Exodus’s Gary Holt Details Terrifying Experience Sailing Through a Brutal Winter Storm to Finland
Bands touring to and from Scandinavia and other parts of northern Europe are forced to utilize ferries for transportation, the water routes much more direct and faster than traveling by land. Those experiences can be quite scary in the midst of a giant winter storm, as Testament, Exodus and Death Angel found out earlier this week.
On a ferry between Sweden and Finland on Sunday night, February 9, all three bands ferried right through Storm Ciara/Sabine, which boasted 25 foot waves and a category ranking of 11 out of 12, and has so far has killed seven people.
Exodus guitarist Gary Holt took to Instagram the next morning to detail the experience, explaining that while their truck was trashed from all the turmoil and a lot of their gear was damaged, the tour is able to continue using a combination of working gear pooled together by all three bands.
Holt recounted the story in three separate posts, saying:
“Rough seas? I thought @70000tons was bad? Last nights ferry – cruise to Finland last night was on another level. Most insane thing I’ve ever experienced. Yeah, it was a little terrifying. Ship was getting tossed like a canoe. But we made it. The truck did not, but we all pooled our gear together so the show is ON!!!! Time to rock”
“Okay, after a little research on last nights storm, I know of three bands who got extremely lucky!!! 25 foot waves, category 11 out of a 12 scale, two out of five band members puking their guts out, it was FUCKING TERRIFYING!!! But we made it and I feel pretty fucking alive today!! But I’m kind of done with big wave ferry and cruise ship trips! Ugh! Time for some sleep tonight”
“Sitting on the throne while boarding the ferry from hell, to Helsinki! It’s all fun and games until someone starts puking!! Thought we were gonna put the “sink” in Helsinki!”
The remaining tour dates are as follows:
Feb. 11 – Tampere, FI @ Pakkahuone [tickets]
Feb. 13 – Hamburg, DE @ Docks [tickets]
Feb. 14 – Oberhausen, DE @ Turbinenhalle [tickets]
Feb. 15 – Wiesbaden, DE @ Schlachthof [tickets]
Feb. 160 – Utrecht, NL @ Tivoli [tickets]
Feb. 18 – Berlin, DE @ Huxleys [tickets]
Feb. 19 – Wroclaw, PL @ Orbita Hall [tickets]
Feb. 20 – Vienna, AT @ Arena [tickets]
Feb. 21 – Munich, DE @ Backstage [tickets]
Feb. 22 – Filderstadt, DE @ Filharmonie [tickets]
Feb. 25 – Milano, IT @ Live Club [tickets]
Feb. 27 – Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz [tickets]
Feb. 28 – Madrid, ES @ Palacio Vistalegre [tickets]
Feb. 29 – Toulouse, FR @ Bikini [tickets]
Mar. 01 – Paris, FR @ Elysee Montmartre [tickets]
Mar. 03 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy [tickets]
Mar. 04 – Dublin, IE @ National Stadium [tickets]
Mar. 06 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town [tickets]
Mar. 07 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy [tickets]
Mar. 08 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland [tickets]
Mar. 10 – Brussels, BE @ AB [tickets]
Mar. 11 – Hanover, DE @ Capitol [tickets]
[via Metal Insider]
