All very useful stuff (if you're going to a music festival). Researched and written up by my good self, with input from a handful of other festy fans. I'm reproducing it here, so when I go off to the Isle Of Wight / Reading / Latitude / whatever, I don't have to bother hunting all the info down again...
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in May 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
FESTIVALS - ADVICE & ETIQUETTE
Festivals bring out some odd behaviour in some people. Exposure to sun, loud music, plastic tumblers of expensive beer and a mix of swirling dust and sticky mud can make even the sanest of friends behave crazily, whether you’re festival virgins or, er, old music tarts.
Take:
Festival Ticket, Car Parking Pass – or you won’t be getting in
ID –the bars might check you’re old enough to drink
Toilet Paper – or make do with the campsite’s own brand of greaseproof paper-style, which is guaranteed to run out
Tissues - "Handy, portable packets, and should stay dryish if it rains" (unlike loo rolls) - Vicky and Nick
Tent - fairly obvious if you’re camping. Unwanted tents and camping equipment can always be left behind and will be given to charities
Sleeping Bag/Airbed/Pillow – the floor is hard and gets cold at night, trust us
Torch – useful for locating the loos once all the Main Stage lights are out
Sun cream – yes, even in the UK
Clothes – especially pants and socks. And make sure you have some clompy boots for those moments when the entire crowd stands on your foot, or you accidentally drive a tent peg into your toe
Cash – Native has spent 2 hours queuing for cash in the midday sun at Download before, and heat exhaustion nearly took us down
Water Container and/or Bucket – for hair washing or general water supplies. Keep any empty water bottles as there are usually free taps on site somewhere.
Alcohol – but don’t try bringing bottles into the Main Arena as they’ll be confiscated
Wellie Boots – Have you seen those pictures of the Glastonbury mud baths?
Waterproofs – a jacket, or even a large bin liner turned into a jacket
Bin Liners – act as jackets, or just use them to put stuff in
Camera - just don’t lose it. Some people prefer to bring single-use ones.
Mobile Phone and Solar Charger – needed for when your hopelessly lost mate calls to say they’re stood by a chip van
Batteries – for your camera
Hayfever Tablets – you’re in a field, for crying out loud
Inhalers/Aspirin/Other Medication – to prevent unnecessary suffering
Hairbrush/Toothbrush/Toothpaste/Shampoo/Conditioner/Shower Gel/Deodorant/Wet Wipes – spending three days camping doesn’t mean you should turn completely savage. "Dry, spray-in shampoo means you won't hog the taps" - Vicky and Nick
Bikini/Trunks – can be worn in the shower or while lounging round your tent in hot weather
Flip Flops - Good for padding around your tent. However "don't wear them when it's muddy, you'll end up losing at least one of them" - Vicky and Nick
Towel – Did ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide…’ teach you anything?
Condoms – you never know
Bottle Opener – or some kind of handy tool which is useful
Ball of String – clothes line, skipping rope, emergency guy rope, emergency shoelaces, super-emergency belt, method of hilariously tying your friend’s ankles to something
Gas Container, Camping Stove, Kettle, Frying Pan/Saucepan – if you want to eat warm food or have a nice cup of tea. Look out for the safe disposable areas for the canisters. Some festivals offer prizes to a lucky few who return theirs safely
Reusable Plates, Mugs and Cutlery – or eat off the floor. Your choice
Porch - As in 'A Tent With A ......' "Mine didn’t cost much, maybe £60 and it’s been worth every penny. It keeps the mud out, as well as providing extra space for friends when it rains - keeping muddy shoes and boots away from clean, dry clothes" - Andi Bembridge
Camping Stool - "Or something to sit on if it's wet, standing up all weekend can be a tad tiring" - Vicky and Nick
Air Bed - "A good nights kip, even if its 3 or 4 hours goes a lot further on a comfy air mattress, making you ready for the long day ahead" - Andi Bembridge
Earplugs - "For if you want to sleep at any point, without being woken by your neighbours/the English National Opera practicing Ride of the Valkyries etc" - Vicky and Nick
Gas Lamp - Not allowed a camp fire? "Although caution is needed when lighting it, advisably outside away from flammable items such as your tent; once lit, it not only creates light for playing cards or whatever, but warmth too" - Andi Bembridge
Dried Foods - "If taking a camping stove, take dried packets of noodles, pasta, cup-a-soup, anything you just need boiling water for - weighs a lot less than tins. Also cereal bars to get you going in the morning, and Capri Sun kept in the tent's porch will cool overnight and make a refreshing breakfast drink" - Vicky and Nick
Camping
If you want to stay at the site, you have to buy a weekend camping ticket. Camping tickets cannot be bought separately from day or weekend tickets. The option to camp will not be available with day tickets.
If your weekend ticket plus camping included coach travel, don’t decide it’s easier to drive there. Often festival tickets are handed out on the coach and you’ll miss out.
Buy a bigger tent than you think you need – remember all your gear has to fit in there as well as the people. (That’s gear as in camping equipment, not anything illegal).
If you want to stay in a campervan, you will have to pay extra for a pass at the time of your booking. For tepees and other unusual stays, buy a normal camping ticket and watch the festival website for details on how to pay for these, where to hire them from and the location of the field. Prices can be quite steep but there’s usually a lot of support in setting up and basic tips.
Arrive early, preferably the day before the festival starts. This gives you a better chance of getting a good spot.
Don’t camp by a hedge; people WILL piss in it.
Don’t camp by a road/path unless you want to be woken up by tens of thousands marching up and down at all hours.
Don’t camp in a dip if rain is expected; your tent will float off.
Don’t camp too close to another tent; your guy ropes will get all in a tangle; also don’t camp too far away as someone else will manage to cram their tent into the smallest gap.
Do not, we repeat do not try and camp next to the Portaloos.
Have the entrance to the tent facing downhill if possible, so anything nasty and wet will run out.
You may like to invest in a miner’s lamp. Although looking faintly ridiculous it means sorting out camping issues in the dark (such as another drunken camper with their face accidentally wedged in your guy ropes) become slightly easier.
You might like to look out for a landmark or a nearby streetlight so you can spot your tent a bit easier.
Make friends with your neighbours. They can guard your tent and you can theirs; you can also swap alcohol and food and have a nice chat. It’s always good to have friends.
Security – a padlock on a tent means a thief can’t get in. However, it also means ‘There’s something in here and no-one’s around… Steal me!’ Thieves will use knives to rip a tent open if no-one’s around, so it’s best to leave locks off. Don’t take anything of extreme value – if you do, carry it with you at all times. Leave nothing expensive in your tent or car. Any valuables can be kept in your sleeping bag overnight.
Camping accessories will be available on site, but prices will be higher than usual. If the worst comes to the worst and your tent is nicked, you can buy another from these stores.
Security, Safety and Health
If you brought a car, make sure it’s locked but keep the glove box empty and open.
Look out for your neighbours and they’ll look out for you. Be sure to make friends with them.
Most campers recommend NOT padlocking your tent as a naughty person is likely to slash it open, believing something expensive is in there. Use the security lockers if you have something very valuable, otherwise keep items on you at all times or simply don’t bring them.
Hide your money in various places on yourself or in your tent. Many people put valuables in their sleeping bag while they sleep.
If anything goes missing, ask at Lost Property or Information a few times.
If you need any assistance, see a festival steward or police officer.
You might like to take sun cream and after-sun lotion, sunglasses, hat, plasters, antihistamine for bug bites, mosquito repellent, ear plugs, hayfever tablets, headache tablets, aspirin, the Pill or morning after pill, condoms, painkillers, paracetamol, and plasters.
If you need specific medication (eg for diabetes) then bring along your usual amount. They can probably look after it in the medical tent for you.
Trained staff will be on hand in the medical tent. In particular, watch out for heat-related and alcohol-related illnesses.
Festivals are cracking down on those throwing bottles at acts or anyone else, with anyone caught often being thrown out straight away. Therefore, don’t.
Don't take anything you're not allowed to, and think about the rules carefully. "A friend of mine got his Marmite confiscated at Glasto '04 because glass is banned" - Vicky and Nick
"Don't start drinking until after you've got your tent up!" - Vicky and Nick
At The Festival
If there’s one particular event you want to go to because of the atmosphere or because it’s your ‘usual’ then keep an eye on the website for pre-sales. Leeds, Reading, Bestival, V and more often put next year’s tickets up for sale at this year’s prices straight after the even finishes. Saves you spending three hours on redial when the line-up is announced and everyone wants one.
Festival organisers advise you use public transport as there is limited parking.
Coach travel isn’t as simple as by train, as many services only arrive on the Thursday and leave on the Monday – no good for day trippers.
If you arrive by train, there are usually police officers to point you in the direction of the site, or just follow the crowds.
You might like to print a map to/from the station off the internet, because if you leave in the early morning there won’t be anyone around to show you the right direction.
The Main Arena generally opens around 11am and the first bands will come on around lunchtime. Smaller tents will open mid-morning.
Invest in a programme (around £10) to find out who is on, what time and where. The programmes also contain a site map, and band times may also be included on a lanyard thing to go around your neck.
If you can’t afford the money for a programme or can’t be bothered carrying the bloody thing around, some official festival websites will have printable information beforehand. Or simply ask another festivalgoer if you can have a quick look at their programme.
Get there early to familiarise yourself with the layout of the site. Take note of exits, toilets, cash points, bars, medical tents, and the important stages and tents.
Don’t carry around all your money in the same place in case you lose your wallet or it gets pinched.
If there’s someone you are absolutely determined to see, arrive early to get to the front. The smaller tents fill up very quickly, and you’ll find that once people get settled into the first few rows by the Main Stage, they most certainly will not move for any reason, unless perhaps they catch fire. (Note: we are not suggesting you set fire to people in your way).
Watch out for heat exhaustion, fatigue and alcohol-related illnesses. Find out beforehand where the medical facilities are.
Observe moshpit etiquette. If someone falls over, you reach out and pick them up, or at least offer your hand. If people look wobbly, put your hand on their back. If you’re falling and grabbing hold of someone, everyone around will try and keep you upright. It might look hopelessly chaotic with people shoving from all angles and crowdsurfers on your head but there’s actually a great sense of community and fun (the exception perhaps being the infamous Slayer moshpits where not only do you get pushed over but kicked in the ribs and/or head).
Security – Festival security seem far better organised than at small venue gigs. If they can see you getting crushed or hassled by the crowd they will rescue you, but you will have to start out again from the side/back and can’t wait at the front.
Food – plenty of burger stalls, chip vans, ice cream sellers, vegetarian options, ‘world cuisine’ (that would be noodles, pizza, crepes and curry then). A main meal won’t come much cheaper than £5, and even a humble burger can fetch upwards of £7. If camping, bring dried stuffs, tins and crunchy food that will keep. If there for a day, just keep an eye on your money or buy a few sandwiches before reaching the site.
We don’t recommend backpacks as when you’re in the crowd crush you literally won’t be able to move your arms and search for your camera. The bag will also keep bashing people in the face. Stick with secure pockets or a small bag slung across your shoulders (but again, it might be tricky reaching into it for items, and it will need zipped compartments to keep things safe).
Try not to get so drunk you can’t remember how to get to your tent, hotel or train station.
Toilets
Luckily things have improved vastly in the last few years. There’s now a nice choice of facilities:
Portaloos – dark, dingy, bit smelly, but lockable. Have been known to be tipped over, to the joy of everyone outside and the misfortune of whoever’s in there. Usually rare though, and nowadays they are bunched together so are unlikely to fall.
Open Pits – not the most appealing, but generally have less queues and are in the fresh air. There are (unlockable) doors so people can see if they’re in use, and are cleaned out frequently. As far as we know, no-one’s fallen in yet, but keep an eye on the loose change in your pockets.
Trailers – These have cubicles with locks, loo roll, mirrors and taps (usually without running water). Can get a bit grimy in the rain, but generally no worse than your average public loos.
She-Pee – now ladies can have a wee while standing up. Loo staff give disposable funnels to those in need and a quick lesson in how to use them. There are smaller queues because a lot of ladies are still nervous of the idea. There are also funnels (like the Whiz, meaning some brave girls decide to use the male urinals, but be prepared for some sniggers) and bags which turn liquid into gel (Go Bag).
Hedges – a definite no-no as it’s not great for the environment or anyone nearby.
Girls v Boys – most toilets are segregated with senoritas one side and senors on the other. Go in the right one or face the wrath of security. Native has been to festivals before where there were Portaloos on one side and mass urinals in the middle, which gave all ladies an unpleasant surprise on their way in and embarrassed all men a bit.
Make sure you have loo roll or tissues on you.
Individual Festival Tips –
Day trippers at Reading - don’t race to get the last train and miss the last set of the night. On Friday and Saturday, the Cabaret and Cinema Tents are open until the early hours (like about 3am or 4am) and there are plenty of people waiting there. There’s also the Silent Disco, but make sure you have a map otherwise you’ll never find where it is. Trains start running again at about 4.30am the next morning, although watch out for reduced timetables on Sunday mornings. And there is a campsite next to the main path leading to/from the site, so if really desperate you could try and make friends there. - Suzy Sims
The second barrier appeared at Reading in 2006. This was designed to reduce the crush at the front. Unfortunately it seemed to be too upfield to stop any crowd surges. It also meant that people couldn’t get through the crowd from the back and everyone was pushing from the side. Get a good spot early but don’t expect to push your way to the front – when it gets busy, the crowd literally can’t make room for anyone else. - Suzy Sims
The Isle of Wight's Bestival is probably more famous for the fancy dress parades than anything else. Take a look at the website beforehand to see if there’s a theme and look at pictures to see how much effort the best dressers make. The Bestival holds the world record for the largest number in fancy dress (10,000 in 2005). In 2006, the proposed theme was clowns – but too many people were terrified and it was called off. - Suzy Sims
Music festivals are the gathering of the masses that are united by music. Unfortunately, festivals can also be a time for frustration and pain, whether it’s a falling out with a loved one or a killer hangover. At Reading Festival 2003, having passed out within an hour of setting up my tent, I regained consciousness around 1pm to experience both. The weekend was starting to look bleak, and it was only Thursday. That was the weekend when I discovered festivals weren’t just about the bands. On the Saturday, my friends invited me along to the comedy tent and a few hours later, I left feeling high.
The same dosage also works a treat for hangovers, as you’re sat down in the shade being entertained by some of the best stand up comics on the circuit. The same could be said for Glastonbury – somehow I spent an entire day alone in the cabaret field and had the best time. So next time you’re at a festival with a comedy or cabaret tent, having been cooked at six in the morning by the summer sun with the worst headache ever known to man, or woman, go check out what’s on. It may just help sort you out. - Andi Bembridge
It's a looooong walk from the car parks to the Glastonbury site. Try to pack light. - Vicky and Nick
Glastonbury 2007 - pre-register or you can't buy a ticket! You can register online throughout February, pick up a postal form from Millets, or download one off the main festival website. Tickets are on sale on April 1st, but if you miss out then any cancelled/duplicate/failed transactions will go on resale from April 15th. - Vicky and Nick
Festival Stories –
Isle of Wight 05. I was stood in the crowd watching Travis, but was distracted by the man standing a few places away from me. He’d borrowed someone’s mobile and was yelling into it: “No, I didn’t lose my phone, I swapped it. Yeah, I swapped it… for a pair of head boppers. I can’t believe I was so stupid!” Bad luck mate. - Suzy Sims
Reading 06. It was around 3.45am and I was walking along the main path to leave the site when two policemen strode past me, frogmarching a man. Various campers were shouting “It’s only the first night, let him off,” and for a second I thought maybe the officers would. Then the guy protested: “I don’t steal from tents. I’m not a thief, I’m a drug dealer. Stealing is below me.” Nice try... - Suzy Sims
A word of warning - the person who says "There's no rain forecast. Let's leave the wellies in the car," has automatically volunteered to fetch them when it chucks it down... - Vicky and Nick
Thursday, 29 May 2008
Monday, 26 May 2008
Interview - Catherine Feeny
Another hurried phone interview, this time with Catherine Feeny, a charming songstress from California.
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in August 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
CATHERINE FEENY
We took some time out of our busy office life (listening to the radio, eating cakes, making tea etc) to ring Catherine Feeny.
The originally-from-California-but-now-based-in-Norfolk singer and songwriter (think Feist or Edie Brickell perhaps) is set to release ‘Mr Blue’ over here. You might have already heard it on The OC, or hid from the rain at Glastonbury while Catherine was singing delicately onstage. It’s mid-morning and she’s been up a while already, having taken the train down to London first thing.
