SPIN (March 11th 2009)

Exclusive: 4 Questions With No Doubt

No Doubt kick off their first tour in more than five years on May 5, at New Jersey’s Bamboozle Festival (see all tour dates). To get the inside details on what fans can expect from the longtime Orange County hitmakers, we sat down with them recently in Los Angeles:

Don’t Call it a Reunion

Drummer Adrian Young wants to clarify something. “I feel like everywhere I look people are saying, Oh Blink-182 is getting back together and Jane’s Addiction is getting together and No Doubt is getting back together. As far as I know, those other guys broke up. We never did. It’s frustrating to keep hearing that.”

And the Survey Says?

Because they haven’t played live in five years, the band were curious to know what songs their audience wanted to hear. A survey on their website provided the answer. “I was totally surprised the fans said their favorite song was ‘Sunday Morning’ [from 1995’s Tragic Kingdom,]” says bassist Tony Kanal. “I thought that would be up there, but I wasn’t expecting it to be number one.” What was he expecting? “‘Don’t Speak’ or something from Rock Steady.”

Ain’t No Hollaback

Don’t plan to hear Gwen Stefani’s solo hits on this tour. A No Doubt concert “isn’t the time or place for those songs,” says Stefani. “No one asked for No Doubt songs on my [solo] tour and no one will ask for my songs on a No Doubt tour.” Love. Angel. Music. Baby. fans have reason for hope, though. The singer says she “might be singing ‘Hollaback Girl’ somewhere else someday.” She wouldn’t be specific, but we’re hoping one spot is the karaoke bar a block from our office.

Buy One, Get Lots Free!

Fans who purchase a top-tier ticket online for one of the No Doubt’s upcoming shows can download the band’s entire digital catalogue — free. Sales ploy? Sure. But as Kanal explains, there was also another motivation: “We’re going to have a lot of Gwen’s fans at the shows, as well as people who have never seen No Doubt before. We wanted to make sure they know our music.”