Fire Rooster Reflections
So, that’s that then. Another year, another tour. Thirty or so days spent spreading the PlanB gospel amid the other-worldly chaos of Vietnam, Cambodia and, for the first time, Mongolia.
Leaving the cold winter behind, the boys blazed a brassy trail through those three exotic lands, playing 18 unforgettable shows along the way. From the Yoko Bar in steamy Ho Chi Minh City to the Jazz Club in Ulaanbataar, PlanB provided audiences with a host of marvellous musical memories.
Tour highlights included playing to packed houses at Acoustic in HCMC and Sharky Bar in Phnom Penh, undertaking a three-night residency at Ulaanbaatar’s Hard Rock Café, and a wonderful evening shared by all at the Lotus Children’s Centre. It was also a joy for the band to reacquaint themselves with Joe and his troops out at Joe’s Café in the fabulous beachside town of Mũi Né. Lifting the virtual roof off the UB Jazz Club on the last night of the tour was another magic moment. Not to mention the warm weather, terrific people, and great food & drink…
Being a tourist while on tour can be difficult, given the day-to-day workload that goes with being in a band. However, the boys did well both collectively and individually, spending an afternoon at the beach in Vũng Tàu, sleeping in Mongolian gers, experiencing the harrowing
claustrophobia of the Cu Chi tunnels, watching the sports at the Naadam Festival, eating the delicious street food, marvelling at the world’s tallest indoor statue, visiting the sobering remembrances to the Vietnam and Cambodian conflicts - band members managed to take in
all of these things and a whole lot more.
Despite the odd bout of food poisoning, overnight plane delays, chasing venues for payments and sound-checking through a significant language barrier, no-one would argue that the 2017 Fire Rooster Tour was anything other than a resounding success.
In just about every location that the band played, the reception was phenomenal. People danced, clapped, sang along and generally bought in to the whole PlanB experience. It’s hard not to, when the music is so inviting.
Where to next, fellas?
Harry Palmer
September 2017
