Santa Cruz California hardcore act DRAIN are heading Down Under to perform live as part of their Living Proof Australian Tour 2023.
To find out more about the tour, we had the chance to chat with frontman Sammy Ciaramitaro who also shared with us about his own “fan-boy moments” and his most memorable shows to date.
SC: Let’s rock! Heck yeah! Where are you at? Are you in Melbourne, or – where are you?
SR: I’m near Newcastle.
SC: Nice!
SR: So I’ll be photographing your Newcastle show.
SC: I’m so pumped – heck yeah, let’s go!
SR: Yeah, hopefully I can photograph it from a safe spot where I don’t get crushed [laughs].
SC: We’ll find a place for everyone to take good, dope pictures. No one’s getting hurt. Last time I was in Australia I ended up taking somebody’s camera. I will not do that! This guy was in the front I was just like I’m taking his camera. Just took some pictures … [laughs].
SR: I thought I saw that! That was great! I thought that was great.
SC: That’s awesome. In my defense, he put it down and went to go dance. It was like … I have to … camera’s already down … I have to! [laughs].
SR: My camera’s my livelihood. I would never, ever put it down anywhere [laughs].
SC: Yeah, I was really like “I’ve never seen that happen, I kind of have to” [laughs].
SR: And what are you looking forward to most when you’re in Australia? You’ve been before, I know.
SC: Yeah … honestly … you know what? I feel like the answer I should say is the shows, but if I’m being honest, it’s being in Australia in summer again. It was so nice to go … last year it was really raining a lot before we went … so far the weather has been good here. It’s just getting colder and the days are getting shorter so I’m just so excited to be in the sun. And to get to enjoy the sunshine again. That’s what I’m most excited about.
SR: It has been unusually hot here for this time of year but hopefully you’ll get sun in a couple weeks’ time.
SC: Oh, yeah. I hope so. Most days we’d get in to the venue and we were kind of sun-kissed. We went swimming, we went to the beach before … it was great. It was really nice.
SR: Newcastle has the best beach [laughs].
SC: Oh, which one should we go to?
SR: Merewether.
SC: Merewether. That’s the spot …
SR: That’s the biggest one. And Daniel Johns from Silverchair he lives up on the hill overlooking the ocean.
SC: Got it made. That’s the spot. That’s awesome!
SR: Yeah. So I see that you like to take a notebook everywhere you go and you go to the laundromat and you do your writing there.
SC: Yeah.
SR: I saw an interview with you saying that. I just wondered, do the other band members keep writing, or how does it work?
SC: No. I mean that’s just probably with lyrics, you know? I’m not much of a – to be honest, this is probably something I should get better at – just like … my fiancée’s really tapped in with that, you know daily journalling and it’s probably so helpful. I really would like to get there but I only do it with writing lyrics and stuff but I think we all probably should be writing on a more regular basis. Just about what we’re thinking about or whatever. To be honest I kind of just dusted it off. I have the same book for the last … all the songs we’ve written in the last five years or so. And so I just dusted it off the other day and we’re slowly getting the ideas … maybe new music and stuff, so I went to the laundromat and broke it out and just started writing a little bit. I get real clean laundry every time we write new music [laughs]. After the record’s done I’m like “ah, whatever” [laughs].
SR: [laughs] Ah okay. Can you share with us a funny or memorable tour story?
SC: Too many. Um … hmm … gosh, I’m tryna think … I think just Australia. Just Australia. We were at this spot called the Bogey Hole and I don’t remember what city it’s in – do you know?
SR: I’ll have to look it up – I’ll Google it.
SC: I’m actually a little stumped, I feel bad. The flyer for this upcoming tour is based on a picture we took at the Bogey Hole last time in Australia.
SR: It’ll be Sydney.
