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Graeme (lead vocals and guitar) and Iain (backing vocals and guitar)
Halo talk alcohol, rock and roll and.. poppies?
For those who are unfamiliar with the band, how did you form and how long have you been together for?
Iain: We formed in the summer of '92.... laughs
Liar!
Iain: laughs OK, OK.
Graeme: It was the summer of '99.
Iain: The summer of '99.. It was a long hot summer... I remember it well...
Graeme: There were tiny beads of dew on the blades of grass... laughs
Iain:In a summer meadow, as the little poppies popped their little heads up for spring... and that was when Steve (bassist) rolled into town... on the back of a trusty metal... pony.
Graeme: (this bits true)and Dave our manager was at a party and asked Steve if he could play the bass, and Steve couldn't play the bass , so obviously he said yes. So he came to a rehearsal, with no bass and no bass amp, no nothing, but fortunately he turned out to be good as he could already play guitar, and he turned out to be a wicked bassist.
Iain: Jim was in a band as well, and his band split up as we were looking for a drummer.
How would you describe your sound?
Graeme: We sound like...I'd say it's dark but light, with loud guitars, and three part harmonies, and nice melodies.
Iain: We're a good old fashioned rock and roll band!
What do you prefer doing, recording in the studio, shooting videos, or playing live?
Graeme: Playing live really.
Iain: Mind you, recording's quite good too. They're all good in different ways.
Graeme: Playing live usually makes you feel really ill because we drink so much afterwards, but recording you tend to feel really good as me and Iain have to be good and not drink that much, which is a much healthier approach.
Iain: Shooting videos is good, but not as good as playing live or recording
Graeme: Videos are hard work...
Your new single Neverending is released on the 26th August, what is it about, what was your inspiration for it?
Graeme: Neverending... That was about a girl and it comes across mostly as a love song..but a paranoid love song. Its a love song with cracks appearing...
Iain: Did you just say with crap appearing?
Graeme: Yeah a love song with crap laughs
Iain: laughs It's a crap love song! Joke, joke!
What is your favourite song of yours?
Graeme: It depends really on whether it's live or recorded. Live would be... Vampire Song , and recorded, Perfectly Still
Iain: Mine would be one of the new b-sides on Neverending... Flatlined.
In the press, you are often portrayed as being mean and moody, why do you think this is and would you say that this is a fair assessment?
Graeme: I think it's because we're mean and moody people! laughs No, we're not. I think they might mean the music's mean and moody.. but then again not all of it is...
You played T In The Park and Ashton Court earlier this year, and you're due to play at V2002, which do you prefer, playing smaller headline gigs or festivals?
Graeme: Festivals I reckon. Just because it's a different atmosphere and you don't get to do it very often so you really look forward to it, plus you get to spend the afternoon watching other bands, and whats better than that!
Iain: I prefer small gigs.... I prefer playing the small gigs, but I prefer the overall thing of festivals. Small gigs have a more intimate atmosphere, and inspire you to do more.
Your first EP Still Here, which was sent out for free to people on a mailing list, now sells for over £10 on e-bay and the like, how does this feel to see that, any opinions?
Iain: My opinion is I've got about 20 copies at home and I should go on Ebay and make at least £200 laughs no, I wouldn't really.
Graeme: Apparently there was one that went for £50...
Highest I've seen is £40
Iain: No it's good, it's good that people really want to hear it that much, they obviously like what they heard.... you could buy the album for forty quid!
What has been your best gig so far?
Graeme: oooh tough question.... I don't know!
Iain: They've all been quite good for me really!
Graeme: laughs They've all been of such a high standard! laughs
And your worst?
Graeme: Glasgow... We went next to to a pub just for a pint and the barman had been up all night and was still up, and was forcing us to drink free beers and that stuff with gold in it, and kept pouring loads of those so by the time we got onstage we were totally wankered.... never doing it again!
What would you say is the best and worst thing about being in this band?
Iain: Best thing.... is getting to do wicked stuff all the time. Worst thing is being away a lot , miss people a lot.
Graeme: Wost thing at the moment is my bunk on the bus! Its ridiculously tiny!
Iain: We've got these heated bunks laughs which in the summer aren't good, and literally you cant lift your legs up, bend your knees up as its too small! An hour after you go to sleep there's no air! Its really tiny and claustrophobic.
What has been the high point so far for you?
Iain: I don't think we've had our highest point yet, I'm holding out for that....
What is the most rock and roll thing you've done?
Graeme: Probably when our tour manager got arrested because of us..
Iain: I haven't changed my underwear for two weeks.... No i have really, just makes me sound more rock and roll!
What music have you been listening to at the moment?
Iain: The Pixies and Serafin are my favourite bands at the moment.
Graeme: Yeah, they're on rotation in our car when we're at home. I've been listening to Simon and Garfunkel on the bus when I'm trying to get to sleep.
