of The Living Dead" soundtrack on vinyl, the euro version...oh yeah!!!! The last time I played Manchester it was nuts, tonight was no fucking different. I walked out to a sold out crowd chanting my name and we just ripped it the fuck up, the craziest crowd so far for sure. The lights in the place were insane. It was like wearing 3-D glasses for a whole show. I thought we were going to have a seizure from the lights. We went out right after and met the fans and then went and grabbed some pizza from down the street. We watched Aqua Teen Hunger Force and called it a day.

November 8th Birmingham

I wake up in an underground parking deck, no sunlight and no sign of human life outside the bus. I was hoping to catch the site of a C.H.U.D. but I guess that’s only in America. Right across the street is a Toys ‘R’ Us and unfortunately I had no time to visit it on this trip. I have press today and still have the Metal Hammer guys with us today. I went to Kerrang Radio and had an interview and some kick ass hot chocolate right after. Pig ran and got a new tattoo after sound check, which looks amazing. Right before the show I had some sort of anxiety attack, it felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. The show had to wait 20 minutes in the hope that my heart would calm down…. it didn’t ….so we had to go on anyway…. did the show…everything was cool…luckily I didn’t pass out and the show was a success. Walked off stage hung out with the record company and Metal hammer and called it a day. Next stop Scotland!!!!

November 9th Glasgow, Scotland

On my many trips here, I have now finally learned how to pronounce the name of this place ‘Glasgo’ take off the ‘W’ it is not pronounced ‘Glass-COW’ like my dumbass said on stage many times before. All the days are starting to run together, but this show was crazy and the fans of Glasgow did not disappoint. No shower today, my stage clothes smell dookie, shit, poop, and stinky all mixed together…thank you Satan for baby wipes. I went out and met the fans and it seems like every night now there are kids with tattoos of my name on them….. and tonight I see a huge portrait of my face on someone’s back and on their forearm. Right after we jetted off quickly to catch the ferry to Ireland.

November 10th Belfast, Ireland

The ferry over was fucking shakey as fuck. For a second there I thought we were going to have our own TV show Ghoul-i-gans Island. We arrived safely and parked outside the venue and slept most of the day. This venue was pretty cool and was set up like an American venue. The Wife and I went out to a bar restaurant called Morningstar, where I paid 10 Euros for a steak that tasted like an old sneaker. Show time quickly approaches and we go out and lay the smack down on the Irish. Let me just say, the Irish know how to head bang and by this I mean, laying their body half way over the barricade, banging their heads like motherfuckers…Amen Johnson! After meeting the fans, the Wife and I walk our drunk asses to an Irish Chinese Restaurant where the lady behind the counter was a total bitch. We ordered our shitty food and as we waited, a very drunk Irish guy walked in, quoting lines to her, from Full Metal Jacket - ‘Me Love You Long Time’. It was hilarious, serves you right BITCH! We hit the bunks and called it a day.

November 11th Dublin, Ireland

We wake up and find some fans had brought us Halloween 4 and 5 on DVD. Where I come from, that’s a good thing to wake up to! We travelled into Dublin, which has some of the coolest fucking buildings and scenery that I have ever seen. We hop off the bus, quick load in, and a quick sound check. Then we jet off to get some food and stop at a really cool toy store called Forbidden Planet. I stayed in there and drooled over the Michael Myers & Dr. Loomis box set, which I convinced myself not to buy, until I got home. We went back to the venue, just in time to get dressed and continue what we started the night before - kicking the ass of the Irish! I meet a shit load of rabid fans and we were off quickly to catch a ferry back to the UK. We watched Halloween 4 & 5 until I was so drunk I had to hit the bunk. Hey that rhymed!

November 12th Bristol

Due to the ferry times, we arrived at the venue about an hour before doors. This show was okay, but I was bummed out that it was an 18 and up venue. They turned away over 100 kids at the door. I am sorry guys, we tried!! The show was still cool, but I felt weird knowing there were kids out front, not able to get in. So after the show, I went out to meet the kids that hung out in the freezing cold. I finished the night off by listening to Alice Cooper and called it a day.

November 13th Brighton

I woke up and looked out my bunk window to see the fucking ocean and a bunch of Ghouls outside, around out bus. Something wasn’t right with this picture, it looked like a scene from The Lost Boys. Walked off the bus and meet some fans before sound check (thank you to The Texas Drag Queen Massacre and the others for the KFC - you Ghouls rule). We had a great in house meal courtesy of the venue which was very American and southern…just like me. We get dressed and spend the rest of the time putting on our make-up and saying Paul Stanley quotes and even making up and adding on to some of them, for example: (in Paul Stanley voice) “If it’s to loud, your too old, and if it’s too hot then your too cold.” I know it makes no sense, but half of things out of his mouth doesn’t make sense. The show went over great, tons of kids going ape shit and acting crazy. I went out and met a butt load of kids and it was so fucking cold I had snot -sicles by the end of it. We hoped on the bus watched Donnie Darko and headed for the ferry into Holland.

