22 days and six countries. I’ve just flown across the world documenting Hippo Campus on tour. I’ve been traveling with this band for eight years and can’t believe it finally happened. Such a rare and beautiful thing— watching people sing and scream your songs in other parts of the world.

SEOUL, KOREA

In fact, I got teary in Seoul watching them headline a proper rock show. Minutes before they took the stage that night, I had been across the street getting a charcoal-roasted yam from 7/11. Something I couldn’t possibly ever eat or buy in America! 7/11 is a special place in Japan and Korea.

Anyway, the show was about to start and I was distracted walking back while watching a K-pop band headline a pop-up show outside our venue… I nearly missed Hippo Campus take the stage. So glad I didn’t because I nearly sobbed watching them do so with a sense of love and pride. We were greeted by the sweetest fans after the show and met even more wonderful folks early in the morning at the airport in Bangkok the next day.

BANGKOK, THAILAND

I think I’m good on airplanes for at least a month. We flew five flights with flight times over seven hours in the last three weeks. I watched seven movies— which maybe isn’t that impressive. Most of my time was spent trying to catch up on sleep after the late nights running across the cities… trying to take in as much food and drink in these beautiful places before we trudged back to the airport to do it all again somewhere new. I fell in love with the food in Japan.

TOKYO, JAPAN

We had some of the best catering in Thailand. Eileen, our amazing promoter in China, took us out for karaoke and delightful cocktails in Beijing… a ‘bachelorette party’ of sorts… since I get married in 3 weeks! Celebrating love on tour with my band of brothers is something I’ll never forget. We stayed out until 4am and woke up to play a show. It was Hippo Campus’s first time playing in China. The feeling of standing on the balcony looking out on the folks that gathered to hear the new songs live. Truly unforgettable. In Shanghai the people were so friendly, the culture so new and foreign.

Beijing & Shanghai, China

On Thanksgiving, we flew from China to the Netherlands and had “dinner” in the Delta Lounge at the Amsterdam airport. That was the most “on tour” I’ve ever felt… eating a piece of toast and drinking a black coffee after flying for 14 hours on an American holiday. We traveled through three countries on November 28th to land in London… for the final show of this three-week tour.

London, United Kingdom

The band played their biggest European headline show to date. It was a magical way to sum up a crazy 22 days around the world. Next year we do it all again across the USA. Can’t wait. 

Words & Photography: Brit O’Brien