“Oh, The Places They Will Go!” Lebanon’s Postcards On Tour in the UK
Many of you may recognize the Postcards as one of Beirut’s most beloved bands. With just one EP out, they’ve captured our hearts with their mellow, chilled-out, whimsically melodic tunes.
So it came as no huge surprise when they announced they were going on tour in the UK (!!!!), with planned shows in London, Manchester, Brighton, and Cardiff. Beirut.com caught up with the band via email to see what’s up while they’re on the road.
Beirut.com: Hey guys! First off, how’s it going? Postcards: All is going well, it’s very exciting! Other than actually playing live, we got to see London and meet some great people, so it’s been fun!
Beirut.com: What led to the decision to go on a UK tour? Postcards: We got the opportunity to tour in the UK and we took it, it seemed like a good place to start.
Beirut.com: How did it all come together? What made this tour happen? Postcards: Our manager, Anthony. (Alla ykhalilna yeh!)
Beirut.com: How did you guys prepare for this tour? Postcards: Lots of practice, planning, and panicking over visas! It’s been a hectic few months, but everything came together fine and we’re just relieved to finally be here.
Beirut.com: And how’s everything been going so far? Postcards: It’s been going great! Very smooth. We’ve been to London and Manchester and are now on our way to Brighton, then Cardiff.
Beirut.com: How has the reception to your music been? Postcards: The crowd has been very responsive! Everyone’s attentive and willing to listen, and people seem to enjoy our songs.
Beirut.com: How has playing in the UK differed from playing to a Lebanese audience? Postcards: The sound is obviously much better. The venues are well-equipped for bands and the sound engineers we’ve had so far have been very professional. Also, audiences don’t seem to mind the quieter songs as much – although we love Lebanese audiences’ energy, there’s not much response to a song if it doesn’t make them move, and that’s different here. But obviously there’s the fact that we’re playing to a completely unknown audience here, so there’s more pressure. In Lebanon, there’s always people you know personally in the audience and it offers you a kind of safety. Here we’re completely out of our comfort zone, playing to people who have never heard of us or our music.
Beirut.com: What have been some surprises and realizations as you’ve put the show together? Postcards: There haven’t been many major surprises yet, it’s all been going according to plan, so hopefully that’ll continue as the tour goes on!
Beirut.com: Do you foresee doing some more touring in the future? Postcards: Yes for sure, we have plans for that in the near future.
Beirut.com: Anything else you’d like to say to your Lebanese fans? Postcards: Be sure to mind the gap! And we have more big announcements when we come back!
