With the summer of 2003 speeding to a close, the boys of Three Days Grace continue to power their way through North America.
After a supporting tour for Theory Of A Deadman earlier this summer, 3DG immediately hooked up with alterna-metal heads Trapt in July and since then have continued to take their music to the masses. Yes, it’s been a busy few months for 3DG, but this suits them just fine, thank you very much.
“We kind of have this ‘BRING IT’ approach to whatever we do,” says drummer Neil Sanderson. “At the end of the day, our job is to go up onstage and own it for 45 minutes.”
The band’s live show received a boost just prior to the Theory tour, as their power punk trio set-up was altered to include a new guitarist. Enter Barry Stock.
“We connected really well right from when I first met them,” recalls Stock. “We were rehearsing in the same building, the Rehearsal Factory in Toronto. I think it was our manager who introduced me to these guys because they needed some help with their gear. I started helping them out by tweaking their guitars and whatnot. When they started to look for a guitar player, they were auditioning a bunch of guys and they asked me to check the gig out as a player and I jammed with them one day. (Bassist) Brad (Walst), Neil and myself got together and they loved it. We rocked out and had a great time. We just connected and it’s like I’ve known these guys as long as they’ve known each other.”
The only worry spot for the band bringing in a new member is the fact that Sanderson, Walst and singer/guitarist, Adam Gontier, have known each other since elementary school. Their tight bond would be intimidating for anyone to try and join. Not the case with Stock, though.
“I wasn’t nervous at all, I was pretty confident. We all knew right away that we’d get along, so when they asked me to do this, it wasn’t that hard.”
Adds Walst: “It was really good with Barry because he gelled so well with us and it was like we knew him for 10 years already. With him, I think our live show is a lot more intense and full sounding. And I think he adds to our image as well. He fills it out so much. There were a lot of parts on the record that we couldn’t accomplish as a three-piece onstage, but now we can do that with him – he’s got all the leads down and he brings us to the next level, for sure.”
The band’s image most definitely gets a boost with the addition of Walst, as he ups Three Days Grace’s mohawk content to two (joining Gontier). His intimidating presence adds to the dark aura surrounding the group. Their debut single, “I Hate Everything About You” screams with visceral angst, marking Three Days Grace as one of the angriest bands in Canada today.
“We definitely use music as an outlet,” says Gontier. “We are pretty low key guys, so when we get onstage and when we’re focussed on our music it’s a release and we use that release to the fullest.”
“I think being aggressive comes naturally to us,” continues Walst. “When we jam out it’s in your face and it’s aggressive and that’s just the way it’s been from the beginning. We haven’t really written too many happy songs. It’s just an outlet for us. Personally, I write best when things aren’t going as well as planned. So you need to get that out. Instead of going to a psychiatrist you can write a song about it and share it with your band members and fans.”
