“We are part of an industry now where there are so many bands, it’s harder than ever to get noticed,” muses Tom Buxton, vocalist of Manchester alternative rock quintet A Mouth Full Of Matches. Their ‘Smoke Signals’ EP saw release on the 8th September and is a marked step in the right direction, its anthemic vocal refrains and song-writing largess sounding positively custom built for those big rooms with the big stages in them. In support of the release they embarked on a UK tour, here Tom guides you through how it went…
Tour Diary Part 1- Birmingham
So it’s the eve of our Birmingham show and the first date of the Smoke Signals Tour, the numerous practices and preparation have all lead up to this. The AMFOM studio we all practice in is sweaty and there is an expression of determination and excitement on everyone faces. Tomorrow we hit the road!
We pack the gear in our van and set off for Birmingham, the drive is prolonged as there are delays on the motorway, but this just acts to intensify our excitement more… We just want to get there!
Ste and I grab a Burger at Five Guys in Birmingham to get a pre-show snack. We walk up to The Rainbow venue and are greeted by a mix of the nights fans. They were all very welcoming and we had lot’s of fun chatting with them, plus playing “who can catch food in their mouth when it’s thrown” with them.
We were supporting Speaking in Shadows on their Birmingham tour date and the anticipation was building up in the small venue in anticipation of music being played. Meanwhile backstage we were prepping our bodies ready for their rough 30 minutes of craziness, we shared smiles and took to the stage.
The set was really enjoyable and put the worry of if the new songs would be received well at rest… they went down excellently! Dripping of sweat we were all pleased with the last 30 minutes of our lives, trying to catch our breath as we took our gear off stage, ready for the next band.
The rest of the night was spent exchanging hugs with new and old fans and watching the rest of the awesome line-up: Keep the Change, Summer City, King Canute and Speaking in Shadows. Seriously check these bands out!
Tired and feeling accomplished we packed up the Merch table, shared goodbyes with other bands and the new friends we made. We got in the tour van and headed home, ready for the next adventure which would be our local, Manchester Academy 3!
Tour Diary part 2- Manchester
Excitement is running high as we all pack the van to play our hometown that night! There’s a buzz on the internet between fans and friends. In our hearts we know this is going to be a great show, we are really anxious to play!
As we ride up the industrial elevator with gear surrounding us, the muffled sound of the engineer testing the speakers and the smell of sweat, metal and last night’s show still in the air- we felt at home.
Sound check goes as planned and we all wait for what the night brings.
I (Tom) got a mixture of nerves and adrenaline pumping through my veins, I see friends, fans and new faces through the curtain as we burst on stage. All fears went away and we put everything into the set. We really really enjoyed it!
We met new fans that night, shared jokes and drinks with friends- it was such a great atmosphere. I had a smile on my face the whole night and got post show blues the day after!
Tour Diary Part 3-Sheffield
We have never played Sheffield before so we were all pretty excited and curious to what the night brings. We arrive at South Sea Live, an underground metal venue, it looks a quite intimate stage, so we prepare for a few bruises to come our way.
A few fans travelled a great distance to come see us tonight and we can’t believe it! It’s insane to think people would do that just for us- We are extremely thankful and grateful!
Tour Diary Part 4 – London
The night before the show the band stays over Toms house in Birmingham to make the drive a lil’ easier the next day. With a full nights rest we set off to London and head to Camden market first to get some grub.
We stroll around the weird and wonderful market place and gaze at the wonder of so many types of food we would like to try. Tom buys himself a cream and jam crepe and manages to spill the cream all own his top that he’s wearing for tonight’s show- a good start!
We listen to local buskers and get into the vibe of things down here and head off to the Unicorn venue.
We unload and get familiar with the venue we have played before and have a few drinks before the show.
We put everything into the nights set for the last time on the tour.’ Go out with a bang’ Tom thinks as we close the chapter on the tour.
A surprise visit from a fan from Manchester catches us off guard- it’s such a great thing to see support and dedication from our lovely fans! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts Jimmy you are amazing!
We say our goodbyes and on the drive home we reminisce our time on tour, the laughs, the early mornings and late nights, the gallons of coffee consumed. We think to ourselves- ‘We can’t wait to do it again!’
A Mouth Full Of Matches released Smoke Signals on 08/09/14
https://www.facebook.com/amouthfullofmatches
Watch the video for first single ‘Danger High’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDVfdF5P298
New Single ‘Young Blood’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5nsIcRxkcQ