We start off with the old traditional random questions – five things she always carries with her. Catherine chooses her mobile phone, a book, bottle of water, af diary/calendar, and a pen. “It’s boring!” she laughs. What are you reading at the moment? “What is it called… hold on it’s in my bag I’ll just have a look.” There’s a bit of rummaging. “It’s called ‘Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close’, it’s written by Jonathan Safran Foer. I really loved the other book he wrote.”
We also establish that under her bed are several guitars and even more dust bunnies. Then sadly it’s time for some sensible questions. What inspired you to take up music as a career, Catherine?
“Well I always loved music. I sang from a very young age, my parents had lots of records that we would kind of listen to round the house. I think I’d been singing from age four but as I got a bit older I started to realise that I really wanted to write songs, and so when I was about 12 or 13 I started playing guitar and experimenting with playing my own stuff. I think it was a combination of my parents loving music and I had an uncle who was a singer songwriter, and that was quite inspiring."
Did you do many performances when you were young as well? “Oh yeah I always sang in school shows. At family parties I would always sing. My earliest one I would sing was ‘9 To 5’, that Dolly Parton song, which I really loved for some reason.”
Catherine says her parents’ records - Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens and Sixties folk – were a big influence on her style. “I got into Joni Mitchell a bit later, she’s been a big influence. But I also really love bands like The Cure, The Smiths, Sinead O’Connor and Blondie.” When she was Mini Catherine, someone made a mix tape for her sister which included all those acts as well as the Violent Femmes and Depeche Mode.
Can you tell us a bit about Glastonbury? we ask, jumping topics slightly. "I went along on Thursday and my show was on Saturday so I had a few days to settle in, take in the mood… and the mud, but it was really fun. It was really cool. It’s quite a uniquely British thing, the festival and everybody camping.
“I left my bag, my wallet and stuff at one of the stalls after I bought something and I didn’t notice until about ten minutes later. I ran back through the mud and it was still sitting right there. I know a couple of other people who had exactly the same experience. It just seems like a community experience, which is nice.”
How did your actual show go? “Oh it was great, it was really fun. We were playing in the Acoustic Tent and there were lots of people in there – actually it started to rain right before our set so even more people kind of piled in! Everyone was really receptive so it was cool.”
Catherine tells us she’s looking forward to her August/September tour. “It’s my first headline tour in the UK so I’m really excited. I get to take my whole band and a couple of support acts are coming on the road as well, so it’ll be really fun.” Support comes courtesy of fellow Californian Jacob Golden and the brilliantly named Challenge Of Feral Green.
“It’ll be nice to be at the Glee Club and it’ll be nice to be at The Sage. I’ve played at those places before but each night kind of has a mood and a magic of its own, so I look forward to the experience of each one.”
Have you played many tours in the States? “Not too many. The States is so big it’s really hard to spread out there unless you have some serious backing. I’ve played a lot in California in LA and surrounding areas and San Francisco, and then a bit in kind of the Midwest and Chicago and Cleveland, and then the east coast of Philadelphia and New York.”
Sounds very glamorous. And now you’re in Norfolk, we say, and she laughs. Catherine’s enjoying England (which is just as well as she can’t pop back home that fast). “I love the countryside, I love how you can just go a few minutes from a city centre and be like in a field. It seems like when you’re in a city in the States you have to drive through about ten miles of strip malls before you get any kind of pastoral scenes. England has done a really good job of preserving green space.”
There’s some nice countryside up in Norfolk isn’t there. Have you been sightseeing much? “Well I’ve been here for a while now so I’ve seen the main sights but I always love to get to new beaches, trying to see which one I like the best.”
Onto her new single ‘Mr Blue’ which was described by the Sunday Times as ‘all spectral piano, funereal brass and solicitous lyrics.’ Catherine hasn’t seen the episode of The OC it appeared on but is aiming to get hold of a DVD so she can check it out. The song itself is about: “I was dating a singer/songwriter at the time when I wrote it and we were both kind of - because we’re songwriters - kind of self-obsessed and moody. It’s about that.”
‘Mr Blue’ is from her second album ‘Hurricane Glass’. A hurricane what now?
“There’s a drink called a hurricane which I think comes from New Orleans. I’ll have to look into it and find out the history whether the drink is named after the glass or the glass is named after the drink.” (We’ve done it for her – apparently the drink was invented to use up rum supplies and was originally poured in a hurricane lamp shaped glass and given to sailors - Booze Ed)
Why did you name your album that, were you drinking a lot at the time? Catherine laughs. “I just liked the kind of opposing images. The violence and power of hurricane and then the fragility of glass. I had been in a bar and gotten a drink that was in one of these glasses and just wrote down the name ‘cause I liked it. When I was writing a song a few days later I came back to that page in my notebook and thought ‘oh yeah...’”
‘Hurricane Glass’ (as in the album) came out in 2006 through indie label Tallgrass before being snapped up by EMI this year. “I think I noticed some themes [running through the record]. I didn’t think of them while I was making or writing the album but I noticed when it was finished there’s a lot of lyrics that are about telling the truth versus lying. It’s kind of being honest with yourself and being honest with other people, and I think that’s something that I struggle with sometimes, whether to be kind to someone and lie to them or whether to just be brutally honest.”
Time to go. Hope we haven’t bored you too much we say, and Catherine says no we haven’t. We’re hoping she’s not fibbing...
'Mr Blue' is released on August 27th through Tallgrass/Charisma.
Website
MySpace
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in August 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
CATHERINE FEENY
We took some time out of our busy office life (listening to the radio, eating cakes, making tea etc) to ring Catherine Feeny.
The originally-from-California-but-now-based-in-Norfolk singer and songwriter (think Feist or Edie Brickell perhaps) is set to release ‘Mr Blue’ over here. You might have already heard it on The OC, or hid from the rain at Glastonbury while Catherine was singing delicately onstage. It’s mid-morning and she’s been up a while already, having taken the train down to London first thing.
We start off with the old traditional random questions – five things she always carries with her. Catherine chooses her mobile phone, a book, bottle of water, af diary/calendar, and a pen. “It’s boring!” she laughs. What are you reading at the moment? “What is it called… hold on it’s in my bag I’ll just have a look.” There’s a bit of rummaging. “It’s called ‘Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close’, it’s written by Jonathan Safran Foer. I really loved the other book he wrote.”
We also establish that under her bed are several guitars and even more dust bunnies. Then sadly it’s time for some sensible questions. What inspired you to take up music as a career, Catherine?
“Well I always loved music. I sang from a very young age, my parents had lots of records that we would kind of listen to round the house. I think I’d been singing from age four but as I got a bit older I started to realise that I really wanted to write songs, and so when I was about 12 or 13 I started playing guitar and experimenting with playing my own stuff. I think it was a combination of my parents loving music and I had an uncle who was a singer songwriter, and that was quite inspiring."
Did you do many performances when you were young as well? “Oh yeah I always sang in school shows. At family parties I would always sing. My earliest one I would sing was ‘9 To 5’, that Dolly Parton song, which I really loved for some reason.”
Catherine says her parents’ records - Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens and Sixties folk – were a big influence on her style. “I got into Joni Mitchell a bit later, she’s been a big influence. But I also really love bands like The Cure, The Smiths, Sinead O’Connor and Blondie.” When she was Mini Catherine, someone made a mix tape for her sister which included all those acts as well as the Violent Femmes and Depeche Mode.
Can you tell us a bit about Glastonbury? we ask, jumping topics slightly. "I went along on Thursday and my show was on Saturday so I had a few days to settle in, take in the mood… and the mud, but it was really fun. It was really cool. It’s quite a uniquely British thing, the festival and everybody camping.
“I left my bag, my wallet and stuff at one of the stalls after I bought something and I didn’t notice until about ten minutes later. I ran back through the mud and it was still sitting right there. I know a couple of other people who had exactly the same experience. It just seems like a community experience, which is nice.”
How did your actual show go? “Oh it was great, it was really fun. We were playing in the Acoustic Tent and there were lots of people in there – actually it started to rain right before our set so even more people kind of piled in! Everyone was really receptive so it was cool.”
Catherine tells us she’s looking forward to her August/September tour. “It’s my first headline tour in the UK so I’m really excited. I get to take my whole band and a couple of support acts are coming on the road as well, so it’ll be really fun.” Support comes courtesy of fellow Californian Jacob Golden and the brilliantly named Challenge Of Feral Green.
“It’ll be nice to be at the Glee Club and it’ll be nice to be at The Sage. I’ve played at those places before but each night kind of has a mood and a magic of its own, so I look forward to the experience of each one.”
Have you played many tours in the States? “Not too many. The States is so big it’s really hard to spread out there unless you have some serious backing. I’ve played a lot in California in LA and surrounding areas and San Francisco, and then a bit in kind of the Midwest and Chicago and Cleveland, and then the east coast of Philadelphia and New York.”
Sounds very glamorous. And now you’re in Norfolk, we say, and she laughs. Catherine’s enjoying England (which is just as well as she can’t pop back home that fast). “I love the countryside, I love how you can just go a few minutes from a city centre and be like in a field. It seems like when you’re in a city in the States you have to drive through about ten miles of strip malls before you get any kind of pastoral scenes. England has done a really good job of preserving green space.”
There’s some nice countryside up in Norfolk isn’t there. Have you been sightseeing much? “Well I’ve been here for a while now so I’ve seen the main sights but I always love to get to new beaches, trying to see which one I like the best.”
Onto her new single ‘Mr Blue’ which was described by the Sunday Times as ‘all spectral piano, funereal brass and solicitous lyrics.’ Catherine hasn’t seen the episode of The OC it appeared on but is aiming to get hold of a DVD so she can check it out. The song itself is about: “I was dating a singer/songwriter at the time when I wrote it and we were both kind of - because we’re songwriters - kind of self-obsessed and moody. It’s about that.”
‘Mr Blue’ is from her second album ‘Hurricane Glass’. A hurricane what now?
“There’s a drink called a hurricane which I think comes from New Orleans. I’ll have to look into it and find out the history whether the drink is named after the glass or the glass is named after the drink.” (We’ve done it for her – apparently the drink was invented to use up rum supplies and was originally poured in a hurricane lamp shaped glass and given to sailors - Booze Ed)
Why did you name your album that, were you drinking a lot at the time? Catherine laughs. “I just liked the kind of opposing images. The violence and power of hurricane and then the fragility of glass. I had been in a bar and gotten a drink that was in one of these glasses and just wrote down the name ‘cause I liked it. When I was writing a song a few days later I came back to that page in my notebook and thought ‘oh yeah...’”
‘Hurricane Glass’ (as in the album) came out in 2006 through indie label Tallgrass before being snapped up by EMI this year. “I think I noticed some themes [running through the record]. I didn’t think of them while I was making or writing the album but I noticed when it was finished there’s a lot of lyrics that are about telling the truth versus lying. It’s kind of being honest with yourself and being honest with other people, and I think that’s something that I struggle with sometimes, whether to be kind to someone and lie to them or whether to just be brutally honest.”
Time to go. Hope we haven’t bored you too much we say, and Catherine says no we haven’t. We’re hoping she’s not fibbing...
'Mr Blue' is released on August 27th through Tallgrass/Charisma.
Website
MySpace
Interview - Grace
Not, not the Grace who did 'Not Over Yet'. This Grace is an indie rock band, along the epic lines. It's always stressful when you're typing up interviews with five people you've never spoken to before; it's an absolute nightmare trying to work out whose voice is whose and when everyone speaks at once, you've got no chance! Chaos. When Sam heard I was transcribing he said 'That's going to be fun!' He had no idea...
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in August 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
GRACE
Today is one of the few days I manage to arrive ten minutes early for an interview. As Sod’s Law would have it, today is one of the few days the band arrives ten minutes late, and very apologetic. London-based Grace trickle in one at a time, shaking hands and saying 'sorry' over and over. Time to spread the question cards out around the table. “Are we intercoursing?” asks Sam. I think it’s a bit early in the day for that. Who wants to pick a card first?
I’m sat next to bespectacled keyboardist Sam Swallow. On his other side is softly spoken drummer Chris Hutchings. Then there’s a gap saved for guitarist James Hayto, who is even later than everyone else. Cheerful smiling bassist Ben Lumsden is the other side of the space, and next to him is laidback singer/guitarist JP Jones.
Sam gives me a potted history of Grace. Ben and JP met at school then Sam joined them at university, where they played in different bands, including Weedmeter. They found Chris after moving to London, where he’d been studying at music college. Performing as Morocco, they reinvented themselves and took on James. Their first gig with their current line up was at Oxford Zodiac about two years ago. Oh, and Ben got a tattoo. The bassist looks a bit confused about how this fits into the band’s history.
“He got a tattoo of the Morocco logo on his arm. As soon as he did it we changed the name,” says JP, lounging in his chair. “If he gets Grace, we’re going to change our name again.”
The band play hugely epic and touching rock/pop. Think of something mammoth like Coldplay, although they sound nothing like, but you get the point about the enormity. They have nothing to do with club hit 'It's Not Over', and in fact are probably fed up of it being mentioned, so let's not mention it. Despite being relatively unknown, they’re going down very well indeed, particularly at their recent Latitude Festival performance. JP thinks it was the best gig they’ve ever played.
I saw a review which said they were the best band there? “By a long way,” they joke. You were first on, so did everyone go home after your set?
“Everyone thought it was so good they just left the festival and thought ‘Well, as we’re not going to see better than that,’ you know…” teases JP.
“We opened it this year, we’re going to close it next year,” says Ben. JP laughs.
“No, it was amazing. We’d never played a festival before and it was sort of two and a half thousand people and we got them all going. It was midday and I’d say about a twentieth of the people there were to see us and the rest weren’t and we kind of won them over. It was an amazing gig and an amazing day actually, we got to see some good bands, hang out with Damien Rice and stuff.”
It’s quite a new festival isn’t it? “Yeah. And they were really worried about it, they were saying that they don’t want it to become too popular because it’ll become like all the rest and just be a nightmare.” Stop playing so well then. JP laughs. “Well, we’ll set up our own in Wales or something. Our own little GraceFest.”
Are you doing any other festivals this year? “No we’re not. We wish we were. I think the way we play live, we’re better on bigger stages to bigger crowds because the music is sort of epic,” JP says. “We kind of went into all of this trying to do something big as opposed to something little and indie. And I just really like running around a big stage.”
If you were a DJ, name a song you’d play. The sound of silence. “Weren’t we talking about this the other day?” thinks JP.
“In a club, getting people dancing, I’d play Nina Simone ‘I Wish I Knew How It Felt To Be Free’,” says Sam. “Even though it’s like old school, if you whack the bass up it really, really works.”
“He always makes us listen to it before we go out. It’s a great one,” confirms JP. “For drinking beer to, and getting into the vibe.”
“I’d play a Prince one,” says Chris. “They’re great for dancing to. I don’t know what one. Something off ‘Dirty Mind’ probably. ‘Sister’ maybe. It’s really good, it’s about incest.” Everyone sniggers. “It’s really dark. The lyrics are genius.” Sam asks to borrow it.
“I’ll do you a copy. Well we don’t copy music obviously. I’ll transcribe it and perform it for him,” says Chris almost convincingly, and JP throws his head back and laughs.
“Bloc Party ‘On’, I’d play that at a club. I’d remix it. There’s this break where it goes ‘You make my tongue loose’. It’s got this wicked beat,” says JP. “There he is!” The missing James is walking past the window.
“I’d play The Hoosiers ‘Worried About Ray’ because it’s a huge song by some very good friends of ours,” says Ben.
“Do ‘Everything Goes Dark’ from The Hoosiers’ album,” suggests JP.
“What, the remix that Chris did?”
“Yes!”
The next question card is Sink Like A Stone. Chris isn’t sure whether we mean the song or if it’s a direct and surreal instruction, so pretends to sink off his chair. That’s your single isn’t it? “Yeah, the next one.”
James has entered the room. “I feel great,” he says, and everyone cheers. Welcome to the interview. “Wow, there’s coloured cards,” he says, looking at the chaos on the table.
“We’re just doing quick impressions of sinking like a stone,” says Chris. James does. “That is perfect!” says JP. What is the single about?
“It’s a depressing song, just listen to the lyrics and you’ll get what it’s about,” explains Chris. “It’s about being miserable and a bit depressed, but there’s a ray of hope.” Oh good.
“I think the ray of hope is that everyone’s miserable,” says JP.
“You’re not alone,” adds Ben.
“No matter how bad it is you’re going through, someone else has gone through it as well,” says JP. Where’s it going to chart? “Number one I think, that’s what they told us.”
