Diary - Joel Graham
After the Metal Hammer awards...a nice little walk
04/06/2010
I have been wondering since the Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards if I should put this little story up or not, and well, with the help of a couple of bottles of Leffe Blonde, and a little time to myself i thought, what the hell....
Since joining Evile, there are many things I have gone through with the guys since January, jumping in feet first into a full Euro tour, then sharing a van with the guys for 2 + months across the US it's safe to say with have got to know each other quite well, I won't quite spill the beans on the guys 'habits' with you all though,..yet!, It can be a challenge to get to know people really well over a short space of time and even with time set aside to discuss your inner thoughts and feelings something will always pop up and raise a few eyebrows from those around, well I think that time has come.
Since I was a child I have sleepwalked, nothing major really, I never set fire to anything or caused any damage to myself or others, most of the time I am totally unaware I have been on any of my midnight wonders, unless i have woken not in my own bed, (i.e My doorstep, different room in the house etc) or i have been told I did.
..So fast forward to the Euro Tour in January, we had a nice big bus with downstairs lounge (plenty of room for movement), one morning I awoke at the venue and on loading in, Lucy our merch girl mentioned me passing the downstairs lounge in the night just in my pants, and could i remember it? Oh dear, i thought... It all gonna start from here.
In the US, a couple of times I was told by the other guys about me just getting out of the van, circling it before climbing back in my sleeping bag to resume some kind of dream (that usually involved lots of swearing, ha ha) But the classic case, and my best walk ever had to happen after one of the most important nights of the year for the band... here we go!!!
So we leave the Metal Hammer after show, been a great night, a few glasses of red have been had, I'm slightly merry, but aware of what I am doing, I'm able to walk in a straight line, all good.
On arrival back to the hotel with Hannah (who checked in earlier and knew what room we were in) all i have to to is follow her to the room, go to bed, settle down all good... a successful, rocking night was had...
After what seems to be a good few hours sleep, I wake up looking through a 8ft Jalcusie style window, overlooking the courtyard of the hotel at the end of the hotel corridor, it's almost daylight the birds are tweeting, so it's obviously the early hours of the morning, oh and wait, why am i here, and OH F**K why am I totally naked??
Now this was only the start of my problem, see I had wondered away from my room, and the first thing i had to establish was where in the hotel i was, if i was on the right floor, and how to get back to my room. I totted off down the hall, cupping my man hood from potential late arrivals back to the hotel... and then i thought, BUGGER!!, I don't even know what room Im staying in!! I was just brought to the room door....Aggghh! At this point all I could do was pace up and down seeing of anything would jog my memory to which room as was staying in..5 mis past, 10 mins past, nothing, just a long wall of numbers that meant nothing to me, ranging from 4001 to 4070. Oh wait i thought, I remember that bread packet outside that room, we walked past that...damn, that was a good time before we arrived at our room, shit!! What about the fire exit map?, will that help?, of course not, it's not gonna tell me what room i am staying in is it? Then, in the distance, a sight to calm me, a store room, maybe just maybe i could get in and grab a couple of towels to wrap around me, I could see though the little window there were hundreds in there, stacked high to the roof on shelves. Of course the door was locked. I know I thought, I'll break in...oh wait, with what, and I'm sure a naked man running shoulder first into a door of course won't wake other guests and look VERY odd.
At this point, all i could do was alternate between curse words and laughs due to this situation, what could i do now? Only one thing for it. Reception. Approx 20 thirty mins had past by now, and I had come to terms with that amount of nudity in one of the busiest hotels in London I had been very lucky not to have been spotted, the time was now, I had to bite the bullet and make the trip down, in the lift with nothing but my hands to hide me from view.
I get in the lift, I can't do anything but laugh by this point, press the button marked 'G' and descend to what feels like comedy hell...
"Ding"... the doors open, I stride out, chest out back straight, and pass a small middle aged Oriental lady who is using the telephone in the lobby, "sorry", I say looking her direct in the eye, to which she covers her mouth and no doubt starts explaining to the person on the other end of the line what she just has experienced walking past in her native language. I spot reception, One night assistant is sat leaning is head on is hand staring at his PC screen totally unaware what is heading his way.. "excuse me sir', he nearly slips of his seat, stands bolt upright and before he gets a chance to say a word, i start to explain..."I am a sleepwalker, I'm a guest at this hotel and i have woken in the hall way, My name is Joel Graham, can you please tell me what room i am staying in, I know it's the forth floor" Faster than anything i have seen before, the dude starts slamming my name into his PC, " Room 4050, sir"...I shout "Thank you so much" while running back to the lift "..AND SORRY" I yell back to him. Once in the lift, I reach out, press number 4 and up i go.. dash down the hall to room 4050, bang on the door and a very confused Hannah opens it a few moments after, finds me naked in the hall and looks at me most confused look she has ever thrown my way. "Sleep walked again Love", to which we could only respond to with a nice hearty laugh.
First Tour, almost over...
19/02/2010
Hi All,
Well since my last post which i posted 3 days into my first tour with Evile, I am now sitting backstage in Copenhagen wondering where the last 30+ days have gone!!...The days have just flown by, and it seems only a few days ago I was sat in Cardiff bricking myself and getting ready to play my first show with Matt, Ol and Ben.
I can honestly say that I have loved every moment of this tour, and I'm so pleased that I was given the oppertunity to be up on stage each night playing with the guys...Not only that, but also been able to meet the ever-growing Evile army. So a HUGE thanks for welcolming me as you have, total respect to you all.
How i can start to list the highlights is beyond me, but i am gonna give it a go...
The Fading (from Israel) taking the stage at a former Nazi HQ. (middle finger salute)
Countless on-route episodes of South Park.
Getting my ass to, and seeing places I have never visited before.
Warbringer guys, and the Fading dudes being so cool to tour with.
John Kevall's (WB) constant 'Metal' outbursts.
Hearing Matt and Ol play the theme from Dawn of the Dead... Constantly!!
Having one of the biggest bunks on the bus! (ha ha!)
Playing 'Track and Field' for the first time in years.
Lucy and Ben exchanging 'Mum' jokes.
Wheat Beer in Germany
Finding a red wine drinking partner in Adam from Warbringer and out into-the-night conversations.
Getting up before everyone else and going exploring cities / or having the bus lounge to myself.
And last but not least... all your exchanges of support and stories about meetings with Mike on previous tours, It was awesome you shared that with me guys!
Thank You.
Joel
First Blood, First Gigs,
16/01/2010
Hey all, Welcome to my first entry here.
Currently sat backstage at York ready to play my third show with the guys, just soundchecked and everything is sounding mighty fine, looking forward to yet another storming set.
My first two shows have gone ace, and I would like to thank everyone who has made me feel so welcome into the Evile camp so far, it's been awesome to meet fans of the band and having a few after show beers with you guys has been great.
Aside from my musical life taking a change in direction due to doing my first Evile show on 14th January, so did my personal life, as during the very same 24 hours as I was prepairing myself for the 'big day', I also woke to news on the tour bus that I had became a father for the first time! I am therefore more then pleased to share with you news of the arrival of my baby daughter Zeva Lilly. Today I finally got chance to jump off the tour bus for a few hours at 5:30am to meet her for the first time. Thanks to all the Evile guys, tour manager Lyall and Steve the bus driver for making this possible.
Till next time...over and out!
Showing page 1 of 1
