back home! ( I added more pics!!!)

heyyy!!

So we're back home, and currently enjoying the effects of jet lag once again.

Lets see....when I last left off, we were about to play our show in Glasgow. The show was fantastic, definitely one of the most enthusiastic crowds on the tour. After the show, we all went to a club, called ABC or something...tons and tons of people. All of Lights and Sounds (the opening band on all our UK dates), Meg and Dia and band and Melee went. So many people there, it was slightly overwhelming, but we danced alot as usual. A bit went by, and I finally couldn't take anymore...too loud of music and too many people, I was on sensory over load haha. So I tried to make my way out but couldn't find it! the club was three stories, and it was impossible to find the exit! As I was trying to find my way out, I ran into Jon (bassist from Meg and Dia) and he was in the same situation I was...So we teamed up to try and make out way out. After about 15 minutes we finally found the exit!
Jon and I decided we wanted some kebaabs, so we went to a place across the street, and when we walked in, a chef was yelling at a customer, and threw some french fries at him, they looked like they were about to fight, which me and Jon were hoping for, we wanted some entertainment, but alas, the customer just ran away. Not quite sure what the dispute was over though. Anyways, a bit later, the customer comes back in to antogonize the chef, and the chef jumps over the counter and slaps him across the face! then some people broke up the fight, but hey, at least we got to see some action!

The next show, was sadly the last show of the tour. It was great to be back in Manchester, we all woke up, and walked down to try and find the city center, because Dia really wanted to do some shopping. We all got split up, and gabe decided it was too far to keep going, so Meg and I kept the journey going, while Mike, Nick (meg and dia drummer) and Ryan, went another way. Meg and I finally found it, and couldnt believe how big the Manchester mall was. We tried to meet up with everyone else, but couldnt find anyone. Finally we made our way back, and missed load in, making everyone else quite upset haha. oh well.

Then, later the day, one of the funniest things in my life happened. So Gabe was taking us to do a meet and greet, and it was in a stairwell. As we were waiting for Gabe to bring fans down...Mike thought it would be funny, if we hid in the bathrooms and jumped out to surprise them. So Mike and Chris go in the guys bathroom, and Me and Ryan go in the girls bathroom. Which we could't believe how clean and how lovely it smelled in there! Anyways, Mike yells through the vent that they were coming, so Ryan jumps out of the girls bathroom....as he yelled suprrise and jumped, we realized, it wasnt the fans, but two random girls who had the most terrifed looks on their faces! We couldnt stop laughing. I just can't even imagine what went through those girls minds, when some random guy jumps out of the bathroom and yells surprise hahaha.

Well the show was so much fun that, though everyone was quite sad. It was really nice when everyone on the tour came on stage during our cover of "Shut up and let me go". I'm really going to miss everyone. This was one of the most fun tours ever, and I dont think we've ever connected with a band as much as we did with the Meg and Dias.

Well the rest of the nite was spent at a bar down the street, and everyone saying good byes. We made it to the airport, and off we went back home.

Now, enjoy some pics....also some more to come in the next couple days!

love
ricky


City center in Amsterdam

Canals in Amsterdam

our sold out show in Amsterdam!

The Amsterdam letters

Cafe in Brussels

Chris on the Ferry

I dont know what Chris is doing

Chris at the show in London

Chris reeanacting the poster

Playing around and doing Chris' hair

Brussels


gabe bowling in Berlin

Dia and Gabe

Ryan and Gabe arguing

Glasgow

Inside the Bavarian statues Head!!!

Bar in London! Thats libby in the center, our merch girl!

Meg and Dias and Melee outside in london

Me and Chris in Brussels

Vienna


me and Tony staring contest

Okotber fest

me hangin out in Holland

Libby taking care of me at Okotberfest hah

London show

bowling in berlin

ryan and chris playing video games on the ferry

Ryan and Mike twins

Me, Meg and Gabe, sea sick on the ferry


Meg and Dias, and Melee at a bar in london

Tony on the Ferry

Tony at oktober fest



Dias Bday

Me, Gabe and Meg backstage in Vienna

Me and Carlo (guitarist for Meg and Dia)

me and gabe at Oktober fest

Me and Ryan...loooove!

Me and Tony eating in reallky tiny chairs at our hotel in Amsterdam

the view of Oktober fest from the statue

Ryan and Tony in a beer house at Oktoberfest

Tony pushing Ryan off the ferry

Ryan and Gabe...looove!

Sharing a donut

Our broken bus window!

Tony and Ryan...looovve!

The last show group shout!


zurich!

Its too late to apologize

Well, I suppose I brought this upon myself. I know its been a very long time since my last update..and after numerous people coming up to me and shows on this tour and emails asking me to update, I still never found the time, or mood for it. Also the more time that went by the more it seemed like any overwhelming task to catch up! Aaahhhh im a mess I know, but we all have our moments... So here is the update!!

So let me explain, this tour has been a bit different than others in the past, we're on a bus so we don't really get Internet as frequently as we would doing a van/hotel style tour. Also many venues did not have Internet, and, considering all that and being exhausted, it just never happened. But I do deeply apologize!

I will try to sum up the tour to the best of my capability!

We flew into Zurich Switzerland a couple weeks ago...got to our hotel really early, before check in, so we walked around for awhile. Zurich is absolutely beautiful, definitely reminded me of fantasy land/small world at Disneyland haha. We tried our best to beat jet lag, and made it any easy day. The day after Meg and Dia and band, flew in. It was great seeing them again after so long!

