No more festivals for 30 Seconds To Mars

[Don]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/22965657

30 Seconds To Mars will not play any more festivals for a long time, according to frontman Jared Leto.

He said their recent performance at Download Festival would be their last.

"I don't think we're going to play festivals for quite some time, we're going to focus and play our own shows.

"I think bands like the Rolling Stones and U2, bands we've really learned a lot from, bands we admire, have done really well with that approach," said Leto.

"What I mean by "well" is getting to know themselves and their audience."

The band also made it clear that they've enjoyed all the festivals they have played over the years.

"Don't get me wrong, we grew up on the festivals, we love them and it's been incredible," the 30 Seconds to Mars singer said.

"We've had some of our best shows ever but I think as an experiment it's important for us to be off on our own and play our own shows."

It comes as the band announce their biggest UK arena tour to date this November, with support from You Me At Six.

They say they have no grand plans for the arena tour, preferring to focus on the music rather than the lights and pyrotechnics.

The 41-year-old said: "It's not about bombast, sometimes it's about intimacy.

"I think for us the most important goal is to make sure we connect with everybody from night to night to make sure we really share a piece of ourselves.

"It's easy to bring up a bunch of pyro. It's much more difficult to share a piece of who you are and connect with people."

30 Seconds To Mars say they like to perform in unusual venues too.

This week they climbed to the top of the O2 Arena in London to play an acoustic set and last month they played an impromptu flash mob gig in central London.

But they say neither match up to the most unusual place they have performed, 200 miles away from the arctic circle.

"The icebergs were exploding underneath our feet," said frontman Jared Leto.

"You can get into quite a monotonous kind of routine on tour so you have to do things that are different to keep it fun for yourself, it's necessary for survival and happiness."

[Deb]

They say they have no grand plans for the arena tour, preferring to focus on the music rather than the lights and pyrotechnics.

The 41-year-old said: "It's not about bombast, sometimes it's about intimacy.

"I think for us the most important goal is to make sure we connect with everybody from night to night to make sure we really share a piece of ourselves.

"It's easy to bring up a bunch of pyro. It's much more difficult to share a piece of who you are and connect with people.

Good on 'em! Can't tell ya how happy this Mr Big fan was when they had that same philosophy a couple years ago and played mid/small size venues on the US leg of their tour instead of partnering up and playing big venues. You usually get longer setlists and get to hear some of the more obscure catalogue gems!