Tour Diary: Massive Wagons Take Us Inside Their Recent UK Tour

Having dropped their fantastic new album, Earth To Grace (Earache Records), rock fans were left in no doubt that British rockers Massive Wagons know how to pen the kind of fist-pumpin’ anthem capable of turning most venues almost instantly into a sweatbox.

V13 found that out ourselves when we checked out the Manchester O2 Ritz show on their recent UK tour. Having shared this reasonably local night of chaos and celebration with the band in Manchester, we just had to find out what life on the road was like for the band, so they kindly penned this brilliant tour diary documenting their recent UK run.

So, if tales of monstrous riffs, Wetherspoons brekkies and… err… cheese, are your thing, strap in as we take you on the road with Massive Wagons…

Day 1: Nottingham

“Other than the usual trips to the bus ‘stand up only’ lavatory at 2am and 4am (I have a walnut sized bladder) I break my cycle of tossing and tuning to rise at 8.30am, a good night of slumber by bus standards. For me anyway.

I drop a blueberry flavoured multivitamin into a bottle of water I stashed away in the foot of my bunk from the night before for the very purpose, while it dissolves I grab my jeans and change the T-shirt I kept on (bus drivers love their air con on arctic mode) and head to the bathroom to empty the walnut bladder once again. I return to find my berry water cocktail dissolved enough to help glug down my iron tablets then head towards the muffled honking coming from the back the bus.

Massive Wagons Tour Diary Photo 1

Whoever is up grabs their jackets and we head down the hill, more sliding than walking, towards our favoured Notts Wetherspoons and their bountiful range of suspiciously cheap breakfast options. Orders are placed, food is delivered, more honking ensues. After taking full advantage of the ‘help yourself’ coffee machine we carefully waddle back up the hill to load in with the burly biker crew of Rock City.

Soundcheck goes smoothly, and though the venue cap is large for a club, the stage is quite small. Our lampy Sam does his best with the space provided. It’s our 4th time playing here, our first as headliners and we are giddy as kippers. Though the only kippers I’ve seen are usually frozen in ASDA, and they look more pissed off than anything.

With over 1800 people crammed onto the sticky floors we head up the familiar steep, narrow stairs to the stage and fire into the set, it felt great. Start to finish, the whole show runs smoothly, other than Stevie’s amp setting on fire of course. There’s a few new elements to this set and they mostly go off without a hitch, a few lighting issues but it’s the first show innit! That’s expected. To sum this show up in a word: intense.

Gig done, the crew pack up and we all muck in to load out amidst the teeny boppers now heading to Rock City for their fabled club night. There’s nothing like the sight of t-shirts and mini skirts in sub-zero temperatures to make you feel old. Bus call is 2am so some of us head down the road to ‘the Tap’ where ticket holders to the show get 10% off at the bar. Alas, I am merely in the band and not a ticket holder and thus not eligible for the discount which seemed a mite unfair.”

Day Two: Bristol

“Bristol is fast becoming one of the best cities to play in terms of crowd energy and atmosphere so we’re looking forward to this one. After breakfast we scope out the venue. We were last here supporting The Wildhearts in 2019, and remembered the load in being a bad one, upon refreshing the logistics of the venue it turns out we were wrong – it’s not a bad load in, it’s a fucking terrible one. The venue itself is excellent, and staff and crew lovely, very professional but cobbled pavements, corridors and steps are a crews worst nightmare. Storm Bert was in town too and letting loose. Never mind, best foot forward and all that, we are soon loaded in and get setting up.

We have more room tonight and time to get the lights up and running properly, with super helpful venue staff on hand to facilitate. Soundcheck is smooth and we head into the attic dressing room for an hour before we run the ‘Grand Package’ – our version of a VIP ticket
where limited folks can come in before doors to hang with us for an hour, we play some songs and sign stuff, take pics, it’s all very informal and a good laugh. Nothing too stuffy.

Before the show me and Alex head to a Korean Noodle place where you basically filled a box to bursting with whatever you wanted, buffet style, it was magic. Nowt like it to set you up for a gig, I don’t know how some people do it on an empty stomach.

