Beatallica is a Milwaukee-based band that plays, you guessed it, songs that blend Beatles’ tunes with those of Metallica. I ran into Beatallica bass player Kliff McBurtney just before the band headed out on their tour of Germany earlier this month, and he sent me a few updates from the road. Here’s some of what Kliff had to say as the band opened for J.B.O.’s 20th anniversary tour:

“Each show is at capacity, which helps since the venues are always cold, and the body heat warms things up.  We are now all chummy with the German crew.  It is amazing what some beer and rum ‘n’ cokes can do to break down the language barrier.  I can’t say I am a fan of limiting my showers to the venues, but beggars can’t be choosers, and a touring band is the biggest group of beggars there can be.  Other than regular show shyte, some other highlights were going to the WeinachtsMarkt in Leipzig and getting some hot mead thanks to our tour guides.

“Oh my head…”  That is what most of us are saying after we gave our crew apreciation gift last night. a wee 3 Liter bottle of Rum for “Cubra Libres” (i.e. Rum n Cokes).  Funny how the language barrier drops after you knock back a few of those.  It has been cold here so our time spent walking around and seeing things has been limited to brisk jaunts.  Even the Reeperbahn in Hamburg couldn’t hold our interest long.  Last night we played in Hamburg’s Grosse Freiheit, which was above the Kaiser Keller where the Beatles played 7 sets a day for a year back in the 50’s.   I tried to breathe in the Rock atmosphere of the Keller, but really it was just another dungeon-like basement bar.

Tonight we are in Hannover, then Berlin tomorrow, then a Festival in Hachenburg.  It will be good to meet up with many old friends over the next few days. On Sunday we fly back to the Midwest for even colder temps, bigger snow, and a return to sometype of “normalcy”.  Bis Dann…”

Thanks, Kliff, for your insights on the glamourous life of a touring band!