2014 has been a pretty insane year for the Melbourne (via Gold Coast) four piece The Delta Riggs.
Between being asked to support The Foo Fighters, playing CMJ, releasing a Triple J feature album, getting syncs on major US shows like Californication, The Vampire Diaries, and Homeland, and even recruiting Jimmy Page onboard the fan bandwagon it’s hard to believe these guys have only just released their debut LP.
After wrapping up a whirlwind world-wide tour (and hopefully taking a much deserved rest) the local rockers are back in Australia and are set to play as part of the New Years Eve Lost Paradise music festival. Ahead of the festival we caught up with the band’s Michael Tramonte to chat about some of his highlights from 2014 (so far).
Their Europe Tour
“This was amazing. Easily one of the best trips we have all done as a collective. Driving through Europe and the English countryside is a visual feast of greenery and castles. You cross borders without noticing until the language changes slightly on the road signs.
People are so over-friendly and willing to help you out in any way they can. We met this awesome guy Calo in Leige, Belgium. Turns out he plays bass for Mark Gardener (of RIDE fame) and was a bang up guy. He invited us to his country side manor for a gourmet BBQ where we fed his three pet donkeys stale baguettes. That was an epic day.”
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They Played London Calling Festival, Amsterdam
“I had heard great things about this particular festival and it didn’t disappoint in the slightest. Apart from Amsterdam being pretty much the best place to visit due to its liberated stance on a lot of things, the Paradiso as a venue is immaculate. It’s a stunning structure that was once a jail, then a church and is now home to one of the best venues we have played in.
We had a 2am time slot and then had to endure a 7 hour drive straight afterward to make our Aussie BBQ show back in Hoxton. The room was absolutely packed and for our first international show ever in Europe, it really stamped a benchmark of what was to come for the remaining 2 x months.”
Jimmy Page Is A Fan
“This is one of those surreal, once in a million type scenarios that fortuitously happened upon us at Notting Hill Arts club. Literally one minute prior to taking the stage to about 80 odd people in a tiny room, Simon (drums) came up to me and informed me that the great Jimmy Page was present in our swollen audience.
I scanned the room and sure enough there he was. It was a huge WTF moment. After playing a pretty good set, with sporadic technical difficulties, in which I saw Mr Page tapping his foot along and bopping his head (to ‘Supersonic Casualties’ and ‘Rah Rah Radio’ namely), we approach him to ask him simply “ What The Fuck”? Turns out he lived up the road and enjoys checking bands out from time it time here, we lucked out that he was in that night. We acquired his address and went our separate ways.
Kasabian Asked Them To Support Their Tour
“Touring with Kasabian reinstalled my faith in being able to be a massive band without a shitty attitude. These guys were all legends, from the get go. From the first show in Perth, to the last in Brisbane the lads were affable and amicable, going over and above what is generally considered normal hospitality from headline bands.
The highlight show was definitely Brisbane where Tom (Meighan) came out for the encore wearing a Delta Riggs jacket and beckoning us on stage to join him. We had a pretty massive night out in Adelaide with Serge, Chris, Tim and Ben too that was some serious bonding.”
They Slayed The Us, Visiting CMJ – LA & NYC
“Our second outing to the land of the free was a prosperous one indeed! Last year we were green, having been our first ever trip as a band out of Australia, so this year we were well prepared. After a few touch and go Visa issues, we got the all clear to fly to LA the day of our first show so we literally landed and drove direct to the Echo for the Aussie BBQ.
Hanging out with the dudes from DMA’s and Bad//Dreems (new favourite band) fleetingly all week in NYC was awesome too. It’s such a high pressure environment with loads of bands and people around, but that makes it exciting and creates the urgency to stand out, so it’s a Survival of the Fittest, evolutionary style environment to a point too.”
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They Were Handpicked To Support The Foo Fighters
“So we had just returned on a 14 hour flight from LA. Prior to which we played a rad show in LA at the Satellite, which then led into a bender of sorts until 8am the next morning licking our wounds. So needless to say after the flight we were all pretty fucking spent.
After clearing customs back in Sydney, we were given the news that Foo Fighters management was actually at the last show we played, really dug it and dialled it into back home that they want us on the National FF tour in February. Another WTF moment. That should end up on True Hollywood Story one day, I honestly didn’t think that shit happened anymore. So we are looking forward to our first ever stadium tour!”
Their Debut DIPZ ZEBAZIOS Received Critical Acclaim
“This is probably the proudest moment I have had in this band period. This album to me is easily the best thing we have done as a collective, we really pushed ourselves to release something that was more of a game changer to what people had previously perceived our band as.
I think it worked too, JJJ featured it heavily, it has been getting solid reviews and we generally (and genuinely) seem to have made a lot of new fans. It’s been the album we wanted to make when we got here and so to have done it in 2 x weekends and have the response we have thus far is pleasing to me at the very least.”
The Delta Riggs will celebrating NYE as part of Lost Paradise festival 2014, for tickets and info visit www.lostparadise.com.au
