Hints were dropped last fall of a return trio to Europe from San Francisco’s Glitter Wizard to herald the arrival of their Hollow Earth Tour full-length and alliance with Italian label Heavy Psych Sounds, and beginning April 8 on the first of several Italian dates, that stint will begin. Its trajectory leads the Californians toward a closeout set at Desertfest Berlin 2017, at which point they’ll have been on the road for three weeks solid, playing in the aforementioned Italy as well as France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium. I say or at least think this about nearly every European tour I see — BECAUSE I’D VERY MUCH LIKE TO TOUR EUROPE, THANK YOU — but it looks like a damn good time.

You’ll find the dates below, snagged from Heavy Psych Sounds on the social medias with all good intentions.

Dig:

Glitter Wizard – European Tour April 2017

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS Records & Booking is very proud to announce the European dates for GLITTER WIZARD

The band will be on tour promoting their latest album “Hollow Earth Tour.”

The tour will feature as last date the mighty Desertfest 2017!!

08.04.2017 IT Pescara-Scumm
09.04.2017 IT Castel D Ario-Hostaria
10.04.2017 IT Zerobranco-Altroquando
11.04.2017 IT Trieste-Tetris
12.04.2017 IT Erba-Centrale Rock
13.04.2017 IT Parma Tba
14.04.2017 FR Eisenheim-Woodstock Guitar Shop
15.04.2017 CH Ins-Schuxenhouse
16.04.2017 CH Olten-Coq D’Or
17.04.2017 DE Karlsrhue-Akk
18.04.2017 BE Liege-La Zone
19.04.2017 DE Stuttgart-Goldmarks
20.04.2017 AT Innsbruck-Pmk
21.04.2017 AT Bludenz-Villa K
22.04.2017 IT Caldaro-Kuba
23.04.2017 DE Freiburg-White Rabbit
24.04.2017 CH Basel-Swartze Erle
25.04.2017 AT Salzburg-Rockhouse
26.04.2017 CH St Gallen-Rumpeltum
27.04.2017 DE Cottbus-Zum Faulen August
28.04.2017 DE Erfurt-Tiko
29.04.2017 DE Berlin-Desert Fest

Glitter Wizard:
WENDY STONEHENGE: “Master of Ceremonies,” vocals / flute / lyrics / piano
LORFIN TERRAFOR: “Minister of defense,” guitar / vocals / piano / percussion / bong
KANDI MOON: “Ambassador to Hollow Earth,” bass / vocals / acoustic & electric guitar / piano
FANCY CYMBALLS: “Minister of Transportation,” drums / tecate
DOUG GRAVES: “Minister of Records,” keys / synth / organ / violin / vocals

https://glitterwizard.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Glitter-Wizard/77619029508
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com/

Glitter Wizard, Hollow Earth Tour (2016)

A couple weeks ago when Desertfest Berlin 2017 announced Saint Vitus as its final headliner, the festival noted that it was in the process of partnering with other promoters on smaller shows to surround the fest proper and, ultimately, enrich it. I’m assuming that this teaming up with Italian imprint Heavy Psych Sounds to bring Farflung, Giöbia, Duel and Glitter Wizard to the bill is the first realization of that idea. Hard for them to pick a better first pairing, frankly. I’ve gone on at length about the depth of work Heavy Psych Sounds has done over the last however many years, so I’ll spare you that, but suffice it to say they’ve more than earned this showcase, and if anything, they could no doubt add to it easily.

Still, a cool addition for Desertfest Berlin 2017. From the PR wire:

Desertfest Berlin 2017: FARFLUNG, GIÖBIA, DUEL, GLITTER WIZARD (Heavy Psych Sounds Records)

“HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS” NIGHT

We are thrilled to announce four more bands today, all invited by the Italian label Heavy Psych Sounds Records! Heavy Psych Sounds specializes in Heavy Psych, Stoner, Retro Rock, Vintage Rock, Proto Punk, Sludge, Acid Rock, Doom, Space Rock, 70 Rock, Garage Psych and Fuzz Blues. They released more than 50 albums with great bands such as Nick Oliveri, Karma To Burn, Black Rainbows, Farflung, Fatso Jetson, Mos Generator, The Freeks, Glitter Wizard, Wedge, Sgt Sunshine and many more!

FARFLUNG (USA)
Internationally recognized as torchbearers in the contemporary space rock scene, Los Angeles-based cult band Farflung is ready to bring the universe sound at DesertFest Berlin! Imagine, as if the bastard child of Amon Duul ii and Hawkwind arose from the ashes of America… stark and glimmering… bathed in the energetic glow of the Stooges… one last cup raised to the lunatics and wishing for wounds… They have set their course for the farthest reaches of the universe…

GIÖBIA (IT)
Giöbia has been one of the most influential psychedelic bands in Italy over the last years. Seduced by the lysergic side of the ‘60s, by exotic mantras and the evocative power of space-rock, Giöbia is a band with many facets and one only faith, that is to turn every encounter with sound into a psychedelic experience.

DUEL (USA)
Duel is heavy psychedelic stoner doom metal from Austin, Texas, hugely influenced by the darker sounds of early 70’s Proto-metal. The band features two ex Scorpion Child (Nuclear Blast) members. Their sound is menacing and brutally old school. Total purists, their tunes cut right to the bone with heavy, deep groove and blistering tone. Tough and Loud! Hard rock as it should be!

GLITTER WIZARD (USA)
This band of California rifflords pillage the best of vintage hard rock while keeping their laser eyes on the future, creating a unique brand of oddball psychedelia. Their onstage performance is a glammed-up force to be reckoned with and they’ve been taking their act on the road from the West Coast all the way to Europe.

