Greek punk rock quartet DESPITE EVERYTHING have teamed up with IDIOTEQ to discuss sharing stages, mics, inflatable beds, passion for long drives and punk rock in conjuction with their recent Spring tour with UK punk band GNARWOLVES. Check out this late interview and stream some of the new tracks from the band’s upcoming album “Trails”, coming up later this year. The band is currently on another European run, with loads of gigs detailed below. Dive into their stories of touring below!
Photo by Christos Sarris.
Hey there guys! How did you team up for this lengthy trek? How did you get linked up with Seitan Booking?
Hey there! It all happened after our man Jack, the mastermind behind Seitan booking contacted the GNARWOLVES about spending some time on the road with us. Then there was talk and talk and boom… magically it happened. We teamed up.
When’s the last time you hit the road big time? How much sis you miss touring?
Our last tour was last winter supporting VODKA JUNIORS on their Greek tour. Abroad, our last big one was at the end of 2014 with our friends ASTPAI on their record release tour. Got to admit that we ‘ve been anticipating the moment we will hit the road again for some time. Teaming up with the GNARWOLVES was rad.
13 different countries is no joke. Was it a struggle to arrange such a tour? Tell us more about the logistics and how much pain in the ass it can be.
Well, it definitely isn’t an easy thing. There are thousand things that need to be taken care of before going on tour. Shitload of emails to be sent back and forth to organizers and friends. It’s a part of the pre-tour ritual. I guess if you include other chores such as planning the merch, posters, online promotion etc, it’s a full time job. Since it is not our first tour it is a bit easier to plan but definitely not an easy task.
03/25 | MK, Skopje @ Bravo
03/26 | BU, Sofia @ Grindhouse
03/27 | RO, Bucharest @ TBC
03/28 | RO, Sibiu @ Faust Café
03/29 | RO, Cluj Napoca @ Shelter
03/30 | HU, Budapest @ Dürer Kert
03/31 | AU, Linz @ Posthof
04/01 | PO, Wroclaw @ CRK Squat
04/02 | CZ, Prague @ 007
04/03 | DE, Munich @ Backstage
04/04 | IT, Milan @ Honky Tonky
04/05 | IT, Vincenza @ Secret Place
04/06 | SI, Ajdovscina @ Klub Ave
04/07 | SI, Maribor @ Dvorana Gustaf Pekarna
04/08 | HR, Novi Marof @ Udruga Mladih Alternativa
04/09 | RS, Novi Sad @ CK13
04/10 | RS, Belgrade @ TBA
04/12 | RS, Lazarevac @ CZK
04/13 | GR, Thessaloniki @ Rover Bar
04/14 | GR, Ioannina @ TBA
04/15 | GR, Athens @ AN Club
04/16 | GR, Larissa @ Stage Club
Did you go through any kind of culture shock the first tour you went for a trip to some distant or exotic spots?
Is Israel considered an exotic spot? If yes we have to admit that the hummus we had there with the Kids Insane, was a mind-blowing experience. In all seriousness though, since we play punk rock and most punk clubs, venues or squats around the world look pretty much the same, we haven’t experienced a culture shock yet although Turkey was quite crazy. Looking forward to it though. We did find a big amount of people though that share the same passion about music and think alike, which is great!
Have you found some places on tour that resonated with you, where you may have thought, “I need to come back!”?
Ha! Too many of them. So many times we finish a set and think of that. After the first couple tours we made so many good friends in each city we visited that at this point we leave every show with the promise of coming back sooner or later.
Does visiting new places inspire you to write new tracks?
While on tour, post tour.. anytime is the right time to work on new ideas, lyrics and melodies. It’s funny how it all comes together in the strangest moments. Travelling is an awesome adventure so that’s a plus too. The more intense the feelings the better for song writing.
Will we hear some new songs on this tour?
Quite a few. This time we’ve spiced up the playlist with new stuff. Wait for it!
What places are you most looking forward to exploring this time?
As always Wroclaw is one of our favourite cities to visit. So many…Belgrade show is always a blast, the 007 show in Prague should be a hip of fun, Romanian shows, Honky Tonky in Milan. Too many!
Being in a DIY touring band is one of the best ways to see and experience the world around you. How has this part of running a band shaped you and your band?
It is an experience indeed. Not an easy but definitely an honourable one. We do not get to sight seeing that much to be honest, but we can definitely say that we’ve seen a few cool things in the places we visit.
Ok guys, so apart from touring, what else do you have in store in terms of releases and other stuff that can excite your fans?
We got our new album “Trails” coming later on this year and a lot of touring coming up. Including some Summer fests. New video for one of the new tracks just came out to. Loads of good stuff coming up.
◢ 05/01 | AU, Vienna @ Das Bach
◢ 05/04 | FR, Paris @ Gibus Live
◢ 05/05 | FR, Tours @ Canadian Cafe
◢ 05/06 | FR, Montaigu @ Festival Les Rhinos Feroces
◢ 05/07 | UK, Bristol @ Deadpunk special festival
◢ 05/08 | UK, Kingston @ Fighting Cocks
◢ 05/09 | UK, Worcester @ Marrs Bar
◢ 05/10 | UK, Plymouth @ The Junction
◢ 05/11 | UK, Penzance @ The Studio Bar
◢ 05/12 | UK, Swindon @ Level 3
◢ 05/13 | UK, South Sea @ The Festing
◢ 05/14 | UK, London @ Veg Bar
◢ 05/15 |UK, Southampton @ Pre Bar
◢ 05/17 | FR, Angers @ L’Etincelle
◢ 05/18 | FR, Toulouse @ TBA
◢ 05/19 | ES, Madrid @ Wurlitzer Ballroom
◢ 05/20 | ES, Girona @ C.S. Apaga La Tele
◢ 05/21 | ES, Barcelona @ Kasal De Joves Roquetes
◢ 05/22 | ES, Mallorca @ Sabotage
◢ 05/24 | FR, Bordeaux @ L’antidote
◢ 05/25 | FR, Le Havre @ McDaid
◢ 05/26 | UK, Brighton @ Green Door Store
◢ 05/27 | UK, Kingston @ More of this Fest
◢ 05/28 | FR, Lille @ DIY Cafe
◢ 05/29 | DE, Munster @ TBA
◢ 05/30 | DE, Ulm @ Cat
◢ 05/31 | AU, Graz @ Music House
◢ 06/05 | GR, Malakassa @ Rockwave Festival
Are there any other projects you guys are working on outside of your main bands?
There is quite a few things going on. Both Jack and Orestis is playing bass and drums for Athens warriors, VODKA JUNIORS. Zach is also drumming for KROTALIAS when he is not on tour or working his ass off.
Ok guys, thanks a lot for your thoughts on touring and good on the road! Cheers from Warsaw!
Thank you for your time. See you guys in one of our shows. For dates, info and media check our fresh website page.
DESPITE EVERYTHING official website
DESPITE EVERYTHING Twitter
DESPITE EVERYTHING YouTube
DESPITE EVERYTHING Bandcamp
DESPITE EVERYTHING Facebook
DESPITE EVERYTHING Instagram
[email protected]
DESPITE EVERYTHING Twitter
DESPITE EVERYTHING YouTube
DESPITE EVERYTHING Bandcamp
DESPITE EVERYTHING Facebook
DESPITE EVERYTHING Instagram
[email protected]
