The last couple of months have been huge for Brisbane band Between Kings. The band really announced themselves with the release of their brand new album The Escape in May, an album that has been critically acclaimed and also earned the band a legion of new fans.
Then came the news that the post-alternative rockers had won the prized spot of opening for Escape The Fate on their Australian tour. To see how the band have been taking things in their stride HEAVY Mag caught up with them before they took to the stage in Sydney.
“It’s been unreal,” says the band when I ask what it has been like playing gigs outside of Brisbane for the first time. “To get on the line-up with such an awesome band has been great and all the crowds have been insane. It has been pretty tiring travelling around but I think we have got used to it… in fact we have it down to an art form now. Pack the car, head to the airport. We’ve got it. Plus every city’s crowd is slightly different and they all respond to different things which is amazing… absolutely amazing!”
The band say that audiences right across Australia have also received the new tracks from The Escape well live as well. “They have cottoned on really well,” they say. “We weren’t actually sure how it would go because Escape The Fate are obviously a bit heavier than we are… okay a lot heavier than we are… so we were kind of wondering what would this be like opening for a band heavier then we are but the crowds have just given us their full support and it has been sold out every night. To see fans rock up and not just want to see the Escape boys but to come and see the openers has been great. The music scene has become really good for that, people don’t want to just come and watch the big band, they come to see and the openers and the supports and then they come up to you afterwards and talk to you. I mean we go to the merch stand just to talk to people and the reaction has been incredible. As for the tracks and stuff like that I think we are playing some of the best shows that we have ever played, we’ve been getting messages from fans the next day saying ‘we enjoyed you guys so much.’ We love playing live, recording in a studio is a great and all that but playing live is why we do this.”
Between Kings play tonight in Sydney, Newcastle tomorrow and Brisbane on Sunday.
