Dead Confederate got boost opening for R.E.M.
Athens-bred quintet Dead Confederate has spent the better part of 2008 crawling out from the soil of obscurity and into public consciousness with high-profile gigs and a nod from Rolling Stone.
It's easy to tell the band grew up in the grungy '90s with its hard, heavy drone. Frontman Hardy Morris' gritty voice echoes Kurt Cobain, with specks of a young Bono. And as notoriety for the group's full-length debut "Wrecking Ball" continues, the band readies for a one-night stand at Variety Playhouse when it opens for Manchester Orchestra. Morris recently spoke to us from the road.
Q: How has the recession been affecting live audiences?
A: We're not playing arenas or anything, but this tour's been packed essentially every night, with most shows sold out. But our audience is so young. I think that kind of stuff starts at the top and works its way down, affecting people who are making car and house payments. For kids, it's just catching a $10 or $12 show.
Q: What sort of challenges does the recession pose for a band on the road?
A: It was worse back in the summer. There was a point when we were in California, and we were barely affording it. Since gas prices went down, it hasn't been bad at all. They say one of the things that endured through the Great Depression was entertainment.
Q: What's been the band's biggest turning point?
A: I think having R.E.M. ask us to open for them at South by Southwest was a big thing. [That festival] is attended by so many people in the business, and it was an anticipated show for that band. Seems like everything that has come since then is because a lot of people saw us that night.
Q: Lots of bands are using blogs these days. How has yours helped your interaction with fans?
A: We're using [blogs] mostly as a promotional tool for the band. It's for people who are already fans. If you get the music and get the band, you might find some of it funny and interesting. If [fans] are interested in your music and support your band, you ought to pitch them some free MP3s from time to time, give them some photos from shows and let them know what you're up to.
I couldn't imagine fans getting something like that from bands like Led Zeppelin back in the day. I think rock 'n' roll then was such a new, fresh thing that when bands would come to town, it was like these people were larger than life and didn't really exist. But the Internet has helped erase some of that mystique. Even Radiohead has been sharing free stuff and blogs with their fans for years. The lesson here is don't take yourself too seriously; it's just rock 'n' roll.