“I think it was going to Number One in the Billboard in America first, and then it’s going to be number one over here a couple of months later,” says Chris.
“So Suzy do you work for the record company? I’m trying to work out what the hell’s going on,” interrupts a confused James.
“Is all this going on by the way?” asks Sam. No, I’m transcribing it. “That’s going to be fun!” Tell me about it…
“Sorry I arrived late,” says James after a brief explanation of where I’m from. “Right, I’m with you now. I’m on the page.”
“We don’t even know if it will chart," JP continues. "This is going to be our fourth single. We’ve just released them on a small scale - the first two are on vinyl. We’ll try and grow organically as opposed to throw it down people’s throats. We are a credible band and we don’t want to be just flash in the pan, one hit wonders. We want to let the fans grow with us.”
“We want to not chart, is what we’re saying,” smiles Ben.
“We have charted before… about 128, I think,” says Chris. “Anything higher than that would be a bonus.”
“Chris has been very busy as well doing the series House in America,” says James, as the record label peeps do the tea and coffee rounds. “[Looks like] Hugh Laurie, yeah?”
“It’s been hard,” nods Chris solemnly. How’s your American accent going? “Oh-kay.”
“We just did the video to 'Sink Like A Stone' at Pinewood Studios, and it’s all filmed underwater,” explains Ben. “It looks really cool. It’s our biggest video budget to date and so it looks a bit more professional.”
“I was in water for about 18 hours and came out a bit like a white, Welsh prune,” says JP. “All over. Not just my fingertips.” Were the rest of you in the water as well? “We were in a boat. But only for about ten minutes,” says Ben.
“I’ve told you so many times, it’s about stage presence. That’s why I was in it for so long, I’ve got no presence, so I just needed more screentime,” explains JP, not entirely seriously.
“Even then you were still kind of outshone.”
“I was on hand giving advice,” says Chris. The others point out he has an A Level in Drama. “I got a B, so technically I was the most qualified on set.”
“That’s why he’s so good in House. B in A Level Drama,” says Sam.
“What about the two Golden Globes?” asks James.
“I don’t like to talk about those.”
“A lot of birds fancy Hugh Laurie you know,” says JP. Try walking with a limp on your way out and see what happens.
Let’s get onto a few tour questions. They recently toured with The Hoosiers (of ‘Worried About Ray’ fame), who James describes as “a great bunch of guys.”
“They shat on a plate and put it in our dressing room,” says JP. “That’s actually true. I promise you.”
“We’re going on tour with them again in October, it’s like 32 days, and we’re going to do something a lot worse to them.” I won’t ask what, I don’t want to spoil the surprise. “It’s not going to be really disgusting like that though,” assures JP.
“It’s going to involve family members,” says Chris. “I’ve got it all worked out...”
Grace have been friends with The Hoosiers for a while and say they always have a good time playing together.
“And we’ll get to play to sold out venues again – er, again?”
“For the first time,” grins Ben.
Any pre-gig superstitions? “JP and I have a ritual that we’ve had for about eight years whereby neither of us are nervous, but then we say to each other ‘Are you nervous?’, at which point both of us start shitting our pants,” says Ben. “But in terms of superstitions, JP’s got a bit of a gypsy heritage so he’s the one to talk to.”
“It’s more like OCD than superstition now,” says JP. “I had them from when I was a kid. It used to have meaning but now it just really pisses me off because I constantly have to touch things and smell things and it’s just a hindrance. Chris thinks I do it for effect.”
“He’s getting angry even now.”
“Usually before gigs we kind of sometimes we do little dances and stuff.”
“Pretty good,” says Chris. “Breakdancing. Tap. Modern.”
“Dancing is one of the multi faceted aspects of being a dramatician,” explains Sam.
I notice the tea which I’ve been elegantly sipping on has dripped underneath the lid and left an unsophisticated pool on the table. Mixed with the pile of coloured cards which James is folding up and some empty sugar packets, it looks a little like someone has emptied a rubbish bag on the table and maybe jumped up and down on it.
Dream rider. “What does that mean?” What would you have on your dream rider? “Oh, right,” says JP.
“Tic Tacs.” Mint ones or flavoured? “Mint ones,” says James instantly. “No, orange ones, what am I talking about.”
“Did you ever see Under Siege with Steven Seagal in it?” asks JP. “And they bring a birthday cake, a massive one, and Erika Eleniak from Baywatch is inside it. I’d get one of those.” The others laugh.
“It’s quite hard to top that!” says Ben.“Celery and hummus?” suggests Sam. “Carrots and dips and stuff. Taramasalata.”
“Riders are generally really unhealthy. We do actually try and eat quite healthily and they always just give us like chocolate and stuff. It actually would be nice to get some carrots,” says JP.
“Something other than warm beer would be good as well. There’s never any whisky.”
“Wine would be nice,” says JP. “Forget everything we just said, and go with the birthday cake.”
Grace’s debut album ‘Detours’ was released in June. It’s a mixture of brand new songs and others which have been floating around for up to five years. ‘Detours’ was so named because “we’ve been in all these different directions and influences and it’s never quite worked out for us the way we always thought it was going to,” explains Sam, adding there were multiple producers, studios and musician changes before they reached the final stage.
What’s the album about? “Just about life,” offers Ben. “It’s not about going out on a Friday and getting pissed and being sick in a gutter.”
“It’s a good idea for a song though,” says James. “It’s never been done.”
“It’s just about kind of, the whole idea of making someone… you know when you listen to an album and it really makes you think differently and can sort of inspire you to do something or spur you to do something you wouldn’t have done before?” says JP. “It’s just like a general life album that crosses over every border.”
“Like the Nazis,” someone whispers.
“What, ‘cause they crossed over every border?”
“Yeah.”
“Austria and then France. They tried Russia but that was a step too far wasn’t it?” says Chris, who not only is an esteemed actor but also something of a history buff.
Anyway, let’s leave the Nazis for now. What would you do if you weren’t in Grace?
“I don’t know, I think it’s sort of different for everyone really. I’ve always done music my whole life, that’s the only thing I’m really any good at,” says Chris.
“And acting.”
“And acting, yes, I mean House takes up a lot of time. Do that full time maybe.”
What about the rest of you? “I’d run a coffee shop,” says Sam promptly.
“Hang on, you stole that from me! That was my idea!” protests James.
“We’d all run coffee shops,” says JP soothingly.
“I think we’d all do different stuff. Most of us would carry on with music,” says Chris sensibly.
“It’s not about other things for us. It’s about Grace,” says JP. “I hate that question really because it’s like we’re here, we’re Grace and that’s it really. So, nothing. I’d be dead!”
“Dead inside,” suggests Ben. And on that happy note…
“I hope you can salvage something,” says Sam politely as I stand up to leave, having cleared up most of the tea/card mess. On my way out a few of the band are taking a cigarette break and sharing a joke. Either they're very cheerful for midday, or they might be plotting revenge against The Hoosiers...
Grace release Sink Like A Stone on September 3rd through Charisma/EMI
Grace
MySpace
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in August 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
GRACE
Today is one of the few days I manage to arrive ten minutes early for an interview. As Sod’s Law would have it, today is one of the few days the band arrives ten minutes late, and very apologetic. London-based Grace trickle in one at a time, shaking hands and saying 'sorry' over and over. Time to spread the question cards out around the table. “Are we intercoursing?” asks Sam. I think it’s a bit early in the day for that. Who wants to pick a card first?
I’m sat next to bespectacled keyboardist Sam Swallow. On his other side is softly spoken drummer Chris Hutchings. Then there’s a gap saved for guitarist James Hayto, who is even later than everyone else. Cheerful smiling bassist Ben Lumsden is the other side of the space, and next to him is laidback singer/guitarist JP Jones.
Sam gives me a potted history of Grace. Ben and JP met at school then Sam joined them at university, where they played in different bands, including Weedmeter. They found Chris after moving to London, where he’d been studying at music college. Performing as Morocco, they reinvented themselves and took on James. Their first gig with their current line up was at Oxford Zodiac about two years ago. Oh, and Ben got a tattoo. The bassist looks a bit confused about how this fits into the band’s history.
“He got a tattoo of the Morocco logo on his arm. As soon as he did it we changed the name,” says JP, lounging in his chair. “If he gets Grace, we’re going to change our name again.”
The band play hugely epic and touching rock/pop. Think of something mammoth like Coldplay, although they sound nothing like, but you get the point about the enormity. They have nothing to do with club hit 'It's Not Over', and in fact are probably fed up of it being mentioned, so let's not mention it. Despite being relatively unknown, they’re going down very well indeed, particularly at their recent Latitude Festival performance. JP thinks it was the best gig they’ve ever played.
I saw a review which said they were the best band there? “By a long way,” they joke. You were first on, so did everyone go home after your set?
“Everyone thought it was so good they just left the festival and thought ‘Well, as we’re not going to see better than that,’ you know…” teases JP.
“We opened it this year, we’re going to close it next year,” says Ben. JP laughs.
“No, it was amazing. We’d never played a festival before and it was sort of two and a half thousand people and we got them all going. It was midday and I’d say about a twentieth of the people there were to see us and the rest weren’t and we kind of won them over. It was an amazing gig and an amazing day actually, we got to see some good bands, hang out with Damien Rice and stuff.”
It’s quite a new festival isn’t it? “Yeah. And they were really worried about it, they were saying that they don’t want it to become too popular because it’ll become like all the rest and just be a nightmare.” Stop playing so well then. JP laughs. “Well, we’ll set up our own in Wales or something. Our own little GraceFest.”
Are you doing any other festivals this year? “No we’re not. We wish we were. I think the way we play live, we’re better on bigger stages to bigger crowds because the music is sort of epic,” JP says. “We kind of went into all of this trying to do something big as opposed to something little and indie. And I just really like running around a big stage.”
If you were a DJ, name a song you’d play. The sound of silence. “Weren’t we talking about this the other day?” thinks JP.
“In a club, getting people dancing, I’d play Nina Simone ‘I Wish I Knew How It Felt To Be Free’,” says Sam. “Even though it’s like old school, if you whack the bass up it really, really works.”
“He always makes us listen to it before we go out. It’s a great one,” confirms JP. “For drinking beer to, and getting into the vibe.”
“I’d play a Prince one,” says Chris. “They’re great for dancing to. I don’t know what one. Something off ‘Dirty Mind’ probably. ‘Sister’ maybe. It’s really good, it’s about incest.” Everyone sniggers. “It’s really dark. The lyrics are genius.” Sam asks to borrow it.
“I’ll do you a copy. Well we don’t copy music obviously. I’ll transcribe it and perform it for him,” says Chris almost convincingly, and JP throws his head back and laughs.
“Bloc Party ‘On’, I’d play that at a club. I’d remix it. There’s this break where it goes ‘You make my tongue loose’. It’s got this wicked beat,” says JP. “There he is!” The missing James is walking past the window.
“I’d play The Hoosiers ‘Worried About Ray’ because it’s a huge song by some very good friends of ours,” says Ben.
“Do ‘Everything Goes Dark’ from The Hoosiers’ album,” suggests JP.
“What, the remix that Chris did?”
“Yes!”
The next question card is Sink Like A Stone. Chris isn’t sure whether we mean the song or if it’s a direct and surreal instruction, so pretends to sink off his chair. That’s your single isn’t it? “Yeah, the next one.”
James has entered the room. “I feel great,” he says, and everyone cheers. Welcome to the interview. “Wow, there’s coloured cards,” he says, looking at the chaos on the table.
“We’re just doing quick impressions of sinking like a stone,” says Chris. James does. “That is perfect!” says JP. What is the single about?
“It’s a depressing song, just listen to the lyrics and you’ll get what it’s about,” explains Chris. “It’s about being miserable and a bit depressed, but there’s a ray of hope.” Oh good.
“I think the ray of hope is that everyone’s miserable,” says JP.
“You’re not alone,” adds Ben.
“No matter how bad it is you’re going through, someone else has gone through it as well,” says JP. Where’s it going to chart? “Number one I think, that’s what they told us.”
“I think it was going to Number One in the Billboard in America first, and then it’s going to be number one over here a couple of months later,” says Chris.
“So Suzy do you work for the record company? I’m trying to work out what the hell’s going on,” interrupts a confused James.
“Is all this going on by the way?” asks Sam. No, I’m transcribing it. “That’s going to be fun!” Tell me about it…
“Sorry I arrived late,” says James after a brief explanation of where I’m from. “Right, I’m with you now. I’m on the page.”
“We don’t even know if it will chart," JP continues. "This is going to be our fourth single. We’ve just released them on a small scale - the first two are on vinyl. We’ll try and grow organically as opposed to throw it down people’s throats. We are a credible band and we don’t want to be just flash in the pan, one hit wonders. We want to let the fans grow with us.”
“We want to not chart, is what we’re saying,” smiles Ben.
“We have charted before… about 128, I think,” says Chris. “Anything higher than that would be a bonus.”
“Chris has been very busy as well doing the series House in America,” says James, as the record label peeps do the tea and coffee rounds. “[Looks like] Hugh Laurie, yeah?”
“It’s been hard,” nods Chris solemnly. How’s your American accent going? “Oh-kay.”
“We just did the video to 'Sink Like A Stone' at Pinewood Studios, and it’s all filmed underwater,” explains Ben. “It looks really cool. It’s our biggest video budget to date and so it looks a bit more professional.”
“I was in water for about 18 hours and came out a bit like a white, Welsh prune,” says JP. “All over. Not just my fingertips.” Were the rest of you in the water as well? “We were in a boat. But only for about ten minutes,” says Ben.
“I’ve told you so many times, it’s about stage presence. That’s why I was in it for so long, I’ve got no presence, so I just needed more screentime,” explains JP, not entirely seriously.
“Even then you were still kind of outshone.”
“I was on hand giving advice,” says Chris. The others point out he has an A Level in Drama. “I got a B, so technically I was the most qualified on set.”
“That’s why he’s so good in House. B in A Level Drama,” says Sam.
“What about the two Golden Globes?” asks James.
“I don’t like to talk about those.”
“A lot of birds fancy Hugh Laurie you know,” says JP. Try walking with a limp on your way out and see what happens.
Let’s get onto a few tour questions. They recently toured with The Hoosiers (of ‘Worried About Ray’ fame), who James describes as “a great bunch of guys.”
“They shat on a plate and put it in our dressing room,” says JP. “That’s actually true. I promise you.”
“We’re going on tour with them again in October, it’s like 32 days, and we’re going to do something a lot worse to them.” I won’t ask what, I don’t want to spoil the surprise. “It’s not going to be really disgusting like that though,” assures JP.
“It’s going to involve family members,” says Chris. “I’ve got it all worked out...”
Grace have been friends with The Hoosiers for a while and say they always have a good time playing together.
“And we’ll get to play to sold out venues again – er, again?”
“For the first time,” grins Ben.
Any pre-gig superstitions? “JP and I have a ritual that we’ve had for about eight years whereby neither of us are nervous, but then we say to each other ‘Are you nervous?’, at which point both of us start shitting our pants,” says Ben. “But in terms of superstitions, JP’s got a bit of a gypsy heritage so he’s the one to talk to.”
“It’s more like OCD than superstition now,” says JP. “I had them from when I was a kid. It used to have meaning but now it just really pisses me off because I constantly have to touch things and smell things and it’s just a hindrance. Chris thinks I do it for effect.”
“He’s getting angry even now.”
“Usually before gigs we kind of sometimes we do little dances and stuff.”
“Pretty good,” says Chris. “Breakdancing. Tap. Modern.”
“Dancing is one of the multi faceted aspects of being a dramatician,” explains Sam.
I notice the tea which I’ve been elegantly sipping on has dripped underneath the lid and left an unsophisticated pool on the table. Mixed with the pile of coloured cards which James is folding up and some empty sugar packets, it looks a little like someone has emptied a rubbish bag on the table and maybe jumped up and down on it.
Dream rider. “What does that mean?” What would you have on your dream rider? “Oh, right,” says JP.
“Tic Tacs.” Mint ones or flavoured? “Mint ones,” says James instantly. “No, orange ones, what am I talking about.”
“Did you ever see Under Siege with Steven Seagal in it?” asks JP. “And they bring a birthday cake, a massive one, and Erika Eleniak from Baywatch is inside it. I’d get one of those.” The others laugh.
“It’s quite hard to top that!” says Ben.“Celery and hummus?” suggests Sam. “Carrots and dips and stuff. Taramasalata.”
“Riders are generally really unhealthy. We do actually try and eat quite healthily and they always just give us like chocolate and stuff. It actually would be nice to get some carrots,” says JP.
