thePULSEBy Katey Khaos
Straight some Santa Cruz, CA come The Expendables, a four man group composed of Geoff Weers (guitars and vocals), Adam Patterson (drums and vocals), Raul Bianchi (lead guitar) and Ryan DeMars (bass). Their musical style is a mélange of popular genres including reggae, ska, surf rock and punk rock, which ~ when combined ~ creates a sound unlike anything you’ve heard before! 
I had a chance to sit down with Raul Bianchi at this year’s Warped Tour in Mansfield, MA and talk about his life both on and off tour.
These guys have been around since ‘97 and have seen their fair share of touring, but is there a real difference in touring with a few acts versus being a part of a huge festival like Warped Tour? Bianchi said yes: “Well, there’s a lot less drinking,” he laughs. “Our day usually goes from 8am until about 11:30pm, there’s a lot less of an ego on tours like these, I think mainly because there’s a random set list, so no one is ‘headlining’ ~ it’s more of a big family.” Before their performances, Bianchi and his band mates are usually practicing and warming up for 25-30 minutes. “Before our set, I’m usually nervous and I have to pee,” Bianchi joked.
Many bands who have been in existence as long as these guys have migrated through various styles of music and their new sound is noticeable different from when they when they started ~ which isn’t always a bad thing. Fortunately, though, The Expendables have kept to their roots and haven’t strayed very far from their ska-punk scene that started winning over fans years ago. “I think the main differences in our sound from when we started to now is that it’s a lot tighter and better. The music is a lot more technical. We still use the similar styles we started with, but we’ve moved to the extremes of each.”
So, what would Bianchi have been doing had The Expendables not worked out? His back-up plan was to work in a field that dealt with either economics or public policy. Since The Expendables have made a name for themselves, at what point did Bianchi realize they had “made it big?” With a smirk, Bianchi replied, “I’ll let you know when it happens!”
What’s Bianchi doing when he’s not shredding it on stage with The Expendables? He’s usually spending time with his family, relaxing at the beach, or even working out. When I asked him what band he was most excited to see at Warped Tour, he replied, “August Burns Red, it’s good workout music.” What better way to get your heart rate up than with some east-coast metalcore?
For more information on The Expendables and to check out their music, visit:
