In support of their tenth studio album, ‘Sounds Of A Playground Fading’, In Flames were back in the UK to support Trivium on the Defenders Of Faith tour after previously touring Europe with the roles reversed.
‘Sounds Of A Playground Fading’ was the band’s first album to not feature Jesper Stromblad, who departed the band in 2010. Recorded as a four piece before long term stand in member Niclas Engelin joined full time, In Flames had to adapt to a life without Jesper and showcase that they can move on without him.
Before the band took to the stage in Glasgow, I had the opportunity to sit down with In Flames bassist Peter Iwers to talk about touring, working as a four piece, Niclas addition to the band, criticism, his new restaurant 2112 and teaching the value of music to the younger generation.
EspyRock: Must have been a little different yesterday and instead of playing you actually could go to a show as a fan (In Flames attended the Machine Head gig at the SECC).
Peter Iwers: Yeah it was a nice break from being the band on stage. I’m a huge fan of DevilDriver and they are all very good friends of ours so it was nice to see friends again, especially when we live on different sides of the world. It still felt weird being at the [side of the] stage and for once not walking on to perform [laughs]. This has been a very good tour for us, I’m really enjoying it. We headlined mainland Europe first and now Trivium get their chance to be headliners over here in the UK.
Is the tour in the US next year a co-headline tour?
I’m not sure what the billing is yet and if we are headlining or they are or it is a co-headline like you said. It would be good to do the co-headline as it would complete these series of tours nicely. We get along with the guys from Trivium so well, we’re all friends and we always have a great time when we are out on tour together.
You’ve been touring with them in some form for around five years now is it? If not on a tour like this then you have featured at festivals and such together?
I think that’s right. Good thing we get on now I think about it, after all these years we’ve seen them [laughs].
Had you heard of the Trivium before you started to tour with them back in the day or were they just put on a tour?
I knew of them but I didn’t know of their music until we performed alongside them. People should take more notice of them because they are a young band and they really do what they do well.
How do you find touring these days because I know tonight they have shut off the top level of the venue due to poor ticket sales? Previously In Flames have always done very well in Glasgow and so have Trivium, this has been their venue for a good number of years, so are you seeing anything different these days when on the road?
I think the problem is basically that since people stopped buying records, bands are now touring more and more so there are more tours going on at the same time now and it is hard for people to decide how they will spend their money. We need to work to live and it’s a shame that we all have to clash but because of how we tour now, you know that it is likely you will see that band back in seven/eight months.
I went holiday to the US with my wife a year ago and we went to New York, I was so looking forward to going to Tower Records and HMV but they weren’t around anymore, they had shut them all down. How is that ever going to help people buy CDs and continue to support music legally if they have no stores? I’m a big fan of the physical product and here in the UK it is ok, you still have stores like HMV and some independent stores which keep everything going. It is important that we teach the younger generation that the physical product is a great thing to have and that these stores exist. You get a lot more for your money with the artwork, booklets, lyrics and bonus discs. When I grew up it was LPs that I bought and for me, it was a magical experience to go home and study the cover from front to back, see all of the details as you sang along to the songs. These days people don’t do that and it sucks because it means that in the future, ticket prices for gigs are going to be really high and people will then go to less shows. Bands will be touring even more than what we are now and it will just collapse. We’re all just shooting ourselves in the foot because eventually music will stop, there will no money to be made from it therefore there will be no reason for any of us to do it. People can say they do it because they love it but how can you love and dedicate your time to something that doesn’t pay your bills and doesn’t allow you to eat. So yeah, that is my extra long extended answer to that question you asked [laughs]. Keep buying records or music will die.
How have the other nights been on this tour so far in terms of ticket sales?
I think we’ve sold out pretty much every show or at least close to it anyway, though this may be the start of a downward spiral if we have sold poorly here tonight.
The album has been out for a couple of months and now and congratulations on going gold in Sweden.
Thank you.
Were you surprised with that news based on your previous answer with the level of sales these days?
Oh yeah but I think the fact we did it so quickly was more surprising. Our last album [‘A Sense of Purpose’] also went gold but that took around two years and this one didn’t even take six months. In a world like today it is really impressive and I’m really pleased with that obviously. Again, I think it is important to appreciate the physical product and I have children who I am teaching the benefits of the physical product instead of going online and buying it that way. It’s still better to buy it that way instead of illegally downloading the song or album of course, I occasionally purchase from iTunes but I teach them to go to the record store and buy the album because they will enjoy it so much more. It’s a little more expensive yes but you are being given the added content that you cannot get with a downloaded album. It’s our job as parents to teach our children the value of music.
At least the value hasn’t been completely lost in Sweden just yet.
It is a fairly small country and the metal community is even smaller but they are amongst the most dedicated metal fans in the whole world and we’re fortunate to have those dedicated individuals as fans of our music. You have dedicated fans everywhere of course but at the same time you have to keep those fans by touring more. I think I went to five or six shows before I left for this tour in Gothenburg and we usually never have shows. I know that I missed two or three shows also but hopefully people will continue to go to shows and it will attract more bands to come now that crowds are gathering.