“Something other than warm beer would be good as well. There’s never any whisky.”
“Wine would be nice,” says JP. “Forget everything we just said, and go with the birthday cake.”
Grace’s debut album ‘Detours’ was released in June. It’s a mixture of brand new songs and others which have been floating around for up to five years. ‘Detours’ was so named because “we’ve been in all these different directions and influences and it’s never quite worked out for us the way we always thought it was going to,” explains Sam, adding there were multiple producers, studios and musician changes before they reached the final stage.
What’s the album about? “Just about life,” offers Ben. “It’s not about going out on a Friday and getting pissed and being sick in a gutter.”
“It’s a good idea for a song though,” says James. “It’s never been done.”
“It’s just about kind of, the whole idea of making someone… you know when you listen to an album and it really makes you think differently and can sort of inspire you to do something or spur you to do something you wouldn’t have done before?” says JP. “It’s just like a general life album that crosses over every border.”
“Like the Nazis,” someone whispers.
“What, ‘cause they crossed over every border?”
“Yeah.”
“Austria and then France. They tried Russia but that was a step too far wasn’t it?” says Chris, who not only is an esteemed actor but also something of a history buff.
Anyway, let’s leave the Nazis for now. What would you do if you weren’t in Grace?
“I don’t know, I think it’s sort of different for everyone really. I’ve always done music my whole life, that’s the only thing I’m really any good at,” says Chris.
“And acting.”
“And acting, yes, I mean House takes up a lot of time. Do that full time maybe.”
What about the rest of you? “I’d run a coffee shop,” says Sam promptly.
“Hang on, you stole that from me! That was my idea!” protests James.
“We’d all run coffee shops,” says JP soothingly.
“I think we’d all do different stuff. Most of us would carry on with music,” says Chris sensibly.
“It’s not about other things for us. It’s about Grace,” says JP. “I hate that question really because it’s like we’re here, we’re Grace and that’s it really. So, nothing. I’d be dead!”
“Dead inside,” suggests Ben. And on that happy note…
“I hope you can salvage something,” says Sam politely as I stand up to leave, having cleared up most of the tea/card mess. On my way out a few of the band are taking a cigarette break and sharing a joke. Either they're very cheerful for midday, or they might be plotting revenge against The Hoosiers...
Grace release Sink Like A Stone on September 3rd through Charisma/EMI
Grace
MySpace
Interview - Paul Steel
I don't usually like phone interviews because they usually involve some awkward clamping of the dictaphone to my ear whilst frantically waving off colleagues who'd forgotten what I was doing and had come clomping into the room. However I loved this interview because it was so much fun. It was one of those ones where both of you find it so easy to meander off the subject and into made-up worlds of imaginary friends and possible scenarios, which for some reason you both understand. (Because you're both nuts).
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in August 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
PAUL STEEL
Hands up if you caught Paul Steel at one of the summer festivals. Worthing’s own curly-haired son grew up listening to XTC, Radiohead and the Beach Boys, pushing his teenage frustrations into music. Now in his early 20s and living in the cultural cocktail that is Brighton, he’s gearing up for the release of his debut single ‘Your Loss’, which has a retro, psychedelic feel to it.The songs are fresh and full of fizzy tang and energy. Over the phone, Paul sounds quite shy but is very friendly and has a smile in his voice. The interview is running a couple of hours late, due to neither of our faults, which makes a lovely change.
We discover we’re practically neighbours (our office is in Havant and he lives in Brighton, a mere… hour down the road). Paul says he quite likes the sort of field the South Coast has around it. “You’re kind of isolated from London yet you’re quite near it. It’s kind of its own world, which I like.”
You were in bands when you were younger, weren’t you? What made you decide to go solo?
"I think I became a bit of a control freak - when I was about 15 I insisted on basically writing all the songs on my own… maybe I was just really eager or something. One human being’s vision as you follow it can be a lot stronger than a sort of diluted thing, and I was into production and stuff so I could do all that at home."
What was your first solo gig like? How long ago was that?
"Oh Jesus, I think it was probably really bad! But you’ve got to start somewhere. I think it was in a vegetarian café’s basement; really small."
The basement? Is that not just the fridge?
"Yeah it was. I was competing with lots of peppers and tomatoes. A good audience really. As long as they didn’t throw themselves."
I ask Paul about his mini album ‘April & I’, which he reportedly penned when he was just 17. "Well it’s about growing up in a sort of Woody Allen way, worrying about everything and nothing going right, and conjuring up this imaginary friend who assists me on my travels through life and gets corrupted by girls and drugs. There’s a nice little twist at the end. It’s quite a simple little story but it was fun to write."
It sounds like fun. And April’s the imaginary friend?
"Yes she is. She’s currently teaching origami in… Sweden."
I was going to ask to have a word with her now but she’s obviously not there.
"I could give you her number but she’s very selective about who she talks to."
Oh, really!
"She only talks to me really. She’s a bit imaginary. That’s the problem."
Was she a real imaginary friend when you were a child?
"Not really I think, I mean I think not really as a child! As soon as I stepped into adulthood, that’s when the imaginary friends came. But we’re good mates. She’s had a bit of a drugs problem but she got over it."
When I was younger for some reason my imaginary friends were people like Mick Jagger and Les Dennis.
"Mick Jagger was your imaginary friend? How did you manage that?"
I don’t know. They all lived in the garden.
"That’s mental, like Mick Jagger! My imaginary friend was drawn out of crayon. You’ve got a rock legend. (April and Mick) could start a band."
You had an imaginary friend competition on your last tour. Did you have any good entries for that?
"Yeah. The best one was in Dundee [he starts laughing] This guy submitted one called Jobby which was, you know just a poo. I had to ask onstage who submitted it and he said we didn’t include the brown so he had to mix colours. That was definitely the best. There were a few other exceptional ones but I think that one stood out, definitely."
What did he win for a prize? An imaginary holiday?
"Yes, an imaginary holiday in Greece with imaginary money. So we treated him good."
That was during the tour in March, which was Paul’s first tour with his band. “You’re in a small space with a lot of people so you become quite close and we’ve got on really well and did a really good tour.”
The ‘lot of people’ include Rachel on guitar (“a sort of axe-wielding goddess”), Mak on bass (“very bouncy Japanese bassist… a really nice guy”), two backing singers and “a seasoned drummer on drums, funnily enough.” Paul says he didn’t have anyone to play with live until he met the band and then began to rehearse together, and says: “I think we’ve got [a lineup] that’s good to go.”
Support acts were local bands. According to Paul, the Beatles were very interested but he didn’t have the time for them. “They’ve got some nice songs but I don’t think that it’ll work out for them.”
This neatly leads us on wondering whatever Ringo is up to nowadays, in the post-Thomas The Tank Engine years. Paul says he sees himself in a few years narrating children’s TV, Ringo or Neil Morrissey style. “That’s the dream really.”
You could bring in a few extra characters, like the person clearing the leaves off the line.
“Exactly. And the suicidal man who constantly tries to sit in front of a moving train. We’ll try to make it like he’s severely injured himself but doesn’t die. Kids, don’t sit on railway tracks ‘cause you might nearly die, but not quite. And that’s worse.”
‘Your Loss’ is Paul’s first single, which he’s excited about. I heard it being played in Asda a few days ago (cake and bread aisle), so I think that means he’s already super-famous. “It’s about a sort of very cynical broken relationship that is gonna end and it’s a bit of a middle finger raising song! It’s my oldest song, I wrote it with my old band so it’s got a lot of my 15 year old angst in there."
But it sounds so cheerful.
"Well that’s the problem with my songs, I write them and they’re all very cheerful and I think I can’t leave it like that, because it sounds like a Christmas song. So I make all these sort of dirty horrible lyrics. There you go, that’s the way it goes."
The conversation turns to forthcoming album ‘Moon Rock'. “I’m a big fan of the second half actually, we don’t perform it so much live but production-wise it’s a bit more developed, a bit more subtle.
"And there’s a song, ‘A Summer Song’, which we never thought was going to make the album but the mix turned out really well and the orchestra sounded really nice in it and I’ve become quite fond of it. I’m looking forward to seeing what people think of it.”
One of Paul’s songs was named after a line from Peep Show – ‘Honking (On My Crackpipe)’, something which Super Hans was doing. Have many other people been talking to you about Peep Show today? “Not a lot actually! I have had a conversation about crack. I bring it on myself, but erm… I don’t want to talk about crack, horrible. I’m a big Peep Show fan, I love my observational comedies.” He calls the last series “absolutely brutal” and says the second is probably his favourite.
Away from television and back onto music. With the festival season now drawing to a close, we spoke to Paul shortly before he played Belladrum and V. “We haven’t done a whole load of festivals so it’s still quite new and exciting for us, so we’re going to go up there and play our hearts out.”
I don’t think you need your wellies at the moment do you?
“I’m not sure… I mean I’ve been burnt with the wellies thing with Glastonbury. I had a welly stolen from my tent. Just one welly. So I had to go on a sort of hopping mission in the mud to get some new ones. So I’m not sure what to do, I might just plastic bag it.”
The band also made it over to Fuji Rock in Japan and Haldern in Germany which Paul describes as ‘awesome’ and ‘fun’ respectively.
There’s not much time left, but after looking at the favourites on Paul’s website we ask one of our own – Top Five Places To Visit? Paul thinks for a bit and decides on:
1. Paris (“That’s a good one”)
2. San Diego (“Pretty amazing”)
3. Naeba (“Which is where Fuji-Rock is, amazing countryside there”)
4. Croatia (“Surprisingly a lot of fun, although I was a lot younger then.” Why, does it have some kind of age-defying thing? “Yeah, I went there about 36, and came back three.”)
5. Worthing (“A great holiday destination. It’s got shops and everything.”)
We’ll leave you with this little quote nicked off the press release (as that is what they’re for): “Sound a bit like Queen meeting the Beach Boys in the bedroom of a 15 year old boy wearing batman pyjamas! Certainly a talent.” – Sean Ono Lennon. And if the son of a man whose ex-bandmate narrated Thomas says so, it must be true.
Paul Steel releases ‘Your Loss’ through Fascination/Polydor on September 3rd
Website
MySpace
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in August 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
PAUL STEEL
Hands up if you caught Paul Steel at one of the summer festivals. Worthing’s own curly-haired son grew up listening to XTC, Radiohead and the Beach Boys, pushing his teenage frustrations into music. Now in his early 20s and living in the cultural cocktail that is Brighton, he’s gearing up for the release of his debut single ‘Your Loss’, which has a retro, psychedelic feel to it.The songs are fresh and full of fizzy tang and energy. Over the phone, Paul sounds quite shy but is very friendly and has a smile in his voice. The interview is running a couple of hours late, due to neither of our faults, which makes a lovely change.
We discover we’re practically neighbours (our office is in Havant and he lives in Brighton, a mere… hour down the road). Paul says he quite likes the sort of field the South Coast has around it. “You’re kind of isolated from London yet you’re quite near it. It’s kind of its own world, which I like.”
You were in bands when you were younger, weren’t you? What made you decide to go solo?
"I think I became a bit of a control freak - when I was about 15 I insisted on basically writing all the songs on my own… maybe I was just really eager or something. One human being’s vision as you follow it can be a lot stronger than a sort of diluted thing, and I was into production and stuff so I could do all that at home."
What was your first solo gig like? How long ago was that?
"Oh Jesus, I think it was probably really bad! But you’ve got to start somewhere. I think it was in a vegetarian café’s basement; really small."
The basement? Is that not just the fridge?
"Yeah it was. I was competing with lots of peppers and tomatoes. A good audience really. As long as they didn’t throw themselves."
I ask Paul about his mini album ‘April & I’, which he reportedly penned when he was just 17. "Well it’s about growing up in a sort of Woody Allen way, worrying about everything and nothing going right, and conjuring up this imaginary friend who assists me on my travels through life and gets corrupted by girls and drugs. There’s a nice little twist at the end. It’s quite a simple little story but it was fun to write."
It sounds like fun. And April’s the imaginary friend?
"Yes she is. She’s currently teaching origami in… Sweden."
I was going to ask to have a word with her now but she’s obviously not there.
"I could give you her number but she’s very selective about who she talks to."
Oh, really!
"She only talks to me really. She’s a bit imaginary. That’s the problem."
Was she a real imaginary friend when you were a child?
"Not really I think, I mean I think not really as a child! As soon as I stepped into adulthood, that’s when the imaginary friends came. But we’re good mates. She’s had a bit of a drugs problem but she got over it."
When I was younger for some reason my imaginary friends were people like Mick Jagger and Les Dennis.
"Mick Jagger was your imaginary friend? How did you manage that?"
I don’t know. They all lived in the garden.
"That’s mental, like Mick Jagger! My imaginary friend was drawn out of crayon. You’ve got a rock legend. (April and Mick) could start a band."
You had an imaginary friend competition on your last tour. Did you have any good entries for that?
"Yeah. The best one was in Dundee [he starts laughing] This guy submitted one called Jobby which was, you know just a poo. I had to ask onstage who submitted it and he said we didn’t include the brown so he had to mix colours. That was definitely the best. There were a few other exceptional ones but I think that one stood out, definitely."
What did he win for a prize? An imaginary holiday?
"Yes, an imaginary holiday in Greece with imaginary money. So we treated him good."
That was during the tour in March, which was Paul’s first tour with his band. “You’re in a small space with a lot of people so you become quite close and we’ve got on really well and did a really good tour.”
The ‘lot of people’ include Rachel on guitar (“a sort of axe-wielding goddess”), Mak on bass (“very bouncy Japanese bassist… a really nice guy”), two backing singers and “a seasoned drummer on drums, funnily enough.” Paul says he didn’t have anyone to play with live until he met the band and then began to rehearse together, and says: “I think we’ve got [a lineup] that’s good to go.”
Support acts were local bands. According to Paul, the Beatles were very interested but he didn’t have the time for them. “They’ve got some nice songs but I don’t think that it’ll work out for them.”
This neatly leads us on wondering whatever Ringo is up to nowadays, in the post-Thomas The Tank Engine years. Paul says he sees himself in a few years narrating children’s TV, Ringo or Neil Morrissey style. “That’s the dream really.”
You could bring in a few extra characters, like the person clearing the leaves off the line.
“Exactly. And the suicidal man who constantly tries to sit in front of a moving train. We’ll try to make it like he’s severely injured himself but doesn’t die. Kids, don’t sit on railway tracks ‘cause you might nearly die, but not quite. And that’s worse.”
‘Your Loss’ is Paul’s first single, which he’s excited about. I heard it being played in Asda a few days ago (cake and bread aisle), so I think that means he’s already super-famous. “It’s about a sort of very cynical broken relationship that is gonna end and it’s a bit of a middle finger raising song! It’s my oldest song, I wrote it with my old band so it’s got a lot of my 15 year old angst in there."
But it sounds so cheerful.
"Well that’s the problem with my songs, I write them and they’re all very cheerful and I think I can’t leave it like that, because it sounds like a Christmas song. So I make all these sort of dirty horrible lyrics. There you go, that’s the way it goes."
The conversation turns to forthcoming album ‘Moon Rock'. “I’m a big fan of the second half actually, we don’t perform it so much live but production-wise it’s a bit more developed, a bit more subtle.
"And there’s a song, ‘A Summer Song’, which we never thought was going to make the album but the mix turned out really well and the orchestra sounded really nice in it and I’ve become quite fond of it. I’m looking forward to seeing what people think of it.”
One of Paul’s songs was named after a line from Peep Show – ‘Honking (On My Crackpipe)’, something which Super Hans was doing. Have many other people been talking to you about Peep Show today? “Not a lot actually! I have had a conversation about crack. I bring it on myself, but erm… I don’t want to talk about crack, horrible. I’m a big Peep Show fan, I love my observational comedies.” He calls the last series “absolutely brutal” and says the second is probably his favourite.
Away from television and back onto music. With the festival season now drawing to a close, we spoke to Paul shortly before he played Belladrum and V. “We haven’t done a whole load of festivals so it’s still quite new and exciting for us, so we’re going to go up there and play our hearts out.”
I don’t think you need your wellies at the moment do you?
“I’m not sure… I mean I’ve been burnt with the wellies thing with Glastonbury. I had a welly stolen from my tent. Just one welly. So I had to go on a sort of hopping mission in the mud to get some new ones. So I’m not sure what to do, I might just plastic bag it.”
The band also made it over to Fuji Rock in Japan and Haldern in Germany which Paul describes as ‘awesome’ and ‘fun’ respectively.