MASSIVE WAGONS UK BRISTOL 23/11/24 – PHOTO JOHN McMURTRIE

Following an excellent show, with solid energy throughout we don’t have much time before we have to clear the stage for another teeny bopper disco. Storm Bert was still giving us the good news as we loaded out, soggy jeans all round but the job gets done. Couple of beers, bed.”

Day Three: Southampton

“It’s windy as we head across town for some breakfast. IKEA’s colossal visage looming over the venue like a hulking blue citadel of pine, meatballs and misery. A daily routine is established by now and we go about our business on autopilot, each going our separate ways before reconvening for load in at around midday.

The Engine Rooms is a cracking venue, the last time we played here 2 years ago the room was curtained off halfway, not so this time, we get the whole room to play with, huzzah! Chart positions and high streaming stats are lovely, but cold hard ticket sales reveal a bands trajectory with uncompromising clarity. In that regard, things are looking great.

Massive Wagons Tour Diary Photo 3

‘Chatty’ Dave our FOH sound engineer is a happy as well as chatty today, it’s a good system and soundcheck sounds excellent even though the venue is empty. Tea is in the form of Wagamamas for some and the sandwiches in the fridge for the (tight arsed) others, a category I fall in to today.

All three bands are sharing a dressing room here, so we catch up with the Florence Black lads who we’ve crossed paths with loads over the years, and get to know Cam Cole and his entourage a bit – it goes without saying they have been killing it every night.

We are sent round the building to access the stage, through a few puddles which our Converse/Vans trainers dutifully absorb and hit the stage with a certain sponginess in our step. It’s Sunday, but the show is once again excellent. We have a great set on this tour, it just flows perfectly and we’ve managed to avoid the mid set ‘energy dip’ that can happen in 90 min sets. Honestly, I’m surprised how fast they’ve been going.

I get back on the bus around 1 after another load out in the pissing rain. After an attempt to get some food from the McDonalds Drive Thru – sans driving, to no avail (honestly what’s the fucking difference if we’re in a vehicle or not?!) we crack open the cheese and cracker hamper kindly gifted to us by our friend Tony for the tour. Probably best not to stuff your face with heavy duty cheese right before sleeping in a moving bus, but it’s either that or go to bed hungry.

Cheese wins.”

Day 4: Wolverhampton (Day Off)

“Once again, breakfast is at the forefront of the conversation, and being parked up at KKs Steel Mill we instinctively wrap ourselves up and head round the corner to Jacks Cafe. Jacks Cafe does it all; with a well stocked bar, pool table, sports on TVs in every corner, Indian food menu and crucially, full English breakfasts of suitably epic proportions. A full round of Jacks Special Breakfasts are ordered.

Massive Wagons Tour Diary Photo 4

We are 3 shows in and this is our first day off. In the past, days off usually meant manfully resisting the pub as long as possible before inevitably caving in and getting lashed. We are bigger than that now, far too professional. We each individually get about our day, some get the laptops out, others head into KKs for a shower and some cheese fuelled ‘sat down’ toilet business, while others head into the town center to browse the selection of charity shops, of which there are plenty. I am in the laptop camp.

Eventually we all converge in the Gifford Arms (OK so we’re not THAT professional) which is Wolverhamptons resident rock boozer but we don’t stay long. We head back to Jacks Cafe where we play dominos into the night. Seriously. Shit got WILD.”

Day 5: Birmingham

“Digbeth is a hive of activity, we walk to the Bullring market and it’s colourful range of stalls with every Tom, Dick and Abdul selling everything from vegetables to vibrators. I’m feeling a bit rubbish today, with waves of nausea hitting me as I walk around the market. Luckily it passes before we set up and soundcheck. There’s always a suspiciously high volume of folks around the venue backstage at Birmingham shows with bags full of albums and merch to sign…

Massive Wagons Tour Diary Photo 5

One could be cynical enough to think they’ll be on eBay within the week, which leads me to just feel sorry for someone desperate enough to sell something with MY squiggle on it, as if that increases it’s value… the mind boggles. Whatever that means.