SC: Sydney! Okay. So at the show I just kept telling everyone “tomorrow we’re going to the Bogey Hole at noon” and a bunch of people from the show came and they were all just stoked and we all hung out and tried to hang on to the chain and the waves come crash on you and you fall in … I mean, that’s so rad that we got to do something like that … there’s actually so many [stories] that I’m stumped. That was a super cool memory. We got to meet kids … all the kids in the opening band came and we got to say more than just “hey, good set” … and we’re on the other side of the world … it’s just the coolest thing. There was that and last time we were in Australia too, we got our merch delivered and we didn’t realise at the time that the black metal band Mayhem were staying at the same hotel as us a couple days after we got there … and we had merch printed. And so did Mayhem. From the same company. We didn’t realise that though. So they shipped all the merch to the hotel and so we got there – first day of the tour – and we were just like “let’s see what the merch looks like”. We cut the boxes open, and it was all … we got Mayhem boxes. It was like four boxes. Two were cut open. It’s this bright yellow baby shark all like rad and cute and awesome … and then I cut the other open and it’s a black church on it – a Mayhem shirt – and I’m like “oh my god”. Then we realised that Mayhem’s on tour and that means that two of our boxes got sent to Mayhem … and their box got sent here … and we were cracking up. We found out like a week later that that was not the case. And that Mayhem was actually just staying in the same hotel. It was hilarious. For two days we were like “we’re just going to send Mayhem merch at our show” [laughs].
SR: I saw a picture of the new merch. The turquoise, leopard print …
SC: Oh the new one?
SR: Yeah.
SC: Oh yeah, it’s so crazy. Honestly, I’m stoked. I wasn’t sure what the reception was going to be like. This guy makes … Tom Dom, he plays in the band Trail of Lies and he has the company Gold Set. He always makes 100% customisable stuff. I always make stuff I think I’d wear. And I’ll be honest, I don’t know if this is what late twenties looks like … it’s pretty boring … I like a lot of colours but I like pretty plain, simple stuff. That’s what I would buy, that’s what I wear. And I always kind of make stuff I think I would do too. But with this one I was like “you know what? Just make something I probably wouldn’t wear”. It’s way crazier than I would normally rock and people are stoked on it. It’s like aquatic leopard. Very tough. Love it!
SR: I love it too!
SC: We’ve gotta bring one your way.
SR: Yes! Love it! So what’s the most crazy or memorable show you’ve played?
SC: Damn. You know what? I’m really lucky to say we’ve had quite a few that are just up there. I think … we played Baltimore recently and that was definitely one of the craziest ones. It was a big venue – one of the bigger ones on this last tour that we did in America – and we really wanted to do a lot of ‘no barricade’ shows and this venue normally does have a barricade but we got them to take it down. I think it was 1200 capacity and I swear all 1200 people were just like going crazy. And before we even played we could just hear everyone. I think one of our friends threw a beach ball and it was just like [screams] … everyone just started screaming and we were like “what is going on” and it ended up being totally, totally insane. Gosh, there’s a few though … We played Melbourne last year and that was also insane. I don’t know if people were drinking or something … it just felt very crazy. People were like jumping on us and I remember our guitar player was playing and someone went on the stage and didn’t even realise it was him and pushed him over … he almost fell down and we were like “this is crazy!” Someone jumped off the staircase at the venue and we had people from the Australian team at Epitaph – our label – there and we were like “heck yeah, I hope we didn’t scare you guys off” and like “nope, this is awesome” … yeah …
“…I fell in love with Rotting Out and I love the band , I love Walter’s lyrics, I love just watching him play…”
SR: Have you ever had your own fan moment meeting one of your idols at a show or a festival? And can you tell us about it?