There’s not much time left, but after looking at the favourites on Paul’s website we ask one of our own – Top Five Places To Visit? Paul thinks for a bit and decides on:
1. Paris (“That’s a good one”)
2. San Diego (“Pretty amazing”)
3. Naeba (“Which is where Fuji-Rock is, amazing countryside there”)
4. Croatia (“Surprisingly a lot of fun, although I was a lot younger then.” Why, does it have some kind of age-defying thing? “Yeah, I went there about 36, and came back three.”)
5. Worthing (“A great holiday destination. It’s got shops and everything.”)
We’ll leave you with this little quote nicked off the press release (as that is what they’re for): “Sound a bit like Queen meeting the Beach Boys in the bedroom of a 15 year old boy wearing batman pyjamas! Certainly a talent.” – Sean Ono Lennon. And if the son of a man whose ex-bandmate narrated Thomas says so, it must be true.
Paul Steel releases ‘Your Loss’ through Fascination/Polydor on September 3rd
Website
MySpace
Gig Review - Kid Carpet @ Joiners
Kid Carpet = some sort of legend.
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in July 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
Kid Carpet / Birdpen / INTRODUCING:Emergency/Music / SHEGOTSiCK
@ Southampton Joiners
I remember fondly the previous time I saw Kid Carpet. We turned up to see the Go! Team play at Southampton University. On walking into the room we saw a small man onstage in the distance. He was playing some kind of hip hop with Fisher Price toys. “Fuck’s this?” we said. “You have to be a student to like this kind of stuff.” We’re not, and it means we could gaze with superiority at the other people in the room.
Two songs later and we were down the front, dancing and laughing as the man in the black Kid Carpet t shirt threw shapes and played songs about shoes and carrier bags. I had high hopes for tonight at Southampton Joiners, I really did.
You can tell it’s experimental night when bands start playing around with their spelling and punctuation.
First onstage were SHEGOTSiCK. Sadly due to the fact I am incapable of turning up to anything on time, as The Boss laments every morning at Native Towers, we arrived as they were finishing, so I can’t tell you anything about them, apart from that they are from Portsmouth and their MySpace would probably trigger an epileptic fit.
INTRODUCING:Emergency/Music had a lively half an hour with some marker pens before coming on stage. Barechested and covered with symbols which look marginally like they’ve come from ‘Close Encounters Of The Third Kind’ the band play an excitable kind of electronic funk featuring plenty of staccato saxophones, a bass dancing lightheartedly and some manic headshaking from the person on the right who looks like they’re wearing about four different charity shop outfits all at once. One of the musician’s hat drops off, and (is it the same one?) one has a tendency to leap offstage and crash around the first few rows of the bemused crowd, ploughing into them and playing on like nothing has happened. They’re quite good fun, but the more experimental phases can be hard-going, and if it wasn’t for the insane man moshing with his guitar and the frantically prancing bass, I’m not sure they’d be anything special.
Next up is Birdpen, and it’s major change of direction. They dryly announce themselves as “the token indie band” and the first song is entitled ‘Round Of Applause For A Great Disaster’. Yes, but do you clap when they get to the end? Or does that imply said song is indeed a disaster? In the end, a few songs seemed to overlap each other, thankfully ending that problem. The guitars are roaring and there’s a heavy feel of suspense to their setlist, which is along the lines of Editors and Kasabian. They’re a very good band, although stand out for being possibly the most normal on the running order.
Up steps Kid Carpet. Gone is the t shirt with his name on it, here is one with a picture of tweenagers’ favourite bunny, Miffy. It’s a slow start as he ‘gets into the zone’, but repeated pressings of the ‘BRISTOL!’ call to arms launches ‘Bristol Carpet Factory’, one of the shortest but strangely powerful tracks from album ‘Ideas And Oh Dears’. It’s fun, it’s funky.
If you haven’t heard his music before, you should give it a go. To be honest, I think Kid Carpet sounds better live than on record, I think it’s the sexy basslines thumping away and his hilarious stage presence. While waiting for one keyboard programme to load up, he treats us to a story about Barry Manilow. Realising the keyboard is taking longer than expected, he starts to stretch out the story of Baaaaaaarry… Maaaaaaniloooooow… He’s really into his dancing, throwing shapes and concentrating so hard. Kid Carpet also has some friendly and cheery chat going on between songs which makes everyone warm to him.
We see the remains of a plastic guitar, which was apparently treated to a free ‘guitar-shortening service’ on a Ryanair flight to Dublin. There’s a distortion microphone which makes him sound like a pilot underwater. There are sample, cute keyboard noises and some real hardcore hip hop hidden under the twee sounds. Songs tonight include ‘Your Love’, ‘The Kid’s Back’, ‘Employee Of The Month’, ‘Make It Look Good’, ‘Carrier Bag’, livened up with weather symbols (this song contains one of my favourite lyrics: “In a carrier bag / where you put all your doubts / And your coat”) Someone calls for ‘Jump’ quite early on, but is told that Van Halen appeared at his door brandishing a big stick. It still got played though.
Strangely no-one is dancing, but I’m guessing this is just down to the good old Southerners’ welcome, which is just standing and nodding and smiling occasionally, whatever is being played. I’ll give the crowd credit, there was plenty of whooping and throaty ‘Yeeeeah!’ when certain songs came on, and everyone clapped heartily and laughed a lot.
At a gig earlier this year, Kid Carpet had a toy guitar and a Furby stolen by a tramp. Let’s all club together and get him some more toys to see what he can come up with. He’s a great live act and certainly worthy of a trip or two to see.
Kid Carpet
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in July 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
Kid Carpet / Birdpen / INTRODUCING:Emergency/Music / SHEGOTSiCK
@ Southampton Joiners
I remember fondly the previous time I saw Kid Carpet. We turned up to see the Go! Team play at Southampton University. On walking into the room we saw a small man onstage in the distance. He was playing some kind of hip hop with Fisher Price toys. “Fuck’s this?” we said. “You have to be a student to like this kind of stuff.” We’re not, and it means we could gaze with superiority at the other people in the room.
Two songs later and we were down the front, dancing and laughing as the man in the black Kid Carpet t shirt threw shapes and played songs about shoes and carrier bags. I had high hopes for tonight at Southampton Joiners, I really did.
You can tell it’s experimental night when bands start playing around with their spelling and punctuation.
First onstage were SHEGOTSiCK. Sadly due to the fact I am incapable of turning up to anything on time, as The Boss laments every morning at Native Towers, we arrived as they were finishing, so I can’t tell you anything about them, apart from that they are from Portsmouth and their MySpace would probably trigger an epileptic fit.
INTRODUCING:Emergency/Music had a lively half an hour with some marker pens before coming on stage. Barechested and covered with symbols which look marginally like they’ve come from ‘Close Encounters Of The Third Kind’ the band play an excitable kind of electronic funk featuring plenty of staccato saxophones, a bass dancing lightheartedly and some manic headshaking from the person on the right who looks like they’re wearing about four different charity shop outfits all at once. One of the musician’s hat drops off, and (is it the same one?) one has a tendency to leap offstage and crash around the first few rows of the bemused crowd, ploughing into them and playing on like nothing has happened. They’re quite good fun, but the more experimental phases can be hard-going, and if it wasn’t for the insane man moshing with his guitar and the frantically prancing bass, I’m not sure they’d be anything special.
Next up is Birdpen, and it’s major change of direction. They dryly announce themselves as “the token indie band” and the first song is entitled ‘Round Of Applause For A Great Disaster’. Yes, but do you clap when they get to the end? Or does that imply said song is indeed a disaster? In the end, a few songs seemed to overlap each other, thankfully ending that problem. The guitars are roaring and there’s a heavy feel of suspense to their setlist, which is along the lines of Editors and Kasabian. They’re a very good band, although stand out for being possibly the most normal on the running order.
Up steps Kid Carpet. Gone is the t shirt with his name on it, here is one with a picture of tweenagers’ favourite bunny, Miffy. It’s a slow start as he ‘gets into the zone’, but repeated pressings of the ‘BRISTOL!’ call to arms launches ‘Bristol Carpet Factory’, one of the shortest but strangely powerful tracks from album ‘Ideas And Oh Dears’. It’s fun, it’s funky.
If you haven’t heard his music before, you should give it a go. To be honest, I think Kid Carpet sounds better live than on record, I think it’s the sexy basslines thumping away and his hilarious stage presence. While waiting for one keyboard programme to load up, he treats us to a story about Barry Manilow. Realising the keyboard is taking longer than expected, he starts to stretch out the story of Baaaaaaarry… Maaaaaaniloooooow… He’s really into his dancing, throwing shapes and concentrating so hard. Kid Carpet also has some friendly and cheery chat going on between songs which makes everyone warm to him.
We see the remains of a plastic guitar, which was apparently treated to a free ‘guitar-shortening service’ on a Ryanair flight to Dublin. There’s a distortion microphone which makes him sound like a pilot underwater. There are sample, cute keyboard noises and some real hardcore hip hop hidden under the twee sounds. Songs tonight include ‘Your Love’, ‘The Kid’s Back’, ‘Employee Of The Month’, ‘Make It Look Good’, ‘Carrier Bag’, livened up with weather symbols (this song contains one of my favourite lyrics: “In a carrier bag / where you put all your doubts / And your coat”) Someone calls for ‘Jump’ quite early on, but is told that Van Halen appeared at his door brandishing a big stick. It still got played though.
Strangely no-one is dancing, but I’m guessing this is just down to the good old Southerners’ welcome, which is just standing and nodding and smiling occasionally, whatever is being played. I’ll give the crowd credit, there was plenty of whooping and throaty ‘Yeeeeah!’ when certain songs came on, and everyone clapped heartily and laughed a lot.
At a gig earlier this year, Kid Carpet had a toy guitar and a Furby stolen by a tramp. Let’s all club together and get him some more toys to see what he can come up with. He’s a great live act and certainly worthy of a trip or two to see.
Kid Carpet
Interview - Goldspot
I hadn't heard of Goldspot before either, but that was part of the fun of the job. You never knew who you were suddenly going to get an interview with. Everyone has interesting stories to tell though.
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in July 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
GOLDSPOT
Not, not Goldfrapp; Goldspot. You may have picked up one of their songs after iTunes made it their free track of the week. They’re a band of mellow pop playing, California-based musicians who have named themselves after a fizzy drink, who have been played on The OC, who are playing the iTunes Festival with The Maccabees and who are heavily influenced by old Bollywood tracks. We called singer Siddhartha Khosla for a chat.
Hi Sidd, you all right?
Yeah, how are you?
I’m good thank you. You having a nice day?
Yeah I’m having a lovely day. I woke up this morning at 8’o’clock and I went to the gym for an hour and a half, and when I do that I feel great, so I’m having a lovely day. It’s a good way to start the day and you feel like you can accomplish anything.
Some random questions to start. What have you got in your pockets?
I have my Oyster Card which I just got the other day after realising there was something called an Oyster Card after being here for a month.
Next random question – what was the last film you saw?
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. [It was] completely overrated. I thought it was going to be great although the lead actor in that movie was phenomenal, it’s just like I didn’t like how it was directed.
We’ll have that in our Sidd Film Review Section, which we’re just starting today.
Seriously I can talk for hours about films. I would love to do that. If I could quit my music career and become a film critic I think I would do that. If the record flops and I get dropped from the label completely, then I’m going to call Native.tv.
You’re from LA aren’t you?
Originally I’m from New Jersey, but I’ve been living in Los Angeles for the last eight years. What’s so beautiful about Los Angeles is that you have that beautiful weather and then it’s ruined by this layer of smog that sits above the city because pollution is so bad.
Every cloud has some smog beneath it. That kind of thing.
There’s something there, I don’t know what it is but there is definitely a great line to be said about that.
I hear your band is named after a fizzy drink?
When I was a kid I lived in India for a few years and I used to go back every summer for like the first ten years and live with my grandparents and drink their cold Goldspot, and it was this orange bubbly soda. It was my favourite drink and then they discontinued it.
What!
Yeah (sighs) I’m actually glad they discontinued it, because if they didn’t I would probably be in trademark infringement on some level or something, I don’t know.
And your teeth wouldn’t be too good either.
Exactly!
You were touring the UK last month weren’t you? How did it go?
It was really amazing. First of all, we’re a Los Angeles based band so we’ve been established there for a number of years, and when we go to shows, you know, we do really well and people sing to the songs. And then we came here and it was a really different environment ‘cause we were almost starting from scratch. But we found that when we played in different cities there were people were singing along to the songs and coming to the gigs and it was really cool. On top of it, England is by far my favourite country on the planet, by far.
You don’t have to suck up, it’s all right!
I actually started my music career in London. After I graduated college I moved out to London for six months because I just love it so much here, and so it felt really good flying here.
Were there any particular gigs which stood out?
Our performance at Glastonbury was the highlight. We played on Thursday night, and ‘cause all the headlining bands were playing on Friday and Saturday night, our stage [The Queen’s Head] happened to be the main stage. And so we played to thousands of people, it was awesome.
And then right as we started the second to last song, which was a song called ‘Friday’, the power generator blew, and everyone in the audience started booing the sound, or the lack of it, and instinctively I just got off the stage and brought my guitar. I went into the audience and I told the crowd to ‘Shut the fuck up’ and three and a half thousand people got really quiet, and I played just like that in the crowd and by the end of it everyone was singing along. It was hands down, one of the most special moments in my musical career.
Did you get to see many other bands at the festivals?
Yeah, at Glastonbury we saw Arcade Fire and Bjork. Those are two of my favourite bands and that was really exciting cos I’d never seen either of them live. Although I met Bjork a month and a half ago at her hotel in London…
Were you a bit starstruck?
I’m normally extremely starstruck. There was like a barricade of her friends at her hotel lobby and she was in the middle of it. I walked through and I put my hand out to her and I’m like ‘Hi, Bjork, my name is Siddhartha’ and she shook my hand and she goes ‘Hi’ and at that moment I literally just got chills as she is so cool. I said ‘Listen I know this sounds awful and I know this sounds so lame for me to do but I’m a huge fan of yours, I think you’re beautiful, I think your music is beautiful, and I really want you to listen to my album’ and I gave her a copy of our album and all her friends started clapping. Bjork looks at me and she goes ‘Siddhartha, thank you’ and she started singing to me. And she sings to me ‘Celebrate good times… come on!’ I was literally in shock. So that was really special.
That album, that’s ‘Tally Of The Yes Men’ isn’t it? When did you record that?
We recorded that about two and a half years ago in the States, and it was released on an indie label in the States. Like any musician out there, or most musicians out there trying to make it, you have to look for another job to sustain you. And so I worked in a cubicle at AT&T Wireless where I was responsible for taking care of the permitting to put up wireless antennae across the city.
It sounds fascinating.
And if you want, we can talk in depth about it because I know everything about it.
You know, we’ll give that a miss today.
So I had this day job and I sat in my cubicle for like 35-40 hours a week. And then after work every day, I’d go in the studio to record the record with our producer and our drummer Ramy Antoun. A lot of the lyrics are inspired by being like a subordinate in an office environment and it was great because I’d work there or pretend to work and I would sit in my cubicle and write the lyrics of songs. I should now say that we were actually signed to AT&T Wireless. They paid me to write.
Any favourite tracks on there?
‘Rewind’ and ‘Time Bomb’ are my two favourites.
A bit about your influences. You’re probably bored of telling everyone about the songs you listened to in your childhood and how they affected your style?
I’m an American-born Indian, and as most Indian kids growing up in the US, first generation, a lot of us were exposed to music our parents listened to. There was no way in hell my parents would listen to the Rolling Stones or The Beatles or anything, they didn’t know who they were. So we listened to old Indian music like 1950s and 60s Bollywood films. So that really shaped the way I approached music.
I used to sing Indian music growing up, I would sing at temple, then at age 13 or 14 I finally discovered that if you flip the switch on a cassette deck from tape to radio, you could actually hear something other than what was on the tapes. And then the first thing I listened to, there was a song off of ‘Document’ from REM and every since then I’ve loved REM and other bands like the Smiths, The Cure and Depeche Mode. Ramy is Egyptian, so he grew up listening to that music as well.
Can you tell me a fact about the others in the band?
Derek [Horst, guitar] – Derek is a diabetic, and he thinks that eating Snickers bars are good for him. The more refined sugar he puts in his diet, the more he believes he’s actually helping his diabetic condition. Ramy is a great golfer, and he’s got the biggest hair I’ve ever seen on a human being. Sergio [Andrade, bass] looks really good with a full grown beard. And Seth [McLain] has just recently engineered the Robbers On High Street album.
