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By: Sander van den Driesche
Last September I was lucky enough to see Pallbearer support the mighty Yob at Audio in Glasgow. Before that show I had a brief chat with the guys as well (which you can read here). Pallbearer is now back in Europe again playing their first European headline tour, with Echoes and Dust favourites blackened doomsters Bast as support. I asked Pallbearer a couple of questions to follow up from our previous chat. Please read on…
(((o))): So, another big European tour and this time as headliners. How does that feel?
PB: It’s been fun, man. Great crew this time around and every show has been enjoyable.
(((o))): Just before coming over to Europe just now you also played Psycho California. How was that? Did you see any bands you really wanted to see at Psycho California?
PB: That was great too. We had a day off the day after we played and got the opportunity to see OM for the first time in years. Overall it was an awesome fest.
(((o))): Since I saw you last time supporting Yob in Glasgow you had a bit of a rollercoaster of a year I think (and it hasn’t even been a full year yet!). You had a couple of big North American tours, the Decibel tour with At the Gates, Converge and Vallenfyre and your headline tour with Mortals and Sólstafir. How do you still enjoy all this touring as it must be quite hard?
PB: We did another headline tour with Tombs and Vattnet Viskar. All of it has been cool. Definitely a bit exhausting at times, but we love playing music and I feel like that helps drive us to do what we’re currently doing.
(((o))): Which if the tours you’ve done so far stood out above the others?
PB: The Yob one was obviously a standout, they’re an excellent band and fantastic people. Every tour has had its high points for many different reasons, and sometimes lows as well, but they’ve all been memorable in their own ways.
(((o))): You’ve spent 6 weeks or so in a van with Mike Scheidt. Touring with someone like Mike these must be extremely inspirational. Anyone else in particular you really want to share the van with sometime soon?
PB: Well, getting to spend time with Mike from Yob was enjoyable for sure. Lots of good stories between everybody. Not sure who the next set of tour-mates might end up being, and normally it’s just us in our own vehicle, with the only exception so far being the tour with Yob, so it’s a little tough to think from that perspective.
(((o))): With all the tours that you’ve been doing I’m wondering if you had any time at all to work on a new album? Will there be a new album soon?
PB: We actually have been working separately on things and are very excited by what we’ve shared amongst ourselves, but I don’t want to get into any specifics quiet yet since we’re still in the middle of our current album’s touring cycle.
(((o))): Are you focussing on a lot of old material during this tour or will you be playing some new material as well?
PB: It’s almost always a mix of both.
(((o))): I remember you were saying in Glasgow that you guys seem to have a lot of gear problems when you’re on tour, like amps that stop working on stage and so. Have you managed to break this curse yet?
PB: It’s been better but of course when we’re each running a large amount of pedals, plus finicky tube amps, things may occasionally happen. I can’t remember any major incidents since Glasgow though, honestly.
(((o))): You’re playing with Bast this European tour, which are one of my favourite UK bands at the moment. Their style is a bit louder and blackened than Pallbearer’s style though. How much say do you have in bands who get to support you on tour?
PB: We generally work with our management on this, and can generally veto any ideas that we’re not totally into, but Bast are great, both musically and as tour-mates. It’s been enjoyable being on the road with them.
(((o))): Do you like playing with different type of bands on tour rather than with bands that play very similar things?
PB: Definitely prefer a wider variety of bands to make things less monotonous. It makes for a better and more interesting overall show, in our collective opinions.
(((o))): Last year was a very doom heavy year with loads of amazing releases, but personally I think this year is a bit weaker on the doom front so far. What records have impressed you so far in 2015?
PB: I don’t really listen to doom metal that often. I do enjoy the new Bell Witch album quite a bit. There haven’t been very many new albums that I’ve heard that have really stuck with me. I generally prefer listening to older music, progressive rock, krautrock, etc. and exploring records I haven’t heard from the past more so than keeping up with current releases.
(((o))): As a band that tours so much all over the place, you’ll no doubt have some great or funny anecdotes you can share with us…?
PB: There are so many, but the most recent one is when Mark tried to ignite a fart in the Marvel Comics offices in New York City. He’s successfully done it maybe hundreds of times, but so far no luck in a world headquarters of a well know publication…yet.
(((o))): Anyway, I hope I’ll manage to come to your Glasgow gig again and if I do I’ll make sure to come over and say hi!
PB: Thanks! Look forward to seeing you!
Remaining European tour dates:
May-27 – Zurich, CH – Rote Fabrik
May 29 – Barcelona, ES – Primavera Sound Festival
May-31 – Bristol, UK – Temples Festival
June-1 – Glasgow, UK – Broadcast
June-2 – Birmingham, UK – The Rainbow
June-3 – London, UK – The 100 Club
June-5 – Porto, PT – NOS Primavera Sound
June 30 – Oslo, NO – BLÅ
July 1 – Gothenburg, SE – Truckstop Alaska
July 2 – Roskile, DK – Roskilde Festival
July 3 – Nijmegen, NL – Doornroosje
July 4 – Wiesbaden, DE – Schlachthof Wiesbaden
July 6 – Milano, IT – Arci Lo Fi
July 7 – Bologna, IT – Freakout Club
July 8 – Roma, IT – Traffic Live
July 9 – Padua, IT – Radar Festival
July 10 – Vienna, AT – Mind Over Matter HEAVY MUSIC Festival
July 11 – Erfurt, DE – Stoned from the Underground – Festival