Previously confirmed for this year’s DESERTFEST BERLIN: SLEEP, JOHN GARCIA & BAND (playing songs from Kyuss to Slo Burn), SAINT VITUS, BONGZILLA, SAMSARA BLUES EXPERIMENT, MARS RED SKY, LOWRIDER, 1000MODS, STONED JESUS, TOUNDRA, ECSTATIC VISION, SUMA, MAMMOTH MAMMOTH, THE COSMIC DEAD, PONTIAK, TUBER, SATAN’S SATYRS, WUCAN, VENOMOUS MAXIMUS, THE WELL, GOLD, RIFF FIST, ODD COUPLE, TSCHAIKA 21/16.

DESERTFEST BERLIN 2017 will feature more than 50 bands in total! Remember that you have until Wednesday, February 1st to buy your tickets for 85€ (visit our Website, or use the links below in this release). After that, the weekend pass will be 95 €.

http://www.desertfest.de/tickets
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestBerlin
http://woolheads.com/shop-2/festivalmerchandise/desertfest-berlin-2016-early-bird-ticket-action-1/
https://shop3.ticketscript.com/channel/html/get-products/rid/4MGC3S6H/eid/327518/validity/any_day/language/en

Giöbia, Magnifier (2015)

San Francisco glam weirdos Glitter Wizard have signed to Heavy Psych Sounds for the release of their next album, Hollow Earth Tour. The alliance continues the label’s successful run of Californian hookups — see also: Wild Eyes SF, Farflung, Hot Lunch, Fatso Jetson, etc. — and when it comes to Glitter Wizard, they strike me as the kind of band who are way too busy writing the next album by the time the current one has been released to worry about the particulars. Nonetheless, their strange, vaguely subversive and often catchy heavy rock and roll was most recently heard from on the earlier-2016 7″ Life Under Traffic/Circle of Kings, neither song from which will be featured on Hollow Earth Tour, which is out Oct. 21 with preorders going live Sept. 30 and two songs streaming now.

What’ll you think they’ll call the tour?

Album art, announcement and tracklisting follow, courtesy of the label:

Glitter Wizard – Hollow Earth Tour

21 OCTOBER 2016 RELEASED IN: LP / DIGIPAK / DIGITAL

As the group enters its ninth year, Glitter Wizard are set to release their most ambitious album yet. Hollow Earth Tour is a concept album of sorts; chock-full of reptilian overlords, underwater fascists, and inner-earth explorers. This band of California rifflords pillage the best of vintage hard rock while keeping their laser eyes on the future, creating a unique brand of oddball psychedelia. Their onstage performance is a glammed-up force to be reckoned with and they’ve been taking their act on the road from the West Coast all the way to Europe.

Lipstick stains on the rim of a bong.

Hollow Earth Tour tracklisting:
Smokey God
Mycelia
The Hunter
Scales
Stoned Odyssey (pt 1/2/3)
Fungal Visions
UFOLSD
Sightseeing with Admiral Byrd
Death of Atlantis

EUROPEAN TOUR PLANNED FOR NEXT SPRING.

Presale 30 September.

Glitter Wizard:
WENDY STONEHENGE: “Master of Ceremonies,” vocals / flute / lyrics / piano
LORFIN TERRAFOR: “Minister of defense,” guitar / vocals / piano / percussion / bong
KANDI MOON: “Ambassador to Hollow Earth,” bass / vocals / acoustic & electric guitar / piano
FANCY CYMBALLS: “Minister of Transportation,” drums / tecate
DOUG GRAVES: “Minister of Records,” keys / synth / organ / violin / vocals

https://glitterwizard.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Glitter-Wizard/77619029508
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com/

Glitter Wizard, Hollow Earth Tour presale tracks

Every year at Roadburn, there are a couple bands — guaranteed, without fail — whose sets you want to watch but don’t get to. Maybe you’re somewhere else seeing a once-in-a-lifetime show or reunion or one-time-only thing or maybe you just get the schedule wrong and miss it. This batch of Roadburn 2014 audio streams has the three bands I most regret not seeing at this year’s fest: Freedom Hawk, Inter Arma (pictured above), and Aqua Nebula Oscillator. I wouldn’t have minded catching Anciients, Hark, Glitter Wizard or The Old Wind either, but those three stung particularly hard.

In the case of Inter Arma, their single-song 2014 full-length, The Cavern, has made a considerable splash on the Readers Poll so far, and like their fellow Virginians, Freedom Hawk, they were a band whose schedule just didn’t match my own. At least I can hear what I missed out on, thanks to Marcel van de Vondervoort and his crew, who’ve returned again with another diligently gathered round of primo live recordings. As we move closer to 2015 and the next incarnation of the festival — Roadburn 2015 has a few lineup announcements left, but it seems to be by and large set — all the better to cap off the year that was by tying up such loose ends.

Check out the streams on the players below, snagged from the Dutch website Vpro 3voor12:

Anciients – Roadburn 2014

Aqua Nebula Oscillator – Roadburn 2014

Freedom Hawk – Roadburn 2014

Glitter Wizard – Roadburn 2014

Graves at Sea – Roadburn 2014

Hark – Roadburn 2014

Inter Arma – Roadburn 2014

The Old Wind – Roadburn 2014

Thanks as always to Walter and the Roadburn crew for permission to host the streams. For the other batches of audio from Roadburn 2014 — there’s some stuff worth digging for — click here, here, here and/or here, and to read the coverage from this year’s fest, click here.

Roadburn’s website

Marcel Van De Vondervoort on Thee Facebooks