What Do You Get When You Stuff Sad Punk Into a Van?
You get The Murderburgers on tour - a loud, chaotic, sweaty, frequently broken-down adventure across the U.K., Europe, the U.S., and Japan. Their tours weren't just musical journeys. They were full-blown emotional rollercoasters held together with duct tape, stale crisps, and a borderline concerning amount of caffeine.
These weren't luxury bus, hotel buffet-type tours. No sir. This was punk in its purest, scrappiest form: crammed into the back of a van with busted gear, bad directions, and the ever-present scent of socks that had seen things.
The Grind: DIY Until You Die (or Nap)
From their earliest days, the Murderburgers did it all themselves - booking shows, driving vans, lugging gear, fixing flat tires, and somehow still managing to smile through it all. Well, most of the time.
- 💀 Played nearly 100 shows a year at their peak
- 🌍 Toured across 30+ countries
- 🏠 Slept on floors, sofas, benches, and probably a pile of amps once
- 🧃 Survived mostly on gas station snacks, Red Bull, and nervous energy
Fraser often joked that being in the Murderburgers was like having the worst job in the world that you somehow loved. And that's exactly the vibe of their tours - absolute chaos, with a weird amount of heart.
Highlights from the Punk Roadmap
🇺🇸 U.S. Tours - Big Highways, Bigger Hangovers
The Murderburgers hit the States multiple times, often teaming up with fellow pop-punk legends like Masked Intruder, The Dopamines, and Teenage Bottlerocket. They played everything from seedy bars in the middle of nowhere to sweaty basements packed with 50 kids who knew every word.
Fraser once lost his passport on tour. Another time, their van caught fire. They also got offered weed in the parking lot of a Dunkin' Donuts in New Jersey. Punk rock is unpredictable, folks.
🇪🇺 European Tours - Beer, Bikes, and Brilliant Gigs
Europe loved The Murderburgers - and the feeling was mutual. Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy - all turned up hard for their blend of sadness and speed. Some nights, they'd play to massive crowds at festivals. Other nights? Just a few confused locals and one very enthusiastic dog. It all counted.
But whether they were playing Rebellion Fest in the U.K. or a squat show in Berlin, the energy was the same: loud, heartfelt, and sweaty as hell.
🇯🇵 Japan - Pop-Punk Paradise
One of the absolute highlights of their career was touring Japan. Fraser described it as "the best shows of our lives" - not just because the crowds were amazing, but because everything worked. People showed up. The gear worked. The venues had functioning toilets. It was... weirdly perfect.
They even got fan art. Imagine being a DIY punk band from Glasgow and finding someone halfway across the world made a comic about you. That's the kind of beautiful weirdness punk rock makes possible.
What Made Their Shows Special?
It wasn't just the music (though that absolutely slapped). It was the vibe. A Murderburgers show felt like a punk rock support group meeting, but with more distortion and less hugging. Everyone was welcome - misfits, weirdos, wallflowers, screamers, dancers, criers. All of 'em.
Fraser's stage banter was half stand-up comedy, half therapy session. He'd tell brutally honest stories between songs - about anxiety, heartbreak, or being trapped in a van with someone who eats boiled eggs - and then rip into a two-minute anthem like his life depended on it.
Tour Life in Fraser's Own Words
"There were moments on tour where I was crying in a van in Croatia wondering if I'd made a huge mistake. But there were also nights where a kid in Belgium screamed my lyrics back at me and I thought, 'Maybe this was all worth it.'"
- Fraser Murderburger
If that doesn't sum up touring in a punk band, what does?
Tour Mishaps (Because, Of Course)
- ❌ Van broke down in the middle of nowhere... twice. Same tour.
- 💸 Got paid in pizza and beer more often than actual money.
- 😬 Played one gig where the power cut out mid-song. Kept singing anyway.
- 🤢 Fraser once vomited before a set, played the gig, then vomited again. Dedication.
The Final Lap: The Goodbye Tour
In 2019, after the release of What A Mess, the band hit the road for what could be their final full tour. It was bittersweet - part celebration, part farewell. The crowds were huge. The love was real. And the songs hit harder than ever.
They played like a band with nothing left to prove - and everything to give. And for many fans, that tour was more than a concert. It was closure.
Why Their Tours Still Matter
Because they embodied what punk should be: honest, wild, community-driven, and gloriously unpolished. Their shows were safe spaces for misfits and messy people. They were loud therapy sessions where screaming along felt like healing. And that matters.
The Murderburgers didn't get rich touring. They didn't get famous. But they connected. Deeply. Across continents. In vans, basements, bars, squats, and festivals - they made people feel seen. That's the good stuff.
Were You There?
If you caught them live, you know. If you didn't? There's still hope.
- 📼 Check out bootleg videos and live sets on YouTube
- 📷 Search Instagram tags - there are tons of sweaty, blurry show pics
- 🧠 Or just close your eyes, crank up What A Mess, and imagine the sweat and feedback
Important Considerations:
The Murderburgers on tour weren't about glitz. They were about guts. About showing up when you're exhausted, singing your soul out even if your voice is shot, and connecting with people in the purest, no-BS way possible.
They may not be on the road anymore, but their tours live on - in the memories, the busted vans, the basement graffiti, and the ringing in your ears that still hasn't gone away. And really, isn't that kind of beautiful?