Velvet Code Tour Recap

Here's the latest from IMA Dance/Electronica Winners, Velvet Code, while on tour with Mindless Self Indulgence!

March 26th Velvet Code Tour Update

Today is my birthday!!! There's no other place that I want to be than with my band mates, Ryan and Nick, living the dream! Performing in Edmonton to a packed house at the Edmonton Events Centre was one of the great thrills of my life. Before the show, I asked two of my idols to join me in spirit: Freddie Mercury and Elvis Presley. I believe they both showed up and provided the support I needed for a fantastic show. At one point, I could even hear Freddie hit a note with me...you know, the high note in the bridge of Trust Fund Girl? Haven't heard it? Go get it now!



Having just come from other Canadian cities (Regina and Winnipeg), we were well rested for the Edmonton show. Of course, the birthday party afterwards with Hollowboy and my fellow Velvet Coders was the best birthday celebration I've had in years. It sure beat the last 4 years of disappointments!





Speaking of the previous few shows, Winnipeg was a hoot. Hecklers were there, ready and armed with their verbal abuse. Considering that the hecklers grew as the night went on, I decided to single one out. He came to the front of the stage, only to be refused entry to the stage. I took that moment embarrass the poor sucker and watch as he got ejected for unncessary roughness. Better luck next time!



Regina was an interesting venue. It felt like I was performing back at my high school. Nonetheless, the fans had amazing energy, even though 99% of them had no idea who we were!

Now on to Calgary tomorrow! Hopefully my birthday celebration won't inhibit a great show tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Cheerz ma deers
Marlon


March 31st - FINAL SHOW in Seattle

This has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Words can't describe how I feel right now...but let's back up a bit to Calgary and Vancouver....

So Calgary was a recovery show for me after being out all night with the boys...I know, I know! Not necessarily the best judgement in the world, but we were already working on 3-4 hours sleep a night. Nonetheless, I guess the fear of failing helped me focus. And what a show it was! Calgary was definitely one of favorite cities to perform in! It was also the most successful merch and CD sale night of the entire tour for us.

I felt terrible about the technical glitches that Hollowboy had. They are some of my favorite people in the world, and I just couldn't believe some of the bad luck they had over the past few shows. However, it is all about bouncing back, right? And they sure did in Vancouver!! Way to rock it out boys!



Playing Vancouver was another monumental moment for me because I spent a year living there. Some of my friends came out to see me perform, some of them, for the first time. When the show was over, we spent a few hours signing autographs and giving away all of our accessories (even my socks! crazy kids were all excited about that!).

Then it was off to an old local hangout for me and a Vancouver friend. Again, I couldn't help myself and was out until the wee hours of the night. Then it was off to Seattle for our final show!

And what a show it was. I finally took some advice to heart and spent the afternoon lying down and resting. I didn't allow anyone to distract me from the task at hand which was to pull off the greatest show of the tour (and my career). That night, we all synched up perfectly and had a flawless show! It was the most incredible rush of my life!





Fast forward to April 2

The most difficult thing I've ever had to experience is leaving the tour. Now that it's over, the big question is can we all return to ourselves without losing touch with reality? I find myself still feeling like I need to know when sound check is or when we have to be at the venue to load in. I keep wondering where Rick (our sound guy) is and why he hasn't asked us to run through a song for him. I miss hearing the Hollowboys sing the melody to "Say You Love Me".

But I do believe that if we can recover from the short bout of emptiness and reflect on the past month, I think we'll be well prepared for our next adventure, hopefully in Europe :)

Marlon
Velvet Code