I feel the urge to do something in the 2 hours we have spare between soundcheck and VIP meet & greet so head to a local gym to do an hour on a cycle machine. I sweat out some of whatever was making me feel shit earlier in the day and head back for a quick, luke warm shower. I left my shower gel in Southampton so it’s some left over Pantene’ for me, my body hair is nicely conditioned at least.

Smallest room of the tour this one, and we can already tell it’s going to be a sweatbox, being sold out. Our backstage room is right behind the stage so we can hear every note of the opening acts, including the moment the PA crapped out durning Cam Coles set due to overheating… marvellous. Luckily it lasts the night.

Gig finished, we play trailer Tetris once again. Our gear only just fits and has to be packed a certain way, and some of it has to be stashed in the front lounge on the bus which looks a right mess but needs must so we’ll call it shabby-chic.

The next show is in Glasgow, a solid 7 hours at bus speeds meaning we get underway as soon as the trailer is closed, meaning no time to grab a shower or any food, meaning the cheese box gets cracked open once again, for better or worse.”

Day 6: Glasgow

“Would you believe it, we decide to head out for some breakfast. Our unwashed procession heads through the gentrified west side of Glasgow in search of a cafe. We strike gold with The Brunch Club serving a full Scottish breakfast – square slice, haggis, tatty scones… I realise this blog is sounding more and more like a food diary but what can I say, we like breakfast. We bump into an old acquaintance Lawrence O’Brian formerly of Anchor Lane in there too, small world.

Massive Wagons Tour Diary Photo 7

I headed off to score some brownie points with my Scottish Father-in-Law by nabbing me some square sausages, Google told me a place called The Butchers Shop was round the corner. I aimlessly wondered in only to realise it was a right posh restaurant full of midday diners tucking into their weapons grade sirloins. I made my excuses and left, silly name if you’re not a butchers shop.

Tonights venue is SWG3, a new one for us and it looks banging. Tickets are really solid considering a little band called Anthrax are playing the Arena just down the road, an unfortunate clash but can’t be helped, Scott Ian and co. will just have to make do with whoever we leave ’em with. Soundcheck, VIP meet & greet, some press and grab a shower to liven myself up a bit before the show.

Joe hands me my guitar, which has never felt better after he’s given it a look over and made some adjustments. Joe Kerry, our guitar tech for this tour is a very accomplished musician in his own right with Pest Control, check them out!

The show is great, though Baz struggles as he’s developed a chest infection over the 24 hours since Birmingham. We get through it with grit and determination but it’s clear to all he isn’t well. A few old crew members join us backstage and we have a laugh before we set sail back down the M74 on HMS Cheddar.”

Day 7: Lancaster (Day Off)

“Another day off, and we’re parked up in our stomping ground, the band members filter off home to see the families while the crew stay on the bus to sort out some of the gear and have a tidy up of the bus. By now it’s less shabby-chic and more freshly-burgled.

Baz, our vocalist and ringleader is not well. He’s really struggling to talk so we have to consider the possibilities for tomorrow night, Baz decides to see how he is through the day so for the rest of us it’s twitchy bum time. After consulting the docs and undergoing every home remedy imaginable Baz decides to crack on, which its very admirable. There’s a lot of pressure on vocalists, body is the instrument and all that, especially touring in winter and meeting a lot of people daily really opens you up to all sorts of lurgy.”

Day 8: Manchester

“The Ritz, sold out too! Crackers.

I take the kids to school then get the train straight to Manchester Oxford Road. I land around 11am just in time to help load in, drats, should have got a later train… This is a super cool venue, we’ve been to watch more bands here than I can count, and it’s one of the best of it’s size. We’ve been looking forward to this one, and it feels good to be here despite the concerns over Baz’s health. Stevie, Bowzer and some of the crew are feeling the pain too, and come to think of it, my throat is a little tickly…

Massive Wagons Tour Diary Photo 8

We’ve decided to modify the set, taking out a couple of the more difficult songs and dropping one all together. Also, we’ve asked a good friend of ours Matt Jones of Twisted Illusion to step in on a few of the harder songs to back Baz up – of course poor Matt has very little time to prepare and we have to set some stage monitors up for him, and there’s limited time to soundcheck… be reet.