Your first name, I looked it up and apparently it means ‘he who has attained his goals’. Would you say that you’ve attained them yet?
Part of the way I’m wired is that I can never be happy with what I have. I have not attained any of my goals as yet. But if you asked me seven years ago if I were in this situation now I would have been more than delighted and thrilled and I have achieved my goals. The goal is ultimately to be happy, and that I am, on many levels, but because by virtue of it being a goal it is always evolving and changing. I don’t know what else to say!
Goldspot
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in July 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
GOLDSPOT
Not, not Goldfrapp; Goldspot. You may have picked up one of their songs after iTunes made it their free track of the week. They’re a band of mellow pop playing, California-based musicians who have named themselves after a fizzy drink, who have been played on The OC, who are playing the iTunes Festival with The Maccabees and who are heavily influenced by old Bollywood tracks. We called singer Siddhartha Khosla for a chat.
Hi Sidd, you all right?
Yeah, how are you?
I’m good thank you. You having a nice day?
Yeah I’m having a lovely day. I woke up this morning at 8’o’clock and I went to the gym for an hour and a half, and when I do that I feel great, so I’m having a lovely day. It’s a good way to start the day and you feel like you can accomplish anything.
Some random questions to start. What have you got in your pockets?
I have my Oyster Card which I just got the other day after realising there was something called an Oyster Card after being here for a month.
Next random question – what was the last film you saw?
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. [It was] completely overrated. I thought it was going to be great although the lead actor in that movie was phenomenal, it’s just like I didn’t like how it was directed.
We’ll have that in our Sidd Film Review Section, which we’re just starting today.
Seriously I can talk for hours about films. I would love to do that. If I could quit my music career and become a film critic I think I would do that. If the record flops and I get dropped from the label completely, then I’m going to call Native.tv.
You’re from LA aren’t you?
Originally I’m from New Jersey, but I’ve been living in Los Angeles for the last eight years. What’s so beautiful about Los Angeles is that you have that beautiful weather and then it’s ruined by this layer of smog that sits above the city because pollution is so bad.
Every cloud has some smog beneath it. That kind of thing.
There’s something there, I don’t know what it is but there is definitely a great line to be said about that.
I hear your band is named after a fizzy drink?
When I was a kid I lived in India for a few years and I used to go back every summer for like the first ten years and live with my grandparents and drink their cold Goldspot, and it was this orange bubbly soda. It was my favourite drink and then they discontinued it.
What!
Yeah (sighs) I’m actually glad they discontinued it, because if they didn’t I would probably be in trademark infringement on some level or something, I don’t know.
And your teeth wouldn’t be too good either.
Exactly!
You were touring the UK last month weren’t you? How did it go?
It was really amazing. First of all, we’re a Los Angeles based band so we’ve been established there for a number of years, and when we go to shows, you know, we do really well and people sing to the songs. And then we came here and it was a really different environment ‘cause we were almost starting from scratch. But we found that when we played in different cities there were people were singing along to the songs and coming to the gigs and it was really cool. On top of it, England is by far my favourite country on the planet, by far.
You don’t have to suck up, it’s all right!
I actually started my music career in London. After I graduated college I moved out to London for six months because I just love it so much here, and so it felt really good flying here.
Were there any particular gigs which stood out?
Our performance at Glastonbury was the highlight. We played on Thursday night, and ‘cause all the headlining bands were playing on Friday and Saturday night, our stage [The Queen’s Head] happened to be the main stage. And so we played to thousands of people, it was awesome.
And then right as we started the second to last song, which was a song called ‘Friday’, the power generator blew, and everyone in the audience started booing the sound, or the lack of it, and instinctively I just got off the stage and brought my guitar. I went into the audience and I told the crowd to ‘Shut the fuck up’ and three and a half thousand people got really quiet, and I played just like that in the crowd and by the end of it everyone was singing along. It was hands down, one of the most special moments in my musical career.
Did you get to see many other bands at the festivals?
Yeah, at Glastonbury we saw Arcade Fire and Bjork. Those are two of my favourite bands and that was really exciting cos I’d never seen either of them live. Although I met Bjork a month and a half ago at her hotel in London…
Were you a bit starstruck?
I’m normally extremely starstruck. There was like a barricade of her friends at her hotel lobby and she was in the middle of it. I walked through and I put my hand out to her and I’m like ‘Hi, Bjork, my name is Siddhartha’ and she shook my hand and she goes ‘Hi’ and at that moment I literally just got chills as she is so cool. I said ‘Listen I know this sounds awful and I know this sounds so lame for me to do but I’m a huge fan of yours, I think you’re beautiful, I think your music is beautiful, and I really want you to listen to my album’ and I gave her a copy of our album and all her friends started clapping. Bjork looks at me and she goes ‘Siddhartha, thank you’ and she started singing to me. And she sings to me ‘Celebrate good times… come on!’ I was literally in shock. So that was really special.
That album, that’s ‘Tally Of The Yes Men’ isn’t it? When did you record that?
We recorded that about two and a half years ago in the States, and it was released on an indie label in the States. Like any musician out there, or most musicians out there trying to make it, you have to look for another job to sustain you. And so I worked in a cubicle at AT&T Wireless where I was responsible for taking care of the permitting to put up wireless antennae across the city.
It sounds fascinating.
And if you want, we can talk in depth about it because I know everything about it.
You know, we’ll give that a miss today.
So I had this day job and I sat in my cubicle for like 35-40 hours a week. And then after work every day, I’d go in the studio to record the record with our producer and our drummer Ramy Antoun. A lot of the lyrics are inspired by being like a subordinate in an office environment and it was great because I’d work there or pretend to work and I would sit in my cubicle and write the lyrics of songs. I should now say that we were actually signed to AT&T Wireless. They paid me to write.
Any favourite tracks on there?
‘Rewind’ and ‘Time Bomb’ are my two favourites.
A bit about your influences. You’re probably bored of telling everyone about the songs you listened to in your childhood and how they affected your style?
I’m an American-born Indian, and as most Indian kids growing up in the US, first generation, a lot of us were exposed to music our parents listened to. There was no way in hell my parents would listen to the Rolling Stones or The Beatles or anything, they didn’t know who they were. So we listened to old Indian music like 1950s and 60s Bollywood films. So that really shaped the way I approached music.
I used to sing Indian music growing up, I would sing at temple, then at age 13 or 14 I finally discovered that if you flip the switch on a cassette deck from tape to radio, you could actually hear something other than what was on the tapes. And then the first thing I listened to, there was a song off of ‘Document’ from REM and every since then I’ve loved REM and other bands like the Smiths, The Cure and Depeche Mode. Ramy is Egyptian, so he grew up listening to that music as well.
Can you tell me a fact about the others in the band?
Derek [Horst, guitar] – Derek is a diabetic, and he thinks that eating Snickers bars are good for him. The more refined sugar he puts in his diet, the more he believes he’s actually helping his diabetic condition. Ramy is a great golfer, and he’s got the biggest hair I’ve ever seen on a human being. Sergio [Andrade, bass] looks really good with a full grown beard. And Seth [McLain] has just recently engineered the Robbers On High Street album.
Your first name, I looked it up and apparently it means ‘he who has attained his goals’. Would you say that you’ve attained them yet?
Part of the way I’m wired is that I can never be happy with what I have. I have not attained any of my goals as yet. But if you asked me seven years ago if I were in this situation now I would have been more than delighted and thrilled and I have achieved my goals. The goal is ultimately to be happy, and that I am, on many levels, but because by virtue of it being a goal it is always evolving and changing. I don’t know what else to say!
Goldspot
Interview - Mexicolas
The opening to this is completely true. I stood outside the gig venue and phoned the tour manager about the interview which the PR had organised, only to find the PR hadn't really done a lot of organising. Either that or someone hadn't read their emails saying I was turning up. Whatever, it reminded me of the times I used to go street teaming where you were told to arrive stupidly early and the band would take pity on you and ensure you got some of their dinner, which was usually pasta or ratatouille; something tomato-based which didn't involve too much cooking. And their crew guy really did sound like Zippy. Their tour manager, the lovely Steve, told me to tell everyone how nice they were for looking after me instead of sending me away. So there you are. Mexicolas - hard working, and generous with food. A great mix.
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in July 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
MEXICOLAS
Surprise! Something went a little awry in the organising of this interview. Mexicolas had no idea I was turning up until I was stood outside Southampton Joiners. Instead of hiding under the tables and pretending to be out, like any normal band would, they’ve invited me in to eat their food and listen to crew members impersonating Zippy from Rainbow. Then it's time to duck down the steep stairs, past the graffitied walls and into the cosy backstage/underfloor area.
The Mexicolas are sitting in front of me on possibly the lowest sofa in the world. I tried to sit on it and fell halfway to oblivion. There’s drummer Tim Trotter on the left, bassist Del Carter in the middle and singer/guitarist Jamie Evans on the right.
“Don’t you think he looks like Nick Knowles?” interrupts Jamie, indicating the bassist to his side. “DIY SOS. But slightly more handsomerer.” Er, slightly different hair.
“Slightly different face,” points out Del. Does that mean at the end of the night you’ll be rearranging furniture, putting a few shelves up? “Oh yeah. It’ll be rearranged…”
Mexicolas play explosive and furious rock and are steadily building up a reputation as a more than decent live act. They’ve been rocking for the past three years or so. Now living and rehearsing in a Birmingham warehouse studio, Tim says they formed in April 2004 with “a dictaphone and acoustic guitar, just a handful of sketchy ideas. And then we gradually got some gear, moved into the studio and Del joined us 18 months ago.”
“What date was it Del?” someone shouts.
“Monday October 24th,” replies the bassist they call Mr Stat Man, or so Jamie informs me. What was the weather like? “Well it was actually pouring it down with rain.”
There’s lots of talking all at once.
“You were wearing that disgusting purple…”
“…sleeping bag coat…”
“We went to the Embassy Club…”
”…and you still pulled!”
“So yeah, we’d written some songs,” continues Tim. “And it was almost like a sort of a project really. We were signed to the label and they just said take your time and do what you wanna do and just sort of find yourselves. We did a few gigs, and then as I say Del joined and that’s when we really sort of became a band, and it’s all sort of history from there really isn’t it?”
As for previous jobs, all three band members have a long list. Mexicolas have been going full time for the last year and a bit. Del gets listing: “Lifeguard, shelfstacker, driver, chauffeur, Penis Puppeteer –“
Ehh-errrr! He’s interrupted by the ‘wrong answer’ game show buzzer which Jamie has nicked out of a crew member’s bag, and everyone falls about.
“Selling t shirts at gigs… Penis Puppeteer…” Ehh-errrr! “Pub toilet cleaner. All sorts really.”
“All glamour,” comments Jamie, then he starts giggling uncontrollably. “Tell her that story when you were working and you shit yourself!” Ehh-errr!
Tim worked in instruments shops and did casual work. “My best one was working in a banana factory. That was really awesome.”
“Measuring the bends.”
“Did you get bitten by spiders?” asks Del with interest.
“No, I didn’t actually.” Did you keep stealing the produce? “No, I didn’t actually.”
“I haven’t worked a day in my life,” says Jamie. “I’m a gypsy warrior.” The others laugh. “I worked in a pizza place making pizzas and burgers, worked on Family Fortunes for a bit - Ehh-errr! – worked in a record shop, but mainly it was just gigging with loads of bands on the pub circuit.” Have you been in lots of bands before? “Yeah. Hundreds. Thousands.” There’s a fake American accent going on. “The road’s been very long! But we got to play on!”
Next question. Ever bought anything on eBay? Ehh-errr!
“I’m sorry, that slipped,” says Jamie, the picture of innocence.
“A lot of drum stuff basically. I buy a lot of stuff actually from the States,” says Tim. “How about you, Del? Del’s a bit of a technophobe, aren’t you?”
“He thinks that when computers are around him, they break down,” explains Jamie. “Woman and computers just crack up around him.”
“No, I’m just old-school. I don’t really have any use for computers much.”
“Well not since the police came and took it off him,” says Jamie. “I bought Stranglers memorabilia off eBay, I bought a guitar, some clothing, a pair of shoes, SpongeBob movie. I bought a Robert Smith from the Cure limited edition print, Stranglers badges.”
“He bought a Robert Smith picture –“
“I just said that.”
“- which was obviously just coloured in by a nine year old in the Eighties,” says Tim.
“Well it was limited, because they were limited by the amount of pens they had," moans Jamie. "I was kind of duped on that. One of a thousand, you know. Bollocks.”
Ever sold anything on eBay? “Can’t be arsed sending it in the post. Sod it. If they want it that bad, they can come and get it, can’t they,” says Jamie. When you’re touring the country you can just drop it off somewhere, surely.
“That’s a good idea!” says Tim.
The band are partway through the Shame Tour. Where have you played so far?
“Mostly up North so far. Manchester, Sheffield, Oldham, London.” So this is your first one Down South proper? “Arrr!” they say, neatly combining pirates and farmers in one syllable. You were here a couple of months ago, happy to be back?
“Yes. I like this dressing room,” says Jamie.
“For me, Southampton Joiners on the last tour was my favourite gig on the tour so yeah, very happy to be back,” says Del.
“What date was that when we played there?” asks Jamie.
“That was 15th March.”
“And what day was that, Del?”
“That was a Thursday,” replies Mr Stat Man.
“I’ll just shut this door, ‘cause the noise is just…” jokes Jamie, trying to drown out the soundchecking by closing a door, the sort which keep rabid dogs back in films. It's a metal grille and couldn't keep anything out. I could probably crawl through the gaps if I had the time and/or inclination.
“We’re really enjoying the tour. Being in a band is just about playing live you know, so it’s nice to just get out and make a lot of noise and win some new fans over,” says Del. Is there anywhere in particular you’re looking forward to playing?
“We’re really looking forward to Bristol ‘cause it’s kind of home to me and Del,” says Tim. “West Country Boys. Cardiff I’m looking forward to as well because I’ve never played Cardiff before in my life.”
“Looking forward to King Tut’s in Glasgow,” says Del in his cheerful, optimistic voice. “Once again that was a good gig, and you always get a good meal as well.” What day is that on? “Friday 27th.”
The Shame Tour is of course promoting their debut single of the same name. 'Shame' was out on July 16th, but I’m informed they didn’t take pictures of themselves stood next to it in HMV because that was just the digital release date. All three actually forgot it was out until they phoned each other.
“For this first single we decided to just keep it like 500 copies limited edition 7” vinyl and download only,” explains Jamie. “The main thing we wanna gain from the first single is touring, picking more fans up, start to get some radio play, which we got – XFM have backed it, and Kerrang! and some spot plays on Radio 1 as well. So it’s kind of like letting people in on the bigger picture.
“We’re a rock band and rock bands don’t do particularly well with singles, so it’s more geared around the album. The album’s out in February, so probably a couple more singles leading into that, a couple more tours, and such,” he says suddenly sparking into life.
What’s the single about? “It’s basically a little verbal bite back at somebody. People who like stirring the shit too much.” There’s a lot of people like that. “Oh there is, everyone knows one. Takes one to know one I suppose.”
“Not necessarily,” begins Tim. “Let’s talk through this…” Everyone laughs again. “This is like a therapy session.”
“['Shame' is] like a bitter bite back at the ones that love to hurt you,” finishes Jamie.
“It’s not a love song, put it that way,” Del pipes up.
“It’s not a love song at all.”
“There will be no love songs.”
“Not this time.”
What was the last CD you bought?
“Scott Matthews,” says Jamie. “What day was that on?”
“Well that was on a Friday,” replies Mr Stat Man.
“But what date?”
“Oh you got me there, I wasn’t really paying attention on that. End of June.”
Their manager points out they played a gig with Scott Matthews before. “Three years ago?” thinks Jamie. “Scott Matthews album, very good. We bought it with two coupons we got from a J20 tasting survey." Nice.
“The last album I bought was Army Of Anyone, which is the guitarist and bass player from Stone Temple Pilots,” says Tim. “A couple of good songs but I’m not really overly impressed. It’s a bit too American rawk whereas STP were just an awesome band.”
“They weren’t American,” points out Jamie.
“I’m still waiting for the new Crowded House and Jason Falkner, who is a brilliant songwriter,” Tim finishes.
Del confesses his mates usually download albums for him. “The last physical one I bought was Easy Star All Stars ‘Radiodread’.”
I ask what the band would like to achieve this year, if they have any goals or hopes. “Somehow, I’d like there to be some kind of filter invented that protects me from the smell these pair emit,” says Del, trapped on the sofa. He thinks of another achievement. “I’d like to still be alive. That’ll be a good one.”
