It was two summers ago when we first saw Black Box Revelation take to the The Miller Lite Lounge at Bonnaroo on a sweltering Tennessee afternoon, and now we are excited to catch the Belgian rockers in Boston tomorrow night. The duo of Dries Van Dijck and Jan Paternoster are touring in support of the US release of their record My Perception which takes them to Middle East Downstairs opening for The Sheepdogs. We caught up with Dries and Jan ahead of their Middle East Show and found out what it was like to play Bonnaroo, how they came face to face with a buffalo on tour, and what’s next for the duo. Read on below for the full chat and get your tickets for tomorrow night’s show here.
Maimed & Tamed: What was it like to be able to play Bonnaroo two straight years? Any memories or stories that stick out from either year?
Black Box Revelation: Playing Bonnaroo twice was an experience that we’re never going to forget. The first time we entered the area was when they drove us to the tent where our show was scheduled. They drove us in one of those little golf carts so we could enjoy the view. People were partying, doing body painting, drinking and having fun all around us. Our first show was in an early slot but it was jammed in front of the stage, really cool. During the festival we saw awesome bands like the Black Angels, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Graveyard, Gary Clark Jr and Eminem!
M&T: What are some of the differences between the big festivals here in the US versus those in Europe?
BBR: US festivals seem more wild, if i can put it like that. People at the European festivals seems to blend into one big mass, but in the US people seem more extroverted which makes it much more fun to experience.
M&T: Tell us the most outlandish incident/adventure/story from your time touring in the US in years past.
BBR: Incident- After one of our last shows with Beady Eye in NYC we were invited to an after-party where Liam Gallagher’s brother was dj-ing, when we returned to the van we noticed that a side window was smashed in and we got robbed of about $10,000 worth of stuff!
Adventure- During one of our first US tours we had the crazy idea to buy a tent and some blow-up mattresses instead of staying at hotels. Driving from Minnesota to Washington we camped at the Theodore Roosevelt Natural Park which was literally infested with ticks! We and Didier, our tour manager, jammed ourselves into this little crappy tent and tried to have some sleep in the middle of nowhere. Around 7am the next morning we woke up from a sound that came from close to our tent. I opened the tent and I was face to face with a huge male buffalo which was grazing right next to us. We had to stay still for another hour because the rangers had warned us that those males can be extremely dangerous. We yanked the tent out of the ground and ran to the van like our lives were depending on it.
M&T: How was it different recording My Perception here in the States when compared to the recording process for your previous albums?
BBR: For our first two albums we worked with Mario Goossens as producer, he’s a Belgian producer and also a drummer in a band called Triggerfinger. We had to learn a lot – everything was new for us; we had no experience. So Mario taught us all the things about making a record and creating a good sound. When we went to the States to record My Perception, we didn’t have a lot of the songs finished yet, just a few ideas. But being there in LA with Alain Johannes really gave a good vibe so the inspiration was there and new songs were there before we even knew it. It was a great experience!
M&T: Anything in the works in terms of new recordings?
BBR: Not yet, so far we’re still touring with My Perception. Probably we’ll start working on new songs by the end of the year, but still, we don’t really know when exactly. We’re just enjoying our time on tour right now.
M&T: What other Belgian bands should we be listening to right now?
BBR: There are a lot of belgian bands, but there are only a few I really like. Triggerfinger is a great live rock band, they have such a powerful sound, they really can blow you away.
