Horse the Band left the confines of their California homes and embarked on a self-financed, three-month world tour that took them to some of the strangest places on earth. They played in 38 countries, crossing though 45, and learned the meaning of 'Desperate Living,' which is also the name of their latest album, their first for Vagrant. Guitarist David Isen encapsulated the best and worst of the global trek, where he and his cohorts racked up plenty of stamps in his passport.

The worst? "I feel bad, but the worst places were full of nice people. The Italy show sucked. We played in giant auditoriums designed for 1,000 people and there were 50 people there. Italians have that reputation of being passionate, but they were boring when watching our show, like they were 'too cool' to get into it. The worst shows were in Turkey which is sad, since it was so cool to be there, and the people were cool. I think we bankrupted the promoter."

The best? "Moscow. And there's Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur. Moscow was the biggest headliner we've played. We took a red eye, had a nap and woke up right before the show. We were confused and drinking, and they kept giving us more of their good vodka. [Vocalist] Nathan [Winneke] had a broken shoulder, and he looked like an android with a brace on his arm. It's a vague memory, because we were all so drunk, but the videos look fun. Malaysia has a huge hardcore scene there. There were 500 people there, and it was on the third floor of a Buddhist temple. There was no ventilation, so it was the hottest show we've ever played. The people in the crowd look miserable, like they were about to die. We played naked, practically, since we were so wet."

Most 'I Can't Believe It' Moment: "China and Romania blew our minds. We saw the city of Wuhan in China. That a place like that exists is mind-boggling. It was polluted, and it's not even one of the top 10 most polluted cities there. In the rivers, there is s---. The kids have these pants with easy access 's--- holes' in them. They can squat without taking their pants off and the hole opens. We took the ferry across the river and ate a fish from the river, because there is a famous quote about how you haven't lived 'til you've eaten the fish from this river. We didn't get sick. The ferry toilet is a hole going straight into the river. 20 feet away, there were people swimming. Romania is in Europe, but it was like the most 'third world' place we visited on whole tour. We didn't get to Bucharest, but we were in the countryside, where roads are torn up and horrible. You are competing for space on one road with horse-drawn carriages. At night, the sun goes down and the wild dogs come out. They roam the streets in packs, following you around."

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