“I’d personally love it if we did at least one gig overseas this year. That would be my goal,” says Tim. Their manager points out they’re playing Wales. “I don’t think that counts!” he says. “The Isle of Wight? That’s overseas.”
“I’d like to get a great support tour with a band and get to play for as many people as we can,” says Jamie. Any in particular? “dEUS? We couldn’t really tour with them, they’re too heavy. Velvet Revolver…”
“Even people like Kings of Leon, they’d be great. They’re quite current,” says Tim.
“I’d love to support Arcade Fire, but it would be a bit of a mismatch,” says Del.
“I mean, you’ve got to be realistic.”
“I’d also like to get divorced and see my kids more,” says Jamie.
“You don’t have to publish that,” says Tim.
“You do. The whole fucking album’s about it, man.” There’s a pause while everyone is caught up in Jamie’s personal gloom, before someone shouts “Next!”
Are Mexicolas playing any festivals this year? “No,” they laugh. OK. That was shorter than expected. Their manager points out they’re playing Cardiff Festival 24. “It’s similar to the Camden Crawl, but it’s based in Cardiff.”
“It’s a bit like Glastonbury or T in the Park, but nowhere near as big at all,” notes Tim in his laidback drawl.
“And it’s not really in a field, it’s in normal venues,” points out Del. “We’ll probably visit all the pubs and then play in the last one.” Is that a good idea? Are you not going to be a little tipsy?
“We’re a very professional outfit, you see,” says Tim. “We don’t do that before we play.”
Festival tips for anyone going to any this year?
“If you see us there, avoid us. Or embrace us,” says Jamie.
“Embrace us, with a warm pint of cider,” says Tim. “And take a pair of welly boots because you might need them for the mud or to piss in.”
Good advice from Mexicolas. At the gig that night, their manager gives me with several thousand badges, a few t shirts and enough postcards to paper the walls of Native Towers. I think it might be a bribe, but I take it all away for, ahem, research purposes. The band are pretty busy over the next few days on the tour - “We’ll be gigging, hopefully meeting some new fans and that. Reaching out, touching faith,” Jamie explains - but they're enthusiastic and looking forward to what lies ahead. Good luck to them.
Mexicolas release 'Shame' through Exile Records from July 16th.
Website
MySpace
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in July 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
MEXICOLAS
Surprise! Something went a little awry in the organising of this interview. Mexicolas had no idea I was turning up until I was stood outside Southampton Joiners. Instead of hiding under the tables and pretending to be out, like any normal band would, they’ve invited me in to eat their food and listen to crew members impersonating Zippy from Rainbow. Then it's time to duck down the steep stairs, past the graffitied walls and into the cosy backstage/underfloor area.
The Mexicolas are sitting in front of me on possibly the lowest sofa in the world. I tried to sit on it and fell halfway to oblivion. There’s drummer Tim Trotter on the left, bassist Del Carter in the middle and singer/guitarist Jamie Evans on the right.
“Don’t you think he looks like Nick Knowles?” interrupts Jamie, indicating the bassist to his side. “DIY SOS. But slightly more handsomerer.” Er, slightly different hair.
“Slightly different face,” points out Del. Does that mean at the end of the night you’ll be rearranging furniture, putting a few shelves up? “Oh yeah. It’ll be rearranged…”
Mexicolas play explosive and furious rock and are steadily building up a reputation as a more than decent live act. They’ve been rocking for the past three years or so. Now living and rehearsing in a Birmingham warehouse studio, Tim says they formed in April 2004 with “a dictaphone and acoustic guitar, just a handful of sketchy ideas. And then we gradually got some gear, moved into the studio and Del joined us 18 months ago.”
“What date was it Del?” someone shouts.
“Monday October 24th,” replies the bassist they call Mr Stat Man, or so Jamie informs me. What was the weather like? “Well it was actually pouring it down with rain.”
There’s lots of talking all at once.
“You were wearing that disgusting purple…”
“…sleeping bag coat…”
“We went to the Embassy Club…”
”…and you still pulled!”
“So yeah, we’d written some songs,” continues Tim. “And it was almost like a sort of a project really. We were signed to the label and they just said take your time and do what you wanna do and just sort of find yourselves. We did a few gigs, and then as I say Del joined and that’s when we really sort of became a band, and it’s all sort of history from there really isn’t it?”
As for previous jobs, all three band members have a long list. Mexicolas have been going full time for the last year and a bit. Del gets listing: “Lifeguard, shelfstacker, driver, chauffeur, Penis Puppeteer –“
Ehh-errrr! He’s interrupted by the ‘wrong answer’ game show buzzer which Jamie has nicked out of a crew member’s bag, and everyone falls about.
“Selling t shirts at gigs… Penis Puppeteer…” Ehh-errrr! “Pub toilet cleaner. All sorts really.”
“All glamour,” comments Jamie, then he starts giggling uncontrollably. “Tell her that story when you were working and you shit yourself!” Ehh-errr!
Tim worked in instruments shops and did casual work. “My best one was working in a banana factory. That was really awesome.”
“Measuring the bends.”
“Did you get bitten by spiders?” asks Del with interest.
“No, I didn’t actually.” Did you keep stealing the produce? “No, I didn’t actually.”
“I haven’t worked a day in my life,” says Jamie. “I’m a gypsy warrior.” The others laugh. “I worked in a pizza place making pizzas and burgers, worked on Family Fortunes for a bit - Ehh-errr! – worked in a record shop, but mainly it was just gigging with loads of bands on the pub circuit.” Have you been in lots of bands before? “Yeah. Hundreds. Thousands.” There’s a fake American accent going on. “The road’s been very long! But we got to play on!”
Next question. Ever bought anything on eBay? Ehh-errr!
“I’m sorry, that slipped,” says Jamie, the picture of innocence.
“A lot of drum stuff basically. I buy a lot of stuff actually from the States,” says Tim. “How about you, Del? Del’s a bit of a technophobe, aren’t you?”
“He thinks that when computers are around him, they break down,” explains Jamie. “Woman and computers just crack up around him.”
“No, I’m just old-school. I don’t really have any use for computers much.”
“Well not since the police came and took it off him,” says Jamie. “I bought Stranglers memorabilia off eBay, I bought a guitar, some clothing, a pair of shoes, SpongeBob movie. I bought a Robert Smith from the Cure limited edition print, Stranglers badges.”
“He bought a Robert Smith picture –“
“I just said that.”
“- which was obviously just coloured in by a nine year old in the Eighties,” says Tim.
“Well it was limited, because they were limited by the amount of pens they had," moans Jamie. "I was kind of duped on that. One of a thousand, you know. Bollocks.”
Ever sold anything on eBay? “Can’t be arsed sending it in the post. Sod it. If they want it that bad, they can come and get it, can’t they,” says Jamie. When you’re touring the country you can just drop it off somewhere, surely.
“That’s a good idea!” says Tim.
The band are partway through the Shame Tour. Where have you played so far?
“Mostly up North so far. Manchester, Sheffield, Oldham, London.” So this is your first one Down South proper? “Arrr!” they say, neatly combining pirates and farmers in one syllable. You were here a couple of months ago, happy to be back?
“Yes. I like this dressing room,” says Jamie.
“For me, Southampton Joiners on the last tour was my favourite gig on the tour so yeah, very happy to be back,” says Del.
“What date was that when we played there?” asks Jamie.
“That was 15th March.”
“And what day was that, Del?”
“That was a Thursday,” replies Mr Stat Man.
“I’ll just shut this door, ‘cause the noise is just…” jokes Jamie, trying to drown out the soundchecking by closing a door, the sort which keep rabid dogs back in films. It's a metal grille and couldn't keep anything out. I could probably crawl through the gaps if I had the time and/or inclination.
“We’re really enjoying the tour. Being in a band is just about playing live you know, so it’s nice to just get out and make a lot of noise and win some new fans over,” says Del. Is there anywhere in particular you’re looking forward to playing?
“We’re really looking forward to Bristol ‘cause it’s kind of home to me and Del,” says Tim. “West Country Boys. Cardiff I’m looking forward to as well because I’ve never played Cardiff before in my life.”
“Looking forward to King Tut’s in Glasgow,” says Del in his cheerful, optimistic voice. “Once again that was a good gig, and you always get a good meal as well.” What day is that on? “Friday 27th.”
The Shame Tour is of course promoting their debut single of the same name. 'Shame' was out on July 16th, but I’m informed they didn’t take pictures of themselves stood next to it in HMV because that was just the digital release date. All three actually forgot it was out until they phoned each other.
“For this first single we decided to just keep it like 500 copies limited edition 7” vinyl and download only,” explains Jamie. “The main thing we wanna gain from the first single is touring, picking more fans up, start to get some radio play, which we got – XFM have backed it, and Kerrang! and some spot plays on Radio 1 as well. So it’s kind of like letting people in on the bigger picture.
“We’re a rock band and rock bands don’t do particularly well with singles, so it’s more geared around the album. The album’s out in February, so probably a couple more singles leading into that, a couple more tours, and such,” he says suddenly sparking into life.
What’s the single about? “It’s basically a little verbal bite back at somebody. People who like stirring the shit too much.” There’s a lot of people like that. “Oh there is, everyone knows one. Takes one to know one I suppose.”
“Not necessarily,” begins Tim. “Let’s talk through this…” Everyone laughs again. “This is like a therapy session.”
“['Shame' is] like a bitter bite back at the ones that love to hurt you,” finishes Jamie.
“It’s not a love song, put it that way,” Del pipes up.
“It’s not a love song at all.”
“There will be no love songs.”
“Not this time.”
What was the last CD you bought?
“Scott Matthews,” says Jamie. “What day was that on?”
“Well that was on a Friday,” replies Mr Stat Man.
“But what date?”
“Oh you got me there, I wasn’t really paying attention on that. End of June.”
Their manager points out they played a gig with Scott Matthews before. “Three years ago?” thinks Jamie. “Scott Matthews album, very good. We bought it with two coupons we got from a J20 tasting survey." Nice.
“The last album I bought was Army Of Anyone, which is the guitarist and bass player from Stone Temple Pilots,” says Tim. “A couple of good songs but I’m not really overly impressed. It’s a bit too American rawk whereas STP were just an awesome band.”
“They weren’t American,” points out Jamie.
“I’m still waiting for the new Crowded House and Jason Falkner, who is a brilliant songwriter,” Tim finishes.
Del confesses his mates usually download albums for him. “The last physical one I bought was Easy Star All Stars ‘Radiodread’.”
I ask what the band would like to achieve this year, if they have any goals or hopes. “Somehow, I’d like there to be some kind of filter invented that protects me from the smell these pair emit,” says Del, trapped on the sofa. He thinks of another achievement. “I’d like to still be alive. That’ll be a good one.”
“I’d personally love it if we did at least one gig overseas this year. That would be my goal,” says Tim. Their manager points out they’re playing Wales. “I don’t think that counts!” he says. “The Isle of Wight? That’s overseas.”
“I’d like to get a great support tour with a band and get to play for as many people as we can,” says Jamie. Any in particular? “dEUS? We couldn’t really tour with them, they’re too heavy. Velvet Revolver…”
“Even people like Kings of Leon, they’d be great. They’re quite current,” says Tim.
“I’d love to support Arcade Fire, but it would be a bit of a mismatch,” says Del.
“I mean, you’ve got to be realistic.”
“I’d also like to get divorced and see my kids more,” says Jamie.
“You don’t have to publish that,” says Tim.
“You do. The whole fucking album’s about it, man.” There’s a pause while everyone is caught up in Jamie’s personal gloom, before someone shouts “Next!”
Are Mexicolas playing any festivals this year? “No,” they laugh. OK. That was shorter than expected. Their manager points out they’re playing Cardiff Festival 24. “It’s similar to the Camden Crawl, but it’s based in Cardiff.”
“It’s a bit like Glastonbury or T in the Park, but nowhere near as big at all,” notes Tim in his laidback drawl.
“And it’s not really in a field, it’s in normal venues,” points out Del. “We’ll probably visit all the pubs and then play in the last one.” Is that a good idea? Are you not going to be a little tipsy?
“We’re a very professional outfit, you see,” says Tim. “We don’t do that before we play.”
Festival tips for anyone going to any this year?
“If you see us there, avoid us. Or embrace us,” says Jamie.
“Embrace us, with a warm pint of cider,” says Tim. “And take a pair of welly boots because you might need them for the mud or to piss in.”
Good advice from Mexicolas. At the gig that night, their manager gives me with several thousand badges, a few t shirts and enough postcards to paper the walls of Native Towers. I think it might be a bribe, but I take it all away for, ahem, research purposes. The band are pretty busy over the next few days on the tour - “We’ll be gigging, hopefully meeting some new fans and that. Reaching out, touching faith,” Jamie explains - but they're enthusiastic and looking forward to what lies ahead. Good luck to them.
Mexicolas release 'Shame' through Exile Records from July 16th.
Website
MySpace
Interview - Bel's Boys
Oh look it's a cheery boy band. Completely wrong demographic I think, but it was a nice short phone interview and they sounded a bit like a Northern Irish McFly. And we very nicely got to speak to the lead singer, as opposed to third Stormtrooper on the left, so that's always an additional bonus. Not heard of them since...
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in April 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
BEL'S BOYS
Graham McKee - lead vocals, bass
Luke O'Reilly - lead guitar, vocals
Eoin Logan - drums, vocals
Bel’s Boys are three Northern Ireland lads called Graham McKee (lead vocals, bass), Luke O’Reilly (lead guitar, vocals) and Eoin Logan (drums, vocals). They’re a pop-punk band in the McFly/Busted/Monkees vein. Like PJ & Duncan AKA, they started in TV and have their own children’s show called, believe it or not, Bel’s Boys. Unlike PJ & Duncan AKA they don’t sing about rhumbling or wear baseball caps back to front. Thank goodness for that.
Native gave 21-year-old Graham a call to intelligently discuss Bel's Boys' debut album, the weather, and ice cream. Oh hang on, he's not answering...
Hello. Is that Graham?
Yes, it is indeed. Sorry I didn’t answer the last one, I was on the phone to my dad.
I though you were avoiding me.
I was hanging up on purpose. (laughs) Only joking.
Cheeky. I expect you’re busy, I won’t keep you too long.
We’re just in the car travelling on the way to Sheffield.
You’re on the schools tour at the moment aren’t you?
Yeah, should be cool. It went well today, then we’ve got the rest of the week to go.
What’s the school you’re playing at today?
We did Parklands in Leeds and – what was the other one called? – Cottingley. They were both grand. We went down a storm!
What other cities are you going to?
Leeds, Stoke, Sheffield, Stafford and Liverpool.
What’s the weather like at the moment up North?
It’s a bit grim actually. It’s a bit overcast and stuff, It looks like it’s going to rain.
It’s boiling here. We’ve got loads of sun and it’s brilliant.
Ahh, you’re laughing then. We were in London a few weeks back and it was absolutely beaut. It’s not the best up here.
Can you tell me a bit about your TV programme? I’ve not seen it before. Sorry.
You’re probably not up early enough on a Saturday morning. I haven’t seen a Saturday morning in a long time. It’s called Bel’s Boys and it was on CITV on Saturday mornings at half 9, and it’s pretty much about us as a band being managed by a nine year old girl called Bel.
We sent a CD off to her dad, who’s an agent in Belfast; he doesn’t like it, throws it in the bin, she takes it out of the bin, loves it and then comes round to us and asks if she can be our manager. We say yes because she’s the daughter of who we want as our manager so we sort of use her as a stepping stone to get to her dad and we find out that she’s actually good enough for us. So it’s a story of her being our manager and the trials and tribulations, if you like.
How long’s that been going for now?
It’s been going for donkeys’, it started in October I think. It’s played every day on CITV during the day at quarter past four and now it’s on a digital channel and it’s on every Saturday morning, so it’s still going!
You play Vince in it, don’t you?
I do indeed (laughs)
I was getting very confused looking at everyone’s names, your real ones and your character ones…
I know. It’s been a nightmare like. We’ve decided to go for our real names.
Graham’s better than Vince I reckon.
Yeah, I’d say so as well. Vincent – nahhh! Bit old fashioned like.
What’s your favourite episode that you’ve done of that so far?
My favourite episode’s probably the one where Eoin gets hypnotised, and turns into like a rock god sort of person.
So it’s based on real life.
Oh, clearly. Eoin’s the diva of the group. No I’m only messing. But yeah it was really good fun doing that one.
