The Safety Fire Interview: Touring Chaos, Van Rules & Early Days | Ryan Minic, Ryan's Rock Show

In a 2013 interview with Ryan Minic of Ryan’s Rock Show, Derya “Dez” Nagle of The Safety Fire shared stories about his early metal influences, the band’s formation, their touring experiences, and his background in music production.

Nagle reminisced about his teenage years attending metal shows, highlighting Slipknot’s 2004 performance at the London Astoria as one of his most memorable concerts. Seeing a band of that scale in such a small venue was an intense experience that solidified his love for heavy music. He also recalled attending System of a Down’s show at Brixton Academy, where The Dillinger Escape Plan opened and got heavily booed by the crowd. While Dillinger’s chaotic live show wasn’t for everyone, Nagle admired their fearless performance.

Reflecting on the origins of The Safety Fire, he revealed that he and bassist Lori Peri started playing music together just months after picking up their instruments as teenagers. By 2006, after experimenting with different band names and styles, they settled on The Safety Fire, marking a fresh start with a more defined sound. Their first proper show under that name was in Brighton, England, right before they all went off to university.

Nagle discussed his passion for music production, which stemmed from a frustrating early recording experience. At 16, his band paid a producer who overcharged them and delivered a poor-quality recording. Feeling that he could do a better job himself, he became fascinated with the recording process, eventually attending Leeds College of Music. Over time, he honed his skills as a producer and began working on The Safety Fire’s own music, which gave the band more creative control over their sound.

The conversation shifted to The Safety Fire’s surreal moment of being contacted by Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater). Nagle initially thought the email was spam, as he hadn’t signed up for any forums. However, after verifying the message, he realized it was legit. Portnoy had personally reached out to invite the band to play on his Progressive Nation at Sea cruise, which was a surreal experience for them. When Nagle finally met Portnoy in person, they ended up having an in-depth conversation about facial hair, a topic he didn’t expect to bond over.

Touring life was another major topic of discussion, with Nagle reflecting on the “van rules” that kept the band sane on the road. Some of their self-imposed rules included always keeping stress levels down and having a clear understanding that “van rules” applied to everyone at all times. He joked that some members even had “van rules” tattooed on them as a reminder.

One of their most chaotic tour experiences happened in Germany when their van broke down, forcing them to take trains for several days. While it was a stressful situation, they enjoyed the extra legroom and freedom to move around compared to cramming into a van. However, navigating trains in a country where they didn’t speak the language made things far more challenging.

Nagle also recalled some of The Safety Fire’s funniest on-tour pranks, including a notorious naked conga line they orchestrated while touring with Protest the Hero. He admitted that many of their antics were spontaneous rather than planned, and Protest the Hero seemed to enjoy the chaos.

Looking back on their tours with Between the Buried and Me, Gojira, and Protest the Hero, Nagle emphasized the biggest lesson he learned from veteran bands: staying grounded. He admired how well-known musicians remained humble, regardless of their success. That philosophy stuck with The Safety Fire, reinforcing the idea that making music should be about passion rather than ego.

As the conversation wrapped up, Nagle confirmed that, despite the ups and downs of touring, The Safety Fire remained committed to pushing their sound forward, having fun, and staying true to their artistic vision.

Posted here: http://www.ryansrockshow.com/intervie...