Dragonforce is now streaming their extremely glam metal music video for "Strangers," which as you might've guessed is a love letter to the '80s. Guitarist Herman Li adds that Steve Vai even lent them some guitars for the video, and that the whole filming process was basically everyone just trying to keep a straight face.
"This video takes place in the same '80s world as our last video ('Troopers Of The Stars'), with the same cast and the same director. When Roboshobo pitched the concept, I was immediately into it.
"I'm a huge fan of the glam rock-era of music — I love the showmanship, the guitar solos, and the endearing cheesiness. And the players of that time were amazing, like Steve Vai, Warren DeMartini and Reb Beach; I think sometimes the playing gets lost, and people just remember the crazy outfits. So, this video is a loving tribute to that era — while also being authentic…
"Roboshobo told us to get some cool-looking guitars to fit the theme of the video, and the night before the shoot, I was panicking because we still hadn't found any. So, I texted Steve Vai and told him we were doing a glam rock video. He said, 'come on over', and when I got there, he had pulled out THE guitars he used with Whitesnake and David Lee Roth. I remember seeing these guitars in magazines as a kid, so it was incredible to get to use them on set — I almost cried when he handed them to me!
"Besides the guitars, I think we all looked really hunky in our costumes, especially our hair! For a minute, I was even considering getting a perm…I know people may think we're not taking ourselves seriously enough, but I think given the state of the world, sometimes it's just nice to kick back and have a laugh with your mates. That was definitely the vibe on set — we could barely keep a straight face watching the playback.
"We're also releasing super-limited merch we did in collaboration with the artist Teenage Stepdad at: dragonforce.com/shop. It definitely captures the feeling of the era!"
Grab some "Strangers" merch here and catch Dragonforce on the road with Seven Spires and Battle Beast in 2022.
w/ Seven Spires
3/7 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
3/8 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory
3/9 – Roseville, CA – Goldfield Trading Post
3/10 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
3/11 – Seattle, WA – Neptune
3/13 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
3/15 – Calgary, AB – Palace Theater
3/16 – Edmonton, AB – Union Hall
3/18 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
3/19 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
w/ Battle Beast & Seven Spires
3/20 – Denver, CO – Oriental Theater
3/22 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater
3/23 – St. Louis, MO – Red Flag
3/24 – Milwaukee, WI – Rave II
3/25 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
3/26 – Chicago, IL – Metro
3/27 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews Hall
3/29 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Piere's
3/30 – Toronto, ON – Opera House
3/31 – Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre
4/1 – Quebec City, QC – Imperial Bell
4/2 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
4/3 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
4/5 – Reading, PA – Reverb
4/6 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater
4/7 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
4/8 – Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian Theater
4/9 – Greensboro, NC – Arizona Petes
4/10 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade (Heaven)
4/12 – Tampa, FL – Orpheum
4/13 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
4/15 – Dallas, TX – Amplified Live
4/16 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
4/17 – Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
4/19 – Mesa, AZ – Nile Theater
4/20 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
4/22 – Los Angeles, CA – Belasco Theater
4/23 – Berkeley, CA – UC Theater
