Posted: 13/12/11 00:00 GMT
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/taylor-hanson/hanson-tour-diary-blog_b_1135262.html#s530355
Part 1
In the last 14 years we have traveled from Manila to Anaheim, from
Santiago to Amsterdam, all the while seeing places both grand and humble
along the way - in almost 40 countries, if you're counting. This year
we were determined to revisit and grow that list as we supported our
latest release Shout It Out. As the year comes to a close, with
tours on three continents I'd say we've made strides on our travel
agenda, earning a fair amount of miles along the way.
It feels like we haven't stopped moving since we earned our first
world touring badge 14 years ago with our debut major label album Middle Of Nowhere
in 1997. I guess it feels that way because it's true - we have never
stopped. Since 2003 we've embarked on another kind of journey too -
running our own label 3CG Records and releasing our own albums around
the world, while navigating the close relationship with fans, business
and art all meshed together.
Among our many quests, with five albums now under our belt (three of
them on our own label), quite a few chart topping singles and albums and
a somehow ever-engaged passion from fans around the world, I would say
I'm happy to claim the bruises with the accolades. Mounting a world tour
to return to many international markets for the first time in several
years brings with it a bit of both.
The Shout It Out World Tour has taken us across Latin
America, Europe and the UK over the last couple of months. In an attempt
to share an inside look, I thought I would highlight one of the most
epic days on the tour, taking us from the mountainous region of
Santiago, Chile, to Stuttgart, Germany to start the European leg of the
tour...
It's after 11pm, and we have just finished our second to last concert
on the South American continent, with a show in the dusty valley of
Santiago, Chile. Since we started the international shows on the Shout It Out
World Tour we have made it through Brazil and Argentina which were both
amazing, with a fantastic response from the fans following a six year
touring hiatus in the region.
Following the Chilean concert we had to be ready to move quickly in
order to catch a late flight overnight heading north to Mexico City,
where we would conclude our Latin American tour. Without time to waste,
we walked off stage and quickly packed our bags to make it to the
airport for the first leg of the longest 48 hours of the tour. With
everything collected, we made a short stop outside to say thanks to the
gathering of fans waiting by the backstage gates. We squeezed in a blitz
of autographs and pictures, and then hustled to get everyone in our
crew loaded for departure.
For reasons too many to recount, it has been almost six years since
our last concerts in most of Latin America, but in Chile it had been a
decade since our last visit during the promotion of our second album,
which made the amazing response from so many local fans that much more
incredible. As we arrived at the airport we were greeted again by a now
familiar gathering of dozens of traveling fans who's fervour and genuine
excitement was very welcome, but at times highly complicated to
navigate for our motley crew of travelers. With a wave to the crowd as
we headed through the security check we were once again in the strange
territory between one stop and the next.
It's 1:45am and we're all boarded on the redeye flight, our whole
party instantly collapsing into their respective rows. Next stop,
Panama. A quick six hours later, we greeted the breaking sun through low
clouds and a soft blue bay checkered with countless freight ships
across the horizon like toy boats in a large bathing pool. We arrived on
Panama's runway, all of us having made good use of the nighttime hours
(however insufficient any overnight plane sleep is). Our time in Panama
was quick, just a connecting stop. In order to get to our final location
of the night/day we had to catch another flight, to Mexico City. The
sun was finally up but our day was just beginning, with a busy day of PR
for the digital release of the new album Shout It Out, and a concert
the same night.
For us the day before never really ended, but that was not going to
stop the next day from getting started on another long day at the
circus.
TH
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