They're all great amazing people and we all go way back, so it was great to be in another part of the world playing music together. We all hung out that nite and went out in the town.

The next day was our first show of the tour. The venue was really cool, and the people were great. Although I had some technical difficulties, it was a great start to the tour.

The next show was Vienna Austria, which we were all looking very forward to since the last time we were there. The whole time I preached to everyone about how gooood the ice cream is. The show again was really goood, and there was a club dance party that we all enjoyed after the set. After that i finally got my chance to get some ice cream. So me, Meg and Dia, walked quite on on distance to find any open ice cream shop, and did at last! So so gooood. I miss it already haha.

The next few shows were spent in Germany. Which were all very fun, and we were excited bout being in Germany for Oktoberfest. We got a chance to go when we were in Munich. It was definitely amazing, and on much more of a grand scale than we could have ever imagined! After enjoying lots of bratwurst and beer, we went to the Bavaria statue, and actually got a chance to climb up inside it and got a great view of Oktoberfest from the top.

During the Germany stops on the tour everyone got sick. It was like a crazy outbreak! Once one person got sick we all got sick!

After the Germany run, we had a day off in Amsterdam! We spent the first part of the day doing laundry...and then me and Ryan, sat outside our hotel for 4 hours, relaxing, catching up and talking about life, and Gabe joined us as well. After that we went to the city center, enjoyed an amazing dinner, went to some bars, and later me Ryan and Gabe met with some friends of mine and nite caped at a bar.

The next day everyone kinda split up, some went to a museum some slept, some, like me, walked around town for a couple hours! I find its always nice to have some time to myself to reflect and mentally cleanse. The show that nite was amazing and completely sold out! Definitely one of the highlights of the tour. We all hung out running around the city and partying till late, enjoying every last drop of Amsterdam before we had to go

The next day was Brussels. I woke up late on the bus, and Mike was the only one still around. So we waked around the old center city. We found a really nice french bistro and had ourselves a little "date" haha. Complete with our own private accordion player serenading our meal haha. The show that nite was really fun, and afterwards we went out into the city, this time free from being mugged, and got some waffles and Belgian fries!! Which we learned, french fries are actually from Belgium but the french stole it from the Belgians!!!

The next show was in Nijmegen, back in Holland! It started with a day off, and Melee, and the Meg and Dias, all had a family dinner in the hotel dining room, treating ourselves to Dominos haha. After that, Me, Gabe, Nick and Jon from Meg and Dia, went walking into the city to explore. We hung out at some bars for awhile, and found the city center, which was so beautiful. There was an old cathedral that was all lit up on the tower, it was one of the most amazing sights I'd ever seen. It turned out to be another relaxing evening. When we made it back to the hotel, we went through a side entrance, and some how all got locked in the stairwell. We were stuck there for an hour or so, despretaly trying to get intouch with someone to come save us haha. Finally Chris and Ryan came and we were freeeee!

The day of the show it was pouring rain, and we got to hang out in a big backstage. Fortunately it was one of the few days that there was wireless backstage, so it was very quiet, no one talking to one another, just absorbed in the Internet haha. The show was awesome, and went to France to head to the Ferry to to go the UK. At about 4 am we all got woken up to the sound of a bashing noise! Someone had broke our bus window with crowbar, because our driver had found French immigrants hiding in our trailer to so they could get smuggled into the uk! When we kicked them off one of them came and smashed our window! After dealing with the cops and settling down, we made it to the Ferry.

None of us were expecting the ferry to be so big! it was a big mall, and lots to do. Sadly, we all got sea sick, especially Me, Meg and Gabe. We spent the majority of the trip with the three of our heads face down sharing a table!

We got in to London early, and enjoyed a nice day off. We walked around, and went to dinner for Dia's bday and a nice Italian restaurant. After that we all went out for drinks to keep the celebration going. The London show was alot of fun, and after wards the BEST moment of my life happened. Me, Mike and Chris went out to a bar with our booking agent. As we were actually leaving the bar, the Black Eyed Peas walked in! And if any of you know, they're one of my favorite groups, and Will.I.Am is a big inspiration to me! Luckily, one of my friends I was with, knew one of their friends, so I was able to be introduced. Definitely an amazing amazing nite. Minus the part when I almost got hit by a bus though with my friend walking back haha. Meanwhile, Lights and Sounds, the band that is opening up for the UK dates, and the rest of Melee and the Meg and Dias, went out to Lester square, where I was told by Gabe they asked someone if they could drink in public. Gabe was the only one who threw out his drink, but a cop came up and gave everyone else tix! The odd part was, after that, the cop was still nice enough to guide them to a bar. Which Anthony described as really ghetto, and Gabe claims that they ruled the bar, and Gabe tore up the dance floor haha.

And last nite, was the Sheffield show! It was a much more cooler city than I had imagined it would be. I spent the day walking around with Gabe, searching for a Topman store. But after a couple hours we never found it! The show was alot of fun, and again, it was followed by a dance party in the venue. We all hung out late, and somehow, I ended up at Spearmint Rhino, with some random person I met on the street. I have no clue how that happened. Anyways haha... I woke up this morning feeling a little sick, so I decided to sleep in, while everyone else went to explore Glassgow.

And this brings us up to date, sitting back stage, waiting to play!

Pics coming very soon!!!!

peace and love!
Ricky