2019 is the year of touring for Demob Happy, who completed their biggest UK headline tour to date in Spring, tour Europe with Royal Blood and now gear up to tour extensively through North America with Band Of Skulls, before returning to the UK for a run of dates supporting The Amazons. We caught up with the band ahead of their US tour to hear their top tips and stories from the road!
Favourite thing about touring:
Getting to take our music directly to fans, and our music taking us to cool new places.
Least favourite thing about touring:
Probably being professionally homeless.
Five essentials for the road:
Books – for mind occupation/expansion/escapism.
Notebook + Pen – to capture fleeting ideas and write out last minute setlists.
Playing cards – to rob your band mates at ‘dollar-black jack’.
Tequila – for tequila.
Loud-ass portable speaker – for upward dressing room vibes and shaking asses.
Your favourite way to pass the time:
On the last US tour we we’re averaging something like eight hours a day on the motorway. On a long drive we tend to cycle between chilling out, reading books, or listening to podcasts, and then blasting loud music and thrashing out/singing along.
“The Most”
Memorable moment:
So many. Every single time we nearly died in the RV we toured in 2017 is burned into our minds. Especially the awning catching the full gust of a desert cross-wind and going up like a giant sail. We briefly turned in the Black Pearl and got ripped off the road in a hail of sparks. Followed by Tom climbing on the roof in the wind to cut it off with a kitchen knife.
Hilarious moment:
It wasn’t that funny at the time but we still chuckle at Adam getting strip-searched on the Sweden/Norway border when we were on tour with Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes. Actually it was funny at the time.
Embarrassing moment:
Tom mis-judging a lady at the merch table for being pregnant. The. Worst. He has learned his lesson.
Outrageous moment:
Gigging on top of a mountain.
Drunken moment:
Adam not knowing he met Josh Homme.
Rewarding moment:
Our sold-out show at The Garage in London on our last headline tour was a really incredible moment. It wasn’t just a crazy gig, it was special, you could feel it in the air. Everyone sang every word and every riff to every song at the top of their lungs. It was humbling.
Demob Happy tour throughout America next month with Band Of Skulls, see them live at one of the following dates:
September
Sun 1st – NASHVILLE, TN – The Basement East*
Wed 4th – SANTE FE, NM – Meow Wolf*
Fri 6th – SOLANA BEACH, CA – Belly Up*
Sat 7th – PHOENIX, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom*
Mon 9th – DALLAS TX – Trees Dallas*
Tue 10th – AUSTIN, TX – Mohawk*
Wed 11th – NEW ORLEANS, LA – Tipitina’s*
Thu 12th – PENSACOLA, FL – Vinyl Music Hall*
Fri 13th – BIRMINGHAM, AL – Saturn*
Mon 16th – NEW YORK, NY – Webster Hall*
Wed 18th – PHILADELPHIA, PA – Union Transfer*
Thu 19th – WASHINGTON, DC – 9:30 Club*
Fri 20th – CLEVELAND, OH – Beachland Ballroom and Tavern*
Sat 21st – TORONTO, ON – Mod Club Theatre*
Mon 23rd – DETROIT, MI – El Club*
Tue 24th – CHICAGO, IL – Thalia Hall*
Wed 25th – MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Fine Line Music Café*
Fri 27th – DENVER, CO – Marquis Theater*
Sat 28th – SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Urban Lounge*
Mon 30th – VANCOUVER, BC – Venue Nightclub*
October
Tue 1st – SEATTLE, WA – Neumos*
Wed 2nd – PORTLAND, OR – Wonder Ballroom*
Fri 4th – SAN FRANCISCO, CA – August Hall*
Sat 5th – SANTA ANA, CA – La Santa*
Sun 6th – LOS ANGELES, CA – The Mayan*
November
Fri 8th – BIRMINGHAM, UK – O2 Academy^
Sat 9th – LEEDS, UK – O2 Academy^
Mon 11th – NOTTINGHAM, UK – Rock City^
Tue 12th – NEWCASTLE, UK – O2 Academy^
Wed 13th – GLASGOW, UK – The Barrowland Ballroom^
Fri 15th – MANCHESTER, UK – Academy^
Sat 16th – CARDIFF, UK – University^
Sun 17th – BRISTOL, UK – O2 Academy^
Tue 19th – BOURNEMOUTH, UK – O2 Academy^
Wed 20th – NORWICH, UK – UEA^
Fri 22nd – LONDON, UK – O2 Academy Brixton^
*w/ Band Of Skulls
^w/ The Amazons