November 14th Utrecht, Holland

I wake up and make me a cup of hot chocolate, and even though I’m in Holland I didn’t have Swiss Miss hot chocolate…god damnit. Today, getting decent food is not going to be possible. It’s Sunday and nothing is open so I eat Doritos and peanut M&M’s all day. Show time arrives and we got out and put Holland in the Hurt Locker. This show had the most physical action so far, a huge pit and kids jumping on stage stealing my guitar picks. Afterwards I had a shower, and washed my stinky ass for the first time in four days, it was a beautiful thing. I went and met the fans and then we headed out to the highway like Judas Priest. I listened to T-rex for a bit which for some reason blew a fuse in the back lounge and fucked up the rest of the night. I called it a day and said goodnight after that……12 in a row four to go….home sweet home here I come.

November 15th Brussels, Belgium

I wake up with our bus on the side of the street with tons of traffic whipping by. I look out to the left of the bus and I see all of these statues of vultures and old 16th century stuff, it was like Clash of the Titans so I looked around for a mechanical owl but all I saw was a drunk guy. Today was boring and I just sat around and waited till show time. The show finally arrives and it went over pretty well, the audience was a little reserved but it was still cool. I went out and met the kids and then we got on the bus and hit the road. We stopped down at the town square to get a glimpse at all of the old buildings and it was just fucking mind blowing. We crawled back on the bus and went to bed.

November 16th Tilburg Holland

I wake up and roll off the bus to meet the Roadrunner Holland gang and to find out that I have press scheduled for the first part of the day. I do some interviews and then sound check and then an another interview. It's also Pig's birthday today and we had a surprise for him on stage tonight, so I tried to act like a dick and not say happy birthday to him at all to make him think I didn't care. We had a great in house meal, but it was a little morbid. The head cook there died the day before making this meal for us, he died with a spoon in his hand. We had to eat the meal just out of respect, and just for the weirdness of it...it was great. Show time arrives and we deliver the goods. The crowd was great and we had our intro guy Skully bring a chocolate cupcake with a candle out to Pig, and then had the audience sing happy birthday to him. After the show we had our last shower before we get home and scrubbed the smelly spots extra hard. I went out to meet the fans and spent the rest of time hanging with my friend Marco (who brought me a Tigertailz picture vinyl of the first album, along with some cool horror dvds, thanks you rule!!!!) We headed out to get some food, and then came back and watched House of a 1000 Corpses and went to sleep.
 

November 17th Colchester UK

This venue is an old, old, old, church. In fact, the story of Humpty Dumpty originated here...yes the egg guy. Behind the stage is nothing but stained glass with images of Jesus and other bible people on it. Before soundcheck we walked into town and had almost an American style meal...we actually found curly fries and hot sauce. We come back for soundcheck and then begin the getting dressed  process. Viking Skull the support band for most of this tour ripped it the fuck up tonight (look out for big things from these guys) and it was really cool to actually have good music playing while your getting dressed. Show time arrives and the atmosphere of this place just made the show unlike any of the others. We have samples from movies through out our set and to hear Regan from The Exorcist speaking and then see a lighted stained glass image of Jesus behind you was just an amazing moment. The audience was great and we had a blast. We walk off stage, had a baby wipe bath, and then met the fans. I got a cool T-shirt from a fan, an Exorcist "your mother sucks cocks in hell" shirt...woo hooo!!! We grabbed some food and then came back and called it a day. One more to go!!!
 

November 18th Liverpool/November19th travel home

I woke up, looked out my window and saw that it was a rainy cold miserable fucking shit ass day outside. I just laid in my bunk and listened to my new album and thought of ideas for the layout for a couple of hours. Everyone on the bus slept late today, I don't think we all really started moving till about 4pm. We watched Friday the 13th the Final Chapter and then I had some press to do. Right after, the bassist from Viking skull brought me a bag of vinyl albums. I really got lucky this time, inside the bag were some real treasures, one of them being London's album "Never Cry Wolf." I also got Vinnie Vincent Invasion, Cinderella and some others. We have soundcheck and then head back to the bus to watch Friday the 13th part 6. We get dressed for the final time, and let me just say our clothes are beyond the smell of shit now. We walk out on stage and give it to them good and no...not like Trixter. The audience was full of fans that I saw all through the UK and the show was out of control. Afterwards we ran back to the bus and the audience poured out of the venue and just surrounded our bus, it was like a scene from the new Dawn of the Dead. I went out and meet the fans got some kick ass gifts, a KFC umbrella, a Frankenstein 12" doll, and House of 1000 corpses T-shirt, a Satan T-shirt and a lot of other cool things. We had to leave real quick tonight to get us all to the airport in time. We all stayed awake, and packed up all of our things and just waited till we got to the airport. We walked off the bus said good-bye to Richard our kick ass tour manger, and then stumbled into the airport. We spent an hour getting checked in and then went to Mc Donald's and knocked another 10mins off of our life. We ran to our gate and then got on the plane for our wonderful 10 hour flight. The flight started off good but the we hit some really bad turbulence which seemed like it lasted for hours, I watched the movie Dodgeball and finally passed out. We arrive in Dallas and go through immigration and customs were they searched all of my bags inside and out. We then hit a TGI Fridays and stuffed our faces and then headed to our gates. We said goodbye to Pig who was heading to LA, and did a few more Paul Stanley quotes for fun. We get on board the last plane to finally go home to Charlotte.

 
Overall the tour was a complete success, and the fans were beyond my expectations, you ghouls rule!!! Thanks for everyone who came out, helped out and was just cool to us. See ya next time.
 

Wednesday 13