Doritos, menthol cigarettes and the fall of free market capitalism: Life on the road with Alexisonfire

Last month Alexisonfire toured the UK for the first since the pandemic, including a whopping great sold-out show at London's O2 Academy Brixton. Firing through a career-spanning set of Boiled Frogs, Sans Soleil, Dog's Blood and the bona fide post-hardcore anthem This Could Be Anywhere In The World, the Canadian punks left the iconic London venue a quivering mess.

Of course, this is par for the course for The Only Band Ever, who have spent the past two decades (on and off) touring the world and sending thousands upon thousands of fans into a frenzy. But how do they survive life on the road? We grabbed the wonderfully-haired frontman George Pettit to find out...

The golden rule on tour is…
"If you open up for Alexisonfire and your guitar players use amp simulators, don’t expect Dal [Green] and Wade [MacNeil] to invite you out for tapas."

The one phrase you’re likely to hear on repeat on tour is…
“Which way to the artisanal coffee shop/raw bar/ambient avant-garde record peddler?”

The first thing we do when we get to a venue is…
"Google search where the artisanal coffee shop/raw bar/ambient avant-garde record peddler is."

Our dressing room music of choice is…
"Wede Harer Guzo by Hailu Mergia and Dahlak Band."

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The one essential rider request is…
"Don’t look Wade MacNeil directly in the eyes. And Doritos."

The atmosphere just before we go onstage is…
"Mostly comprised of menthol cigarette smoke."

The one thing that annoys everyone on tour is…
"The gorgeous AOF frontman, stealing all the cover shots with his punk jumps and flowing locks."

Our favourite thing to watch on tour is…
"The fall of free market capitalism and the rise of democratic socialism."

We pass our free time before shows by…
"Playing a version of handball that I’m pretty sure was invented by the band Moneen."

The saddest thing about leaving the tour to go home is…
"The Cormac McCarthy-esque hellscape that is Toronto Pearson International Airport."

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Read this: Wade MacNeil: "We do a lot to distract ourselves from difficult things, but the only way through it is to feel it"