The little girl, that’s Alannah isn’t it?
Yeah Alannah’s really good, she’s really spot on. She’s actually really like Bel in real life. She’s dead bossy and she knows what she wants. She’s a brilliant wee actress and she’s spot on as well, she played her part brilliantly.
More professional than you guys?
Oh yeah definitely! I mean, she knew her lines when she came in every day and we were like frantically going through our scripts trying to find the lines and stuff. But yeah, she was far more professional than us.
Are you much like Vince in real life?
Er, no. I’m not. Well I get grumpy when I’m tired – that’s what the boys tell me anyway – but he gets sceptical and pessimistic whereas I tend to be more optimistic. I’m a lot more optimistic I would say.
Can you tell me much about Luke and Eoin?
Luke would be the cheeky one I’d say of the group. Eoin is probably the most intelligent one of the bunch. Luke’s blowing raspberries in the background! Eoin can be a bit dozy sometimes, he’s always leaving his phone and he leaves things everywhere, he’s a bit dozy in that way but yeah he is the most intelligent as well. Strange combination.
How did you guys meet?
We met during the audition process. Well Luke and I didn’t even realise until about 4 months into filming. I was like ‘I know your face!’ and Luke was like ‘I know your face!’ We worked out we did a TV show years ago, and then Eoin we met at the audition. We all get on really well.
Big happy family.
Indeed it is. I mean there’s always wee arguments, you know what I mean. It’s like best mates now, like brothers or something. You know, when you like niggle over the smallest things but then they’re like sorted out. It’s like that, it’s brilliant, like we always get on so well.
Do you mind being called a boy band? Or is that something that winds you up?
We’re a band, and we’re boys. You know what I mean? So it doesn’t really… I mean I have a picture of boy bands as Westlife or something like that.
You sound nothing like Westlife though, which is good.
I mean don’t get me wrong, if we have the same success as Westlife we’ll be laughing. But yeah we get compared to the Monkees, stuff like that as well. Yeah boy band’s fine. I don’t know what else you could describe it as, what genre.
Pop/rock really, isn’t it?
Aye, pop/rock, something like that.
Your new single – that’s out today, isn’t it? ‘Today’s The Day’.
(laughs) Today is the day. It’s a bit nervewracking. We get the midweek results tomorrow, and then we’ll see where we’ll chart at on Sunday. It’s all a bit freaky-like.
Getting excited?
Yeeeeah! It’s excitement and apprehension as well, we don’t know where we’re gonna be.
Got your mums to go out and buy a few copies?
Aye, I think my mum went out to get a few copies. I think she bought Woolies out in Belfast. I’m only joking like, I don’t know how many she’s bought, but she probably has bought quite a few. Just try and get my mates to buy as many as they can. They’ll all be skint at the end of it.
It’s all for a good cause though, isn’t it.
Exactly. Exactly.
And your new album is ‘People Let’s Go’. What’s your favourite track on that?
Er… my favourite track would have to be probably ‘Just Wanna Rock N Roll’. It’s like a punkier tune, rocky and it’s got a really good riff going through it so I think it’s one of our best tunes on the album. We’ve got 12 tracks on there. There’s something for everyone really, there’s ‘Today’s The Day’ which is like a 60s sort of happy-clappy summer tune, we’ve got ‘Just Wanna Rock N Roll’ which is a bit punkier, and we’ve got some slower stuff, a bit more acoustic stuff and stuff like that.
You’ve got a few covers on there as well, haven’t you?
Yeah we do, we’ve got ‘She’s Not There’ which is a Zombies cover –
I love that one.
It’s a good track, originally a cracking track as well. We got ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ by Tiffany, I really like the cover actually, I think we’ve done it quite well.
I think Girls Aloud did that just recently…?
They did yeah, but we had it done before them apparently! Then they released it so we couldn’t really do anything. (He shouts around the tour bus for another cover they’ve done) ‘Hold Me Close’ by David Essex as well. We put a wee rock and roll twist on those as well.
What was the last CD you bought yourself?
The last CD I bought was… The View ‘Hats Off To The Buskers’. It’s a really good album. You haven’t heard it? I recommend it. It’s a really good album, loads of cracking tracks on there.
Have you seen many bands live recently?
Yeah, yeah, loads of live bands. Oasis, Snow Patrol, Razorlight, the Tennant’s Vital Festival in Belfast. I’m going to the Leeds Festival this year so [weird loud noise] should be good [weird loud noise] Excuse me.
That’s all right. Was that a sneeze or a cough?
That was a cough. Did it sound like I was sneezing?
I just got a load of noise down the phone. I didn’t know what it was. I thought you were exploding.
[laughs loudly] I should have moved the phone away!
Almost done, just a couple of random questions for you now (well if Graham's all right with 'boy band', we’re going down the Smash Hits route).
Hit me with the randoms.
What have you got in your pockets today?
My lucky pebble. I got it from Worthing beach. Just saw it and it’s been in my pocket ever since, and that was two weeks ago. And I’ve got a lucky 50p as well, it’s like a 1969 old-school 50p. And I’ve got my mobile phone.
Is that a lucky one as well?
No, it’s just a mobile phone. I haven’t actually got it in my pocket, I’m lying, it’s to my ear. So that was a complete lie. I’ve got a couple of plectrums as well. I think that’s about it.
What was the last thing you bought?
Oh, that’s really rubbish. A bottle of water. It’s really boring.
It is a bit boring.
Isn’t it? A bottle of water. Oh, a pair of shoes actually. I bought a pair of shoes in TopMan last week. That’s the last significant thing I bought. Winklepicker shoes. Black.
One last cheesy question. What is your favourite flavour of ice cream?
That’s a cracker. That’s a cracker question.
It’s all the important stuff we need to know, you know.
Yeah exactly. (There’s talking in the background as Bel's Boys suggest flavours) Oh no, you can’t help me with this. No, I don’t like chocolate ice cream! Honeycomb. Pooh Bear. Do you call it Pooh Bear? Hello?
Hello.
Do you call it Pooh Bear ice cream, no?
I don’t know. What is that?
It’s like honeycomb ice cream. Do you not get honeycomb ice cream? [he asks the tour manager, who is English. I think she says no] You know, like the inside of a Crunchie? All mixed up with ice cream.
It sounds gorgeous.
It’s amazing! Everyone eats it in Northern Ireland. I can’t believe it… you have to put that in now!
I will do. I’m sat here in the sun talking about ice cream, and it’s brilliant.
---
And with that, we let Graham, Luke and Eoin drive off into the sun (well, into the drizzle) to play a few shows and sign a few CDs.
Bel's Boys 'Today's The Day' single was released through Universal on April 16th. Album 'People Let's Go' is released April 23rd.
Bel’s Boys website
Bel’s Boys MySpace
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in April 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
BEL'S BOYS
Graham McKee - lead vocals, bass
Luke O'Reilly - lead guitar, vocals
Eoin Logan - drums, vocals
Bel’s Boys are three Northern Ireland lads called Graham McKee (lead vocals, bass), Luke O’Reilly (lead guitar, vocals) and Eoin Logan (drums, vocals). They’re a pop-punk band in the McFly/Busted/Monkees vein. Like PJ & Duncan AKA, they started in TV and have their own children’s show called, believe it or not, Bel’s Boys. Unlike PJ & Duncan AKA they don’t sing about rhumbling or wear baseball caps back to front. Thank goodness for that.
Native gave 21-year-old Graham a call to intelligently discuss Bel's Boys' debut album, the weather, and ice cream. Oh hang on, he's not answering...
Hello. Is that Graham?
Yes, it is indeed. Sorry I didn’t answer the last one, I was on the phone to my dad.
I though you were avoiding me.
I was hanging up on purpose. (laughs) Only joking.
Cheeky. I expect you’re busy, I won’t keep you too long.
We’re just in the car travelling on the way to Sheffield.
You’re on the schools tour at the moment aren’t you?
Yeah, should be cool. It went well today, then we’ve got the rest of the week to go.
What’s the school you’re playing at today?
We did Parklands in Leeds and – what was the other one called? – Cottingley. They were both grand. We went down a storm!
What other cities are you going to?
Leeds, Stoke, Sheffield, Stafford and Liverpool.
What’s the weather like at the moment up North?
It’s a bit grim actually. It’s a bit overcast and stuff, It looks like it’s going to rain.
It’s boiling here. We’ve got loads of sun and it’s brilliant.
Ahh, you’re laughing then. We were in London a few weeks back and it was absolutely beaut. It’s not the best up here.
Can you tell me a bit about your TV programme? I’ve not seen it before. Sorry.
You’re probably not up early enough on a Saturday morning. I haven’t seen a Saturday morning in a long time. It’s called Bel’s Boys and it was on CITV on Saturday mornings at half 9, and it’s pretty much about us as a band being managed by a nine year old girl called Bel.
We sent a CD off to her dad, who’s an agent in Belfast; he doesn’t like it, throws it in the bin, she takes it out of the bin, loves it and then comes round to us and asks if she can be our manager. We say yes because she’s the daughter of who we want as our manager so we sort of use her as a stepping stone to get to her dad and we find out that she’s actually good enough for us. So it’s a story of her being our manager and the trials and tribulations, if you like.
How long’s that been going for now?
It’s been going for donkeys’, it started in October I think. It’s played every day on CITV during the day at quarter past four and now it’s on a digital channel and it’s on every Saturday morning, so it’s still going!
You play Vince in it, don’t you?
I do indeed (laughs)
I was getting very confused looking at everyone’s names, your real ones and your character ones…
I know. It’s been a nightmare like. We’ve decided to go for our real names.
Graham’s better than Vince I reckon.
Yeah, I’d say so as well. Vincent – nahhh! Bit old fashioned like.
What’s your favourite episode that you’ve done of that so far?
My favourite episode’s probably the one where Eoin gets hypnotised, and turns into like a rock god sort of person.
So it’s based on real life.
Oh, clearly. Eoin’s the diva of the group. No I’m only messing. But yeah it was really good fun doing that one.
The little girl, that’s Alannah isn’t it?
Yeah Alannah’s really good, she’s really spot on. She’s actually really like Bel in real life. She’s dead bossy and she knows what she wants. She’s a brilliant wee actress and she’s spot on as well, she played her part brilliantly.
More professional than you guys?
Oh yeah definitely! I mean, she knew her lines when she came in every day and we were like frantically going through our scripts trying to find the lines and stuff. But yeah, she was far more professional than us.
Are you much like Vince in real life?
Er, no. I’m not. Well I get grumpy when I’m tired – that’s what the boys tell me anyway – but he gets sceptical and pessimistic whereas I tend to be more optimistic. I’m a lot more optimistic I would say.
Can you tell me much about Luke and Eoin?
Luke would be the cheeky one I’d say of the group. Eoin is probably the most intelligent one of the bunch. Luke’s blowing raspberries in the background! Eoin can be a bit dozy sometimes, he’s always leaving his phone and he leaves things everywhere, he’s a bit dozy in that way but yeah he is the most intelligent as well. Strange combination.
How did you guys meet?
We met during the audition process. Well Luke and I didn’t even realise until about 4 months into filming. I was like ‘I know your face!’ and Luke was like ‘I know your face!’ We worked out we did a TV show years ago, and then Eoin we met at the audition. We all get on really well.
Big happy family.
Indeed it is. I mean there’s always wee arguments, you know what I mean. It’s like best mates now, like brothers or something. You know, when you like niggle over the smallest things but then they’re like sorted out. It’s like that, it’s brilliant, like we always get on so well.
Do you mind being called a boy band? Or is that something that winds you up?
We’re a band, and we’re boys. You know what I mean? So it doesn’t really… I mean I have a picture of boy bands as Westlife or something like that.
You sound nothing like Westlife though, which is good.
I mean don’t get me wrong, if we have the same success as Westlife we’ll be laughing. But yeah we get compared to the Monkees, stuff like that as well. Yeah boy band’s fine. I don’t know what else you could describe it as, what genre.
Pop/rock really, isn’t it?
Aye, pop/rock, something like that.
Your new single – that’s out today, isn’t it? ‘Today’s The Day’.
(laughs) Today is the day. It’s a bit nervewracking. We get the midweek results tomorrow, and then we’ll see where we’ll chart at on Sunday. It’s all a bit freaky-like.
Getting excited?
Yeeeeah! It’s excitement and apprehension as well, we don’t know where we’re gonna be.
Got your mums to go out and buy a few copies?
Aye, I think my mum went out to get a few copies. I think she bought Woolies out in Belfast. I’m only joking like, I don’t know how many she’s bought, but she probably has bought quite a few. Just try and get my mates to buy as many as they can. They’ll all be skint at the end of it.
It’s all for a good cause though, isn’t it.
Exactly. Exactly.
And your new album is ‘People Let’s Go’. What’s your favourite track on that?
Er… my favourite track would have to be probably ‘Just Wanna Rock N Roll’. It’s like a punkier tune, rocky and it’s got a really good riff going through it so I think it’s one of our best tunes on the album. We’ve got 12 tracks on there. There’s something for everyone really, there’s ‘Today’s The Day’ which is like a 60s sort of happy-clappy summer tune, we’ve got ‘Just Wanna Rock N Roll’ which is a bit punkier, and we’ve got some slower stuff, a bit more acoustic stuff and stuff like that.
You’ve got a few covers on there as well, haven’t you?
Yeah we do, we’ve got ‘She’s Not There’ which is a Zombies cover –
I love that one.
It’s a good track, originally a cracking track as well. We got ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ by Tiffany, I really like the cover actually, I think we’ve done it quite well.
I think Girls Aloud did that just recently…?
They did yeah, but we had it done before them apparently! Then they released it so we couldn’t really do anything. (He shouts around the tour bus for another cover they’ve done) ‘Hold Me Close’ by David Essex as well. We put a wee rock and roll twist on those as well.
What was the last CD you bought yourself?
The last CD I bought was… The View ‘Hats Off To The Buskers’. It’s a really good album. You haven’t heard it? I recommend it. It’s a really good album, loads of cracking tracks on there.
Have you seen many bands live recently?
Yeah, yeah, loads of live bands. Oasis, Snow Patrol, Razorlight, the Tennant’s Vital Festival in Belfast. I’m going to the Leeds Festival this year so [weird loud noise] should be good [weird loud noise] Excuse me.
That’s all right. Was that a sneeze or a cough?
That was a cough. Did it sound like I was sneezing?
I just got a load of noise down the phone. I didn’t know what it was. I thought you were exploding.
[laughs loudly] I should have moved the phone away!
Almost done, just a couple of random questions for you now (well if Graham's all right with 'boy band', we’re going down the Smash Hits route).
Hit me with the randoms.
What have you got in your pockets today?
My lucky pebble. I got it from Worthing beach. Just saw it and it’s been in my pocket ever since, and that was two weeks ago. And I’ve got a lucky 50p as well, it’s like a 1969 old-school 50p. And I’ve got my mobile phone.
Is that a lucky one as well?
No, it’s just a mobile phone. I haven’t actually got it in my pocket, I’m lying, it’s to my ear. So that was a complete lie. I’ve got a couple of plectrums as well. I think that’s about it.
What was the last thing you bought?
Oh, that’s really rubbish. A bottle of water. It’s really boring.
It is a bit boring.
Isn’t it? A bottle of water. Oh, a pair of shoes actually. I bought a pair of shoes in TopMan last week. That’s the last significant thing I bought. Winklepicker shoes. Black.
One last cheesy question. What is your favourite flavour of ice cream?
That’s a cracker. That’s a cracker question.
It’s all the important stuff we need to know, you know.
Yeah exactly. (There’s talking in the background as Bel's Boys suggest flavours) Oh no, you can’t help me with this. No, I don’t like chocolate ice cream! Honeycomb. Pooh Bear. Do you call it Pooh Bear? Hello?
Hello.
Do you call it Pooh Bear ice cream, no?
I don’t know. What is that?
It’s like honeycomb ice cream. Do you not get honeycomb ice cream? [he asks the tour manager, who is English. I think she says no] You know, like the inside of a Crunchie? All mixed up with ice cream.
It sounds gorgeous.
It’s amazing! Everyone eats it in Northern Ireland. I can’t believe it… you have to put that in now!
I will do. I’m sat here in the sun talking about ice cream, and it’s brilliant.
---
And with that, we let Graham, Luke and Eoin drive off into the sun (well, into the drizzle) to play a few shows and sign a few CDs.
Bel's Boys 'Today's The Day' single was released through Universal on April 16th. Album 'People Let's Go' is released April 23rd.
Bel’s Boys website
Bel’s Boys MySpace
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