Nasty Gear Up for Their First Australian Tour

With their brutal sound, relentless touring schedule, and growing international fan base, Nasty are set to hit Australia for the very first time alongside close friends Paleface Swiss. We caught up with guitarist Patrick ‘Paddy’ Gajdzik to talk about the upcoming shows, new music, and what fans can expect when the band finally makes their long-awaited debut Down Under.

The countdown is well and truly on for your Australian tour with Paleface Swiss. Are you excited?
Yeah, first time for us, I’m really excited.

Coming to Australia for the first time, do you go in with expectations, or just take it all as it comes?Honestly, I’m just open for whatever happens. Visiting a new place is always amazing. If there’s a chance to see cool stuff, I’m all in, but the main thing is just getting there and playing for the people.

Have you been able to get a sense of what your Aussie fan base is like?
We’ve heard a little bit from the Paleface guys, they came last year and said it was incredible. So, I’m really looking forward to experiencing that for ourselves.

You’ve got a long history with Paleface Swiss.
Yeah, we took them out early in their career, and now they’ve returned the favour by bringing us to Australia. We also toured the US together earlier this year. They’re close friends.

For those who haven’t seen you live, how would you describe the sound and the show?
Super heavy, hardcore, lots of breakdowns, very brutal and very energetic. We give everything on stage, every single time. Expect an intense, high-energy show.

Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Nothing too crazy, usually just a couple of shots to loosen up. Our drummer has a proper warm-up routine, but the rest of us just go out and play.

You’ve been touring hard this year. What’s stood out the most?
It’s been non-stop. We did six and a half weeks in the US, then straight into festival season in Europe. We just wrapped up playing huge ones like Wacken, Rock am Ring and Hellfest in France. Those shows were insane. Wacken is the one. For a metal band, that’s the dream. Being up there was surreal.

Do you approach festivals differently compared to club shows?
Not really, we give one hundred percent every time. The only difference is maybe a bit more nerves on the really big stages, but the energy we put in is always the same.

How has the reaction been to your latest EP?
Amazing, we released it right before the US tour, and the response has been incredible. We’re already working on new music, hopefully some new songs out soon.

Do you find EP’s work better than full albums these days?
Yeah, the industry’s changed. People want constant new music, and EP’s are faster to put together than a twelve-song record. We never really planned to do EP’s, but it makes sense right now, especially when you’re touring so much.

Do you still believe in the concept of the album?
For big artists, yes. But for a band like us, it makes more sense to keep putting out singles or EP’s. Fans want regular output, and that’s what we try to deliver.

Are you looking to cover new ground with what you are working on?
Not really, we’re sticking to our sound, but always trying to push it harder and more brutal every time we write, that’s the goal. We never have a plan. Everything happens in the studio, it’s spontaneous. Most of the time it’s just me and Maddie throwing ideas around and building songs from scratch. There will be at least one new song before the year’s out, and then probably an EP or even an LP next year

That sounds like it could be stressful?
It’s actually less stressful for us. We prefer going in with nothing and coming out with something, rather than booking a solid week and trying to force it.

Any bands inspiring you at the moment?
Paleface Swiss, honestly. On tour, we saw them using every spare moment to write, even on days off in hotel rooms. Their focus and drive is really inspiring.

Finally, what are you most looking forward to about being in Australia?
Everything, meeting people, exploring cities, eating good food, seeing kangaroos. And of course, playing shows. I’m down for all of it.

Interview By Rob Lyon

Catch Nasty on tour with Paleface Swiss on the following dates, tickets from The Phoenix…