X Ambassadors headlined the Johnnie Walker Main Stage at Rocking The Daisies this past Saturday. They quickly drew the masses in front of the stage with a high-energy show that included a full-tilt light display, Sam Harris’s dance moves and a couple of his sultry saxophone solos.
The show culminated with a fire-cracker performance of the US band’s hit single “Renegades” and Nathan Levinrad caught up with with singer Sam Harris, keyboardist Casey Harris and drummer Adam Levin after the show.
Nathan Levinrad: After that phenomenal set what would you like to tell your fans in South Africa?
Sam Harris: I’d like to ask all our fans to get online and make enough noise that we are able to come back and perform again. We’d love to come here.
Adam Levin: We’d love to come back and play a club show.
NL: Sam you spoke to Tecla in the lead-up to Rocking The Daisies. What was your favourite part of the interview?
SH: Yes, I did! I had such a great conversation with her. We had a solid hour-long discussion, It’s always nice to feel like someone gives a shit.
NL: Had you heard of Rocking The Daisies before being asked to perform?
SH: Absolutely not. I had known that there were festivals here in South Africa – we just never had been invited. When we got the news we were playing we could not have been more excited.
NL: It’s your first time playing in South Africa, have you played anywhere else on the African continent? And what are some dream destinations you’d like to explore?
SH: We’ve never played in Africa. It would be crazy to play in front of the Pyramids, right? Egypt would be awesome to visit. I’ve always wanted to go to Morocco. I’ve heard a lot of amazing things about Nigeria. I also drink so much coffee so some day I would love to go to Ethiopia just for the coffee.
NL: Has South Africa been a destination that you’ve wanted to visit?
SH: One hundred percent! We have family here that we hadn’t met before this trip. We’d known that our cousin lived in South Africa but we finally got to meet them yesterday.
AL: It’s nice to witness the vast Jewish Diaspora [laughs].
NL: Do you have any rituals on tour?
SH: Yeah we have a lot of rituals.
AL: We say the Shehecheyanu [the Jewish prayer of gratitude] every time before we go on stage.
SH: It was a tradition that our old guitarist started and it just stuck.
Casey Harris: We’ve sung it every show we’ve ever played.
SH: It’s one of the only prayers that I know, I’m the worst Jew [laughs].
NL: Whose the fussiest member on tour? And what makes that member the fussiest?
SH: I am definitely the fussiest member
CH and AL nod in agreement.
CH: He’s the lead singer. He has needs [laughs].
AL: For Casey and I, we can afford to have a bit of flu. But if Sam get’s ill, his voice can go. He really has to take care of his body.
SH: I mean, historically, lead singers do shatter their bodies and continue to play. For me, I guess I am just too whiney [laughs].
NL: You have a history with Imagine Dragons, they were the band that helped get X-Ambassadors signed to Interscope Records, they’re playing here next year. What would you like to tell them about playing South Africa?
SH: The crowd is super tight and they’re going to have a blast!
NL: Do you have any off-time while you’re here and what do you plan to do?
AL: We’ve been here for four days and I haven’t spent an hour in my hotel room in that time. And I have been sick the whole time. We’ve just been going. We went to the top of Table Mountain on the cable car. We drove along Chapman’s Peak drive and went to Boulder’s Beach to see the penguins. I went golfing because I am a big golfer. Sam, Sam’s wife, our manager and I are going on a safari near Durban and then we’re coming back and spending four more days in Cape Town.
SH: The last four days will just be me, my wife and Adam.
AL: I’m a third wheel. It’s not awkward we spend a lot of time with each other. Sam’s wife comes on tour with us a lot as well.
SH: My wife and I have been together since we [X Ambassadors] were nobody. Since we were a baby band, literally homeless.
NL: I asked Will Linley if he had any questions he wanted to ask you guys. He said he wanted to know how Sam got his moustache so good.
AL: He got a hair transplant from his head to his moustache [laughing].
SH: I use the children’s tears of joy.
Pictures courtesy of Tyler Jay Hansen.
