JUNE 23 - Manchester, UK- Apollo |
I met not one, but two Spuds with DEVO tattoos at the Manchester show...and another bunch of Devotees with custom made gear. A young girl named Jasmine stood out above the rest, and even presented DEVO with her fantastic drawing of the band. Read more about her after clicking on the photos to the right.
The backstage area was small and cramped, and I was unable to get many fans access to the band after the show. We tried to get the band to meet folks outside after the show, but the rain didn't help matters. Luckily, Bob1 braved the weather to meet a few spuds.
Sezrah and I weren't able to get a ride to the after party, unfortunately, so I have no photos or info from that event. It was a very sad time as we sat at the venue for hours after the show waiting for the band's equipment to be packed up. |
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JUNE 24 - Glasgow, Scotland - Carling Academy |
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If I remember correctly, it was "pissin' down rain" (as Sezrah said) in Glasgow, so we didn't get to see much of the city. However, we did meet many-a-devotee, including another spud with a brand new DEVO tattoo.
Great show! Packed from wall-to-wall. It was so crowded that I couldn't move around the venue very much during the gig to take photos.
Lots of drinkin' going on in Glasgow!...and chants of "DE-VO...DE-VO" rang out all through the night. |
JUNE 26 - London, UK - Shepherd's Bush Empire |
This was probably the most anticipated show on the tour for me, as I'd planned to meet many DEVO fans here for the first time.
The location of the venue was superb. A short walk from our hotel, and right next to a great pub/restaurant...which made it quite easy to chat with friends before the show. Special thanks to Jamie & Kerstin who brought me gifts from Germany (including a rare DEVO item from Australia).
I must apologize to anyone who wasn't able to get backstage after the gig! The venue's backstage area was too small for any visitors, and my post-show duties (packing up wardrobe & merch) left me little time to attend to fans. We had to fly to Italy the next morning, and the band & crew were in a hurry to get back to the hotel.
The highlight of my night was meeting the legendary Soo Catwoman and her daughter after the show. |
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JUNE 29 - Bergamo, Italy - Lazzaretto |
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The venue for the Bergamo show is a beautiful old outdoor amphitheater in the round, and has a very interesting past. Lazzaretto was home to a leper colony some 300 years ago! The promoter told us "Don't worry, it was a long time ago, and there is no leprosy here now.". Whew.
We met so many nice folks in Bergamo...and the number spuds wearing custom DEVO gear was astounding.
I met a group of spuds who make DEVO inspired music under the name Montefano Smart Patrol, who all wore these custom T-shirts to the show.
Marc Friedman, Devotee extraordinaire, hosted a DEVO after party at a local restaurant/bar (great food!). Nearly the entire band showed up, minus Josh, and everyone had a great time. Thanks, Marc!
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JUNE 30 -
Azzano Decimo, Italy - Fiera Della Musica
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The Fiera Della Musica was another great show in Italy, and a very positive end to my trip to Europe with DEVO.
To my delight, there was a huge record/CD convention going on in the same venue. I found a few Italian Import DEVO records for the archives.
More spuds in custom gear were in attendance, and I especially remember a group of spuds, all in DEVO costumes with custom-made domes. They each held up huge "D-E-V-O" letters during the show.
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I had a great time during DEVO's 2007 tour of Europe, and owe many thanks to some very kind people who helped me along the way:
Lee Wilkinson (click here to see all of Lee's 2007 tour pics!), Jane Stucky, Sezrah Shockwave, Paul Conlon, Jon & Rhiannan Kay, Jamie & Kerstin from Berlin, and The Badger in Birmingham.
Let's hope DEVO returns to Europe soon, spuds!
-Michael Pilmer
Webmaster & Archivist for Devo, Inc.
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