Michael Sweet of Stryper fame is getting ready to tour Australia — acoustically.
“It’s always that fine line when you’re in a band of crossing the line, going out and doing solo dates and solo projects,” he told Heavy in a recent interview. “I never want to detract from or take away from Stryper, obviously. that’s my priority.”
He then explained his decision to play Stryper songs on an acoustic guitar: “Everybody is used to the loud amps and the rock show, which is great. Not to take anything away from that, but there’s something to be said for an intimate, personable set as well, [where] it’s just a guy up there with his guitar telling stories about the songs and showing people how the songs originated.”
There’s also something to say about the intimacy of the venues. “It’s nice to be able to reach out and high-five people and stop during the song and talk,” said Sweet. “It’s almost like I’m in my living room with my family, and everybody’s hanging out.”
Despite having performed on stage since the early ‘80s, Sweet isn’t immune to pre-show nerves. “I like to be a little nervous before a show, and that’s a good thing,” he admits. “That being said, it’s a different type of nervousness with the acoustic set, and what it is, is there’s nothing to hide behind. There’s no drums; there’s no loud amps; there’s no harmonies; there’s no cheering crowd screaming at the top of their lungs. It’s a totally different setting. I’m under the microscope much more.”
Sweet’s acoustic tour of Australia will start on November 14.
