SAUDADE DE BRASIL TOUR 2015 – THE TOUR STORY

You should never let go of the good habits. We don’t. This is why we went back to Brazil for our third tour.

The short version which we would never write and which no one would read as it just wouldn’t do justice would maybe sound like this: “nine shows in two weeks, more or less the same cities, partly even the same clubs as the years before – plus Rio de Janeiro. Having splashed in the waves at Copacabana. It was quite stressful, always exciting and simply great. We want to thank Goethe Institute for their active and straightforward support. Keep it up!” Awful… that’s like reducing the world championships last year to Germany winning the cup.

A little unconventional but the best way to give a summary in an adequate length seems to be this one:

April 02. Sao Paulo. Centro Cultural Rio Verde. Facing the truth of 30 hours of travelling to Sao Paulo without really sleeping and directly playing a show we definitely are allowed to tap our own the back. In the end it wasn’t really clear whether the audience cheers us or us the audience. Highlights: The great band Msário (see here: goo.gl/k7z5eM). If you’re interested, google the club, which is really an eye-catcher. When the indoor event was over at 5 in the morning around 100 people gathered outdoors singing and dancing to the rhythm of a triangle.

Sao Paulo 2015 - Centro Cultural Rio Verde
Sao Paulo 2015 – Centro Cultural Rio Verde

03. April. Rio de Janeiro. Audio Rebel. Our first gig in Rio. Ever. Not much sleep the night before, bad and non-relaxing sleep during the eight hour bus ride. This gig was also special in its way. The club was really small and cooled down to 15°C. We were freezing. Opener to the night was a Stoner Rock Band playing for around 20 people, meaning the club was filled around 50 percent. Good vibes in the crowd during our shows, the audience being a bit surprised. Maybe we were the first skaband playing at Audio Rebel.

04. April. Belo Horizonte. Mercado Distrital. After another eight hours on the road we arrived in Belo Horizonte (GER – BRA 7:1!!!) at the back entrance of the Mercado. It smelled of something really disgusting. Normally it is an indoor market, but Brazil is partying everywhere, so as we started our show more than 500 people were there. Everybody was dressed up like hell. Unfortunately 80 percent were ignoring the band playing … The first rows move their feet a little. For the band playing after us it didn’t feel any different.

Belo Horizonte 2015 - Mercado Distrital
Belo Horizonte 2015 – Mercado Distrital

05. April. Barbacena. Mirante Pup. High above the city. The home of our friend Fred Furtado, who we cannot thank enough (gratidão!). His casa is our casa. Fortunately we had the chance to sleep a lot. We had around 80 guests, a little less than last year. No need to cry. It was muito legal. This is why we played for around two hours.

07. April. Belo Horizonte. (GER – BRA 7:1!!!) BAIXO Centro Cultural. Due to the day off before we are well-rested. After having arrived at the bus station we go on with three taxis. The rhythm crew gets out at the wrong place below a bridge, surround by some dubious folks. In the blink of an eye the police arrives at the scene and investigates with the fingers on their guns a little too rigorous. We felt unpleasant. Brazil isn’t always nice. Finally Kay finds the missing guys, they were just a corner away from the club. This time to crowd really likes us. We like them too. Great evening! Strongly recommended place: Samba Rooms Hostel.

09. April. Poços de Caldas. New York Pub. Everybody thinks of a narrow, dark drinking hole. But more than 350 people fit into this incredibly and nicely arranged drinking hole. We are being expected as we are old friends – our third show there. Osvaldo and his crew were “mothering” us outstandingly. This night the club is not completely sold out but the audience cheers for double its size. After the show we are convinced to give a video interview (which we will upload soon to our website). After that we’re free. And as we’re all good friends and fit so well together the sun is already out as we say goodbye and almost directly step back into the tour van.

Poços de Caldas 2015 - New York Pub
Poços de Caldas 2015 – New York Pub

10. April. Rio de Janeiro. Second time. Porto Pirata. We were warned during our first stay in Rio. The club is located directly in the grubbiest red light district of the city, Villa Mimosa. It’s not beautiful, but so exciting that we do feel a little unconfortable in the first place. Rio might also be dangerous at one or another point. But here Diego el Cheffe calms us down a little when he tells us that Porto Pirata is under the umbrella of one of the big motorcycle clubs. Well ok! It’s 6pm, we’re dead tired (see April 9), and we’re supposed to play and 2am. There’s no backstage and Diego miscalculated the size of our band plus driver (10!) when he offered us to sleep in the club. Never mind, he spontaneously organised a hostel in Copacabana – we’ll survive. The evening is enourmously exhausting but interesting. The 50 people in the audience like us as much as the supporting punk-duo ANTIBANDA and the metal band ATOX that plays after our show. It’s 4 in the morning on a weekday and ear-battering loud when we’re heading off to the hostel. People living next door. Brazil is crazy.

11. April. Juiz de Fora. Bar da Fabrica. We played here before in 2013. Without the singer who had to take care of the injured trumpet player, who therefore also wasn’t there. The numerous guests enjoyed inprovised lyrics, instrumentals and SEEED raps to Yellow Cap songs. This time it was more relaxed. The 50 guests in the Bar da Fabrica which fits at least 250, did their thing quite well. We did well too. This shows again that neither the club size nor the number of guests count for having a good time. We had a good time! Worth telling: After several nights in hostel rooms with bunk beds and shared bathrooms we could spend a very short but recreative night in a real hotel – we learned to appreciate that.

12. April. Campinas. 9. Skandalosa at the Club Woodstock. David, who we play for the third time, initially planned the festival in Americana SP. But for unknown reasons the show was relocated. The festival was a rather small club show then. We needed to improvise a littlee with the P.A. With around 50 guests it was a small but yet very good, last concert in a uniqute club tour. Sometimes something happens between musicians on stage … hard to describe… it seems to run by itself. This happened also on other nights before. But when it happens on the last gig, it is special for everybody. A sign?

Every tour had its own character so far. 2013 – everybody’s first time und unfortunately marked by the heavy accident. 2014 – due to some show cancellations chaotic on one hand and relaxed on the other. The tour this year was the most stressful, as we have never before played so many shows in a row. The circumstances for not convenient at all. We had seven, eight or more hours on the road behind us when we arrived at a place, had soundcheck and then had to wait for hours – but couldn’t get a rest. Shows started after midnight and until we had reloaded everything into the van it was at least 4 am. And of course a Caipirinha waited for us. After 2, 3 or maximum 4 hours of sleep we drove to the next city. Some may think that these poor musicians are really facing a hard destiny – of cours not, on the contrary! We’re not complaining at all. Not when coming home nor while on tour. It’s a privilege and a lucky chance, which will hopefully repeat in 2016.

In terms of the music it was the most intense tour. It was the first Brazil tour with the original line-up. And compared to 2013 and 14 we often played on small stages, sometimes under bad circumstances. These experiences make a band better, more mature.

Brazil easily surprised us, even during the third tour. It was the first time we were not touring during Carneval, on purpose! Thus we learned how that country is in a „normal state“ (if that exists). A new experience, as the carneval influences everything. Everybody is freaking out and electrifying everyone else. But you’re anyways partly def and overwhelmed by all that noise, the smells and the squeezing crowds. But Brazil is more than a hip shaker. But still the difference between Carneval and not-Carneval is not as big as in – let’s say Cologne.

If you want more – watch our tour videos on facebook.com/yellowcap

 

And our last statement: Dear Goethe Institute, it is absolutely nessecary that we thank you once again for your support before and during our tour, especially as we have not played the big shows this year. We appreciate a lot. Big up. Pleasure. See ya next year.