There was an interview that Anders did recently and he said that you’re not supposed to be metal in Sweden. Have you ever thought about the fact that you are one of those bands who have been leading the charge and offering hope to Swedish metal bands that you can make it?
I’ve never really thought of that. We play music that we enjoy and I think throughout the years, each record we’ve released has been classified as a different kind of music but I don’t really care because we write good music. I don’t care how you classify us, if we’re metal, mainstream or death metal, I don’t really care, it’s not important. I’m just grateful that there are people who listen to our kind of music and are dedicated to the band in some manner.
How happy were you with the outcome and the way you did the work for this album considering it was a four-piece?
I think the album turned out amazing but we would have never have put out anything we were not happy with. Even now there is no need to look back and see if there is anything we could have differently because it would be like crying over a glass of spilt milk. We achieved something as a four piece which was special. We went into the studio thinking that we had nothing to prove anything but in the end, we came out with this feeling like we had took on the world and won. I really do think it is a fantastic record and everyone is playing at their best now.
The positive reviews outweighed the negative but how do you take the criticism of people stating you’re not the band you once were and you’ve lost your edge from the older material that you had released?
It’s always going to be the same. People will always find something to criticise you for and while we may lose fans because they don’t like where we are now, we’ve probably gained an equal amount of fans or more just based on the new album alone. Older fans come and go depending on their mood but you shouldn’t pay too much attention to it because eventually you will change the way that you write music and that will be very damaging. We’ve never cared about what people think when it comes to the writing process; we just do it for ourselves and so far so good. Obviously if someone tells me that my bass playing sucks or the records sucks then I’m going to ask them why. I’m not going to abuse them or rip them to shreds like people do to bands online, I want constructive criticism that I can take on board and use in the future. If you really think it is that bad then tell us why, we’ll not forget and we’ll make sure that we take it on board for the future. Maybe [laughs]. At the end of the day I need to look at myself in the mirror and be able to say that I did this from the best of my ability.
This album was more melodic compared to previous albums, was that a conscious decision as you were writing or was that just what came out of you as you wrote and recorded?
No, not really. Before Bjorn [Gelotte] and Jesper [Stromblad] wrote all of the riffs together and this time it was just Bjorn. They both come from different schools of rock. Bjorn is a little more rock ‘n’ roll whereas Jesper is more death metal, so I suppose that maybe reduced the death metal influence that Jesper usually brought with him. Bjorn did a magnificent job in my opinion and the fact he is a little more rock ‘n’ roll worked better for me and my playing style. I love the old records and I’m not bad mouthing anything we’ve done, I love it all but you know someone is going to take that the wrong way [laughs]. That is just the way he writes and we just all work together to the end result and this is what we came out with.
How has Niclas [Engelin] settled into his new full time role within the band?
He is amazing. He came in with lots of energy and a really positive attitude which we needed after the divorce with Jesper. The stuff he [Jesper] went through was horrifying for all of us and to see one of my closest friends have to deal with the nasty disease of alcoholism, it just beat us all down. So when Niclas came in with such a positive attitude, it really lifted us and it really put us back on track again. He fits like a glove and he is an amazing guitar player, I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who loves to play guitar as much as he does. He is very productive so he is always trying to kick out new ideas. He was writing with Engel at the time for their new album so he was taking all of the energy he had for that and putting it into In Flames which was great. That energy he has took us to the next level and without him being part of the band, I’m not sure how well we would have come back from the slump we were in.
Was the album written and recorded before he came in and was declared the new full time guitarist?
He was there during the thinking period because he has joined a little earlier when Jesper couldn’t continue the tours. We asked him if he wanted to join and he told us that he would have to think about it because it was a big decision to become a full time musician. While he was thinking about it we decided that we would go ahead and do the album because we weren’t sure how long it would take him.
It was a big change with Jesper leaving but at the same time you chose to leave Nuclear Blast for Century Media, what happened there?
A lot of things that I can’t talk about. At the end of the day we needed to be somewhere that really worked for us and while Nuclear Blast had been that place for many years, it was time for us to move on to something new. Century Media showed us the best plan and they had the best ideas to get the record out there, plus they seemed motivated. There is no bad blood with Nuclear Blast, we weren’t with them for so long for no reason, they did do well for us and we’re still friends with the people there but things that I can’t really talk about made it time to move on and work with someone new.
On a personal note now, earlier this year you opened your restaurant. Did you under estimate the size of the task to open the restaurant up?
Oh yeah [laughs], I had no idea what I was getting myself in for. We spent plenty of time thinking about it, looking at possible locations and learning the business side of things. Once we were prepared and knew we could open it, me, Bjorn and two other guys, just went for it. We took it step by step and although it was a lot harder than we ever expected it to be, we didn’t rush anything and now we’ve been open for eight months. We’ve got people there who run it for us and as soon as we’re home then we go straight to the restaurant and we help out. We do anything that needs to be done and on most occasions we’re out as the host for all of the parties that come in. I don’t know if you have been online to see it but there are two parts to it.
