Classless Act have had one heckuva year. The up-and-coming Los Angeles band was tapped to open for Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard on the “Stadium Tour,” and more recently singer Derek Day stepped in at the last minute to perform at Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in L.A. Now, they’re set to release a five-song EP, Welcome to the Acoustic Show, featuring unplugged versions of select songs from their debut album, Welcome to the Show.
One of those acoustic songs is “This Is for You,” premiering here at Heavy Consequence. Derek Day tells us of the track, “Musically, this song came together rather quickly. We had just finished writing our first single, entitled “Give It to Me” … Feeling the mixture of gratitude and perhaps a bit of stress in order to make an entire career come to life amidst the threat of a worldwide pandemic … We wanted to write something to counterbalance our first single. Something with a little more Power and full of promises.”
As a relatively unknown band, Classless Act were given a great opportunity this past summer, opening the aforementioned Mötley Crüe / Def Leppard tour, playing before fellow support acts Joan Jett and Poison. “The very beginning of the tour was quite euphoric,” recalls Day. “A dream state of mind with a convincing argument that life could just be a simulation. As the work became more intense, travel more lengthy and the muscle growing to this new form of performance (for us), I felt more gratitude yet a sense of realism. Feet planted on the ground. And belonging, if you will.”
He continues, “Out of the many, many lessons learned on this tour, I think my favorite would be how the combination of true kindness and true professionalism is perhaps one of the most dangerous weapons you can use in this (or any, really) industry. The people on the stage and behind the stage are as sharp as a knife with bull’s-eye execution.”
Then, another huge opportunity came when The Struts’ Luke Spiller tested positive for COVID right before the Taylor Hawkins tribute show in Los Angeles, where he was supposed to join Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee performing alongside Foo Fighters. Day got the call from Sixx and Lee a day before the show, and triumphantly performed “Live Wire” and “Home Sweet Home” at the high-profile concert.
“Yet another simulation,” Day says of the experience. “All on a whim. Those who say you shouldn’t meet your heroes clearly don’t understand the true definition of one. With all the gratitude and fun of that night, I just appreciate the lessons learned. I can’t really describe it… But something changed that night.”
With Welcome to the Acoustic Show set to be released on December 16th, Classless Act will hit the road from late November through the end of December, a mix of headlining gigs and shows supporting Giovannie and the Hired Guns. “This tour will straight up be mad-electric,” remarks Day. “It’s a little more intimate but it’s just what we’ve been looking forward to in order to connect with human beings. Expect the party, accept the energy.”
Check out Classless Act’s acoustic version of “This Is for You,” along with the band’s upcoming tour dates, below. Pre-save Welcome to the Acoustic Show here., and pick up tickets to the band’s upcoming show via Ticketmaster or the official Classless Act website.
Classless Act Tour Dates:
11/29 – Dallas, TX @ Amplified Live Inside Stage
11/30 – New Orleans LA @ Parrish at House of Blues
12/01 – Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen Music Hall ^
12/02 – Destin, FL @ Club LA ^
12/04 – Jacksonville, FL @ Underbelly
12/07 – Orlando, FL @ Parish at House of Blues ^
12/08 – Chattanooga, TN @ Barrelhouse Ballroom ^
12/09 – Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom ^
12/10 – Johnson City, TN @ Capone’s ^
12/11 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd Music House
12/13 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage ^
12/14 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Wonder Bar ^
12/16 – Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon ^
12/17 – Harrisburg, PA @ Stage on Herr ^
12/18 – Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry ^
12/21 – Lawrence, KS @ Lucia
12/22 – Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
12/30 – North Hollywood, CA @ Knitting Factory
12/31 – San Diego, CA @ Beaumont’s
^ = opening for Giovannie and the Hired Guns
