Burton's Tour Diary

February 4th, 2004 - Perth Australia

"Through the early morning light I see....'
The journey was long. It was also crowded. Each flight we had to Seoul, South Korea was full. The layover in Narita was uneventful. After a 10 hour flight from Melbourne, via Sydney to Narita to Incheon, we were not that exhausted to check out the wonderful city of Seoul.
i am surprised none of us got sick, because we went from summer to winter in18 hours! it was about 2 degrees celsius, which in fahrenheit equates to fuckin' cold.
The people that we met were very nice and accommodating, and gave us a mini tour of the "hot" district called Rodeo...it neither reminded me of texas, or that wretched avenue in beverly hills, but it was cool! small streets with vendors in every window. shoe stores were like starbucks...you can't go 20 yards without seeing one.
our guide Jay, a korean who was from seattle, and san francisco, was/is part owner of a night club. it was too early the club was not even opened. he allowed us in, and gave us beers, and set us in the VIP booth to drink. i bet this place would have been raging, if there were other people around..
after that, we were shuttled around in the van, back to the hotel.
that reminds me, the shuttle driver...he was always available. kinda like in the movies, whenever someone in NYC raises their hand to catch a taxi, one immediately stops... I think he slept in an upright position in the van, with one eye open, to capture that hollywood vibe...it was really cool!
Korn was staying in the same hotel, so we were reuniting with their crew, and running into the guys from the band in random sightings.
it was January the 29th, and this day kicked off the LIVE-WIRE music festival. we were to be the opening band, of a 3band bill, kicking off the festivities. The second act was SeoTaiJi (sorry if i misspelled your name, but you aren't reading this anyway). He was/is the hottest pop act in korea. his new album was released 2 days before the show, and in the first weekend, it sold 2 million copies!!!holy crap! he is unbelievably huge,....there. and the headlining act was Korn. we were driven to the gig early (12 pm), so that christian, raymond and john and byron could get all the gear together, since they were teching their own gear!
The venue was part of the Olympic park that was built in 1988. this place was enormous! it was to hold at least 10,000 people. the place was busy with excitement, and everyone was running around and being really cool to us. our time to go on stage was 7:30pm.
Korn arrived around 4:30 to soundcheck. i was standing in the front of the stage, so that i could hear their soundcheck. it was cool to see all of those guys at once. when Jonathan saw me, he said, "Burt! how the hell are you? Mother fucker!". We greeted each other like we were long lost pals. we were trying to figure the last time i saw all of them, and i think it was 1995, when we both opened for megadeth.................... It had been that long! Jonathan has always been a cool mother fucker to me, and it was good to see him again.
it had been along trip, and i was still a little tired, however, the anticipation to play in front of a korean crowd was keeping me energetic. the koreans were being very particular of the time. as if they were going to malfunction if the synchronicity was to falter. it was rather comical to me.
7:20 hits, and we were escorted to the stage, so that we could remain
in synchronicity with their tight program. the stage manager kept showing me his cell phone, so that i could see the time clearly. his T-minus and counting technique was also comical to me.
The lights went down, and the crowd made a noise i had not really heard before. it was very strange...like the sound of a stadium filled with screaming girls at justin timberlake concert. when the lights came on, the place WAS ALL GIRLS!!! this was not a usual fear factory gig. ( i later heard that the concert was 80% female!!)
we opened with edgecrusher, and the floor suddenly looked like a hot pot a fleshy popcorn, popping everywhere. The crowd as amazing. they were receptive to every song we played! they did not know the words, because we really are not well known in korea,but they took direction very well...they all screamed on cue.
I think we played a good show, despite the technical difficulties that raymond, christian, and byron were having. we thought "FUCK IT!!!it's only a 30 minute set, lets do do this!". with that positive attitude, we finished with a great set, and a shitload of new korean fans!!!
after our set, i was alone in the dressing room, and Jonathan walks in with his homeboy Curtis, to show his appreciation for the set we did! we talked for a little while, and he left to get ready for his gig. Did i already say that he's a cool mother fucker?....
SeoTaiJi takes the stage.....the crowd is already going dog wild, and the lights are still on. when the lights went down, it was as if someone recorded Niagara falls, and pitched it up to sound like a little girl! holy crap, i have never seen nor heard anything like this....not since McDonalds revived the McRib..... again!
i watched a few songs of the set. he definitely had the audience. he had the look, he had the hair, the sound, he had the color changing pyrotechnics... a perfect product for Korea...
