PIERCE THE VEIL // Get In The Van: Never Running Out of Luck

Sep 14, 2016 / WORDS Jonty Simmons / PHOTOS Kane Hibberd / Pierce the Veil In a VAN!

“My name is Jaime, I play bass and I’m wearing nothing but underwear for this.” Pierce The Veil’s resident clown Jaime Preciado offers us this golden introductory line in the band’s Melbourne dressing room. The rest of Pierce The Veil grin as they follow suit:

“I’m Vic [Fuentes], I sing and I’m an Aquarius.”

“I’m Mike [Fuentes, drummer], I like giraffes and I like to party.”

“I’m Tony [Perry]. I play guitar.”

After they’ve introduced themselves, Preciado offers an official statement to open the feature. He puts on airs and plays around like this is their first interview of the day, even though it’s been a day full of press and meeting fans. “The year: 2016! The band: Pierce The Veil! The first headline tour in Australia!”

“When we got back on the road, I realised I was missing a whole piece of my life. Normally it’s 50/50, but once we got back I realised how much I’d missed it.”
[ Vic Fuentes ]

“My name is Jaime, I play bass and I’m wearing nothing but underwear for this.”

Three years have gone by since Pierce The Veil have been to Australia, and emotions are high. “It’s a very special time for us. I’m filled with emotion, and I get a little welled up,” says Vic, feigning a tear trickling down his cheek. Preciado pretends to sob, “It’s a dream come true!” We may be joking like they’ve just sold out their first ever show at a 50 cap venue, but the reality is that there are hundreds of people excitedly milling below us. The windows of the dressing room are completely blocked out so the teeming group of fans can’t catch a glimpse and post it online for their ravenous fanbase. As proof of their fanbase’s dedication, rewind a few hours to one in the afternoon. Pierce The Veil won’t take to the stage for another ten hours or so, but there’s already a dedicated cluster of fans at the venue door. Donned in merch that’s clearly seen the test of time, they’ve settled in for the long haul. It’s fans like these who, during the band’s meet and greet, spill more than a few tears. Mind you, these are fully grown adults, but they’ve waited years to finally see their idols in person. “Some kids are upset?” questions Mike, the younger of the Fuentes clan. Preciado adds,“Like it was our fault we didn’t come back so soon! We speak highly of Australia and it’s so good to have this reaction when we come back though. So hey, good onya!” he says in perfect Strayan.

Speaking of appreciation, dotted around us in the room are neat bags with ribbons tied and notes poking out. They’re offerings from the meet and greets earlier on in the day, and the band are also stoked to show off the artwork they’ve been gifted. Preciado excitedly jumps up to grab a sheet of the band playing with lyrics dotted around them.

“This guy does digital design, and it goes to show that the fans are legitimately spending hours on this stuff.” As he points to each carefully chosen word on the page, his eyes widen with sincerity. “It blows our minds every time we see it.”

“I’m Vic [Fuentes], I sing and I’m an Aquarius.”

Vic notes the non-imposing design of the Misadventures artwork was no mistake. “That was literally one of the criteria, the album art had to be drawn. Our fans seem to love being able to do artwork and things like that, and I love when kids can give their own take on it. That was something important to us.”

We turn serious for a moment as Vic confesses that taking time off to record Misadventures took a toll on his personal wellbeing. “When we got back on the road, I realised I was missing a whole piece of my life. Normally it’s 50/50, but once we got back I realised how much I’d missed it.”