Bali Tour Vlog (vapes, beach clubs & James Smith)

Key Takeaway

Force yourself to build a 'rest ethic' with the same intentionality you build your work ethic. If you struggle with productivity dysmorphia—waking up feeling already behind—treat recovery like an athlete treats game tape. Program trips with friends, disconnect from work apps, and know that you're fighting an addiction to productivity. You'll slip up, but over time you'll improve at truly resting.

Episode Overview

Chris Williamson documents his first tour across Australia, New Zealand, and Bali, performing educational spoken-word shows while reflecting on his journey from a lost 20-year-old meditating on a Bali rooftop to selling out venues across Asia. The vlog captures the challenges of touring, the importance of friendships, and insights on productivity, regret minimization, and personal growth.

Full Transcript

Transcript of Bali Tour Vlog (vapes, beach clubs & James Smith) from Modern Wisdom. Auto-generated from episode audio; may contain minor errors.

10 years ago, I was on a rooftop just like this, trying to learn to meditate, trying to work out what I wanted to do with my life with no idea what direction I wanted to go in, desperately trying to uncover where my life should lead next. And then 10 years and thousand podcast episodes later and I've sold out a super club on a Wednesday. Save the most challenging for last. I've conquered New Zealand. What have we done? freezing. freezing. We're going to New Zealand. The most southernly point in the what?

World. World. World. No, it's not around us. It is the most southerntherly point around us. What's below it? Antarctica. Antarctica. Antarctica. Oh, you mean that sheet of ice? Anyway, go to New Zealand. Never been before. I'm excited. Sad to be leaving Australia. Excited to be going into New Zealand. Then Bali. Then who knows where? Who knows where? There's a war on. I might just move to Bali. [ __ ] it. It's beautiful. We are off to Mordor. I'm going on an adventure. Hello. Nice to meet you. No way.

Yeah, I've been following you for years then. It's just weird to see you on the flesh. That's true. Yeah, I jump scare people on trail walks around New Zealand. Regulate me. Regulate me. Regulate. Regulate. Regulate. Regulate me. You know, during the crowdwork portion, what if at one point on each show, what if I ask for a local slang word? Isn't that fun? And then you could react to it in real time. Like time. Like time. Like it means the hell is that? [ __ ] what? [ __ ] what?

[ __ ] what? Fancy little meditation for 10 minutes here, Max. here, Max. here, Max. Dude, happily. Yep. I don't mean to uh play into the stereotype. There's a lot of [ __ ] sheep. Why won't you detect my whimsy? Oh, Oh, Oh, [ __ ] off. [ __ ] off. [ __ ] off. Whimsy not detected. Completely undetected. undetected. undetected. He knows my whimsy. I mean, you've got to feel like a piece of [ __ ] to be on this side. The the sheep that's on this side of the fence. So close and yet so far.

You know what's mad? In 2 days time, we're going to be flying to Bali to sniff vapes for a week. So, I really do need this regulation in order to offset what the next seven days is going to feel like. Day drinking on a plane into sniffing vapes in Bali. First, my nervous system will be recharged by that sheep. You're [ __ ] incredible. just on the other side of the planet playing in front of one of the most beautiful ceilings I've ever seen. One, two, three, four.

What's that? What's that? What's that? Five, six, 7, 8. See this? See that Chris at the end? James, what's it say? My toilet. It's locked. Hello. Hello. Hello. Who's in there? Uh, it's the guy who's headlining the show tonight. This is a power move. got his own. Come with me. See this huge dressing room. Biggest dressing room. Chris on it. He has his own bathroom. Private bathroom. Private toilet. Yet he's chosen to [ __ ] in my bathroom. Wait till there's a meet and greet. Soon as the Q&A starts, I'm going to [ __ ] in his dressing room and I won't flush.

I feel good, dude. I'm in the rhythm of it. I guess when you think about bands and probably comedians as well, the first few shows are them finding their groove, finding the rhythm of tour. Problem is if you're only doing eight dates and got that long before you're in the middle of it and now we're in the back half of it. So yeah, I feel good. Oh, big VIP. All right, back in a bit. What's happening people? Hi. Hi. Hi. I just want to know what's it like coming to these uh far away colonies in the other side of the world to speak to him.

him. him. It's a really lovely question. I started talking to people on the internet and now I'm in New Zealand speaking in front of a thousand strangers. It's [ __ ] bizarre. I mean, especially when I come to places like this that are just so beautiful and you know, obviously steeped in history and just some bloke from the northeast of the UK that lives in America and is doing this thing now. It's crazy. What's the biggest limiting belief that I've had to break through in business? And business is an interesting one because started running a business when I was 18.

