After completing a UK tour in support of As It Is earlier this year, alt-rock quintet Grayscale will return to the UK later this month for an appearance at Slam Dunk Festival. We caught up with bassist Nick Ventimiglia to hear his top tips and stories from the road.
Favourite thing about touring:
Just being able to travel around the world and play music to new faces with your best friends for the better part of each year in so many different cities.
Least favourite thing about touring:
The long drives and not knowing where you’re going to sleep some nights. That’s also the fun of it though.
Five essentials for the road:
Dry shampoo, clean underwear and socks, listerine, headphones, and a sleep mask. A sleep mask is vital.
Your favourite way to pass the time: In the van it’s probably just roasting one another or listening to our favorite music. Or shit music to laugh at.
“The Most”
Memorable moment:
I’m sure it is different for all of us, but for me it was playing The APMA’s last year. It hit me when I was standing next to Corey Taylor of Slipknot/Stone Sour and I thought to myself, “How the hell did I get here”? It was just surreal being able to perform in front of so many people, with so many amazing bands and to be included in that group of artists was an honor.
Hilarious moment:
It has to be when we left Collin at a gas station somewhere in Colorado. It was super early in the morning and our photographer Jordan was driving and he walked to McDonald’s next door and Collin went to the bathroom in the gas station. Since we were all sleeping in the back Jordan didn’t think to look back. He thought we were all sleeping until we got a call from Collin’s brother about 30 minutes into the drive telling us we left him.
Embarrassing moment:
We haven’t had any terribly embarrassing moments yet to be honest, but I’m sure if you give us another year, we’ll have an arsenal.
Outrageous moment:
I think it was playing to a sold out crowd in London with our friends in As It Is, WSTR and Like Pacific. 1,400 screaming fans who know all your lyrics and you’re so far from home. That, to me, is outrageous.
Drunken moment:
Wish I didn’t have to pick one, but since I do, it was the last show of our first tour with As It Is in the States and we were all on As It Is’ BandWagon and we were all pretty lit. Very lit. We had friends with us partying and Foley from As It Is (as always) was a raging animal. Our drummer Nick Veno weighs probably 130 lbs soaking wet and barely drinks, but within a split second, Foley takes a handle of Captains, grabs Nick, and shoves this thing right in Nick’s mouth. I’ve never seen a man’s eyes get so big looking like he was drowning in spiced rum. He took it down and made it out alive thank god. We partied on the bus until pretty late, but that being our first full U.S. tour made that last night very memorable for those who can remember it haha.
Rewarding moment:
It hasn’t happened yet, but being able to announce being a part of the final cross country Vans Warped Tour this year is the most rewarding thing for me so far. Flashing back to my first time at Warped in ‘05 and feeling that rush as a teen being able to see some of my favorite bands was such a wild feeling. Fast forward 13 years later and now I am a part of that same tour. The beauty is that the teenage rush is still there, I’m just on the other side of the barricade this time.
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See Grayscale live at one of the following dates:
May
Sat 26th – LEEDS – Slam Dunk North
Sun 27th – HATFIELD – Slam Dunk South
Mon 28th – BIRMINGHAM – Slam Dunk Midlands
