Melbourne surf punks, Money For Rope, recently embarked on an adventurous tour through India and Europe. In the band’s own words: “Tight budget’ is the modest way to describe the experience”, sleeping in a van and relying on good samaritans hospitality at every stop. A no-strings approach, which obviously leads to some interesting experiences, documented in the photo gallery above.
Ahead of the release of their second album later this year, the band have just headed back to Europe — this time as part of the slightly more comfortable festival circuit, as well as a handful of club dates throughout the UK. Check their Facebook page for more details.
This was taken in Calcutta, before our first gig of the Tour. It was probably the craziest show we played. At one stage Jules threw his guitar into what we found out later to be a bunch of 15 year old locals. A perfect/deadly mixture of Alcohol, jet lag and nerves. PS: The glasses fell off almost immediately.
A busy road in Mumbai. There is no limits on the innovative ways locals get things around. This elderly lady walked in front of us for about three kilometres with this huge stack of cans balanced on her head.
After driving for 12 hours we tend to go a bit insane.
“Hey man wanna move we are trying to dance.”
One of the many lovely people who let us sleep on their floor, Felix was an IT student and true German philosopher. We ended up discussing politics all night while smoking through a hookah.
One of the best part of being involved with a small town German label [Haldern Pop Records] is the food. It was one of the few shows we didn’t get topless because we all ate too much before the gig.
After a foggy morning we drove from Milan to Fribourg, Switzerland via the Alps. The view was one of the most mind-blowing things any of us had ever experienced.
This photo was taken in one of the more shady parts of Vienna. Since most of the doors in our van didn’t lock properly we had to run back to it after our show to make sure nothing was stolen. Brendan and Erik putting their tough guy faces on.
Awesome Family letting us stay in their farmhouse in Nijmegen. Olaf fixed our drum kit in his shed. We actually don’t know what we would have done without this kind of generosity through the entirety of the tour.
‘I only eat what I catch.’ – Julian McKenzie in Zurich.
We had a 12-volt kettle in the van so we could eat Ramen in transit. To our dismay an unholy amount of blown fuses meant we saved neither money nor time.
Back stage basketball.
We bought a whole pallet of fresh mandarins in Italy for maybe $2 AUS. The vitamin C was perfect for hangovers. Also covered up the smell of farts with a nice citrus scent.
Our last show with Courtney Barnett. They told us not to run on stage for the last song in our underwear. We ran on stage during the last song in our underwear.
An overdue load of washing drying on the main stage at Fri-son in Fribourg. So nice of the staff to let us use their facilities. I think Metallica played on there one time.
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to stay warm in Berlin – even if it makes you look like a burglar from the 90s.
Looking out at Brussels from backstage at the Ancienne Belgique.
Rugged up Erik and Rick getting some shuteye during a long drive in our poorly insulated van. The floor was a much coveted sleeping area to stretch out. Protip: Beanies make excellent eye covers.
Walking through Fribourg old town after one of our favourite shows at the Fri-son in Switzerland. We slept on the floor of some college students that lived in a 200 year old flat nearby.
Enjoying some mulled wine at the ‘Kristkindl Markt’ in Munich. I think it was about -3 celsius.
Cross-dressing in a friend’s apartment in Rennes, France. Sometimes the tour lifestyle takes its toll…
Before our last show with Courtney in Lyon. Thanks for putting up with us!
Staying in another generous soul’s house in Essex. Here’s Erik going through a huge vinyl collection full of vintage House-music classics
Our last show of the tour in England at Koko. Chris threw his Kazoo into the crowd after a gut-busting solo.
