Bizarre Cocktails, Lennon Impersonations & More: On The Road With Ferla

A big part of being a touring musician is sitting still in confined spaces. As can be expected, everyone goes a little loopy after a while. We all come up with ways of dealing with it.

It was peak hour by the time we got to Sydney after a 10+ hour drive. We were sitting in traffic, slowly going bonkers. It was equal parts pain and fun. I was working on both my John Lennon and Michael Caine impersonations. Everyone in the car was telling me to stop because they were stir-crazy and stroppy. But also everyone in the car was laughing hard because they were stir-crazy and delirious. It’s like a knife’s edge.

We made it to the gig. We ate burgers. We played a show. We went to the 1am show at the Landsdowne to see Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. We were excited.

It’s Chris’ birthday. Birthday breakfast then a drive to Canberra where it’s cold. I continue working on my John Lennon impersonation to the chagrin/enjoyment of the others. We’re all hungover and tired but life is great because we get to play a show tonight. Me and Kate dart off to buy Chris a cake and we drive through the city. Canberra is strange for a visitor. It’s like one big roundabout. Or maybe it’s more like a display home? That’s to say nothing of the people in Canberra, who are lovely and welcoming.

After the show, I attempt a kickflip on a skateboard and then we go back to the apartment where Chris makes us birthday cocktails. He makes us his version of a Tom Collins, which is an unpeeled banana in Melbourne Bitter...

One of the ways that Chris staves off the tour crazies is with his travel show, Wild Cuntry. Below he is getting wet in Austinmer, NSW. You should look it up on Instagram. It’s wild.

Kate is maybe the best car DJ. The first leg of the trip home from NSW opens up with some Steely Dan and continues on that path for a long while. Here she is on a beach doing some self-promotion:

Dogs are the best:

Packing also takes up a large part of time on tour.

Hungover at a converted church in Maldon:

Finally, we get to do our hometown show. It’s always the best end to a tour. Love is in the air. Everywhere I look around.