So, the business thing wasn't that big of a deal. What changed when I started to do the podcast was that so much of me is in the pod. If I don't have a good night tonight, it's not even that I had a bad performance. It's that I'm a bad person. Like the the degree of distance between what I do and what I produce is essentially zero. Like there's a little bit of professional distance, but even if you're a musician, you go on stage and you don't hit the high notes or you you do something, it's like you performed badly.

But if I go out and I say something that offends people or that sounds stupid or that's poorly researched, it's like, "Oh, that's that's like almost the middle of you." Right. Bring yourself back around, Christopher. Christopher. Christopher. Time to wake up, Christopher. Hey. Do you think your younger self that was bullied, would he be proud of you? And what would be the best advice that you could give him? Do I think that my younger self that was bullied would be proud of who I am now?

And what would be the best advice that I could give him? Opening up gently. Thank you. I don't think he would recognize me to be honest. I barely recognize me and I've been here the whole time. I don't think I ever assumed that I would amount to anything particularly special. I didn't feel very special in school unless being on the outside is the special part. What would I tell me from school that was being bullied? I'd tell him that he's not on the outside. I tell him that he doesn't need to fear things, that he's not alone, that he's doing great, that he's trying, that the fact that he is like a chord being played on a piano, but there's one note that's out and he's always felt like the note that's out, it's not his fault.

And you're in incredibly good company because there's millions and millions and millions of people like that all around the world that are just the one note that's out on the chord that's being played. It doesn't mean that you're you don't matter. It doesn't mean that people don't care. just means that you need to work a bit harder to find your tribe. And I'd pick him up and give him a hug and tell him that I'm proud of him. I want to learn a local swear word, something that only would exist here, either in this country or ideally something that's just from like the South Island.

Have we got one? Can someone give me some different words? Jaffer. Jaffer. Jaffer. Jaffa. Jaffa. Jaffa. What's J? Like Jaffa cake. Just another [ __ ] Oaklander. Oaklander. Oaklander. Oh, brilliant. Oh, brilliant. Oh, brilliant. Yes. Let's [ __ ] go, dude. Thank you, Jaffer. Well, so I'm going to Aland tomorrow, so I know you could have stitched me up. You could have said it's actually their favorite word. They love being called it. Ladies and gentlemen, I've been Chris Williamson. Thank you so much for coming to see me tonight. Bring it in.

Family photo. You were amazing tonight. So, Spangly, I should have won that talk. talk. talk. There should have been a group discount. How'd that show go? Good, man. Really good. Great response. Show's feeling dialed. This venue is just so absurdly cool. Feels very British. Not to recolonialize the New Zealanders, but it was great. Just a good [ __ ] show. Good night. But travel day and show day tomorrow. Then 9h hour flight on Monday. So I'm going to go to bed. Let's have a look. See you. See you.

See you. See you See you See you right next right next right next two. So, there's no flights going in and out of Oakland. I don't think that we might not be able to go to Oakland for the Oakland show this evening. The weather may clear up. We could still be going to Oakland. This is just the realities of of touring. When you've got one show one day and then another show the next day in a different city or sometimes a different country, it just makes things a little more interesting.

Cancelled a bunch before us. They're not letting flights land in or take off in Oakland at midnight. Worst case scenario is they cancel their flight economy. Ara economy. Ara people. people. people. Oh no, don't get this on camera. 4 hours of delays. We made it to Aland. Going to go straight to the hotel, straight to the venue, and then 9 hours to Bali tomorrow. Oh yeah, today's been a lot of waiting. Flight got delayed by 4 hours. Got up early. Only had 4 hours. I was delayed for longer than I slept today.

So, uh, very good. Got in the bus, went home, tried to sleep for half an hour, couldn't. Had some pizza. Now I'm here. Here we go again. Another night out here with all my friends. Oh [ __ ] here we GO AGAIN. ANOTHER NIGHT OUT here with all my friends. I got a text from the crew in my hometown. It said be ready to roll. I'm ready to die so they don't have to ask me. Yeah, cuz they already know. I turned on the radio. They're playing. The boys are backing down.

The boys are backing down me up. There ain't no way I'm going down. down. down. could do with a nap. Might have a nap. Here we go again. ANOTHER There's been a few breakins in the area. And because of that, I bought a big black baseball bat the other day and it lives in my bedroom and I've been laying there at night thinking tonight could be the night. And I'm getting excited. Imagine they break into my house. I probably would let them get in. I don't want to scare them off, you scare them off, they're going to come back.

