Tour Diary: Olympia takes us on tour through the UK for The Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City & more

Fresh off the back of a whirlwind tour of the UK, Olympia is already on the road back home in Australia, playing with Paul Dempsey as he hits venues dotted around the place.  We were lucky to have seen Olympia and her fantastic band perform a few times while out in Brighton for The Great Escape, though the rest of her tour saw her hit up Liverpool Sound City and more before coming home.

Check out our behind the scenes look below…

Our last show of an incredible run of shows , new band mates and audiences. Thanks to Pirate Studios for having us.
The first day I had actually met our UK drummer and bass player, we locked ourselves in a room at Brighton Electric and rehearsed for 12 hours straight. As can be expected, things got weird and stokholm-syndromey.

Our first showcase as part of The Great Escape at Patterns, Brighton. This was such a cracking set, and we even had local hero Big Jeff (of VICE fame) pump his fists at this set. I initially thought he was waving, and so I waved back. My British band mates filled me in after the set. Thanks to Sounds Australia for hosting this stage, alongside other Australian bands Gold Class; Ainslie Wills; and Lisa Mitchell.
This shot was taken by Brighton local Georgie Dalbiac. We also have 30 mins footage of people’s back and heads if anyone is interested.
What we look like straight after a show! Our UK touring team emerging from Patterns after our show. Left to right: Olivia Bartley; Sarah Belkner (AUS); Marcus Hamblett (UK: Bears Den); Jools Owen (UK: Bears Den); and our Tour Manager Scott Humphries. A good TM is always on the phone.
Warming up for SoFar Sounds in a beautiful converted shop from the 1800s in Hoxton, East London. The SoFar experience was a wonderful introduction to playing to English audiences, and on the way home I saw a pack of domestic dogs running together and I wondered where they went for a good couple of hours.
On the way home from Liverpool Sound City – straight to Heathrow airport and the queues of travellers cut loose off their British Airways flights.
Waiting to load in – The Great Escape
I took my jet lag to the Tate Modern and drew strangers moving around the works within The Radical Eye exhibition. Wolfgang Tillmans’ exhibition ‘2017’ was incredibly inspiring. Each room curated by the artist, including research and news articles tying the work to the present day. Felt like being inside a Radiohead album.
Good gift shop – 5 stars. Hot tip – take the stairs.
The Great Escape
Having a laugh in the best company. (Also – I stole this picture from Lisa Mitchell)
Stockholm Syndrome (the band)
Fitting in some writing/drawing in between shows in London
Liverpool Sound City
My right hand woman, the artist and producer, Sarah Belkner.
Backstage at The Lock Tavern after our sold out headline show. This was our first headline show in London, and was a cracker, regardless of the spiral staircase load in.
BTS of a shoot with Wonderland magazine
Liverpool Sound City. The guys eating hamburgers pre-set in front of the world’s biggest brick building (according to Holy Holy’s Matt Redelich)
ost set, pre interview at the great Escape. Looking confident!
Brighton is great. I spent a day at the Rose Hill artist-run pub to catch acts as part of The Fake Escape, including Sarah Belkner and Emma Gattril. I put this photo down to exhaustion and craft beer.
Celebrating our final The Great Escape showcase with my right hand woman at the pub, both fighting off the inevitable touring cold. Highlight was the owners British Bulldog who walked around the pub.
Load in at Omeara, London
Playing solo at SoFar Sounds, London
nterview on the stairs. This guy’s grandpa (?) was in Mary Poppins
Lady outside Omeara
Love a spiral staircase load in

Ladies at the Flower Market, Hoxton
London Fields and The Dove

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