ICED EARTH drummer Brent Smedley has checked in with the sixth installment of his European tour diary. All of Brent's diary entries can be read at the official Iced Earth website.

"Hello once again for the 6th installment of the road rage report from The Worldwide Wicked Tour Chapter 1: Europe.

After the Scandanavian gigs we traveled back to Hamburg, Germany to play The Markthalle. This venue holds a very special and historic signifigance for the band as it was the very first place for Iced Earth to play in Europe. The band has played there on every tour with the shows always being amazing.This night was no different… the show was absolutely amazing. The band was in top form and the crowd was intense and enthusiastic for every note. There were some record company people and some old friends in attendance as well. All opinions were that the show was totally awesome. The Markthalle is located in a neat area of town, just a short walk from a massive indoor/outdoor train station which I was able to visit.

The next gig was the last show in Germany in the town of Stuttgart. The venue we played is called The Longhorn, a very peculiar place. The walls are adorned with massive paintings in the style of Michelangelo meets Heavy Metal. There is also a small internet cafe area upstairs in the backstage which was most appreciatted by myself and many other members of our touring party. This day held special signifigance for Iced Earth and our crew. Today (October 30, 2007) the bus driver Guido proposed to his girlfriend Ute (who is on tour as well and in training to be a bus driver herself) after soundcheck. He came on stage and asked her to be his wife over the microphone and in front of all of us and Ute’s mother and friend. She came to the stage and gladly accepted a rose and Guido’s hand and of course said YES. Afterwards a champagne toast was shared to celebrate this momentous occasion. We were most honored to be a part of this.

So onto the gig… the crowd was massive and very intot he show and the band played very well once again. Larry Grohman, the creator of the Larry amp, was also in attendance. He brought Jon a newly modified guitar head, as they are working on a Jon Schaffer signature model which will be available in the near future. The next day we traveled to Paris, France to play a show at The Elysee Montmarte. Happy Halloween! This is somewhat of a pain in the ass gig for the crew as it is a “drop and go” gig, which means when we arrive after the equipment is unloaded (as fast as possible) the bus must leave and not return until we are ready to depart. The traffic in Paris is horrible and that is the reason for this situation. This was a rather large venue and we were blessed/cursed with some of the smallest dressing rooms on the tour complete with a broken toilet and a shower which leaked through the wall (a first for the tour).

We did a photo shoot right before we hit the stage. The crowd here was absolutely phenomenal. This venue was in a very vibrant part of town with all kinds of shops and stores lining the roads.The next show was in Tilburg, Holland at a place simply called 013. This was an extremely nice venue with spacious dressing rooms, great catering, and even a free foosball table in the backstage area. This was definitely one of the best crowds on the tour so far. It was a massive hall and was packed to the back and on all the balconies. This show was another great one for the band.

I must say that the people in Holland are some of the nicest in Europe. We were able to visit with some of them after the show and were thankful for their hospitality. There were some nice statues and a gothic cathedral within walking distance of the club, I was very grateful for the chance to get some pictures of these things as well of some great shots of the crowd. The show was another absolutely amazing one with the crowd simply eating up every note and begging for more.

The next night we played the final show of the headlining portion of the tour in Antwerp, Belgium. It was another packed house, a great way to finish this portion of the tour. The band played exceptionally well. The crowd was amazing also. I dedicated my performance to my father (Jack Richard Smedley) who passed away on this day November 2 in the year 1975. It was like I could feel his presence watching over me during the show - several times I felt chills running down my spine. It was sad to part ways with the opening bands – Turisas and Annihalator and their crews as well. We had a couple of departures as well; Udo the physical therapist, stony the Merchandise guy, and Paul the light man. Best of luck to all of them.

So now it is off to the UK for 11 shows in support of Heaven and Hell and also with Lamb of God. Stay tuned for exciting news and updates from the road… the tour should proveto have a monumental finish. I am happy to say that Jon’s ribs have pretty much healed and the bronchitishe has been battling with seems tobe on the mend as well.

METAL LIVES - Brent."

Iced Earth is currently on tour in support of HEAVEN AND HELL in the UK. Remaining dates include:

November:

9 - Manchester, England - Evening News Arena
10 - London, England - Wembley Arena
11 - Brighton, England - Centre
13 - Birmingham, England - NEC
14 - Cardiff, England - International Arena
15 - Nottingham, England - Arena
17 - Plymouth, England - Pavilions
18 - Bournemouth, England - BIC