Yeah the restaurant and also the pub section.
Yeah that’s it and it’s not one of these places that you need to wear a suit and tie and it’s also not a rock ‘n’ roll place either, something for everyone to enjoy.
What made you decide on fine dining because you could have chose from a lot of styles?
A couple of different reason actually. When we’re out on tour and someone invites you to a place, it always ends up being a rock ‘n’ roll bar with loud music and clouded in smoke. After a show, I don’t want that, I want a hotel bar which is quiet and I can just sit and relax, you know the piano and champagne type bar [laughs], I just want to unwind after a show. Another reason is that I enjoy going out with my friends, having something to eat, a few drinks and talk away for the rest of the night but most places in Sweden close at eleven so you have to move onto somewhere else. You keep moving round places but unless you’re quick then they are full and you end up at the loud rock bar anyway. So we decided that we would combine the two and give you a place that you can sit for a long time and dine, enjoy incredible food and drink at affordable prices and then just move onto the pub area to continue a nice relaxing evening. In the beginning we had two different menus but we then just made it the same menu so depending on how you feel and where you are, you will still be able to get the same good food and drinks. Tonight I know that Sepultura and Exodus are playing in Gothenburg and they are going there afterwards to relax. We’re all becoming the same now, we are tired of loud rock clubs and we just want to find somewhere that is comfortable and we can enjoy a drink and peoples company.
That is an extra benefit if you’re home and other bands are touring Sweden then you will be able to see friends much easier, like DevilDriver last night, just by luck they were here on your night off.
Exactly, it does work well that way. If you were to be there on a Saturday night then you would notice that it is interesting because we have a mix of people in Iron Maiden t-shirts and then guys in their fifties with their suits and ties on but everyone mixes perfectly, they all enjoy it and it is very calm, the perfect atmosphere and exactly what we wanted.
I read that the restaurant’s name, 2112, is a tribute to Rush. What made you decide to go with that as the name?
I think it was one of the other guys who came up with it, his name is Martin. It is a really clean name and we all happen to love Rush. We spent a while talking about what we would call it because the name is extremely important, people get a feeling of what your restaurant or bar will be like from the name and if we called it In Flames Bar, then people would think instantly that it was a metal place or somewhere dark and dungeon like, maybe a bit twisted with people on flames or something stupid. The name though was clean and then the decoration brings out the rock ‘n’ roll vibe which is helped with some paintings and we plan to add some guitars and things. So when he said “what about 2112, from Rush?” we thought about some other restaurants that have all numbers or letter/number combinations and it just worked very well. If you know about Rush then it’s awesome but if you don’t know about Rush then it still comes across as a neat name.
Plus it is a nice easy name that you can just roll off your tongue and it isn’t hard to forget.
Yeah exactly, some restaurants just have some stupid names.
As you’re food guys, have you tried anything from Scotland like haggis or black pudding?
I haven’t sadly and I haven’t had the time to go and explore.
Not even the deep fried Mars Bars?
I’ve heard about this and I want to try that but I have no idea where to go for it after the show.
They don’t do it anymore, well I haven’t seen anywhere in a long time do it.
[Laughs] I’d still love to try it and haggis as well. Yesterday, although we had the off day, we had a really nice hotel and we just stayed in there the full day and it was nice to relax but I will try it next time I’m here.
I’ll make sure if you’re here again then I’ll try bring some with me.
That is a great idea, bring enough just to feed the band, we’ll sort you out with something for feeding us [laughs].
As your dinner is here I’ll finish off with this last question. As you have been in the band now for fourteen/fifteen years, what is your best moment with the band or key highlights that stand out to you?
Oh there are a couple. For me, most of them are back home because there some legendary venues there and we’ve managed to play in them so it’s special to say we’ve played in there. We played an outdoor arena some years ago with Iron Maiden to 55,000 people and that was amazing. It wasn’t because we were the supporting band but it was because it ended up being like our very own show everyone was going crazy for us and that will always be something I never forget. We headlined another arena a couple of times, on this tour as well, that I went to many shows as a kid so to be now be on that stage is incredible. The first time we ever played the US was the Milwaukee Metal Fest in 1999 and that was incredible to go over there and perform and see everything, it was a great moment. A day like today will be a key moment also. Outside it is raining and even though you have told me that one level has been shut off, I know that when we go out there, the fans who are there, who stood in that rain to see us perform will make everything worth it. I will not forget the fact that they paid their money to then stand in the rain to come be at a show that we were part of. On a day like today I really want to go on stage and just play, I don’t want to wait anymore, I just want to get up on stage and be impressed by the audience, they always impress us more than we could impress them and that triggers me. That’s why I do this every day, to build that connection between me and the audience and to see them enjoy it.
Blah blah blah. Sorry bro but I don't think a little booklet and a disc are 'a lot more for your money'. Cry moar.
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