So, and again, genuinely, this is a real tactic that I'm working through. If they try breaking in, I'm going to get into position. I'm going to try not to get too excited. Like, even now, I feel like their hair is going up on the back of my neck. I'm thinking I'm going to hide in the dark, maybe at the top of the stairs, wait until they're awfully in the house, and they're going to expect me to go, "Oi, get out. Get out of my house." But instead, I'm going to wait for him to get real close and say, "Hello, boys.

"Hello, boys. "Hello, boys. Imagine hearing that from the top of the stairs, right? Imagine just saying, "I've been waiting a long time for this, boys." Now, to freak him out a little bit more, I'm thinking I could get my [ __ ] out. So, imagine this. Baseball bat in one hand, tiny [ __ ] in the other. I've been waiting a long time for this, boys. boys. boys. But yeah, so the educational talk again, ladies and gentlemen, Chris Williamson. I learned the word jaffer. yesterday yesterday yesterday in Christ Church.

I would like to give you the opportunity to teach me an Oakland slur of some kind. Can be against people from Christ Church. It can be against anybody. I I'm trying to collect local swear words. Uh so is there anything interesting? Sheep shagger. Sheep shagger. Sheep shagger. Empardo sheep shagger. Sheep shagger. Sheep shagger. Sheep shagger. Just sheep shagger. Yeah. Okay. That feels a little bit like a cell phone. Self own. Is it not? Are there not lots of sheep like here too? We don't shag sheep up in Oakland.

That's exactly what you would say. In life you have to choose your regrets. Regrets are unavoidable because you don't get to run life back and see if the decision that you made was the right one. You're never going to get to see what would have happened if you taken that other route, but you might see other people that did. The difference between I genuinely want that and I'm just intrigued to know what it would be like to have it. It's actually kind of difficult. Grass is always greener.

But given the fact that you don't get to run life back, I think a good heristic for you and for anybody as well is regret minimization. So don't think about what decision you want to make. Think about what regret you couldn't bear living with. with. with. And typically that gives us a lot of clarity around big difficult decisions because what do you want? It's kind of hard and nebulous. It's tough to grasp onto. It's like trying to catch smoke. But what could you not bear living with the regret of absolutely amazing how it was structured flow the storytelling through Chris and how he like brought in real world examples.

Overall, just a thoroughly introspective and enjoyable experience. Go into debt if you have to and come and see the show. You've just helped me be a better partner, better man. Um maybe more of a hard worker. Proud the way that he talks about detaching from the materialistic world and not falling into trap of escapism is valuable. The work he's doing is amazing. Breaking through deeper issues in society. I think he's an amazing role model to males. podcast saved my life, man. Got me through a hard time and I couldn't feel emotion before I um listened to it.

Like could never felt emotion in my life. So like it means a lot, man. Thank you. Thank you. I'm glad you're here, dude. This one's called twisting the middle. What What What is it? is it? is it? What the [ __ ] is going on here? Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. Dude, what happened? Little sleep for a long All right. Oh, [ __ ] That was like three. That was like a multiple orgasm. Y show seven done. That was awesome. Oakland is fantastic. And now we're leaving New Zealand and we're delayed again.

But it's fine because the flight to Bali is only 9 hours. So, uh, what does it matter if it's another hour or two? Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter about any of it cuz spirits are high. They're they're not. My morale my morale has hit a little bit of a a wall, dude. First gig in [ __ ] Asia. Is this Asia? We're in Asia, right? Indonesia. Indonesia's country Asia Indonesia in Asia. First gig in Asia. Where should you be? Grab one now. I've got We got six. Can you get three more time for the bus I I have a lot of ideas.

This one of the better ideas I've had. Do a tour and then tack seven days on the end and only do one show and do it in Bali. as ideas go. I need we've been on planes and [ __ ] hotels for so long. They need to see some sunlight and move a little bit. It's hot, but I'm It's mostly that I'm unfit. I'm just My my main problem is my fitness and my strength and my skill and my speed and my endurance. Those are the main issues.

main issues. main issues. It's good. So much fun. I've done maybe two sessions of boxing this year, but uh I just I [ __ ] love it so much. It's one of the few things that happens that makes the entire world stop. When you're in the middle of a flow, you're not thinking about anything. Can't think about anything else. So I came out to Bali 10 years ago on my own. It was a month-long summer trip and I was trying to learn to meditate. So I bought a book like a little book reading these meditation strategies and I was in fact let me find out what that hotel is called.

the Coad Surfer Hotel and I would sit on the rooftop pool, one of the little beds, sun would be rising over the rice patties, be sat with my little book trying to meditate, failing, failing, failing, and 10 years later, I've just sold out my first event in Asia complete. What the, you know, the seeds were being sewn that me trying to tap into, okay, who am I? What do I want to do? Who do I want to be? achieve a lot of success, but is it fulfilling me in the way that it's supposed to or what's a bigger game that I should be playing?

