News Tour Diary: Playlounge (Part One)

Playlounge are an unrelentingly scuzzy, forthright two-piece from London. Their sound is catered to dark and sweaty venues, with uppity crowds gloriously basking in the noise they project. It needn’t matter where this takes place. London, Manchester, Amsterdam, bloody Singapore. They can pull it off, drawing audiences in regardless of setting and circumstance.

Laurie and Saam from the band set off across Europe alongside Johnny Foreigner, a band they grew up adoring. If that wasn’t enough, they also gained access to bicycle rides across scenic mountains, free pizza when they finished their sets, and some of the continent’s most lavish, unbelievably cheap hostels. With nothing but guitars, amps and a disposable camera, in this two-part diary they document the highs (and very few, minor lows) of their first European adventure.

5th June

Having recorded our first EP just outside of Birmingham around 2 years ago it feels like it’s taken us way too long to play a show here. Tonight it’s in a warehouse where Johnny Foreigner’s lock up/rehearsal space is located (total sucker and I forgot to buy cameras yet so you’ll never know how cool this all looked). In a sea of crappy b-town bands it’s refreshing to see a band like JoFo (remaining DIY to the core) put on a show free of any pretence and for everyone to have the best time. We had people singing along, buying shirts and even someone asking for photographs with us (thank you so much for coming from Bath just to see Playlounge). Are we a real famous rock band now? Thanks to Joe for the lift and Sam for singing a really really old song with us.

6th June

Woke up at ridiculous o’clock to drive to Dover and then catch the Ferris to Calais before driving up to Amsterdam. 15hrs in the van. The Mars Volta. Toothache. Sketch pads. Belgium you were really pretty to drive through.

7th June

After party night in Holland it’s an 11hr drive to Berlin. We laugh, we sleep, we snack, we listen to new mixes of new Playlounge songs and I break vedge. After a last minute JoFo merch pick up we arrive as doors open and play a scrappy/sloppy set to about 12 people but merch is sold, JoFo kill it and Playlounge just played our first show outside of the UK!

8th June

Another early start before driving (Germany has the prettiest trees I’ve ever seen), on to Krakow to play the Green Zoo festival. Tonight we’re debuting newbie ‘khaki scouts of north america’.

The venue is packed. One of the best times I’ve seen Johnny Foreigner play. We head to the next Green Zoo venue to watch Enchanted Hunters (god they were so good) and wander doe eyed and aimless around the city.

I don’t ever want to leave Poland.

I can’t even begin to explain how amazing our accommodation for the night is.

9th June

We’ve got a couple of days off so we’re driving to Croatia to stay in an apartment on the beach. Just before leaving Hungary, the police pull us over and charge us a small penalty for lack of some sort of vehicle permit. We’d heard some horror stories about getting into Croatia as a travelling band but luckily we had no trouble and after 15hrs of driving through 6 countries we make it to where we’re staying. Our apartment is overlooking the beach and despite a midnight arrival there’s food waiting on the table. Thanks Croatia.

10th June

Today we went to the beach and swam in the Adriatic Sea, then listened to the photo album. We’re staying on the Croatian island of Pag and not only is it incredibly picturesque but the whole island has free wifi and I never thought I could twitpic for free on the beach so thanks, the future.

I missed dinner because I was napping and then we went adventuring around the island and found an old abandoned hotel where the staircases are crumbling with every step taken and there’s Bon Jovi graffiti everywhere.

11th June

I’ve given Laurie the nickname Booty Handlebar and myself Sandstorm. The rest of the group took to them far quicker than I’d expected.

Days off are over (well until tomorrow) and it’s back on the road. We revisit the abandoned hotel to add some Johnny Foreigner Vs playlounge graffiti before starting the journey to Zagreb for the show. I introduce JoFo & co to the new Paramore record - obviously everyone love it.

The venue is called Kset and The National and The Mars Volta have played here. The show was a blast, people in Europe clap for way longer than UK audiences and there were girls dancing. This venue looks sort of like The Bronze (Buffy The Vampire Slayer).

12th June

The quality of these hostels just keeps getting better and better. Touring with Jofo is far too luxurious. In an attempt to find ‘death castle’ we end up driving the wrong way up a one way road along some sort of Croatian mountain forest path (during which we drive higher than the trees) and have to reverse back downhill. No one died.

We get denied entry to Hungary as our van door has jammed itself shut and we can’t open it to prove we aren’t smuggling anyone/anything.

After hours of driving around and trying to find a locksmith Junior and Dan finally find someone who can help bust it open. The rest of us walk the length of Zagreb about 6-7 times in waiting. Time for border attempt no.2.

Yaaay we made it out of Croatia.

13th June

Holiday is almost over and the long stretch of shows start tomorrow. Making the most of being in Budapest we cross every bridge we can be bothered with, scale a mountain to enjoy a view of the whole city, ride the metro and see how McDonalds in Hungary compares to the UK (way better). Party night out at some bar that looks identical to the one Marisa Cooper (The OC) overdoses in during season one. We pass a club called The Play Lounge. Nowhere sells vanilla and coffee bean flavoured yoghurt based drinks.

14th June

Our departure is delayed a bit because the hostel took 4hrs longer than promised washing our clothes. I spent the whole journey from Budapest to Bratislava van sleeping. The venue looks amazing, like some big art space where the ceiling lights have been fashioned into the shapes of giant insects and there’s weird doodles all over the walls and beat up sofas. Finding the toilets is like playing resident evil. Not in a good way. One of the most fun shows we’ve played.

Part two of Playlounge’s tour diary is coming soon.