March 10, 8pm, Hitec
When California alt-rock band Incubus released their most recent album, Light Grenades, in November 2006, they decided to scale back the size of their shows, which had grown to amphitheatre proportions.
'We hadn't been on tour in two years,' says lead singer Brandon Boyd. 'The idea of jumping back into the deep end of the pool was quite intimidating emotionally and financially.'
Now more than a year into the tour supporting their first No1 album, they're back in the deep end on a tour that takes in Hong Kong next Monday.
Not that Incubus have left their roots to rot. In the 15 years since Boyd and classmates drummer Jose Pasillas and guitarist Michael Einziger first started writing and playing music together, they've grown, adding and changing members and ramping up their live shows from clubs such as Los Angeles' Troubador to stadiums around the world.
'With that came a drifting away of that connection with people kind enough to come to our shows,' Boyd says. 'We played in small clubs and theatres for so many years we really grew accustomed to looking the audience in the eye. In returning to the smaller venues temporarily, we were reminded how beautiful that connection is and remains. We were also reminded how nice it is to play the big, expensive venues too. Their bathrooms don't smell like urine and fear.'