Coheed and Cambria Vocalist Talks About ‘Second Stage’ Tour

Coheed and Cambria have just hit the road on their much-anticipated new tour, on which they'll be playing their classic album 'The Second Stage Turbine Blade' in its entirety, along with a special acoustic set and an additional electric set.

In this, the band's 10th year, frontman and band founder Claudio Sanchez told Noisecreep that playing their debut album is a chance to give back to the faithful -- and that they seem to be appreciating the gesture.

"It's been amazing," he said, calling from Houston several hours before taking the stage for the evening's peformance. "When we're off the road for a bit, I sometimes forget just how intense and wonderful our fans are. But they totally stand out. Their passion for the band, and this record especially, have made these first few shows really enjoyable. I'm anxious to see how the rest of the tour goes."

As far as the challenges of time-traveling back 10 years to re-capture a sound and a mood. Sanchez said that for him, it's the singing that's the hardest to recreate.

"It's interesting. In ten years, we've obviously become better players, so physically, the guitar parts for me are fine. Where it gets interesting is in the singing. I'm 33 now so I sound different, but I wanted to sing all the parts in their original, standard keys, and so that's what I'm doing. It's definitely a challenge, but so far I think it's been coming off okay."

Beyond the playing and the singing, Sanchez added that revisiting the first album has another layer of meaning for him.

"The memories are interesting as I sing those songs," he said. "I mean, I was in my late teens when I wrote some of that stuff, and by singing them the way I originally wrote them, it's like I'm going back to anther version of myself. And I remember how life was and what else I was doing back then, and so the whole thing comes full circle. There's lots of emotion I'm feeling [while] doing this, which I didn't really anticipate."

Something Coheed and Cambria fans have become accustomed to at shows is one of the most elaborate merchandise tables in rock and roll; a veritable museum of artifacts and collectibles that stem from Sanchez's prolific creative output. With comic books, rare vinyl, t-shirts, band jewelry, and limited edition posters, the merch table plays a special part with Coheed and Cambria.

"Sometimes I look at it and worry that the guy behind the table will have too much to think about, that it's all too overwhelming," Sanchez laughed. "But our fans have this great relationship with what I do and they're pretty dialed in so we try to put special stuff out there.

"My first ever show was Black Sabbath at the Beacon Theater in New York," Sanchez said. "And I remember getting a t-shirt, but out on the street, before we even got inside."

A big fan of the New York Knicks basketball team, Sanchez said he'll follow their playoff run while he's on the road. But more than anything right now, it's about doing the shows and developing his next projects, which include a book.

"Even though this show involves the band's past history, playing this material and getting the feedback inspires the new music, so I'll be writing a lot on this tour. But I'm also working on the novel for 'Second Stage Turbine Blade.' Next year is the 10th anniversary of the album and if the novel could coincide with that it would be really cool."

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