Montreal Warped Tour Memories: Sudden Waves on Community, Stage Nerves, and Musical Journey

0:04 Hi, you're listening to Adventure on W4CY Radio. This is the Pipe Man here on the Adventure's Pipe Man W4CY Radio, and I'm here with.. Stevie and Vince from Sudden Waves. Nice. So, I love the name of your band for several reasons. A, if you look on my thing, okay, I'm a surfer too. That's it. So it's like I relate it to, without even knowing anything, I'm like waves of music and waves of the ocean.

0:48 And to me, they go together. That's right. That's right. Ride the wave, baby. That's it. That's it. So you're here at fucking Warped Tour Montreal. How badass is this? It's pretty dope. Right. I mean, I used to dream to play here, and now we're doing it. It's pretty awesome. Yeah, dude, I'm a 90s kid, so Warped Tour is a big deal, you know? Right. I'm real stoked. Did it blow your mind when they decided to come back? Yeah, for sure, yeah. I mean, like I said, like, growing up with that being one of the coolest, like, the big goal to get to, you know, and then seeing it come back is just, like, nostalgia for everybody around my age or older or whatever. It's like, all right. And it gives you opportunity to play.

1:29 Yeah, exactly. Like, there's It's like you think to yourself, man, I'll never be able to play that festival or I'll never be able to play that festival again. And then here we are. Yeah. And now you've got to bring back your MySpace, too, because that's coming back. I saw that's coming back. Oh, my God. It's so wild, right? Yeah. I keep saying to everybody, I wonder if Tom will still be my friend. Yeah. He's still friends with everybody, right? I know, right? It just shows how great the 90s were because we seem to be bringing everything back from the 90s. Warped Tour, MySpace, Ozzfest is now coming back. You know, so it's like, I'm happy about reliving the 90s a little bit because it was a great decade.

2:11 Same, man. Yeah, you definitely saw a lot of things die down during, like, the COVID times. And you could tell, like, everything is rejuvenating. And everyone was missing it and, like, really, you know, like, everyone was feeling the same thing. Like where we want to get back to live music, whether it's playing or just attending and watching your favorite bands. And it seems like this whole, this whole new wave of like people, no pun intended. Suddenly a wave came crashing. Everybody wanted to go to shows again. I know. Right. Yeah, no, it's great, man. It's, it's, it's a really cool time to be a part of the scene here and, and, uh, be back to playing shows and, and attending shows. And this venue is so cool. Like I walked in here yesterday because I've never been to this venue. And I was like, man, it's like I just walked into a skateboard park. It's like cool as hell. And the community here. Okay. Like that's what we needed. Because it's like Warped Tour was never gone. When we're sitting out there, you know, and it's like. it's like it just, that time never happened that it was gone and the community is still as strong and stronger than ever.

3:18 Yeah, yeah, I feel that for sure. It's good, it's always fun being in a band and playing festivals like this where you run into other bands that maybe you've toured with before or seen, you know, through the years and passing and spend a month with them on a bus and then you don't see them for five years and then it's just like, oh, here you are again and it's like it was yesterday we were living together, you know, it's cool for that kind of vibe but then also just I've been spending a lot of time so far today actually just watching bands and walking around and checking out the stages and feeling like the energy of the people in the crowd. And it seems like everybody's on the same vibe, like really happy, really excited to be here. Everybody's fired up and ready to have fun. So if you go back in your memory banks of when you were young coming to Warped Tour yourself and being here now, what's the same and what's different?

4:06 I mean, I've never been to Warped Tour. I was a little too young when they were doing it. Did you ever went to Warped Tour? Yeah. I mean, later on, like I was already like touring with my old band the first time I went and played. And then I went a few other years after that. But I was already in my 20s, you know. I remember seeing like the ads on TV when Blink-182 were playing in like 2002 or something like that. And I was like dreaming to go and I was a little young. But now to be able to play here, it's just pretty dope. Yeah. Yeah, for me, it feels like the same as when I was going... I played it 15 years ago, I think, and then I went a few times in between now and then. And it feels the same, honestly. It's like the same kind of vibe, and it's just, like I said before, everything kind of stopped for a little bit, and it feels like everybody wanted it to get back, and they're really amped that it's back again.

4:54 You know what I love, too, about Warped Tour? And I didn't think I would love it when I first started covering it years ago. But the fact that you wake up in the morning and you don't even know what the schedule is. And, like, I remember when I first did press for Warped Term, like, fuck, that's going to suck. Because, you know, you're used to scheduling all your interviews. For sure. It was so much easier. I was like, I hope every festival does this. Like, I just came in, signed up on a sheet, and, like, just did my interviews. No stress of scheduling. And, like, I think it's cool, too, because the way they do it, people have to show up early in the day. Okay? Like, you don't have these people. So tricky. I know. I know, right? You don't have these people who are like, oh, I only came to see.

