The collaboration of corporations and music, particularly within the fashion industry, is a fully grown beast. Both spawn the other on a regular basis, with Vans now being synonymous with the Warped Tour whilst the likes of Atticus and Famous Stars & Straps emerge directly from the pop-punk scene.
Dr Martens have enjoyed this association for some time. Their brand attached itself, although largely unintentionally, to the punk movement (including a notorious stint with the skinhead faction) before being taken up by grunge in the early 1990s. Seemingly keen to retain the association with music, they are now taking it upon themselves to support the message behind the music.
The #Standforsomething Tour brings both established and grassroots bands to some of the UK’s smaller venues, with each band representing a personal mantra or ethos. We asked the same four questions to some of the band’s taking part in the 2014 run just before it began, with some varied results – here’s what they had to say.
Funeral For A Friend
How do you feel about being part of the #Standforsomething tour?
Pretty cool, I think it’s a good vibe.
What do you think the tour represents? What is its ethos or message, as far as you are concerned?
To me it’s about looking forward positively and infecting a positive change in yourself and those around you by finding something to feel passionate about and throw yourself into it.
How are you preparing for the show, particularly as it is likely to be a smaller venue than what you are used to?
We’re all about the intimate shows so for us it’s business as usual. We have no special prep for a show like this, it’s just all guns blazing!
What else do you stand for as a band?
Friendship, family, equality and compassion.
We Are The Ocean
How do you feel about being part of the #Standforsomething tour?
We’re excited to perform and grateful to have been invited to be a part of the tour. Dr Martens are a great brand with great ideologies, and this tour is bringing some great artists together and pooling them into some original and interesting venues around the UK.
What do you think the tour represents? What is its ethos or message, as far as you are concerned?
Music can be a fantastic platform for promoting social change as it appeals to a spectrum of ages, backgrounds and personalities. The #standforsomething campaign utilizes this platform and encourages individuals to make a stand with pride and passion for what they personally believe in.
How are you preparing for the show, particularly as it is likely to be a smaller venue than what you are used to?
We’ve been touring relentlessly since we began writing music, so we’re used to venues of every size and shape. We’re expecting an intimate and energetic crowd at the show and we’re going to devise a fun and lively set to cater to the occasion
What else do you stand for as a band?
As a band we stand for innovation and aspiration, and for not being limited by expectations or attitudes. Musically we try to shuffle the pack and not let ourselves be defined by genre, a mentality that can apply to anybody with whatever ambition they endeavour to achieve.
Johnny Foreigner
How do you feel about being part of the #standforsomething tour?
Excited as kittens for the actual show, slightly compromised by the circumstances. We try to be a punk band and then a giant corporate concern like DMs comes along and offers us this wonderful opportunity for a lot of money, and we find out we’re not really as punk as we’d ideally like. It’s hard to be an idealist when you’re running a low profit cottage business like our band, and it’s easy to think, fuck it, because the show will be amazing for our fans. And whoever we owe money to come November, be it crew we’ve used or beardy wizards who fix our shit when it breaks, it’s gonna get paid back super quick.
What do you think the tour represents? What is its ethos or message, as far as you are concerned?
To sell more shoes to people and make them think that DMs are cooler than whatever their competitors are by association, with all the rad bands they’ve asked. That’s the reason they’re involved and I think we’d be insulting people if we tried to make out it was anything else. DMs have a pretty cool youth culture reputation (ignoring that Kurt on a cloud ad), so it’s genuinely flattering to be asked, but we’re not naive enough to see this as anything more than fleeting corporate synergy. Good luck to them, though, ain’t no other shoe company paying us to have fun.
How are you preparing for the show, particularly as it is likely to be a smaller venue than what you are used to?
Ha, it’s really not, The Flapper is pretty much our bands spiritual home and we’re there at least twice a year. So our preparation will be, turn up as usual and enjoy watching Los Campesinos – try and fit their backline on a stage smaller than their average dressing room. It’s our favourite local venue and they’ve put a lot of time/money/effort into improving the stage and PA in the gig room. It’s gonna be immense seeing it at capacity and being one of them screaming fan-boys we not so secretly are…
What else do you stand for as a band?
I don’t know. We just try to be the kind of band we’d love and respect if we were fans of us. It doesn’t really matter what you stand for if there’s no-one around to hear you.
Los Campesinos!
How do you feel about being part of the #standforsomething tour?
We’re very happy to be. Any chance we get to play a show is hugely appreciated. Plus DIY is a great website which has supported us from the start, and Dr Martens make some high quality vegan footwear, so it’s win-win all round.
What do you think the tour represents? What is its ethos or message, as far as you are concerned?
I would assume that’s down to the interpretation of each band, and the atmosphere that we create at our concerts. Certainly the tour is doing a really great job of getting people seeing quality bands at a really cheap price, and that’s a great place to start.
