Like almost all amazing ideas, Sleigh Bells and Diplo's Paradise Lost tour was born while its originators were getting wasted. "We were out one night drinking," Sleigh Bells' Derek Miller says, "just shooting the shit, and we jokingly talked about how we should do a two-week tour of Florida, from Pensacola to the Keys, because we're both proud Floridians." And a few weeks later, Paradise Lost was announced.
Though Diplo never seems to take a break, Sleigh Bells hasn't played live since Bonnaroo last June. So Miller is looking forward to seeing how the hometown crowd responds to the band's new material. But mostly he just wants this Valentine's Day show to be an escape from the fans' daily routine. "We want to help them feel good about themselves, get away from the computer and Facebook, and maybe go home with someone," Miller jokes.
It will also be the perfect way for a rock-snob couple to mark the most romantic day of the year. As for a first date? That would work only if Sleigh Bells decreased the decibel level.
"No, you can't really do a lot of talking during our set," Miller says, laughing. "But you can always do that whole fake-yawn move."