apparently, the story i heard is this... about 10 years ago, he was in a "boy band" in korea. He decided to go solo, and he then became "the pioneer" of Korean Hip and/or Hop....that is what i was told ...i can't make that shit up.... after his gangsta ways, he decided to evolve, and emulate his favorite american rock band KORN....you could say he was Korn-rean.....sorry...i did make that one up.
after his show, and a few fainting girls at the barricade, Korn was finally going on!!! for their show, i walked to stand near the soundboard, because it always sounds the best there. Korn went on, and the crowd went ape all over again!
standing in the crowd, watching Korn was a very strange feeling. it was like we were still on tour together. i felt like it was 1995 again, korn was exploding on the scene. That feeling was most evident when they played BLIND....damn....i got shivers listening to that. the wash of memories flooded me, and i suddenly was watching the show the concert they played at Red Rocks, Co.. the korean auditorium disappeared, and the venue of Red Rocks appeared like an apparition before me. i specifically remember that show because it was the first time i witnessed the power of the Korn machine, and how it was to be a driving force for a genre. it was fantastic to witness. the apparition faded, but the band was still there, doing what they do best, rocking the hell out of the crowd. needless to say, i really enjoyed their set.
i made my way to the dressing room, because they were on their last song. i wanted to go, and beat the traffic to the hotel. luckily, everyone was in the dressing room ready to go. we packed up our things, and went outside the venue, to find our trusty driver at the helm, always with a sleepy smile. we wanted to get a good nights rest, to prepare for that return flight to australian summer.
we left seoul at 3pm on the 30th, we flew to Narita in 1 hour, for a 3 hour layover, then a 10 hour flight to melbourne for another 3 hour layover, and then a 4.5 hour flight to perth.
when we arrived, we rented a van at the airport, and in my sleep deprived state, was able to adapt quickly to driving on "the wrong side" of the car, and the road! the hotel was/is a treat, because it's on the beach, in scarborough, a suburb of perth. this is the very first hotel we ever stayed at, on our first tour of Oz 10 years ago! fine memories indeed....
we had a chance to attend the last show of the Big Day Out!
this time, we were not playing, and so i could relax and enjoy some shows because we still had our national laminates.
We arrived in time to see The Dandy Warhols. I went to the stage again, and watched them from the side this time, and of course, they did a great show. I spied Kirk Hammet sitting on the other side of the stage watching the show. they played their haunting version of Hells Bells by ACDC.....so genius....
after that, i just wandered around aimlessly, sometimes with byron, and just checked out all the sites. it was so packed! the largest turn out for a BDO ever in Perth, and it's all because of metallica!
Metallica was the other band that i watched, and of course, they were monstrous! they were on fire...i heard them rehearsing before their show, so they were primed and ready to go!
It was sometime during the metallica show that i realized i left the headlights in the van powered up. i had a sinking feeling the battery was dead, and it was..... luckily, it was no problem to find some jumper lead cables to restart that tin can.
Christian and I went to the after party at the other hotel, where most of the bands on the BDO were staying. I remember this place, because this was the last hotel we stayed at on the BDO in1997. That bar held fond memories of hanging out with Kim Thayil at the bar, and sitting in the middle of the room, sharing a smoke with Chris Cornell( a high point in my life...no pun intended).
This years party was much larger, and everyone was more drunk i suspect. for awhile,we were hanging out with the local band Karnavool. Then we caught up with Cedric from The Mars Volta, and his buddies rolled one of the meanest joints i ever smoked....it's all about the killer kind in perth....then Ed ( The Darkness )and I spotted each other, and we hung out with each other in our drunken stupors, enjoying the scenery, and talking about music and life and what not...he is really a cool mother fucker, too!!!
some time in the evening, i was watching the dance floor, just chilling against a wall, when some drunken moron walked by....he happened to look my way when a sudden splash of projectile vomit pelted my chest!!! aaaaghfuck! i grabbed the guy, and shook him. i then pushed him to the bathroom, and directed him to a stall so that he could finish properly ...i was at a sink, washing myself, and my shirt....what a drag....he came to the sink next to me, to wash himself ...i said, "that was really uncool, man!". he was very apologetic, and asked me if i needed anything ...i said, "a double vodka on the rocks". he began to whine and whimper, so i told him to forget about it and get out of my face. he left. only to return with a drink that looked as though he stole it from the top of a cigarette machine....what an ass...
Ed and I ended up hanging out with Courtney from The Dandy Warhols. We were all wasted, and sharing good tour stories and just learning more about the people we just traveled with for almost 2 weeks...you do that when you are really drunk....it was cool to hang with those guys until 6am!!!! the sunrise was too damn bright when christian and i finally left...what a great time! what a great tour, what great people...
i fucking love rock and roll....
bcb