5:42 Blah, blah, blah. Yeah. That's not what a festival's about. It's where you find your new favorite bands. That's right. You know? So, it's kind of cool, like, those people have to show up early because their big headliner band might be the first band of the day. True yeah no it's exciting and. How's it feel as an artist too like when you as an artist you don't even know when you're gonna play like it's got it's good and bad right it's. A vibe it's a little stress stressful at first but to be honest like we're just having a good day at the end of the day you know so we're just chilling. And once you get used to it same as me it was like it was nerve wracking before I did it. And then afterwards I'm like, Oh, that was pretty killer.

6:24 Yeah. You know? Yeah. It's kind of like, like everything when you're like leading up to something, you're overthinking and stressing, like, what if this goes wrong? What if, I don't know how this is going to go yet, but then like the second that it starts and you're just in it, then it's, everything takes over, you know? It's like, okay. Yeah. And I love talking about that. Cause that is so true of artists. It's true for what I do. And I'm also a public speaker and it's true there. It's like, Before you get up on stage or before you get in the mic, the fucking paralysis of analysis with all this shit going on in your head. But the minute you're on stage or the minute the mic turns on, you go into this zone.

7:05 Yeah. It's like an out-of-body experience. And, like, all that goes away, all that nervousness. Just living in the moment, right? Exactly. When you're thinking about the future that doesn't exist yet, then you have all these different possibilities of what could happen, whether it's good or bad, and then your brain can go in all the different directions and kind of live through something that isn't even there yet. Yeah. But then when you're doing it, it's just like being in the moment with it. It's just a ride, and you just got to hang on. Exactly. Like, I always talk about it, too, on the motivational side of, like, You know, worry. People spend so much time worrying about things that may or may not happen and spend so much energy on it. Yeah. So that's what we're talking about here. Like, we'll spend energy on stuff that probably won't happen.

7:50 You put your body and your brain through something that didn't happen yet or might not happen or probably won't happen or could happen, but who knows? You know what I mean? Exactly. You can, like, stress yourself out for no fucking reason. No doubt. And then it's, you know, once it's happening, then you're good. So.. How did you guys come together, all of you as a band? Because you have a long musical journey, but somehow you all found each other. Well, we all come from different bands a couple years ago. We used to play together somehow in festival shows here and there. And all those bands now does not exist anymore. And we pretty much all knew each other from somewhere. And yeah, that's pretty much how it happens. I mean, I knew Daz, the singer from, you know, we played show when we were like 14, 15.

8:36 Right. We played with Miguel. Yeah. So, yeah, pretty much we just knew each other from other bands and here we are. Nice. Yeah, I just, I started playing with these guys like last year, so it's still pretty new, but my old band had played with Sudden Waves a bunch of times years ago, so I already knew the guys and it was already comfortable and it was just a matter of like, all right, I'm going to hang out with these friends and learn the songs and then see what it's like playing music with these friends, you know? And it's, It's been like the easiest transition possible. See, so you finally found your, your people. Like you have that chemistry now, right? Yeah. These guys are great. They're like, like nerd guitarists, just like stupid good. Nice. Jamming with these guys like the first few times was like, okay, yeah, this is going to be easy.

9:19 You know, like I just have to play the songs. They're very good. It's fine. You know what I mean? See, that's cool to hear because like it needs to be easy. Yeah. Like, You need, like, going up there and playing, you guys should be having fun. Yeah. You know? And that only happens if you have the chemistry together. And sometimes you do have to search through your whole musical career to find those people that you really gel with. Like, I've been in maybe five different bands. How about you? You've been two, three bands? Hundreds, dude. My first show, I was 14 years old. I'm 35 now. And I'm a drummer. So, for some reason, it's hard to find drummers, it seems like, in a lot of scenes. so I'm playing I've played in bands that are like country bands punk bands metalcore bands death metal bands like whatever whatever the gig is you know I love that too I've just been bouncing around a bit like there's been the mainstays that were like long term bands that I did a lot with but yeah the thing with drummers is everyone always needs one.

10:17 Right right yeah It is true, too, and it's like, you as a drummer, I find, like, the really good drummers, they always have a place somewhere. Yeah. Like, one of my favorite drummers, besides you, is Lombardo, and he seems to play with everybody. Yeah, for sure. Like, and I've known him since, like, I was at the first Slayer show ever, so I've been friendly with him since then. That's a crazy flex. Right? Yeah. And, oh my God, it's like every band I see him with, it's like I'm just in awe. Like, I played drums when I was a kid, and I sucked. So, like, I see a drummer that's like him, and I'm like, fuck, how does he do that? Like, it's like rubbing your belly and your head at the same time. That's the way I equate drums. Like, you have to have serious coordination.

