Read more
Dave Bate (Michael Crafter)
SPB: What is a hyped band, TV show, or movie that you just can’t get into?
Dave: I can’t get into anything metalcore. The fact that it is so big in this country is actually embarrassing. It is the worst genre of metal ever created.
Our band name and some lyrics are obviously a piss take on metalcore, its members and bands.
On a positive note, I reckon there are some amazing bands in Australia from other genres of metal, punk, and hardcore and we have a great scene over all. Check out Ether Rag, Vile Specimen, Christ Crusher, The Kill, Captain Cleanoff, Shackles, Extortion, and Hostile Objects.
Taylor Iversen (Abrams)
SPB: What club has the worst bathroom?
Taylor: Some notable Denver bands on the road like to take pictures of the various bathrooms they encounter with the addendum #TourBathrooms, so I'd say this question pitches right to our wheelhouse.
The worst bathroom we've found on the road so far is at The Blue Lamp in Sacramento. Don't get me wrong: the club, sound and staff are great, but the toilet doesn't even have a seat.
Locally, it's gotta be Carioca Cafe. The place is a legend to the Denver scene, no doubt: cheap drinks, loud music, and fun times, but that bathroom is something else. No amount of artistic and intricate graffiti can cover the ever present stench of sour shit-piss that seems to reside in that tiny little cell. Unisex by the way, and the door don't lock. You're gonna see some cocks. I guess that could be a plus depending on who you ask.
Check out #TourBathrooms on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on all the various pissers and shitters on the road, and catch us at any of the clubs below on our summer US tour for an in-depth look at the toilets we'll be blowing up across America.
Tom White (Frog)
SPB: What do you remember of playing your first live show?
Tom: We played 15 second covers as a house band for a live improv comedy show. We played between acts, but most of the acts didn't know we were going to play, so they would walk out and start talking, and then have to stop so we could belt out a few seconds of "The Scientist." We played one original song at the end of each night, and at that point our only song was "Nancy Kerrigan."
We played 5 or so of these shows before we had enough material to play an actual full set to an actual empty bar. That was an amazing time for us. Huge thanks to Danny Jolles.
Matthew Ryan
SPB: Is there a regional food you look forward to when you tour?
Matthew: One of the best parts of touring is getting to enjoy the local culture and foods. My times in Italy stand as my favorite experiences, meal after meal. Late night focaccia fresh out of the oven in some ancient square to absorb a fair amount alcohol stands as a particularly memorable medicine. Or some incredibly warm drink that traced a warm light through my insides after a great meal in Bologna. Still don't know what the name of that drink was. In the northeast US there's a ton of great foods: Philly Cheesesteaks, Hoagies, New York pizza, Disco Fries and inventive omelets at Greek diners and family owned restaurants. The Meat and 3s of the south. And the tex-mex of Texas. Toronto is an amazing food city of just about anything you'd want. Old Quebec too. Edinburgh, Scotland stands out as well for all the great meals and Scotch. And I'm reminded of a dish I had in Stockholm that was meat, potatoes and a raw egg. Simple and out of this world. And finally, it was a slow love for the ploughman's sandwich in England. Initially boring and odd to me, I find now that I can't wait for another one. Oh and banana milk in Germany. It goes on and on.
