Last week I had a bit of spare time on my hands so decided to gate-crash the last leg of Mile High’s winter tour. My BFF Michelle was also going, as Rock Factory soundie as well as Gods of Nothing bass player. So all together we had team Rock Factory who are 2/3rds of the G.O.N. + David Bane on drums, + the Mile High boys + me as roadie/guitar-tech/backing-vocals/anything-but-a-groupie.
In the interests of “what goes on tour stays on tour” I wont describe the smell of boy-farts experienced in the van on the trip home. Or what was drawn on the van windows in the frost. Or who drooled on themselves when they fell asleep in the van.
DAY 1
We took down two vans, Michelle and I and Mile High (minus Kitty and Q-slop) in one, and John and Mark in the other. We left on tuesday morning, the first show being in Turoa Lodge Tuesday night. We stopped on the way to view the magnificent feat of engineering that is the thing where a train does some kind of loopty loop. There is a model of this shown below. Which is all I could really see of this world famous feat of spectacular railway engineering.
Much more interesting was the giant driftwood sculpture of a t-rex. All the more impressive for being so far from the beach! That’s Ditty standing next to it btw. He is Mile Highs singer.
There were also some horses in a paddock. We lured them close to the fence with handfuls of grass and patted them. I like horses. This is Michelle feeding a horse!
It was a pretty long trip. Kevin entertained us by making fart noises on his iPhone over the van speakers. Ditty entertained us with lollies. I got really excited about seeing cows and sheep and trees and things. Ooooh and baby lambies! Michelle had a little nap.
Eventually we got to our destination, Turoa Lodge. I don’t know which to mention first. The roaring fire, the mysterious dance floor stripper pole, the several deers heads and what could have possibly been a mooses head over the door… Crazy yet awesome.
The Gods of Nothing kicked off the first set. They gig pretty rarely so if you ever get the opportunity to see them play make sure you do. Great songs and a kick-ass live show. Husband and wife front-team Mark and Michelle are adorable and entertaining on stage together. I wouldn’t change a thing about this band!
Mile High played next. By this time my camera was dying so I used Sloppy-Q’s one which worked much better than my dying one. Mile Highs show was good fun, everyone was like, dancing and stuff and apparently a fight broke out thanks to someone dancing too hard with their elbow and someone was thrown out and it was all very rock n roll and I didn’t see anything because I may or may not have been singing backing vocals at the time or perhaps was in the bathroom.
DAY 2
The next day we went… TO THE SNOW!!!
Most of ‘the boys’ went and almost repeatedly killed themselves with skiing and snowboarding activities. There are some videos on facebook. It doesn’t look like nearly as much fun as SNOW BALL FIGHTS and SNOW SCULPTING! Which is what Michelle and Ditty and I did and it was totally the best day ever! Actually Michelle tried to ski a bit (traitor).
Later we retired to a spa and dinner and an early night. Oh and rolling up beer soaked microphone leads that were so sticky broken glass had stuck to them in places. Epic.
DAY 3
Mile High were supposed to play up Whakapapa but thanks to the weather going all icky it was cancelled just as one van arrived, and while van 2 awaited chains at the bottom of the mountain. While we were up there I took this picture and drank a mochachino.
Oh yeah, and I’m not actually sure which day this happened, but I was astounded to see these milkshake cups (as modelled by John) still exist!
Also I had a ‘traditional New Zealand breakfast’ of Fish and Eggs. It didn’t taste nearly as bad as it looks haha. I’m sorry, I should save my breakfast stories for twitter, but what the hell. It’s my blog so I can put in it whatever I like so nyer nyer nyer!
Mile High and the G.O.N. played a gig later that night at the National Park Hotel. It went off something wicked. What a night. Must use pictures stolen from facebook to describe. (I took these on Quintos camera so I don’t feel bad about stealing them) 
Kevin joins the table dancers guitar and all
I may have got a bit carried away with the slow-shutter-speed thing hehe so much PINK!
There were even more backing vocalists later, but I didn’t get pics because I was up there singing too!
It was Kitty’s last gig with the band for six months so naturally he was forced to don a pink dress partway through the gig. OK maybe this pic is from the other gig. But if you’re leaving the band there is no limit to the amount of times you must wear pink.
We headed back to Aucklandtown the next morning, some of us more hungover than others. It was a great trip, thanks heaps Mile High and The Rock Factory and the Gods of Nothing for letting me come along, I hope I was more help than hinderance. And thanks Turoa Lodge and National Park Hotel and Fallout Festival!
LINKS:
MILE HIGH: www.milehighband.com
THE ROCK FACTORY: www.therockfactory.net
FALLOUT FESTIVAL: www.falloutfestival.co.nz