11:08 Yeah, it does. And to be able to play in different bands and do different things and, like, kind of change it up to me that's the sign of a great musician and that holds for both of you because like you know when you're in your own thing okay but then when you have to go to different things and play different ways like you're talking about different genres even it's different beats and different ways to play big time. But it kind of equates back to what we were saying earlier when like you can prep and stress and think like oh this could go wrong or that's going to be tricky and this whatever but once you get up there if you're able to like lose that kind of stress out of your brain and just be in the moment with it and be like i know what i'm doing i'm confident now i'm gonna have fun and i'm just gonna make faces at the guys in the band or you know you like have fun with it i'll like do dance moves and point to someone in the crowd until they react and that's how that's how i stay in the moment it's like making people laugh with it you know you don't take yourself too seriously just have fun with it and and do it you know i mean like Well.

12:08 That's like, that's like, I just covered a Motley Crue show recently and I saw them before they even had an album when they were like horror punk and Tommy Lee's exactly the same. Like now he does exactly what you're talking about. Like, and he's, he was up there. He had a grin from ear to ear. Like, cause it's fun. That's what it's about. We all love to do, you know, that's why we're, that's why we've been doing it for 25 years or whatever it is, you know, like it's cause this is like, built into us this is our thing that we love to do yeah like i couldn't not do it if you're not crazy. I say it all the time if you're not having fun creating the music or playing the music this is the wrong industry to be in. Oh yeah. Like there's so many out there that you can tell they're not having fun. It's like, then why the fuck would you do this, man?

12:53 It's not like an easy thing to do either. There's a lot of work involved. Like a lot of people that aren't in it, you know, just think it's this glorious luxury. You have to dream job. You're like working hard, like a lot, whether it's like prepping for shows or the actual day of the show. Like, There's a lot going on. And if it's not the thing that you love to do, then for sure you could be miserable doing it. Exactly. And that's the people you're talking about. And people look at you. They're like, oh, you're living the dream life. And they talk about, oh, you're traveling the world. Yeah, you're seeing venues all over the world. I had to take a shit in a bag on a bus because the toilet's broken. You know what I mean? Stuff like that that's not luxurious at all, but it's a reality on tour.

13:37 No. You just got to do what you got to do. Exactly. Get used to piss jokes, because there's going to be a lot in the back of the van until we stop. It's so funny you say that, too, because a lot of times I'll ask a question of bands like, one story, good or bad, in your whole musical journey, and what sticks out in your mind most, and the number one answer was close to what you said, It was shitting my pants on stage. Oh, yeah. I haven't done that, but I've seen it. Yeah, my guitarist in my old band did that, and it was the funniest shit ever. We called it the bus plague on that tour because I think 40 people on the tour got sick, and it was like bing, bang, boom every day for two weeks.

14:18 It was someone new. And my old guitarist on stage, he told me he was feeling it, but he didn't think it was that close yet. And then we got on stage, and literally as the set started, he jumped, landed, and didn't move. And then he turned around and just mouthed to me, like, I just shit. I just shit myself. And he stayed on stage, played the rest of the set without moving, but he fully shit his pants. That's very metal and punk right there. I puked in a bucket the next day because I got it after that. So I'm playing drums and like I brought a full garbage can on stage behind my drums just in case. And sure enough, halfway through, I had to lean back and just puke in a bucket. And how about like I just got done during like European and UK festivals. And I think of drummers there with the heat that it was so bad that. like there's drummers that literally get heat stroke and pass out in the middle of the set yeah because it's like such energy you have to put out there or playing drums and when you're playing in that kind of heat oh my god like i wonder how anybody does it to be honest but.

15:21 That's the hard work if you're having fun all day before your set meeting like seeing the other people that you haven't seen in a year or whatever so you're having a drink with them and then It's another band that you haven't seen in two years. So you're drinking with them. And next thing you know, you're like half in the bag going up on stage, completely dehydrated. And then you're like, let me just like do cardio for 45 minutes as fast as I can. Right. Exactly. 100%. It catches up. So anything else you want to share with the listeners we haven't covered yet that they need to look out for or buy your merch? Because they can't listen to my show unless they buy your merch. We're working on new music. So in 2027, we are going to release a new album. Still working on some shows coming to the end of the year. And, yeah, that's about it, man.

16:01 All right, cool. Well, you guys fucking rock. I'm glad you're here at Warped Tour, and thanks for being on the Adventures of Pipe Man. Hell, yeah. Thanks for having us. My pleasure. Thanks a lot, man. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pipe Man on W4CY radio.