Just got home last night from 4 shows in Spain with The New Year. We were there 7 days total, including an extra rehearsal day and a day at the end reserved for a visit to the Reina Sofia, where I stood in awe of Picasso’s Geurnica for maybe an hour (before taking a bum nap in the courtyard).
The tour was arranged by the lovable scamps at Acuarela Discos, who work with Chris Brokaw, Xiu Xiu, and other American bands in Spain. They took care of everything and hired us a driver as well, which meant I never had to worry about parking, money, hotels, or schedules — I just showed up and concentrated on the mix. It was almost like a vacation.
The third show was at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, where I was able to hang with so many brothers-from-other-mothers, including Magnolia Electric Co., Shellac, Jeremey Lemos, and more people for whom my memory of them is blotted out by too much rum.
The New Year — “Chinese Handcuffs” at Primavera Sound, Barcelona, 30 May 2009