SC: Oh, man. Yeah … I don’t really fan out too hard … but I’ve had a couple lately that were really awesome. I got to do – well, it’s not out yet but I don’t think it matters – when I was first getting into hardcore and wanting to do a band, I fell in love with Rotting Out and I love the band , I love Walter’s lyrics, I love just watching him play … there’s a couple people I think I really took a big influence from and I was like “I don’t want to be them, but I like how they do this, so I’m going to do my own version of that but in a way that feels like me” … and so recently, I got to be – he’s going to be doing a new podcast … I don’t know if I’m supposed to say that … so maybe we’ll keep it under wraps … he’s got a new podcast coming out and it’s going to be awesome and he had me be a guest. Just to talk about writing lyrics and things that move me with someone who made me want to do it … was really surreal. That was a really ‘woah’ moment. And also, we played a couple festivals last month – or in September – with Turnstile and I love that band. I’d never really met them – one time we met really briefly to say “hey, what’s up”, you know? But I didn’t know them by any means – and we got to play with them and they were amazing and I got to say hello and again, I don’t really fan out that hard but I got to talk with Brendan after and he was like “yeah, I see what you guys are up to. You guys are killing it right now” and for me it was like “Oh my gosh” – I didn’t even know if this guy knew we were a band or would know who our band is, you know? So to hear that was really … I had my fiancée there, my little brother, and they saw me talk to him and were just like “woah, Sam’s freaking out” and I was like “I know I’m freaking out” … yeah.
SR: Yeah, I know that feeling. I met Jimmy Page this year so I was [flails hands].
SC: Oh … no way! Yeah! You’re just like “what!?”
SR: Yeah, and he was talking to me after the show and I was like “what’s going on?” … so I know the feeling. I don’t think I’ll fan out anymore after meeting him.
SC: Yeah, that was the big one!
SR: So, just to finish, one last question – now I’m sad –
SC: [laughs].
SR: So, any messages you have for your Australian fans?
SC: For the Australians fans. I’d probably say … I hope I get to see you on this upcoming tour. I hope you guys come out. I hope we actually get to hang out and enjoy … we’re just so pumped to be there. We had the best time last time. There’s just so many lovely Australian people. Everyone we met was just so cool and so down to earth and I don’t know if this is because it’s a beautiful place and everyone is just on the same wavelength we are on … we were halfway through the tour and we were like “we’re going to come back to Australia every summer!” Winter for us, every summer for Australia. So I’m just so pumped. I hope you guys come out and honestly … start a band! That’d be my biggest message: just start a band. Just sound like what your favourite band is, write whatever you want to write. Start a band and go to shows. And hopefully it’s one of our shows. That’d be my parting message.
” I hope I get to see you on this upcoming tour. I hope you guys come out. I hope we actually get to hang out and enjoy … we’re just so pumped to be there.”
SR: That’s awesome! Yes … Newcastle in particular is very … there’s lots of young people starting bands … so many young bands out there. So that’s great.
SC: Yeah, I’m so pumped. Recently, they sent me a list for each city, like “here’s six local bands … pick which one you want to open” and I took like an hour and went and sat and listened to a couple of songs from each band … and made my pick. I got to learn a lot of new, young bands. I’m so excited I get to see them live. Each band that’s playing we handpicked it, you know?
SR: That’s amazing! Well, thank you very much!
SC: Thank you so much!
SR: It was very short and sweet but it was very lovely to meet you! I look forward to photographing you in Newcastle!
SC: I look forward to it. Thank you so much. I look forward to seeing you in Newcastle!
LISTEN TO LIVING PROOF
Destroy All Lines Presents
DRAIN
“Living Proof” Australian Tour 2023
with special guests ANXIOUS
Friday 8 December: Amplifier Bar, Perth 18+
Saturday 9 December: Uni Bar, Adelaide Lic AA
Sunday 10 December: Prince Bandroom, Melbourne 18+
Tuesday 12 December: Dicey Rileys, Wollongong 18+
Wednesday 13 December: Crowbar, Sydney 18+
Thursday 14 December: Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle 18+
Friday 15 December: Vinnies Dive Bar, Gold Coast 18+
Saturday 16 December: The Brightside, Brisbane 18+
Tickets on sale now!
For more information:
www.destroyalllines.com
Drain Photo credit – Ryan Baxley
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