How are you preparing for the show, particularly as it is likely to be a smaller venue than what you are used to?
I think we’ll be as ill-prepared as we always are for gigs, but the nature of the venue and the inevitable intensity of the small crowd will hopefully coalesce to make for something special. It’s unavoidable that a smaller stage, in close proximity to the crowd will cause for a more ramshackle show, but those are usually our best. Nose to nose with the front row, unfortunately covered in each other’s spit.
What else do you stand for as a band?
It’s important to us that our concerts are comfortable, inclusive places for anyone to be. Emotive, visceral, drunken rock shows, created and shared in safe spaces with all macho bullshit, misogyny and discrimination of any kind kept well away. No hierarchy, no assholes, a load of pals.
Only Rivals
How do you feel about being part of the #standforsomething tour?
It’s an honor for sure. It’s so cool to be involved with a legendary company like Dr Martins and to be part of these shows with such talented bands. Even to see the calibre of some of the bands that have played in past shows proves how cool these tours are. We also get to see Tonight Alive again for the first time since we toured together on the A Love Like Tour back in March. The show is sold out as well too, which is mental. We’re very privileged to part of it.
What do you think the tour represents? What is its ethos or message, as far as you are concerned?
I think the tour promotes individually and the freedom we all have to express ourselves. Whether that’s through music, art or how we dress, making statements that represent who we are is so vital. We should never be afraid to be different and, as the tour name suggests, stand for something that is important to us. I don’t think anything is more significant than that. As a band it’s so great when you get to be part of something that expresses such a positive message, especially when its one the band believes in as well.
How are you preparing for the show, particularly as it is likely to be a smaller venue than what you are used to?
We will just be out of the studio fresh from recording our debut album and will also just have finished the Pop Punks Not Dead tour the week before the show itself! So we will bring all the energy we’ve built over these exciting times to it. We’ve played Newcastle a lot this year and its been great to us. We’ve been very fortunate that we’ve played some fairly massive venues across the UK and Ireland over the last few months. We’ve also done some club tours this year, which is what we are more used to. The tour we did with Decade and Brawlers in March was by far my favourite tour so far. Intimate shows are great, the setting is more chaotic, which always adds something different.
What else do you stand for as a band?
Lyrically, me and Steve (singer / guitarist) have always written lyrics about how weird we are, I guess. It’s that idea of looking at yourself in the mirror and not being afraid to point out your flaws. We’re just four weird guys from Ireland who like to play rock music, so I guess we stand for the idea that being weird is okay and we should all embrace it. Using music as a form of self-expression has always been important to us, I think that’s a cool idea to stand for.
God Damn
How do you feel about being part of the #standforsomething tour?
It’s a great privilege to be part of this tour, our 15yr old selves would be pulling our dicks off in excitement, our 25 yr old selves are only slightly less excited, we might have an egg custard and a pint of mild to celebrate.
What do you think the tour represents?
Selling sturdy boots
How are you preparing for the show, particularly as it is likely to be a smaller venue than what you are used to?
We cut our teeth on these shows and I don’t think we’ll ever tire of them. An egg custard and a pint of mild.
What else do you stand for as a band?
A pint of mild and an egg custard. Honestly……Honesty. Punk as a parrot who cusses at his owners.
Tonight Alive
How do you feel about being part of the #standforsomething tour?
It’s super cool! Dr Martens are a company with a lot of character and I love how in tune they are with modern music culture. Plus we know Newcastle rocks and the show is sold out, so you can’t go wrong.
What do you think the tour represents? What is its ethos or message, as far as you are concerned?
To me #standforsomething encourages people to embrace and express their individuality! Tonight Alive’s music has always addressed topics like self-worth and personal freedom because they have played such a vital role in my happiness; and in turn have brought us closer to our listeners. I love that Docs is creating that same sense of community in such a personal and intimate way through these shows.
How are you preparing for the show, particularly as it is likely to be a smaller venue than what you are used to?
You know what, I think it’s just gonna be one of those special moments that are really natural and candid. I don’t think you can prepare too much for something like this without over thinking it. I really love sets where we can just pull out a couple of stools and an acoustic and let the music speak for itself.
What else do you stand for as a band?
Never living in the fear of someone else’s judgement.
Funeral For A Friend and God Damn kicked off proceedings on the 4th October. Catch the remaining #StandForSomething Tour on the following dates:
OCTOBER
11 CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach (Eagulls / Mazes)
25 LIVERPOOL Shipping Forecast (We Are The Ocean / Arcane Roots)
NOVEMBER
22 BIRMINGHAM Flapper (Los Campesinos / Johnny Foreigner)
DECEMBER
05 NEWCASTLE Cluny 2 (Tonight Alive / Only Rivals)