I first off wanted to thank you for taking the time out of your day to sit down and do this interview with us.
No problem.
What was your initial idea when coming up with the concept of Warped Tour, and did you expect it to take off the way it did?
The original idea was basically to incorporate what I had been doing but mix the bands and the skateboarding into one thing. The first show definitely didn’t turn out the way we had expected and ended up losing a lot of money. It took a few years before we got into the swing of things. When NOFX and a few other bands came in it-helped get out the name and brought out more kids.
How are bands usually picked for warped tour, do you go about choosing what stages are on it or do the bands come to you?
Daryl and I book the entire tour and try to keep everything organized. Smartpunk of course runs that stage and picks who plays that one. But like I said, Daryl and I sit down and figure out what bands we are going to use that year. We get around 1700-2000 submissions each year but only 1 out of every 10 bands gets to play the 150-200 spots we have open. Basically, we try to give the greatest presentation of what’s big that year. We set out trying to represent the music scene at the current time. And there does happen to be a few bands each year that will be around for the next ten years. We just have to try to keep everything balanced.
Any new plans for this years Warped tour?
We always try to change everything up a little bit every year. We are going to try to get water shooters on the sides of the stage to keep on the kids cool.
How do you go about getting the sponsors for warped tour?
For the most part the companies approach us. Playstation is helping us again this year; they have been with us for the last 11 years, which is great. I sit down with all the companies and see what they want to bring to the tour and if I don’t think that it’s going to bring anything to the kids or its just for the company to market a product then we won’t go with them. Examples of these things would be cigarette and beer companies. Don’t get me wrong, I love beer but it’s for the kids and I rather have the people leave having experienced something rather then having a product pushed in their face. We don’t really make money off of the tables either, we charge the company or the label what it’s going to cost them to tour with the table and pay for food. It costs roughly $60,000.00 for each bus and around 3,500 per person. It adds up so we just try to break even.
This year you decided to start a new tour called the Taste Of Chaos tour. What was the reasoning behind that?
I had been looking for another project to do during the year. Instead of gong out and doing stuff for other people. Daryl and I teamed up with The Used’s manager and wanted to do something that was a little smaller as Warped tour but hopefully just as successful. The Used had to step back and help out and we made sure the tickets stayed cheap. The promoters and I are skeptical but ticket sells have been great. It will be my winter project so I don’t have to go out and do stuff like The Cure tour.
The theme for the taste of chaos seems to be bands on the heavier side, is that what you were going for?
It seems to be the big thing right now and we figured since it was going to be a little smaller and at night it seemed to work out. We are still trying to have a little diversity with the bands that are playing but still keep it to where all the kids will appreciate the other bands.
Do you think TOC will be an annual thing or a one-time deal?
If it turns out good, we hope to make it an annual thing. It’s had a great turn out and we have plans with going over seas with this project. We have even been contacted by South America and we will just have to see how this year turns out.
Any last words for the readers out there in Absolutepunk.net land?
Of course, just thank you for all the support and input you guys have given. We try to be the soundboard for the kids and put out what they want to hear.
and I'm interviewing Mike from The Track Record soon, any questions for him?
Haha, I'm not really mad, Brandon knows that, I'm just joking around. I can't ask my questions here, bc they would start controversy and rumors, but I was curious to see how Lyman would've answered them.
well done with the interview...what questions were you talkin about "Haha, I'm not really mad, Brandon knows that, I'm just joking around. I can't ask my questions here, bc they would start controversy and rumors, but I was curious to see how Lyman would've answered them."
fire us up Frank come on....rumors and controversy is what keeps these things alive
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Rise Against - 10.08.06