The Longest Shortest Tour

I’m usually keen to write up a really long and detailed post for days like this, but I almost have no words. Hey Geronimo decided to play ten shows in one day all across Sydney, taking some of their biggest fans on the tour bus. It couldn’t have gotten any more wicked, and Nick and I were a couple of the lucky people on the bus.

It was a lot of fun, as we met at the bus bay at Central train station and were gifted with VIP passes and shirt swag. We met Danaj – long time fans know him as not only Hey Geronimo’s often-photographer, but a guy with a huge personality who made an appearance on their first edition of shirts and rapping in their live shows in 2012. He definitely kept us entertained throughout the day, speaking into a giant megaphone-like cone to let us know what was happening at each venue shortly before we arrived, and letting us know when to leave. He also danced periodically.

We were welcomed with party whistles and bags of candy when we got on the bus, then we went to the first – technically second, as the band made a brief appearance at a festival earlier – venue, and waited for the band to arrive. Danaj told us to ‘G-up’ – a phrase that makes me laugh every time it is used – and go crazy we all did, welcoming the boys to Petersham Bowls Club, where they started off with Millions of Miles and Lazer Gun Show.

The band setting up at Petersham Bowls Club
Drummer Tony in focus.
Bingers grinning as he holds his guitar.
Cheeky smile from Bingers.
Pluto playing the keyboard.
Welcome Pluto Jonze. Rockstar.

Hey Geronimo welcomed keyboardist and solo artist Pluto Jonze to the fold on this tour, while original keyboardist Andrew Stone joined the bus somewhere along the way. Each venue was a bit of a surprise for us in terms of music, and it was a bit of a surprise for most pub-goers who were present, too, wondering what thirty people wearing the same shirt were doing just randomly flooding into a pub.

Pete holding onto the microphone.
Pete singing.
Some of the band in view.
A bit of a group shot.
Bingers singing enthusiastically with mouth open wide.
Bingers sings enthusiastically.
A low angle of the band playing.
A low angle of the band playing.
The band setting up in a dark basement in Chippendale Hotel.
A dark basement in Chippendale Hotel.
Pete singing into the microphone.
This was the only good shot I could get in such a dark room!

Perhaps the funniest was Red Eye Records, a record store, where really puzzled customers wondered why a band was setting up shop… in a shop. Some guy asked, ‘Is this like a pub crawl or something?’ At least he somewhat got the idea… somewhat. Hey Geronimo chose to play their mellower tunes, such as Bermuda and Garble Arch – I recognise the latter as a recycled old track, purely beautiful though – before rolling into Ross’s old favourite Trim Your Wings. I question why that didn’t make the upcoming album, but he’s a wild singer indeed and I missed that song terribly. It was good to hear.

Ross fiddling with the guitar pedals.
One of these kinds of shots is always necessary, too.
Tony sitting relaxed as the band sets up.
Tony is ready to play.
The band standing with Bingers out of frame.
Danaj got a good vantage point, I think.
Close up of Pete singing.
Close up of Pete.
Bingers in front of the rack of shirts for sale in the record store.
Bingers! Bingers!
Low angle shot of Pete.
Low angle shot of Pete.

Other venues called for renditions of Finale (a song about dying in a nightclub fire!) and Dreamboat Jack, another old favourite. Their new song Boredom proved to be popular, though several were missing from any of the sets, namely One Way Driver and Co-op Bookshop. Ah, it was too bad – the latter had been a good favourite of mine. I asked Pete to play Buddy Holly by Weezer, as I had seen them cover the song wonderfully in Bondi a couple of years back, but they hadn’t given that any practice. Lucky for us, the band absolutely tore the house, The Bald Faced Stag pub that is, down with Burning Down The House, a Talking Heads cover. They have always performed that brilliantly.

We didn’t get sick of India at all, what with the band playing it at every venue. We were wanting more! They were hoping to get a music video out of it, as the two-person view crew took turns to record almost every minute of the day, manic dancing and tour-bus-cheering included. If there are any regrets there, I do wish I had danced more.

Ross rocking out on the guitar.
Ross rocking out.
Bingers playing guitar.
Bingers playing guitar.
Pete singing.
Pete’s vocals are infectious.
Ross playing a guitar riff.
Another one of Ross playing some funky riff.
Hey Geronimo at The Bald Faced Stag pub.
Hey Geronimo at The Bald Faced Stag.
Tony wearing sunglasses as he plays the drums.
So hip!
Pluto playing the keyboard.
Pluto on the keys.

I screamed and sang so much that I lost my voice by the end of the day, but it felt glorious. The day seemed much longer than it actually was. Only a few of us trekked on to the tenth venue, which was a way away by ferry. Many of us decided to go home because we lived hours away, were dead tired, or, like me – despite having driven all the way to Wollongong to see the band once, was pretty satisfied with racking up the total times I had seen the band live to a ridiculous 29.

And so, although the world record for the most number of shows in 24 hours sits at a whopping 63, we’re fairly certain that Hey Geronimo has been the first band to take their fans on a tour bus, travel to a city (Sydney) outside the city that the band was born (Brisbane, y’know), and play ten crazy shows to celebrate the upcoming release of their much anticipated debut album, Crashing Into The Sun… out on 20th May. Preorder the damn thing because it is going to be amazing.

More photos

Bingers playing the bass guitar.
Bingers playing the bass like a boss.
Ross Pearson plays lead guitar
Ross playing guitar, hiding that Ladies restroom sign awkwardly near the stage.
Pluto Jonze at the microphone.
Newtown Hotel, next stop.
Pete playing guitar.
Pete playing guitar.
Another shot of the band.
Another shot of the band.
Bingers playing the bass with a couple of the other members in the background.
Another shot of Bingers.
Pete and Ross next to each other playing guitars.
Pete and Ross
Tony concentrating on playing the drums.
Tony concentrating on the drums.
Ross playing guitar and singing.
Ross is the star of ‘Trim Your Wings’.
Another action shot of Pete and Ross.
Another action shot of Pete and Ross.
Pete singing.
Pete doing what he does best.
A shot of the whole band by the front glass doors of the pub.
Another shot of the band in action.

Comments on this post

Look ‘ere what I found: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SqUw5TqVIg
Haha :D I couldn’t find you on it though! Some scenes flashed too fast. It’s only a teaser though :)

I just went and looked them up finally. It’s not really my kind of music, but I love that you love them so much :D 29 times… crazy! And I think it’s big when I’ve seen someone 4 times LOL. And your photos are awesome as always. Sounded like an epic day :D

Yeah haha, you see Nick for like ‘0.5s’ (as he claims) – if you go to 0:14 you can see me in the dark, I’m wearing their white shirt with the soup can rather than the shirts we were given. :P

AHHH yes there you are!!! :D that’s super cool haha.

It looks like you had a lot of good fun!! ^^