Will They Panic?
Panic at the Disco areexcited about the MTVAsia Awards – as long as
they can find the stage
In the 1983 Rob Reiner mock rockumentary, This is Spinal Tap, there is
a hilarious scene in which the band Spinal Tap find themselves
wandering around a labyrinth of backstage corridors trying to find the
stage doors for their concert — but to no avail.
But the comedy — which charts the misadventures of the metal band's
trek across America — is all too true for Panic at the Disco, said the
band's guitarist Ryan Ross.
"At least once a day we say, 'This feels like Spinal Tap'," laughed
Ross, on the phone from Southampton, England, where he and bandmates
Brendon Urie (vocals), Jon Walker (bass) and Spencer Smith (drummer)
were on tour. "We watch that movie at least once a week. But a lot of
people in bands don't find the movie funny because it's all true."
"Usually we have quite a bit of trouble finding the stage," he
continued. "And last night, we couldn't check into our hotel because
they'd never heard of us and didn't have reservations — just like in
the movie."
But such hijinks haven't dampened Panic at the Disco's enthusiasm for
touring, and they're all geared up to come to Asia, where they'll not
only play at festivals in Japan, but also perform at the MTV Asia
Awards in Genting, Malaysia, on Aug 2.
They're nominated for the Video Star award for their song, Nine in the
Afternoon, off their current album, Pretty. Odd. The band will then
come to Singapore to perform at SINGfest at Fort Canning the next day.
"It's amazing that people across the world are listening to our
music," said Ross. "It's funny that music can travel overseas faster
than people can! And to get nominated, I mean, the fact that we've
never even been to the countries in Asia means this will be a bit of
an eye-opener for us. We're really happy that people like the new
record."
And no, the hot weather will not faze them. "Well, we come from
Nevada, in the desert, so we're used to the heat," the Las Vegas
native joked.
"We're trying to do the same show as in the United States, but we
could be doing it different when we're in Asia. Many of the songs have
string sections or brass sections, and it's a bit difficult to bring
an orchestra along," said the 21-year-old. "But I think for the MTV
awards, we are going to have an orchestra playing."
For now, said Ross, they're focusing on their Asian tour, where he
hopes to do some sightseeing too.
"On the first couple of tours, we didn't get to do much of anything —
they just run you around — and we got tired of that. So we said, if
we're going all over the world, we want to be able to see things, not
just play music."
How about a ride on the Singapore Flyer, then? "Yeah, that'll be fun.
I got to see the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben the other day, so there you
go."
Panic at the Disco will appear at the MTV Asia Awards on Aug 2 at
Genting Highlands, Malaysia; and at SINGfest on Aug 3, at Fort
Canning. Log on to
www.mtvasiaawards.com and
www.singfest.sg for more
details.