Good Trip, Bad Trip: The Boxer Rebellion

Deeply independent rockers discuss touring tales...

The Boxer Rebellion have always done things their own way.

Recently toasting fifteen years of independence, the band will release fifth album 'Ocean By Ocean' this Friday (April 29th).

The release will coincide with a typically lung-bursting batch of tour dates, culminating later this year with a show at London venue Shepherds Bush Empire.

Ahead of this, Clash invited Nathan Nicholson to reveal some touring tales in Good Trip, Bad Trip.

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Best Trip…
At the end of 2009 we played Australia. For some reason we only played about five shows over three weeks and for the most part the rest of that visit was a holiday. It was a few months before we recorded our third album ‘The Cold Still’ so we did manage to write a little, but I probably spent more time drinking beer and playing lawn bowls.

Worst Trip…
We’ve had a few journeys that were only memorable because they were excessively long, crammed inside a van. On one of our first US tours we turned onto a motorway in Minnesota to find our next satnav direction was to turn right in 949 miles. That was a long day.

Our favourite foreign venue…
The Paradiso in Amsterdam is always pretty amazing to play. It’s an old church and is one of those venues where you feel surrounded by people. We’ve seen gigs there, supported people there and have played a few of our own shows there. It’s a special place for us.

We’re surprisingly popular in…
The Netherlands. We’ve always done well there, but our song ‘Diamonds’ from our last album became a pretty big hit. It’s a great country to tour in, too – the venues are always well-funded and immaculate and the cities always seem quite cool.

Best or worst exotic foodstuff…
Eating in Japan is a great experience. We’re lucky enough to get carted around by promoters, so they take us to their favourite spots. It’s also cool to play in places like Greece or Turkey. It’s food I don’t have very often so it’s a nice to change things up on a gig day. When we’re in the States I just revert back to my old American ways and eat loads and loads of sugary garbage. I love it, but I’ve been known to develop an extra chin after a few weeks.

Most interesting individual you've met on the road…
We met a guy once in Western Australia who had his own bus, completely wrapped with his face and name all over it. He was a musician who was constantly on tour – meaning the bus was his home. Inside he had a little studio and in fairly creepy fashion was accompanied by a few women that were his wives. It was a weird set up, but interesting nonetheless.

Worst on-tour injury, or infection, or accident…
Luckily we’ve always ended tours relatively unscathed. At the beginning of our last tour in Madrid, I jumped off stage and my elbow landed on someone’s shoulder, prompting the mic to hit me in the mouth knocking out a tooth. I looked fairly hardcore for a day or so.

My essential travel item…
I’ve had asthma since I was five, so an inhaler is pretty important. Real rock stars have crack pipes, needles or snuff boxes – I carry around a light blue plastic puffer from Boots.

My essential travel tip…
If you’re travelling with more than one guitar, wrap two together so it’s only one item at check-in. Excess luggage is a bitch. I also try and wear Vans or some slip-on variant, in case I have to take off my shoes at airport security. If you’re just on a bus or in a van stay organised. It’s a pain in the ass sifting around a coffin-sized bunk for a pair of pants or a phone charger.

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'Ocean By Ocean' will be released on April 29th. The Boxer Rebellion will play the following shows:

April
29 Glasgow Stereo

May
1 Manchester Deaf Institute
3 London OSLO (SOLD OUT)
4 Bristol Exchange
5 Birmingham Hare & Hounds

December
7 London Shepherds Bush Empire

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