Road Trippin': In This Moment

YOUR BANDMATES ARE ALL MEN. DOES THAT MEAN NOBODY STEALS YOUR LIPSTICK ON TOUR?

Maria Brink [vocals]: “I’m the exception for women in metal because I’m surrounded by women – I have two female assistants and female dancers. My bus is full of girls and I love it – I’ve had my fair share of being in a band with seven guys and I can’t take it anymore. The guys love it, though, because we always have music going and we’re burning incense. The boys want to come into our bus instead!”

WHAT WOULD WE FIND ON BOARD YOUR TOUR BUS?

“I’m eccentric, so my whole tour bus is decorated like a goddess’s den. There’s scatter pillows on the floor and fabrics draped everywhere, crystals and incense burning, trance music playing, and I do yoga a lot. You walk onto our bus and it’s like Narnia. I like to hide from reality and create my own environment.”

HOW HAS YOUR TOURING WARDROBE EVOLVED IN RECENT TIMES?

“My wardrobe is every little girl’s dream! It’s custom-made with crushed pink velvet and French detailing. I’m all about the wardrobe – when I’m not on tour I’m a real flower child, but once I get out on the road it’s like playing dress-up. Everything onstage is choreographed so the girls can run around on one side and I can run around the other; we have an entire stage routine just for the wardrobe!”

DO YOU HAVE ANY SURPRISES LINED UP FOR THIS UPCOMING UK TOUR?

“We’re excited to come back because the last time was so special, the buzzing infectious energy followed us everywhere we went. You guys will be the first after our long break, plus this is our last run for our album cycle. I’m not using the riser that I usually stand on, so there’s a lot more freedom for me this time. There are definitely some surprises!”

Dom Lawson began his inauspicious career as a music journalist in 1999. He wrote for Kerrang! for seven years, before moving to Metal Hammer and Prog Magazine in 2007. His primary interests are heavy metal, progressive rock, coffee, snooker and despair. He is politically homeless and has an excellent beard.