Horror Dance Squad - CRAZY TOUR STORIES

Join us as Horror Dance Squad tells you a crazy stories from being on the road.

Horror Dance Squad - CRAZY TOUR STORIES

In this Crazy Tour Stories segment, the modern metal band, Horror Dance Squad, shares one of their stories from being on the road. You can check out the story below:

Sardines in the Baltic Sea
Late October 2024, we had a two-gig weekend with Friday night in Tallinn, Estonia, and Saturday night in Mikkeli, Finland. Friday night’s gig was part of the Emo Night series we were playing with a handful of other Estonian bands from the modern metal scene—complete with costumes and covers. We finished around 2:00 a.m., packed up the van, and got home around 3:00 a.m. With our ferry leaving at 7:00, alarms were set for 5:00.

Awaiting us was a two-and-a-half-hour ferry ride to Helsinki and a similarly long drive to Mikkeli. Our motto that evening was: we’ll sleep when we’re dead. Or, hopefully, on the ferry.

Delirious and giddy from the night before—and excited about the upcoming gig—we arrived on board the ferry and immediately booked a four-bed cabin with the hope of grabbing a couple of hours of much-needed sleep. With five band members and a crew of three (lights, sound, and merch), we were packed in the cabin like sardines in a tin can. Ian (vocals) and Henri (drums) immediately—perhaps somewhat selfishly—climbed to the top bunks, claiming the most comfortable spots for the ride. Four of us occupied the bottom bunks, while two guys sprawled out on the floor.

We were extremely tired, but also extremely hungry. Knowing that as soon as the ship left port the restaurants would open, our merch and lighting guys waited behind the door of Burger King. They were the first customers when the doors opened. Their order: 16 double-cheese burgers (and one veggie burger for Ian). Kudos to the workers—they didn’t bat an eye at the absurd, early-morning request, and they made the most delicious burgers we had ever eaten (of course, when you’re in that stage of delirium, you’re not very picky).

With full bellies and an ear full of bad jokes, we finally settled down to get as much sleep as possible before we arrived in Helsinki. And, of course, the announcement for passengers to return to their cars came far too soon. We pulled ourselves together, getting off the bunks and off the floor. As soon as we opened the cabin door, the cleaning crew was waiting to do their work before the ferry made its return trip to Tallinn. As the eight of us spilled out of the cabin, the look on the cleaning lady’s face was priceless—something to the effect of, “How the hell did all of you fit in there? And you bastards better not have left a huge mess…”

Like smelly sardines, we packed ourselves back into the tin can that was our van and began the drive to Mikkeli, where we played a killer gig with the killer band, Bloodred Hourglass.

Touring with your bros is never about comfort—it’s about creating memories with your friends that will last a lifetime.

Keep up with Horror Dance Squad on their website, YouTube, Spotify, Facebook, and Instagram.