First batch of Interpol confirmed fall tour dates

[Patrick]

Sep 16 Tue- Club Soda Montreal QC
Sep 17 Wed- Phoenix Concert Theatre Toronto ON
Sep 18 Thu- State Theater Detroit MI 03
Sep 19 Fri- Riviera Theatre Chicago IL 03
Sep 26 Fri- Showbox Showroom Seattle WA
Sep 27 Sat- Showbox Showroom Seattle WA
Sep 28 Sun- Crystal Ballroom Portland OR 03
Sep 29 Mon- Warfield Theatre San Francisco CA 03
Oct 1 Wed- Hollywood Palladium Los Angeles CA 03

Tickets are not on sale yet - we will make an announcement when we have more information.

More dates to be confirmed!

Patrick

[evil_speakers]

Patrick, send them to Canada lest I become surly beyond reason. And by Canada, of course I mean "other than Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal".

[Squall91]

Originally posted by evil_speakers
Patrick, send them to Canada lest I become surly beyond reason. And by Canada, of course I mean "other than Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal". YES! Exactly what I was going to say!

[Patrick]

Guys, we don't "send" bands to anywhere... they have their own booking agents and route and set up their own tours. At best we have an advisory capacity.

It is truly a shame that "Canada" is constantly reduced to Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal on tour itineraries, but it is fundamentally for reasons of economics and geography. The long drive times and lack of intervening markets in the Calgary-Saskatoon-Regina-Winnipeg corridor (let alone the cities of the Atlantic provinces) make it unprofitable and difficult for all but the bigger or more determined bands to hit.

Nonetheless, we do constantly stress the importance of Canada to our bands, and hope that they take this advice under consideration.

I recommend that you write directly to the bands (via their websites) and their booking agents (check out the booking agent section of the Matador website) to demonstrate the demand in your cities. Good luck!

Patrick

[Squall91]

I read somewhere (this board, another board; forgot) that the reason why bigger bands (of larger caliber than Interpol, probably) don't tour cities like ours is that they've already established a large-enough fanbase that they do not have to tour smaller cities like mine to build it up any further.

For example, Radiohead has come to my city 3 times. However, the last time was in '98 or so...

Any truth to the theory, Patrick, or anyone who works at Matador?

[Patrick]

This can work both ways.

Big indie bands who have built up a following in major markets come to depend on revenues from those markets for part of their yearly income, often a large portion of it. Those big bands may also have been touring for years and years, and don't want to do too much of it. If they can get the revenue they need to live on, and support their new record (if there is one), by touring, say, the 20-25 major North American markets once or twice every year, then they may well want to pursue that path - particularly since they also have to tour Europe, and possibly some combination of Japan/South America/Australasia, each year as well.

On the other hand, big "major" bands don't usually get that way without doing truly intensive touring. If you're going to sell 500,000 to 1 million-plus records, you need to recruit audiences _everywhere_, not just in the major urban centers. That means hitting so-called secondary and tertiary markets, and college markets, places where (aside from actually playing college campuses), the guarantees aren't as big and the number of tickets to sell may not be as big either. It usually means staying on the road for 12-18 months at a time, really putting in the miles and building up the fanbase. It's punishing, by the way, and it often requires an investment from the label to keep it going financially. Major labels will often require this kind of touring from their new signings. Sometimes you'll see this kind of thing from bigger indie bands. Interpol are putting in the touring work. They haven't been off the road since before the record came out, aside from a week here and there. But I know it hasn't benefited you guys in Calgary yet.

Radiohead obviously pursued this strategy for a while - but I'd guess that now they're so big they can dictate their own touring rules, and if that means leaving out Calgary, then nobody's going to object.

There is a third variety - the kind of touring band that just never stops, like many punk and emo bands, or, famously, the hardcore band Toxic Reasons back in the '80s (are they still on the road? Mr. HCI can leap in here if he's reading). This is also the strategy employed by aging hair rock bands like Great White - bands who no longer can get big record deals, but are at least assured of a steady touring base, and who keep going most of the year to generate income.

Keep the questions coming - this is an interesting topic.

Patrick

[gee beer vee]

Toronto tickets are on sale July 19 for $20.

[yovan]

Yeah- I tend to see either local bands (or state/local bands, perhaps from Columbia, SC) or big-name acts here in Charleston.

Nothing I care to see although we have two/three perfectly good venues for 500-1000 people.

The last show I actually saw here in town was Malkmus back during the s/t tour.

So what gives---I always see bands go from Raleigh straight to Atlanta. Any insight??? This is a pretty cool town--I think anyway?

[anagrama]

The Toronto show has been upgraded to the 2500capacity+ Kool Haus.

Those snazzy Interpol boys are swinging in the big time now.

[bitterfruit]

Originally posted by yovan
Yeah- I tend to see either local bands (or state/local bands, perhaps from Columbia, SC) or big-name acts here in Charleston.

Nothing I care to see although we have two/three perfectly good venues for 500-1000 people.

The last show I actually saw here in town was Malkmus back during the s/t tour.

So what gives---I always see bands go from Raleigh straight to Atlanta. Any insight??? This is a pretty cool town--I think anyway?

Which Columbia bands do you care to see perform live?

[yovan]

None... Thus my frustration.

[ChickenTenders]

bands seem to skip over Charlotte as well.

[pony]

Originally posted by evil_speakers
Patrick, send them to Canada lest I become surly beyond reason. And by Canada, of course I mean "other than Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal".

Don't see them coming to Vancouver though - what gives, they're at Seattle already... (what's another 3 hours....)

But you're right it would suck never getting anybody through... you'de be surprised, though, how many bands miss out vancouver too...

[jt. r]

i don't know anyone going to the interpol show at the electric factory. it's bizarre how bands creep across a ticket price threshold, or start playing Clearchannel venues exclusively, and they shed the fanbase they started with for a entirely new, better funded fanbase.

i had a dream last night that brmc are breaking up. it was actually a very pleasant dream involving press releases, chaos at booking agencies and labels. but as far as i know, no such thing is happening!