About this interview
In a 2008 interview with Ryan Minic of Ryan’s Rock Show, Erik Engstrom of Horse the Band shared insane tour stories from their DIY World Tour, reflecting on the hardships, unpredictability, and sheer chaos of taking their music across the globe.
One of the most terrifying moments of the tour happened while landing in Malaysia. The band was convinced they were going to die as they skimmed over treetops with zero visibility of the runway. Out of nowhere, they were suddenly five feet above the ground, and the landing was so rough that everyone on the plane freaked out.
The chaos didn’t stop there. While driving through Moldova to get to Ukraine, they ran into serious problems with the military. They tried passing through Transnistria (a heavily militarized breakaway state), only to be turned away by the Moldovan army. With no working GPS or cell service, they ended up on dirt roads in unknown villages, terrified that if they accidentally entered the restricted area, they’d be detained, have their passports taken, and be forced to walk back at gunpoint. After eight hours of complete confusion, they finally found a way into Ukraine—only to miss their show entirely after driving 27 hours straight without eating.
Another show got canceled in Greece for a completely different reason—Nazis burned down the venue. The venue was a youth center that supported underground music and activism, and the band was notified a week before their show that far-right extremists had set the place on fire. Rather than try to reschedule, they played a last-minute gig in Hungary instead.
Despite the insanity, the band managed to play nearly every show on the tour, missing only four gigs out of 80+ shows—which, considering the obstacles, was impressive. They maxed out five credit cards, racking up $50,000 in debt just to fund the tour, but managed to break even by the end. At one point, Erik even rode the New York subway carrying a paper bag filled with $33,000 in cash, after converting money from 32 different currencies.
When it came to accommodations, it was a mix of hotels, hostels, promoter-arranged apartments, and crashing on random floors. They refused to use contracts for the tour, believing that DIY should remain DIY, even if that meant losing money or taking financial risks. However, this led to some sketchy situations, like a promoter in Singapore charging them $1,200 for drinks without telling them, wiping out most of their show earnings.
Adding to the mayhem, their singer, Nathan, broke his shoulder mid-tour in Germany when fans pulled him off the stage but didn’t catch him, causing him to land headfirst on concrete. He continued playing shows for another week before they finally got X-rays in Moscow, where a doctor confirmed his collarbone was broken and advised him to stop performing immediately. Instead, Nathan wrapped his shoulder, powered through four more shows, and finished the tour in pain.
Reflecting on the experience, Erik said that the tour reinforced his belief that the traditional music industry was obsolete. They had just pulled off a self-booked, worldwide tour, proving that bands didn’t need major labels, agencies, or industry insiders to succeed. Despite all the chaos, financial risk, and physical pain, he said he’d do it all again in a second, calling it the most fun, rewarding experience of their career.