The Story So Far…

OCTOBER 18, 2010, 2:01 pm

Australia, Australia. I was warned about your rowdy crowds, beautiful girls, and incredible weather, and you know what? Two out of three's not too bad.

Despite the 14ºC (w/ thunder showers) in Perth, 3 days of rain in Melbourne, and overcast skies in Brisbane, I LOVED my time down under. Having never been, the reception we got from fans at the 4 shows (all of the aforementioned + Sydney) was incredible. You never know how people will respond when you're playing away from home, but my concerns were quickly put to rest. Our opening song in Perth was my first clue of how things would go: It stared raining as we began to play at the One Movement Music Festival. Rather than run for cover, people stormed the front of the stage, braving the rain to catch our set. Three songs in we'd amassed a crowd of a few thousand. The other three shows were smaller club dates, though no less energetic. At each venue we played to a full house with folk at the back singing and getting as messy as as those in the front. I got to see for the first time the effect this band has had on fans abroad, and (at least in Auz) it was moving. Seriously love that place. I cannot wait to head back, hopefully with more time to take in Sydney in particular.

Flash forward to the present day. We landed here in Mumbai less than 24 hours ago, but already I feel completely immersed in this place's culture; the city is teaming with life. It's hot as hell, a distinct change from the crisp spring we'd experienced in Australia just a day before. It's hard to believe that was such a short time ago, with China a week before that (it honestly feels closer to a month!). Dipping in and out of cultures like this can be a surreal experience, making past places (not to mention home) seem like a distant memory. But let me be very clear, in case it sounds like I'm complaining: I'm happy as hell.

Due in no small part to today. As I write this, I sit in my hotel room with a belly full of incredible indian cuisine. The local promoter took us to a restaurant that served 'The best indian food in Mumbai'. He wasn't lying. We all ate way too much, and have each retired to our respective corners for the night to recover.

Tomorrow we play our first show here, and the following day we shoot the video for our second single 'Elongo'. We met with our director Michael Maxxis and he showed us some stuff they'd shot earlier that day, while walking around the city with two incredible DSLR cameras. Some real pretty business. I know people will be blown away once we're done.

Ok, apologies for the rambling. When I sat down to write I'd told myself the pictures would do the talking. Guess someone has a lot to learn about being concise.

Take care,

Sekou (@fortydeuces)

P.S. I bought a new Macbook Pro at the Apple Store in the Singapore airport during our 3 hour layover. Saved a few hundred dollars, as they have a −7% sales tax. Jay and Eon won't come out and say it, but they're both suuuuper jealous. Just thought you should know.