Swayze – CRAZY TOUR STORIES

In this Crazy Tour Stories segment, the pop punk band, Swayze, shares one of their stories from being on the road. You can check out the story, after the break.

On a hot summer night in June of 2018, we rolled into the big city of Calgary, Alberta. We were hungover, hungry, and jammed into a ’03 Chevy Venture van looking forward to playing in an unfamiliar venue. We punched in the address into Google Maps and ended up in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Our extreme lack of research had led us to playing a basement show with 11 other bands.

We unloaded our gear into the 8 x 8-foot area and watched the other bands. There was an eclectic mix of metal, indie, and punk, and we had enough Lucky Lager on hand to keep us hydrated for the entire night, so we were happy to be there. We settled in and watched few acts until a band came on that could only be described as “Harsh Noise”. 3 guys dressed in Ski masks equipped with a guitar, and a WHOLE lot of effect pedals. As the screeching and feedback entered minute four, three of the four of us decided to step outside for some fresh air and a break from the nightmarish sounds.

About 20 minutes later, the final member of our band exited the “venue” looking as though he had seen a ghost. The noise band had dropped all of their instruments during the set, engaged in a fistfight, and brought out a hunting knife to stab the guitar wildly while the other 2 fought until they passed out, all the while the amps were still shrieking and feeding back. Keep in mind the area we are all packed into is no bigger than a bedroom. Eventually, the owner of the house intervened shut off the amps and asked them to leave, and announced Swayze was playing next. It was not the easiest act to follow, but our veteran prowess ensured we had the presence of mind to no engage in fisticuffs or stab anything. We made it through the night alive, sold some merch, and continued on our way. Sometimes it is the gigs that go a little sideways that make for the best memories.

Keep up with the band on Facebook and Instagram.