DAVID DRAIMAN: Why DISTURBED Chose To Embark On U.S. Headlining Tour Instead Of Playing Festivals This Summer

In a new interview with Beef Vegan, DISTURBED frontman David Draiman was asked why he and his bandmates chose to embark on a U.S. headlining tour this summer as opposed to making festival appearances, like they had done in the past. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We love both, but truth be told is that when you finally decide to headline, you can bring out all your toys, and you don't have to share it with anybody. [Laughs] When you're in a festival environment, you have a whole bunch of really high-caliber bands who are performing at the top of their game, and they're trying to bring as much as they can all collectively fit on that deck. And it gets challenging. So when you're doing your thing and that's the primary focus, it really opens up the possibilities."

Asked if he and the rest of DISTURBED get together to conceptualize each tour of what they want to see, as far as the stage show is concerned, Draiman responded: "Oh, yeah. We're in the middle of it right now. We're putting together the elements of production as we speak. Dan [Donegan, guitar] and Mike [Wengren, drums] were just in L.A. helping assemble some additional musical textures for, like, segues and in-between moments for the set.

"We're doing currently our cost analysis of what we wanna spend more money on, as far as production, and my votes always go for as much pyro as possible," David said. "But we'll see what ends up happening.

"It's kind of a fun time when you're assembling what you're going to do for the cycle in general. The thing that at least doing a shed run, an amphitheater run, does is you have a predictable environment that you're dealing with night after night."

DISTURBED's 36-date "Take Back Your Life" spring/summer 2023 North American tour will kick off at Montreal's Bell Centre on April 27. The tour, produced by Live Nation, will feature support from THEORY OF A DEADMAN in Canada and very special guests BREAKING BENJAMIN and JINJER in select markets in the United States. "Take Back Your Life" will be DISTURBED's first full tour since 2018.

Released in November, DISTURBED's latest album, "Divisive", was recorded early last year with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee.

Donegan's divorce inspired the "Divisive" song "Don't Tell Me", which is a duet with HEART's Ann Wilson. In two decades, it breaks ground as the first-ever guest collaboration on a DISTURBED record.

According to Billboard, "Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales.

On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.