The World Cup

This time 4 years ago, I was about to spend the month travelling the globe, a road trip through Europe, hitting Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Amsterdam - then over to play 3 shows in America (New York, San Fransisco, LA), back to Berlin for a holiday, before heading off on what was probably Forward Russia's funnest tour with Youthmovies and The Scare

I'll always remember that time and the World Cup. I watched England vs Trinidad & Tobago midair over the Atlantic on a flight from New York to San Fransisco. I watched England vs Equador in a beer garden in Germany before playing a show to 5 people (including the brothers Foulger of Duels)

The defeat to Portugal was the strangest, that was watched in the departure lounge of East Midlands airport, a strange amend-um I headed on holiday to Berlin for a few days. We boarded the plan a Carragher took his first spot kick. No one really knew what had happened until we landed, but we everyone assumed we lost

In Berlin there were no games in the city, but Germany were playing Italy in the semi-finals - we watched the game in the fanzone in the Tiergarten infront of the Bradenburg Tor - part of an estimated crowd of 1 million people. Truely amazing

And we were pretty much on stage during the final at Oxygen Festival in Dublin. When we heard it was penalties we raced accross the site to see the final moments where everyone was crowded around a little TV set

This year, I'm immensely looking forward to watching as much of the World Cup at home with my friends, mostly I hope around the corner at Headingley Stadium, which boasts the largest outside screen in the UK.

Excitement has been increased and spurred on by a weekend recording again with Arthur Rigby & The Baskervylles talking almost non-stop football, football stickers and fantasy football. I make little apologies for the dominance the football will have on my twitter the next month.

Soundtrack to this post: Wu Lyf, Gayngs, Laura Marling