Gig Day With Paradise Sins

Gig Day With Paradise Sins

Ever wondered what the band have done before the venue doors open on gig day? Paradise Sins lets us in on the secret

How do you get to the gig? (Dan)

Ah yes, the monumental task of 5 blokes from different sides of the UK getting to a gig. . . sounds like a nightmare, right? Sometimes it can be for sure but most of the time we’re so pumped to do the show it destroys any ill-travel worries. So Conor, Loui and I will usually dream of arriving by helicopter whilst we’re ploughing down some motorway in the car. Luis and Zack are based Birmingham way. They sort of just appear wherever we play.

Do you carpool? Is there someone who is the “driver” of the band? (Conor)

ME! I'm the driver! Mainly because I don't trust the others and I'm the sensible one… but anyways. Yeah most of the time it will be Dan and Loui jumping in the car with me to get to our shows, but if we plan on partying hard after the show we will sometimes take a train or a taxi sometimes even a limo to get there! I guess Luis and Zack just take the Paradise Sins helicopter because they appear out of nowhere! One thing is for sure though… We need to hire a bus driver asap!

How early do you need to get to the gig? (Zack)

Usually we have a soundcheck around about 4-5PM so it’s best to try to get there an hour early just in case anything happens on the way.

When there is more than 1 band playing, how does everyone get set up and soundchecked? Is there a specific order to everything? (Conor)

We have such a quick and easy set up! We are all digital (except for Zack of course). We have no big amps that need micing up. We just go directly into the desk and straight out the house speakers! We know exactly what we need to do when sound checking and waste no time, which is a sound engineer's wet dream! And we often get compliments telling us how great, easy and quick we are to work with!

What do you do once you have done the soundcheck? (Zack)

After soundcheck it’s a case of securing our belongings and making sure everything is where we need it. We’ll have a break and some food (but not leaving it too late to avoid indigestion!) and then start warming up and getting some BTS shots 45 mins to an hour before we go on.

Do you have any rituals before going on stage? (Luis)

I like a space to myself to run my warmups, suck a menthol, we go do a group huddle, and then we're in business. Oh and then personally I hype up the crowd right as the music starts before I join the band on stage. Same time every show. It's great.

What are you mainly thinking about while you are on stage? (All members)

LUIS: I'm not thinking at all, I live for the moment as I love gigs more than anything, so whatever happens comes natural.

DAN: No matter the show, I try to take it all in and love every second of it. Same as Luis, I’m not thinking too much. It’s a mad thing to do, something I never thought I’d be able to do again - so I take nothing for granted. If people are smiling on and off the stage - it’s job done.

CONOR: Just before I walk on stage I'm thinking about timing my walkout during our into track, which I normally get wrong and end up walking on too soon or too late. But I will get it right one day! When I'm on stage with my brothers I really don't think about anything. I'm just living my best life having a huge party with Paradise Sins and the crowd and I love every second of it.

LOUI: I’m still pretty new to playing live gigs so I’m trying to learn to live in the moment and not think so much! Honestly I get distracted by how incredible the other guys are, I’m in total awe of their talent a lot of the time and have to remind myself where we are in the set.

ZACK: oooh that depends really! When I first get on the stage I’m thinking about the crowd and the faces in front of me, when I’m on my throne behind the kit I like to look at my brothers in the band and it makes me feel like we're headlining a festival.

What’s the first thing you do when you have finished your set? (Loui)

I usually make a beeline for the bar to be honest! I’m super pumped up when I come off the stage and a beer helps to settle me a bit. I also like to get out into the crowd and say hello to people up close and thank them for coming. I’ll also give all the guys a big hug after the set and show them some love!

What do you do next? (Dan)

Without getting too deep, playing these shows with this band is a dream. Once we come off stage I try to have a few minutes to myself and take it all in. Enjoy those final moments of adrenaline before the come down. Some prefer to review the show directly afterwards, but in my opinion, that’s something that can be done a few hours after or the next day. Every show is different.

How do you end the night? (All of members)

LUIS: I don't have a fixed pattern here apart from the post-gig maccies on the way home!

DAN: It’s highly likely some sort of party will be attended somewhere . . .

CONOR: Ending a night when you're in Paradise Sins is like a packet of Revels, you never know what you might get! We might just pack up and head home or we might head out for some drinks and get a bit crazy ORRRRRRR we might burn down a house while listening to Motley freakin' Crue! Who knows!

LOUI: As Dan said there’s usually a party whenever Paradise Sins are playing. We always manage to find our way into some shenanigans somewhere, occasionally in the back of a limo.

ZACK: Always on a high! We'll end with a big crescendo, take a photo with the crowd, we’ll usually do a group hug off stage and then go and meet people at the merch table. We’ll always close the night having a drink and chat to our friends and family who came to support us too.