My lifes been pretty none stop for the last 8 years or so. I mean all by choice and my handy as fuck career thats manages me to allow this lifestyle.
For example I've lived in a 3 story treehouse in the Gulf of Thailand on a beautiful island filled with yogi trippers, conspiracy-theorist-divers and great DJ's. Too a Gypsy neighbourhood in Spain where decapitation was imminent to a big mouth Italian friend of mine if I didn't buy a whole box of ice creams for the locals to calm the situation.
I feel like I wan't to kick it off with one of my favourite times. Travelling to Amsterdam with all the non sense that followed. I thought I would share these stories for the sake of lets say we were kicking back at some bar talking shit over a beer (and it will be written like I've had few too because my writings pretty average) anyway read on..
To set the stage, I come from a little town in Australia 1 1/2 hours from the city. Growing up was the lads and I rally driving shit-box cars on dirt roads, outdoor raves in tunnels under freeways and pretty much killing time the best way we could. Times passed on and that was over 15 years ago and most of us have grown up but heres me, sitting in a hostel inside a train station Valencia Spain blogging and also deciding wether I go see Fat Freddy's Drop (great band from NZ) tomorrow in Barcelona that or head to Netherlands to Awakenings Festival....incase you couldn't tell yet I love a good party or 2...
So I dabble with a little bit of music production for fun and decided I wanted to hit up Amsterdam Dance Event back in 2013. Its kinda like a hangout through out all of Amsterdam for 5 days for anyones thats interested in electronic music or involved in the biz. I gotta say the Dutch know how to throw a fucken awesome party, theres over a 100 venues to pick from whilst locating your favourite DJ's at night on Google Maps to find whats going on and where. I happened to end up in an Abattoir turned Techno gathering which forced me to miss out on sunlight for 4 days but was totally worth it. Ironic seeing one of my first jobs out of school was working in a Abattoir (not a nice job is all I can say) oh and to those that don't know what an Abattoir is, its where your hamburgers come from...anyway
The last day of the event I decided 4 nights out was enough and I would take advantage of my special pass thing'o that I purchased and check out the old meet and greet. Was basically producers, dj's, artists, labels all hanging out in this big old building with drinks and food available to anyone with a pass. After it finished I was thinking to myself nah I'm to wrecked from the other nights out, I'm gonna bail back to the hostel but as I was walking home a gorgeous Heineken promotion girl standing next to a canal boat by the river and shouts at me "Hey you have a pass! Jump onboard we have free drinks onboard for ADE pass holders!" ahhhh yeah nah ahh yeh nah faaaark ok! I jumped on the boat...
We floated around the canals of Amsterdam enjoying free beers for a good hour then came to a halt in Leidsaplane Town Square. The same Heineken girl explained to me whilst I was induced by her super cool laid back Dutch attitude and pretty features that the Mini Cooper Dealer Shop was a nightclub for the night and that I shouldn't miss out! ahhhhh naaaaaah alright.. As we strolled up the red carpet we were greeted by more promotion people who were speaking in Dutch. My newly acquired friend explained to them "No, no he's Australian". Now if your from Australia and travelled anywhere abroad people tend to be pretty warm towards you. Well giving our beautiful beaches, great weather, above decent economy and all round stolen paradise we have no excuse not to try be nice when we travel.
So here I am enjoying free drinks, free snacks on silver platters from the podium dancers and other freebies I won't get into. I thought right! Shut it down, go home and chill, you've had enough fun! Then a podium dancer approached me explained if I write my name on a piece of paper theres tickets to the Ziggadome tonight with a couple of headline acts starting at 11:30 that night. Ahhh yeh whatever I won't win, why not! I wrote my name down and she threw it into a big jar next to the DJ booth. 30 minutes later just on my way out the music stops....Dutch voice comes over the P.A. I couldn't understand anything that was being said but then there was a pause. "Micky!!" "Micky!!" "Something something Dutch" Ah naaaahh waaaay fuksake. Don't get me wrong I was stoked but also dying inside from the other gig!!!
So anyway 8 other winners including myself were put into a convoy of Mini Coopers and driven to the Ziggadome 45 minutes outside of Amsterdam. It was pretty dam impressive! Football stadium turned Dance Arena with heavy tunes from Tiesto early into the next day dancing with the Dutch. Who by the way, an age group ranging from 20 to 60. Was in total admiration, they kick on well into there 60's. Makes the local pub rat's in Oz at the corner T.A.B betting on the doggies looking pretty fucken woeful, but who am I to judge. Different strokes for different blokes.
Anyway after 10 extra hours of partying, it started to dawn on me the whole..... fuck how much coin have a blown and maybe its time for a detox session. Sitting in the hostel coming down like no tomorrow, I did some research and found a mediation retreat Cambodia. I thought perfect I'm on my way......T.B.C
