ROCK BAND MY DARKEST DAYS IS WINNING OVER FANS WITH MUSIC AND ATTENTION
On July 5, 2010, Canadian rock band My Darkest Days ventured out of the great white north onto their first U.S. tour. Vocalist Matt Walst, guitarist Sal Coz Costa, bass guitarist Brendan McMillan, drummer Doug Oliver and keyboardist Reid Henry slugged it out opening for Sick Puppies at dates across the country. They opened the show every night with a handful of songs before spending the rest of the evening with fans at the merch booth.
This can be a challenging point in a band’s career: strange country, an audience that doesn’t know the songs, playing first out of four bands, touring on one new single with no album, way too many dudes shoved inside way too small a van, and hardly any sleep. But these guys stuck with it and killed it on stage every night, gradually winning over scores of fans.
Some of the success can certainly be attributed to their star-studded debut single, Porn Star Dancing. With a little help from Zakk Wylde, Ludacris and Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger, the single has finally danced its way to the #1 position on the active rock chart. But an equally significant contribution to their success is their dedication to their fan base. Not only did they maintain a line of communication with their core fans back home in Canada, but they went to great lengths to interact with the new fans that they met on the road. Few bands spend as much time with fans as the guys in My Darkest Days. From signing autographs and taking pictures after shows, to keeping the fans updated via Twitter, to interactive communication on Facebook, these guys have made the fans feel like they are part of the action.
Their self-titled debut album dropped in September while they were out with Hinder, continuing what has been a grueling tour schedule. They also hit some of the summer festivals and threw down a few acoustic performances for radio stations. They ran into a perfect stride getting a slot on Papa Roach’s Monsters of Annihilation tour. Although they were back in the opening slot, they were able to present their music to what is their target demographic.
It is now mid-November and they have just rounded out some club headlining gigs, many of which were sold out. After a few days of rest at home, they will head back out with Hinder again.
Now, with Porn Star Dancing sitting at #1 and their album at #9 on Billboard’s Hard Rock chart, My Darkest Days is well on their way to legitimately counting themselves among rock’s current favorite bands. They’ve stepped up from the van to their first bus and the relentless schedule is paying off in strides, but they are dog-tired. They are driving from gig to gig with very little sleep, lugging their own gear, giving all they have on stage every night and still pushing themselves to say hi to everyone in the crowd. There may be some complaints behind the scenes, some moments curled up on the floor of the green room and times that they simply want to go home, but the truth is that My Darkest Days loves what they are doing. So to all the fans out there who have reveled in the attention they’ve received from the band, make sure to give some back. They’ve earned it.
Visit THIS LINK to view photos from the show
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