Buzzoven - A West Coast Tour Story, by Kirk Lloyd Fisher

Photo by Chris Boarts Larson

From Buzzoven Kirk's blog on Google...

"So its been right at a week since our west coast tour with the mighty Bongzilla ended. Needless to say, we hit it off very well with the Bongzilla boys.Actually Dixie played on one of their albums and did a tour with them. Me and Michael (Pee Wee) really hit it off and i firmly believe i have a new brother in him for life. Touring with them,renting their back line and all around working together made life on this tour much easier. Bongzilla is still out there touring so get out and see them and buy some merch if you can to support this hard working band.

I have a few individual stories to tell but I'm just typing some thoughts and observations from this recent 8 day jaunt through the west. I want to be sure i tell the stories i have as they actually happened and get permission from all those involved so i don't step on any toes or piss anyone off. I never piss anyone off. HA!! While our first tours back, in 2011,after 10 years of doing nothing proved to be lucrative and full of hype, this recent leg of shows, which by the way was after another 4 year lull proved to be good but only part of the hype previously experienced was present. It's becoming painfully obvious that if we don't stay busy, tour and work harder we will slowly dwindle back to an unknown band of the past. Some musicians i feel get spoiled from certain things being a certain way and expect that every tour or show will be just as lucrative and also bigger venues with a consistent amount of crowd attendance. Which of course is not the reality of being in the music business as things change year to year and even day to day. 


I started working my ass off to build this band in the late 80's. I have learned over the years that most always there will be issues with various elements of touring,recording and keeping things in order to keep moving forward. I also have tried to remain humble and appreciative of all the things I'm blessed with from the hard work that playing in and running a band can be. When some people get better pay and more things handled by the few people that are hired to take care of all the responsibility outside of playing their instrument, they love being in the band. But when everything isn't always that way or not as good as previous tours etc.... they have an attitude and act as if they are being screwed over or something. All i know is at one time early in my career i had to sleep in the van in freezing temperatures and eat cheese and lettuce summits just to be sure we had enough fuel to make it to the next show. If you haven't experienced tour life from the bottom, I believe it makes it harder to appreciate the perks that come with being in a band that has already paid their dues etc.... I am so grateful that there are still enough people that dig Buzzoven's music that I'm able to fly (not drive) out to the west coast and tour and even though things were mismanaged we didn't lose money. 

Expectations were much higher on that issue but ya know it was still pay for doing nothing but playing your instrument.If you can't roll with the train when when its doing really well and when its not so great then maybe its time to give it up. There are thousands of musicians out there that would give anything to simply just be able to tour and have people attend. These people aren't even concerned about money and would do whatever was asked of them to make the tour run smoothly. Sometimes i find myself trying to make everyone else happy and sacrifice my time and needs to make things easier for all those around me. I'm going to have to take care of my needs as well in the future.

The plan is not to take another 4 years to get back out doing shows etc.... In fact we are going to record very soon for a couple of split 7"s and our own new 7" on Rusty Knuckles. Ralph from Rusty Knuckles has been a huge help and confidant with teaching me the way things are done now as opposed to how i did them in the early 90's. We will also continue to tour but very limited amounts due to several factors that are personal as well as we have to work around Daves busy schedule with Weedeater.

So in the next few days i will have some stories from this tour and although their is very little to compare to the extreme chaos of Buzzovens past, there are some funny and interesting moments of this past short tour. Thanks to everyone who came out to the shows and watch for our upcoming announcements for the East Coast leg of the "Moodswings and Mayhem Tour" Ladies and gentlemen "Welcome to Violence!"

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