I’ve experienced much of the world when playing drums, and I’ve been lucky enough to travel to places others have rarely seen. Places that even seasoned touring bands haven’t been to, whether that be because of their budgets or because the venues don’t support big acts. I was playing in a band that was more of a DIY nature, and it meant we could be pretty open with our schedules, which meant some very interesting places. In this article, I’m going to go through some of the most unique countries I’ve visited while touring the world as a metal drummer.
The Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands were probably one of the first more unique places I’ve visited when playing in a band. It was the first date of my 2019 tour and a far less-travelled destination for all individuals, let alone musicians. I remember taking the flight, but there were quite a small number of passengers onboard. Which makes sense given the small country and lingering popularity as a holiday destination.
But landing in the country, I was stuck instantly, far-reaching fields, beautiful landscapes, and nature drew me in the moment I arrived. I still remember the drive from the airport, I could see tiny villages, houses carved into cliffs and massive mountains surrounded by green fields. I remember going for a run outside and feeling refreshed because the air was so fresh. It was pretty amazing.
The country feels very local, with many small taverns and shops surrounding the main street of the town. We spent some time walking around, and it almost felt like a scene out of a medieval movie or The Lord of the Rings. When we interacted with the locals, a big topic they seemed to bring up was the whale fishing that the Faroe Islands are known for historically. There was a little controversy with whale hunting, particularly between animal activists and those wanting to keep the tradition.
When we played the show, it wasn’t anything too spectacular in terms of turnout, I guess it’s only a small island. But we had a lot of fun, the local bands were very friendly and appreciated our presence. There was a small group of local metalheads who came along to watch, and they had a great time.
Kazakhstan
I hate to break it to you, but if you’ve watched any of the Borat movies, Kazakhstan is nothing like it is portrayed in the film. I’m pretty sure the scenes were filmed in Romania. I knew this was coming into the country, but it didn’t stop me from making some Borat jokes with our host when he was driving us to our accommodation. All out of lighthearted humour and in good taste.
That being said, I found Kazakhstan to be one of my favourite places to play, and I plan on going back there sometime. Maybe it’s because I love mountainous countries or because the place has a certain untapped charm about it. Just like many other central asian countries, it has russian influence, with two languages being spoken, Kazakh and Russian. The surroundings were breathtaking, and I got the opportunity to go up one of the mountains and get my photo taken with traditional Kazakh clothing and an eagle.
The show we played was in Almaty, the crowd was very warm and welcoming, but also wild at the same time. We played in an old punk venue on the corner of an intersection near the centre of the city. I was lucky enough to try some horse meat and fermented mare’s milk from the locals, which certainly was a unique experience. This was one of my favourite countries for sure.
Mongolia
Mongolia was a unique experience for me; this country was one of the first unique destinations that I’ve travelled to, and I remember it quite vividly. We arrived one day late and missed one of the shows because the band missed our flight in Moscow. This was a massive curveball, and we had to scramble to find the next flights to Mongolia, which turned out very expensive.
That being said, when we arrived in the country, it was like nowhere I’ve been before. We were greeted by some locals who drove us to the venue. On the way, I remember the roads and buildings still being under construction, looking pretty run down, as well as a statue of Genghis Khan at the airport. What else struck me was the Cyrillic text everywhere, which was in high contrast to the locals who had an asian appearance, but I eventually noticed that this was common in central asian countries.
Beyond the developing city and road, I could see a beautiful landscape in the distance. The food was hearty and tasted very rich, My first dish was a lamb noodle soup that was delicious. I later found out that almost all the meat and food in the area was hunted and completely organic. Which made sense due to the flavours.
We played in a large upstairs club and, upon arrival,l were greeted by a group of enthusiastic locas who ranged from younger kids to older adults. Playing the show was a wild experience. Remember the entire hall being filled with metalheads, and as the show went on started jumping on stage, crowding all of us trying to play the set. It was truly unforgettable.
Timor-Leste
If you haven’t heard of Timor-Leste, I don’t blame you because I didn’t know this country before I played it either. It’s a small group of islands situated above Australia and next to Indonesia. After we ran in Australia, we played one show in this country, and it was probably one of the craziest experiences I’ve had. This is because we were the first international metal band to play this country ever, which is a really big deal for the locals.
