On Tour With BLISS N ESO

Recently releasing their sixth studio album, Off The Grid, Australian hip-hop trio Bliss n Eso are pumped up for their huge national tour which kicks off this month. And as the ARIA-award-winning dudes play to packed gigs around the country, we chat to them about all things touring and life on the road...

- Santi Pintado

MAX (MC Eso)

What’s the best Australian city to tour?

That’s an extremely hard question as every city has its own magic. It would have to be a draw between our hometown Sydney and Brisbane for always brining the raucous! The big cities are always a pleasure because the crowds come out in numbers. But the smaller, more rural towns are so thirsty and hungry for live music to come through their town that their energy and enthusiasm is through the roof!

What’s your favourite track to perform to a live audience?

Easily “Addicted” – there is a surge of energy that runs through me and the boys which is a force that is unexplainable. The crowd’s reaction is always amazing to feed off as sometimes they scream the lyrics harder than us.

Are there any other songs which get the crowd going?

Besides “Addicted”, “Woodstock” is definatly a crowd pleaser with its heavy industrial drums and back and forth rapid fire flows.

What’s been your scariest moment you guys have had at a gig?

Crowd surfing off stage onto a blow-up raft, where the crowd passed me all the way to the back. I was quite concerned they were going to take me out of the venue and all the way back to one of their houses to party. Luckily, I made it out alive.

TARIK (DJ Izm):

What’s on your rider these days?

Our rider consists of water, a cheese platter, fruit platter, ginger and honey, a few beers and a couple of bottles of something for the roadies. It’s always good to have something nice and light to snack on and if you’re not feeling well the ginger and honey goes down a treat.

How do you guys prepare yourselves before a tour?