Baz sits this VIP Grand Package out, and everyone understands completely like the good sorts our fans seem to be. As we lead up to the show the tension eases a little backstage as Baz seems a little better than he was in Glasgow, still, Matt is set to join us on stage for 3 songs and he smashes it – it may not seem a lot but taking some of the pressure really helped, cheers man.

When we do hit the stage, while Baz is not quite at his usual 50HKPM (high-kicks-per minute) it quickly becomes apparent he’s gonna get through the gig, pretty sure we all got a kick of adrenaline at about song 3 and it just took off. We’ve played A LOT this year, festivals big and small, support tours and headline tours UK and abroad, and we are tight. This whole tour has felt really good from a playing point of view and this show in Manchester somehow takes it up another level. Something special in the room. It’s going so well we put the song we’d dropped in the encore back in.

Massive Wagons Tour Diary Photo 9

Bus call is not until 6am, so after show drinks are had in the dressing room starting with the bottles of Champagne from the promoters for selling out several shows on the tour.

Special mention to Florence Black and Cam Cole – our special guests on this tour, who’ve been 100% legends on and off the stage, go listen to their music right now!! Well, after reading the rest of this rubbish.”

Day 9: London

“The Big Smoke, The Swinging City, Landaaaan Taaaaan etc. Not gonna lie, there’s a few sore heads flopping out of their bunks as we slice through the M25 and into the craziness of Englands capital. It seems a place you either ‘get’ or you don’t. After many visits here, I feel I fall into the latter. Brief sojourns can be a novelty, stay too long though and it becomes stifling, to this country bumpkin anyway. Certain places can be gauged by the amount of security they have on the door at supermarkets, the nearby Tesco Express in Shepherds Bush had two, Digbeth Asda had FOUR.

Massive Wagons Tour Diary Photo 10

One thing that you can guarantee however, is that London gigs will always be memorable for one reason or another, and tonight we headline our first big boys venue – The O2 Shepherds Bush Empire. By now everyone is feeling rough, and not just from the champagne. Sore throats and coughs all round, my throat was pretty raw and the general tour tiredness was kicking in, usually does after a week. Still, we were well up for tonights show, and Colin Doran of One Hundred Reasons fame was in town to join us on stage for our collaboration song – “The Good Die Young,” what a thoroughly lovely fella, and one hell of a vocalist. It’s a maze, all the backstage rooms are over 4 floors and though we’ve been here once before (as a support act) it takes an hour or so to remember how to get about the place.

The day drags around the moments of activity, set-up, wait, soundcheck, wait, VIP meet & greet, wait… by the time 9.30pm rolls round we are itching to get on with it, but as always that 90mins on stage is worth the wait. The show is a triumph and we leave the stage thoroughly knackered, but satisfied in the knowledge that we were as good as we possibly could have been. That’s all you can hope for innit. A quick debrief with the lads and Colin in the dressing room then it’s back to the stage for a quick tear down and load out, due to the bus having to move on in good time.

It wasn’t until the trailer was closed and I climbed wearily onto the bus that I noticed the iconic ‘next show’ sign on the front of the building had been changed from Massive Wagons to Del Amitri – a band I absolutely ADORE. Justin Currie is one of the finest songwriters to ever ply the trade, and seeing that name and knowing they’d be lost in the same corridors and chatting bollocks on the same backstage couches gave me a kind of feeling like we’d ‘arrived’. Silly, but I’m usually so focussed on the next thing that I don’t dwell on the landmarks of the present, but this moment will probably stay with me. It’s been a great tour, top to bottom, and we still have Dublin and Belfast to look forward too the next weekend.

Massive Wagons Tour Diary Photo 11

We set off around 1am and all try to get some rest before we are due to land back at our Lancaster HQ for 6am to unload the gear. We have a few days before we head to Dublin/Belfast, and we won’t be travelling in the bus so it all has to come off. We bid goodbye to our driver Clive, a solid chap, and each head homeward in the first light and pissing rain.”