What It’s Like To… Tour Europe with an Egyptian Independent Artist

I remember watching my favorite artists’ tour vlogs and thinking that I could never. Sleep on a bus, meet a billion people every day, wipe the tiredness off my face to look fresh every night, and then do it all over again. But when my sister-in-law, the independent Egyptian artist Felukah asked me to join her on the European leg of her Hibiskiss Tour, I thought why not try? How often does a journalist get such an intimate glance into the adventures of a recording artist? 

The first thing I learned is that the tour bus is a luxury. If you have back-to-back shows on both sides of the Alps, you need to be on a plane every day at 7am. So we booked flights from London to Düsseldorf to Basel to Munich to Berlin to Amsterdam to Paris, trusting that she would arrive in time to grace the stage in each of those cities. And somehow she did, though not always with ease. Here’s a lesson for every stop I joined on the tour.

Düsseldorf, Germany: you always have less time than you think

I met Felukah in Düsseldorf at a hotel that was sheep themed. We had both caught a cold, so we went to eat Ramen soup and got lost in conversation. Next we found ourselves putting on makeup in the Uber to the venue. Before I knew it, the show was on (I didn’t even see the opening act) and over and I was scrambling to lay her merch out on a table. 

Falayek (Felukah fans) swarmed to the t-shirts, tote bags and caps, asking for my PayPal details and handing me cash – except I didn’t have any change and Felukah, too, had forgotten her wallet. Back at the hotel, I set my alarm for 5am, knowing that I can jump out of bed and get into an Uber within fifteen minutes. At 5:15am, Felukah got up and made a Cappuccino. At 5:40am, the Uber driver refused to take us, because we had too many bags. A replacement taxi came at 6am, racing us towards the airport just in time to miss the bag drop by six minutes. We missed our first flight. You always have less time than you think (especially if you’re an African in Europe).

Basel, Switzerland: make the crew part of your community 

Quickly having to book a new flight and arriving much later than planned, we got to Basel and headed straight to soundcheck. The venue was an old boat with a beautiful restaurant where we had dinner with the crew and the fantastic opening act Sirens of Lesbos. Our sound guy was from Venezuela, our light guy was Swiss and Sirens of Lesbos are East African Swiss. We bonded over our shared love for music and the world, and became friends so quickly that the show felt like a party, rather than a concert. When a drunk man yelled sexist obscenities at Felukah while she was on stage, a group of people immediately felt called to protect her and kicked him out. Make the crew part of your community and a place you’ve never visited before will feel like home.

Munich, Germany: size doesn’t matter 

The next day we took the train to Munich and were met by Mehdi, a Tunisian promoter. He lifted our heavy suitcases in the trunk despite his bandaged middle finger, so when we got into the car Felukah cut straight to the chase: “What happened to your finger?” At this point of the tour, there were no more formalities or small talk. 

We were particularly excited for the Munich show as it had sold a lot of tickets. The set was longer and I had stepped up the efficiency and aesthetics of my merch selling game. We’d somewhat overcome the cold and were ready to drink the wine that we’d left untouched in all the other green rooms. 

But Munich was a tough crowd. Though the venue was full, many people simply stood and stared as Felukah encouraged them to dance and let loose. Unlike Basel, where a smaller crowd had jumped around from the first song, she had to work hard to get Munich moving. We already knew this to be true, but once again: size doesn’t matter. It’s the willingness to dive into joy and make the most of a concert that does. 

Berlin, Germany: music is about collaboration 

Mosaic band, who had played in Munich alongside Felukah and the stellar Tunisian duo Benboo, also performed in Berlin. This time, the audience was much more motivated. Felukah looked forward to meeting them again, this time able to actually enjoy their concert instead of hearing it from backstage.

“Collaboration is really the best thing about making music,” she said, excited about the possibility of collaborating with them in the future after we had danced in the crowd for hours despite our hurting feet. “On tour, it’s all about getting to experience somebody else’s show within your show.”

Zurich, Switzerland: leave your comfort zone

We wanted to eat fondue in Zurich, but of course we had less time than we thought. Instead, Felukah took photos with a group of fans after the show and we ended up outside the venue, beatboxing and sharing life stories in a circle until late. “That was my favorite part. I want to know what makes my listeners connect to my music,” she says. “Even though the people in Zurich live a very different life to me, I connected with them spiritually and they inspired me.”

Amsterdam, Netherlands: vulnerability brings connection 

When we got to the venue in Amsterdam, it was vibrating with the sound of an ongoing concert. A peek into a massive theater room surprised us: Slayyyter, who had just sold out Madison Square Garden, was performing just before Felukah. The explosive energy overwhelmed me, I was already holding on to the last 5% of my energy, but it gave Felukah a boost of inspiration. 

She went on stage in a much smaller theater, performing for a much smaller audience, and peppered her set with personal reflections on what it means to be an independent artist trying to make it in a flailing financial and attention economy. How sometimes she doubts herself and whether she should continue on this path. How she has sometimes fallen into the trap of comparing herself to her peers and focusing on other people’s careers rather than her own. And how finding out that she’s performing at the same venue as Slayyyter was a sign that she’s on the right path. How seeing another woman win made her feel proud and ready to take on the world as well. “I was more incentivized to be vulnerable, because I could see into everyone’s eyes,” she says about the show which ended with the entire crowd on stage, dancing alongside her.

One week after our first show in Düsseldorf, I’m sitting in a cafe in Amsterdam and stretching my aching limbs. Touring with an independent artist means hauling merch between countless hotels and venues, getting the bare minimum of sleep, and doubling as an assistant, tour manager, merch seller and emotional support. Touring is not glamorous, it’s hard work. But every night when Felukah came alive on stage and made me dance despite the tiredness, I was sure that she’s doing what she’s meant to do.

As an Afropean, I saw how much her presence meant to SWANA communities in Europe who are looking for artists that look and sound like them, and are willing to stand up for a free Palestine and speak about the war in Sudan. She might not be on the biggest stages yet, but Felukah brought a breath of fresh air to Europe at a time where young people are craving just that.