The environment was very similar to other countries around Southeast Asia, and being bordered by Indonesia, the climate was more or less the same. You could see motorbikes and street food stalls around, locals stared at us being the very few foreigners that are visiting the area, but when we got to the venue, we were essentially swarmed by people, we could feel as if they’d never experienced an outside band before.
We played a massive open-air festival where the stage was set up outdoors with ample space for people to watch. I was pretty surprised because it looked almost the same size as a European festival stage or something in Australia. The gear was sufficient, and we had a few stagehands helping us out.
When it came to playing, at least one thousand locals were coming out to watch and maybe even more; it was hard to tell, but I can say it was a sea of people. When we played, everyone went wild, moshing and crowd surfing. The energy was incredible. Then, once the show was over, we were constantly swarmed for autographs and signatures. I wasn’t even able to change my clothes after the set. It was that intense.
India
Now India isn’t necessarily a unique country in itself, it’s a common holiday destination for many people and very accessible to the world. But the music scene there for DIY acts and smaller international bands isn’t too developed. When shows are put on, usually they’re larger festivals and big packages are put on in higher quality venues and sound.
When we played there, the vibe was a little more local, but the entire environment for me was truly intense. I’ve lived and travelled around countries in Asia before, but India was a completely different experience. The streets are an absolute sensory overload with loud noises, crazy traffic and a unique vibe I’ve never experienced anywhere else in the world.
I think Indian food is delicious, and during my stay, I made sure to try as much street food and Indian delicacies as possible. The first dishes I had were simple curries, but they were amazingly fragrant on a level I haven’t experienced anywhere else. I also tried some pani puri, delicious desserts and freshly squeezed juices on the streets. They were all delicious and extremely cheap, ranging from 10-20 cents to $1 in Australian currency.
The shows were unique, all were very DIY in local venues, but what I was amazed by was how similar the locals were to musicians in scenes back home. While the country and environment were completely different, we all shared the same interests and goals in music, and many of our favourite bands were the same. The show itself felt similar to playing shows back home, which made me feel connected with the locals.
China
When we want to talk about unique countries to play, I can’t ignore China as one of the list, while the country has some aspects I’m not particularly fond of, it felt very foreign and unique to be there. Before we even arrived, we had to film our entire set during a rehearsal in Denmark for the Chinese government. I assume this was to ensure that our music was appropriate to be played in their country.
The first thing I noticed when we got to China was the mass surveillance and cameras that were everywhere. Walking into the airport from the plane, I remember seeing at least 10-20 people just in one hallway, it was pretty confronting. I always heard that it was a bit of a surveillance state, but being there definitely confirmed that assumption. Aside from the surveillance, the country feels quite advanced and futuristic compared to Western countries, maybe we’re just behind.
We played our first show in Beijing, which was well attended. We were greeted with warmth and went out for some Chinese meals. What I noticed was that Chinese food was completely different to what I had in Australia and about 10 times better, no bland honey lemon chicken or sweet and sour pork. I found that every new city had its unique style, dialect and cuisine, no matter where you were in the country.
Beijing foreigners in China were a whole different thing and especially because we played in some smaller, less visited cities, so we had Chinese people approaching us often. Some were asking us for photos, others were asking us to hold their babies. It was pretty wild. The language barrier was very real, and almost everywhere we went, we found it difficult to communicate. It’s not like other countries where you can get by with English, you’re almost expected to know Chinese already.
That being said, China was still very high on my list for travel, not so much for shows or music, but to experience a country so different to any others that I’ve been to before was unforgettable. I would love to go there again and experience it as a tourist and spend a bit more time to soak it all in longer.
Conclusion
There are 6 of the most unique countries I’ve played, and a bit of a background of each one. Not many musicians get the unique experience of travelling so much so I hope you’ve been able to get a deeper understanding of what it’s like to have these experiences. But if you’re a musician or a traveller, I want you to know that with some work and planning, it is possible to go to these places. Don’t limit yourself to your backyard, the world is there to explore, so try it.