January 27th, 2004 - Melbourne Australia

Aussie, aussie, aussie!
OI, OI, OI!!!
The Big Day Out in Melbourne had the biggest turn-out on record. The grounds were teaming with people, like army ants en masse. It was really something to see. We went onstage at 12:00pm (not very rock and roll) to see that the entire ground was full. I was told later by an administrator of the BDO that they have never had this many people show up this early to see a band!
It was Australia Day, a national holiday where everything was closed, even Starbucks was closed! Apparently, word got out from Sydney that we were the special, mystery guest, and the fans showed up to pay respect to FF. It was really amazing to see the fans again! The set list was the same as the first Sydney show, and despite the early slot, we had a really great time. The crowd was very receptive, and was singing along to the all the lyrics! There was a guy against the barricade, holding up a huge banner of the Aussie flag, with Fear Factory spray painted on it. I saw another guy crowd surfing, and as he was helped over the barricade by security, he had the largest Demanufacture tattoo I had ever seen!!! It looked fucking amazing! It took up his entire back! Christian and I looked at each other at the same time, with the look of disbelief on our faces.
The set is getting tighter, with every gig that we play. Byron is getting his groove on with the music, and he seems more and more comfortable with each passing show. We have been having so much fun playing live!
Our set was over at 12:40pm. The Darkness went on stage after us, on the opposite stage. I went to the dressing room to change, and get my drink on, and headed back to see The Darkness. I watched them from the side of the stage for awhile, and I had a good time listening to them. They are definitely archetypal of the music that they are influenced by, and they pull it off really well. How does Justin sing like that? It's really amazing to hear him sing, and I heard him sing one of the best lines in a rock song that has possibly ever been written, "get your hands off my woman, mother fucker!"...awesome!
it reminds me of Bad Company song when Paul sings, "baby, let me ease your worried mind." I don't know where that comparison comes from, but that is how my mind works. Anyway, I thought The Darkness were fun to watch and to listen to!
I had the opportunity to wander about the grounds of the BDO, and check our some other bands again.
I had heard much about the band BLOOD DUSTER, who are from Australia, and so I wandered to their stage. The place was incredibly packed, and it was difficult to get through, but I persevered, and had finally saw what the deal was. They are quite sick, and fucking heavy. All of their songs seem to be about 1minute long. They have killer riffs, and sick vocals, and when you're ready for more, the song is over. I met Matt from Blood Duster, and he is one cool mother fucker.
I watched The Dandy Warhols play their set, as I sat on the side of the stage for this one. They change their set for every show, to keep it interesting I suspect, and today, they played their version of HELL's BELLS. I love this version because it is such a great rendition. It reminds me of Love and Rockets, and that is killer. I was already buzzed, and that song really puts me in a mood. Their entire set was killer, and it was great to see them once again.
I then embarked for the treacherous journey to the green stage to watch THE MARS VOLTA. Holy shit, the grounds were packed, and I finally made it to that stage. I watched out front, and damn! Those guys are awesome, and really tight. The music is very progressive. I had not heard the album yet, but I have to get it, because they put on one hell of a show. I can see what the big deal with that band is. After they were done, I walked to my dressing room backstage, and they had a van ride. Today, our dressing rooms were together, so I had a chance to hang out with those cool guys.

That is the best part of playing this festival, I get to be a music fan, and meet the bands that I like to listen to, and would like to know. The best way to get backstage is to be in a band playing on the BDO!!
I went to a tent called The Boiler Room to check out The Aphex Twin. The tent was packed with people, and there were video screens so that you could see what was happening on the stage. The music was pumping, and the bass was making my intestines tremble. The sound was really good, but, ....i have to say, I was not on the proper stimuli to enjoy the set because it was not very fun to watch a couple of guys on a stage tinkering with laptops. C'est la vie,...i left to go watch Metallica again.
Of course, they were awesome. I watched from the front, standing next to this bungee ride. The sun was setting, people were screaming from the force of the g's they were pulling. During SAD BUT TRUE, the sun hit the clouds with a blood red effect. It was as if I was in a movie. When the song was done, the sky went black....they must be in cahoots with mother nature...
Backstage, I ran into Lisa (I can't spell her last name) who sings for one of my favorite LA bands THE BELL RAYS. I said, "what the hell are you doing here?, she replied, "what the hell are you doing here!"
She is on tour with the band BASEMENT JAXX, because she sings on a couple of songs on their new album, and is in the video. She is so awesome!! The Bell Rays RULE!!!!
Christian and Byron and I met after the Metallica show, to get a ride back to the Hotel. There was an aftershow party that we wanted to go to, and so, off we went.
Like usual, we were the first to show up, I always arrive too early, but fuck it, because the drinks were free, and there was no waiting! We perched ourselves in the best spot, and watched the entire BDO crew walk through the doors. OH, that was a good party! Every band was there, even Metallica!!!! I got to chat some drunken words to just about everyone! From Sleepy Jackson, to THE KINGS OF LEON, and the STROKES!! I even had a glass of champagne with Kirk Hammet. I know I sound like a freak, but I like all sorts of genres in music, and there were a lot of killer bands on this tour. There is really no comparing the BDO, to any festival in the world. Not only can you play in AUSTRALIA, you can see some really cool bands, and for me, I can be a fan as well!

Next report is from SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, where the Korn shows begin.
...nothing else matters...
bcb