And I'm going to try I'm going to go to this place that I didn't really know anybody else and come out here. I didn't know anyone that was in Bali. Came out completely on my own. Met some Australian friends. [ __ ] wild. Life's crazy when you work hard and stuff. and stuff. and stuff. The ass burn on the way down, but after a couple I threw back like a pro. Nobody screaming tonight is for the boys. Tonight for the boys see the venue from here. Lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky.

At the Super Club. See you tonight. tonight. tonight. Last show of tour. Last show of tour, man. It's only been two weeks of show. Uh, but 3 weeks of tour. And this one feels very foreign. You know, Australia can kind of be a bit like the UK, a little bit like America. Definitely in a different country now. Selling this out feels way bigger than the Apollo in London or Sydney. This one feels way bigger. What? What? What? It's just It's just It's just I don't know.

[ __ ] Asia. Middle of Asia, dude. So far away from home and sick. 10 years ago, I was on a rooftop just like this, trying to learn to meditate, trying to work out what I wanted to do with my life with no idea what direction I wanted to go in. Desperately trying to uncover where my life should lead next. And then 10 years and thousand podcast episodes later and I've sold out a super club on a wedd. It's pretty bizarre. My goal for the next couple of hours is to just relax.

Lock in, but relax. So, I might I might just stay here. I might bring my laptop up, catch a bit of a tan, might get a mjito, turn up at the venue, and hope that everything's put together. You need to go. You should You need to go. You should go now. Bye. This is a nightclub. So they don't do shows at this stature. To have a spoken word show in a nightclub where you've got a system, PA system specifically designed or tuned for nightclub music. And then we've got the other issue as well as the availability of certain equipment that's here.

Oh, wooden. Oh, wooden. Oh, wooden. And we're also working with people that don't do spoken word very much. So they're not used to the lighting cues. So we're having a little bit of trouble with a language barrier. They do not speak English. We do not speak Bolognese. Trying to figure out the best way of conveying that information. It's a challenge. We've got to pretty much teach them how to work in this environment. environment. environment. We like a challenge. This is about as challenging as we can make it.

Save the most challenging for last. We did biggest show first and most challenging show last. show last. show last. It also means that when we're at a point where we have the least amount of energy, we actually have to expend the most amount of energy. We have to use the most brain power. Yeah, this is this is very much a show where we actually don't know how it's going to pan out completely. This could be really smooth. It could be really clunky. We just don't know.

It's been a tiny bit stressful. All of this is happening. All this frustration, unbeknownst to Chris, I wonder what he's doing. Not every venue has a rice patty outside the backstage entrance. Just in case I didn't feel like I was in Bali enough. That's some extra Bali for you there. Oh yes. Cool. Oh yes. Oh, this feels more like home. Finally. Finally, I found a stage that feels a bit more normal. Probably the coolest [ __ ] venue ever. This is [ __ ] madness. What have we done? done?

What have we done? I think let's just take what we doing with Chris. Get rid just get in some EDM. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Bit of trance and let's just turn this into a party. You know what? You know what I've heard happens after this, June? What's that? What's that? What's that? Two hours of massage across the street. Yeah. Yeah. Done. Done. Two hours of foot and hand massage across the street. All kinds. All kinds. All kinds. Bare feet. Meet and greet. Meet and bare feet. You have been balanced.

I've been completely [ __ ] I've gone native. I've gone feral. Right. You have an issue. In order to do an entrance to get to the DJ booth takes about 3 seconds. To do an entrance to get to the stage takes about 20 seconds. I can [ __ ] jump this. You could do awards. awards. awards. I don't know the fun police like you just just you blow your ankle you get the rest of the show sat down like a pain. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage Chris Williamson.

I actually need to run around this way. [ __ ] Not that way. Woo. Woo. 1 2 3 4 I declare fun war. Listen, Listen, Listen, don't forget your roots. All right. Don't they know? Look, look, look, look how humble I am. Honestly, this is my new life and my old life life life clashing together at the same time. If I could be on the front door with a clipboard and love it. Just got a little present for you. Oh no. Um, hey, that's the best photo as well of the whole trip.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, let's go, let's go, let's go, dude. dude. dude. Thank you. Appreciate it. Well, Well, apparently, uh, I don't have the insurance that Steve Aoke does, so I'm not allowed to jump off there. So, you need to give me about 10 seconds to get around here, TO GET TO HERE. THERE WE GO. UH, THIS IS my first headline in Asia and I struggle to be truly present if my level of productivity isn't what I wanted to be and where I expected it. Oliver Burkeman's got a great name for this.

