New York City four-piece Bayside are no strangers to a grueling tour schedule. Currently celebrating their 15th anniversary, the band welcome fan bases across the globe, having become stalwarts on the iconic stateside Warped Tour in addition to a healthy international touring. Yet it may come as a surprise that Bayside have never undertaken an extensive UK or EU tour. With last year’s ‘Cult’ offering them their biggest commercial success to date, Bayside are now preparing to rectify just that. Gearing up for seven dates across the UK joined by Creeper and Tigercub, three performances across the Slam Dunk Festival weekend and an addition six dates in mainland Europe, there is seemingly no better time to catch the veterans on the road.
We caught up with vocalist and guitarist Anthony Raneri to chat about touring and the UK.
How do you feel about heading over the UK and Europe for your imminent headline tour?
Very excited about it. We’ve never really done a proper UK/EU headliner. We’ve supported so many times. We are actually much more used to headlining because that’s what we usually do in the U.S. So we’re excited to give the UK that show.
Are there any specific preparations that need to be made?
Really just the usual things you do when going overseas. We started using different cell phones for overseas travel so you get those all turned on and dusted off. Get your international chargers and stuff out.
Do you have any particular fond memories from touring the UK in the past?
The first time we ever came, which was in 2005, will always stick out to me. It was very special to be so far away in a different country and to have people know who we were. You never think your band is going to play in a new city when you start, let alone a new country. We were also there with very close friends. It was a really special time.
Is there anything you are planning on doing differently this time around
I think mainly doing the headline set is going to be great. Our headline sets are built to have lots of peaks and valleys in the dynamic of it. Normally in a support set, you just go go go.
You’ve had a while to settle into performing ‘Cult’ live now. How have the songs developed in a live setting?
They’re getting tighter and tighter. We’ve also been experimenting with different songs on the record so we’re getting a better idea of which ones the fans are reacting to.
Slam Dunk is placed in the middle of your touring schedule. How do festival appearances affect the flow of a tour?
We rarely do festivals as part of long tours. It’s usually one or the other. But when we have, it throws you off your rhythm a little. Mainly going from playing 75-90 minutes and then having to come up with a 30 minute set. By the time it’s over, you can feel like you’re just warming up so we have to get in the mindset to come out swinging.
You’re touring the UK with Creeper and Tigercub. Is a careful choice of support act important for you?
It’s a very careful choice picking support for every tour. We usually have a lot of people who submit for the tour or sometimes we already have bands in mind. With this tour, we got a list of submissions and ideas from our agent. We always listen to every band that submits and go from there. I had never heard of either band before this tour but after listening, I liked both bands a lot.
Is there any band in particular you would still like to tour with, either as support or a headline act?
We all grew up on Green Day. I think it was a gateway into punk rock for a lot of us decades ago. That and I think it would be a support tour we could fit in on decently well.
Catch Bayside on tour alongside Creeper and Tigercub, plus appearances at Slam Dunk Festival and in mainland Europe on the following dates:
MAY
20 GLASGOW Audio
21 NOTTINGHAM Rock City
22 MANCHESTER Deaf Institute
23 LEEDS Slam Dunk North
24 HATFIELD Slam Dunk South
25 WOLVERHAMPTON Slam Dunk Midlands
27 SOUTHAMPTON Joiners
28 BRISTOL Exchange
29 EXETER Cavern
30 LONDON Oslo
