30 Seconds to Mars has announced a series of additional US tour dates to begin later this month, and they’ve also released a pretty cool mosaic featuring the contributors to their Faces of Mars campaign. Now, even if fans couldn’t find the actual CD bearing their face, they can spend hours scanning the mosaic for their pretty mug. Each time you click on a face, it becomes more faces! It’s like a Where’s Waldo of rock fans!
Considering that 30 Seconds to Mars’ third full-length, This Is War, debuted at #2 on the alternative album and digital album charts and sold nearly 71,000 copies in the first week, I think it’s safe to assume there are a whole lot of people out there hoping to see the trio live in 2010. If you happen to fall into that category (and happen to live in the US), I have good news for ya: the band has announced the US dates for their Into the Wild tour!
If there’s one thing Los Angeles three-piece 30 Seconds to Mars has in excess, it’s adoring fans. The hundreds of 30STM devotees lined up outside the Ricardo Montalban Theatre Monday night could barely contain their excitement and for good reason. Not only were they moments away from interacting with band members Jared Leto, Shannon Leto, and Tomo Miličević at the pre-release party for the group’s third album, but many were also about to get a little taste of rock stardom themselves.
Not ones to be content with merely bridging the gap between artist and audience, 30STM closes it on This is War. In addition to an appearance by Kanye West that wasn’t yet available to hear at the party, the album also features the chanting and singing of 30STM fans from across the globe. Listening to those in the audience sing along to the sneak preview, it was obvious that many of them remembered their lines from these recording sessions, and between songs several could be overheard chatting about the different ways the band had them try their parts.
As if having fans lend their voices to the album wasn’t enough, 30STM decided they needed their faces too. Through their Faces of Mars campaign the group collected 2,000 individual photos of fans from around the world and will be using those images as the covers for albums that will be purchased in stores. They also used clips of fans in “The Ride,” a short film they treated the audience to after playing the album (to see the full video click HERE). 30STM is one group that knows fans are worth more than their weight in album sales, and this was a night celebrating both This is War and the people who will no doubt be buying it very soon.
Enjoy the photos from the party and be sure to pick up the album when it drops December 8th.
Watching musicians read lines for a camera is always amusing, and they seemed like they were having a blast.