He calls it productivity dysmorphia. Every day I wake up feeling as if I am already behind. And only if I dominate my entire day flawlessly will I have dragged myself back up to some minimum level of acceptable output so that I can go to bed that day without feeling like a loser. [ __ ] nods across the It's like one of those like Churchill nodding dogs across the entire room. Game recognizes game as they say. Tactically, what I would do and what I what at least has happened to work for me is forcing breaks.

We always talk about building up a good work ethic. No one ever talks about building a good rest ethic. And you need a good rest ethic. So, treat it like a pursuit, right? You need to treat recovery, if you're an athlete, with as much attention or maybe even more attention as you do going and doing game tape. So, program some trips in, get your boys, go Thailand, go Bali, do whatever it is that you want to do. But know that that's your challenge, right? You're a drug addict.

You're a drug addict. And your drug is productivity. productivity. productivity. Just all right. It's going to take time. You're going to get it wrong. You're going to open Slack. Ah, you open Slack on a Saturday and Uber. [ __ ] It's okay. Over time, you'll get better and better and better. and better. and better. Chris has got a really good way of putting thoughts that I've had in my head for years, but like very clearly explaining. I'm definitely feeling more motivated. motivated. motivated. I'm taking away so much.

It's going to take me a few days just to process to do it. it. it. There's a balance to find between productivity and not squandering away the time and making excuses for why you can't go and be the best version of yourself. yourself. yourself. You came all the way from Hong Kong. Holy [ __ ] Holy [ __ ] Holy [ __ ] What stands out about Chris in general? The depth in his thinking. So, it's not necessarily, oh, here's the answer. You know, it's like this could be an answer, but there's a thousand variables that can go into this answer, and the context of that answer matters.

I just want to say thank you so much for restoring my faith into British men. Do you hear that, British men? I am a one-man band saving you from having bad branding for [ __ ] Romanian women. It was so nice to see him in reality and also to share this experience with other people because I'm always just listening to the podcast on my own and just to share this experience with like-minded people. It was just incredible. Oh, he's got the backup. Nice to meet you. Hours here from China.

You've made such a strong impact in my life and I just want to thank you for doing your podcast. It's so it's made more of a propound impact than you would have imagined. This is just the sickest thing. It's the absolute [ __ ] sickest thing. It feels like a full circle moment for me. This is the last show of this run. We've done all of Australia, including cities I didn't even know [ __ ] existed. I've been to the North and South Island of New Zealand, and I finished it up here within 500 m of the place that I came out on my own when I was lost.

And this means an awful lot. I [ __ ] love you all for being here. I love you all for being a part of my audience. It means so much else to say, guys. This is the end of tour. I [ __ ] love you all. Thank you. Good night. That's it, baby. [ __ ] done. [ __ ] done. [ __ ] done. Australia, New Zealand, BALI DONE what's up? what's up? How are you? Today's the day that I'm flying home. I have a 30hour commute ahead of me to get back to Austin. It's a nightmare, but I've just got to enjoy some of Bali since the show.

Finally got to chill out. No obligations, no anything. It's been beautiful. I don't have any deep philosophical insights. I think I just really [ __ ] enjoyed my time with my friends and it was great. And we got to travel around three countries and go to a ton of cities I've never been to before and have a [ __ ] ton of experiences. Hanging out with your friends is one of the best things. And being able to do it on a shared mission is even better. And then all right, you're sleepd deprived or tired or somebody's ill or someone's got barley belly or you've got a sound check in 30 minutes.

But it's been great. Everything's been so fant. I mean, I think back to the day that I landed and I'm with Jimmy Carr on the beach having just had lunch with Tim Mion and Jimmy's looking after our kit. Now, that was 3 weeks ago. Also, 3 weeks without recording a podcast cuz I did so much work before I came out here. So, I'm looking forward to getting back and doing that. That's going to be sick. We've got a new studio. There's so many huge guests coming up and I can't wait to do that.

More of the hanger style episodes, which I'm excited for as well. I feel I wouldn't say revitalized. That might be a little bit too gentle for what's happened, but uh it's good. It's been exciting. I've got some adventures in, which has been sick. I hope you guys have enjoyed it. It's been mad doing it. And uh we've got another tour in the UK and Ireland in October, so it won't be long and we'll be back on the road again.