Iain: Steves been listening to Black Sabbath!
If you were to describe your band as a whole in five words, what words would you use?
Iain: Dark , black, dingy, smelly..
Eh?
Iain: laughs You said describe it as a hole!!!!
arrgh! laughs Ok, decribe your band in five words then....
Iain: Graeme,Iain, Steve, Jim...
Graeme: Halo!
Iain: No, and Dave! Now I feel bad cos i've left people out, Dange...
Graeme: and Tom, and Scott! lighting and drum tech
Five words....
Graeme: laughs OK, how about very very very very fuckinggood, all one word! laughs
What are your ambitions for this band?
Iain: To never have to have a proper job would make me happy.
Would you ever have a song on a soundtrack?
Iain: Yeah, that'd be good!
Graeme: I think it'd be cool to have a song on a soundtrack, you'd watch it and be like "thats my song!!!"
Finally, What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in a band, is there anything that you wish you had known before you started out?
Graeme: Write good songs......and learn to play an instrument....
Iain: Really well... but not too well, so you get cocky. Don't get too cocksure...
Graeme: No, we dont want any wankywiddly solos...
Not mentioning any bands.....
Iain: laughs aaaah Your words not ours Jen!Advice always sounds like you're totally up yourself... I can't give advice!
Graeme: I don't know how we live let alone get to play gigs! laughsNever get really pissed before you play.....
Iain: Yeah! that's good advice, don't get pissed before you play!
Iain: We formed in the summer of '92.... laughs
Liar!
Iain: laughs OK, OK.
Graeme: It was the summer of '99.
Iain: The summer of '99.. It was a long hot summer... I remember it well...
Graeme: There were tiny beads of dew on the blades of grass... laughs
Iain:In a summer meadow, as the little poppies popped their little heads up for spring... and that was when Steve (bassist) rolled into town... on the back of a trusty metal... pony.
Graeme: (this bits true)and Dave our manager was at a party and asked Steve if he could play the bass, and Steve couldn't play the bass , so obviously he said yes. So he came to a rehearsal, with no bass and no bass amp, no nothing, but fortunately he turned out to be good as he could already play guitar, and he turned out to be a wicked bassist.
Iain: Jim was in a band as well, and his band split up as we were looking for a drummer.
How would you describe your sound?
Graeme: We sound like...I'd say it's dark but light, with loud guitars, and three part harmonies, and nice melodies.
Iain: We're a good old fashioned rock and roll band!
What do you prefer doing, recording in the studio, shooting videos, or playing live?
Graeme: Playing live really.
Iain: Mind you, recording's quite good too. They're all good in different ways.
Graeme: Playing live usually makes you feel really ill because we drink so much afterwards, but recording you tend to feel really good as me and Iain have to be good and not drink that much, which is a much healthier approach.
Iain: Shooting videos is good, but not as good as playing live or recording
Graeme: Videos are hard work...
Your new single Neverending is released on the 26th August, what is it about, what was your inspiration for it?
Graeme: Neverending... That was about a girl and it comes across mostly as a love song..but a paranoid love song. Its a love song with cracks appearing...
Iain: Did you just say with crap appearing?
Graeme: Yeah a love song with crap laughs
Iain: laughs It's a crap love song! Joke, joke!
What is your favourite song of yours?
Graeme: It depends really on whether it's live or recorded. Live would be... Vampire Song , and recorded, Perfectly Still
Iain: Mine would be one of the new b-sides on Neverending... Flatlined.
In the press, you are often portrayed as being mean and moody, why do you think this is and would you say that this is a fair assessment?
Graeme: I think it's because we're mean and moody people! laughs No, we're not. I think they might mean the music's mean and moody.. but then again not all of it is...
You played T In The Park and Ashton Court earlier this year, and you're due to play at V2002, which do you prefer, playing smaller headline gigs or festivals?
Graeme: Festivals I reckon. Just because it's a different atmosphere and you don't get to do it very often so you really look forward to it, plus you get to spend the afternoon watching other bands, and whats better than that!
Iain: I prefer small gigs.... I prefer playing the small gigs, but I prefer the overall thing of festivals. Small gigs have a more intimate atmosphere, and inspire you to do more.
Your first EP Still Here, which was sent out for free to people on a mailing list, now sells for over £10 on e-bay and the like, how does this feel to see that, any opinions?
Iain: My opinion is I've got about 20 copies at home and I should go on Ebay and make at least £200 laughs no, I wouldn't really.
Graeme: Apparently there was one that went for £50...
Highest I've seen is £40
Iain: No it's good, it's good that people really want to hear it that much, they obviously like what they heard.... you could buy the album for forty quid!
What has been your best gig so far?
Graeme: oooh tough question.... I don't know!
Iain: They've all been quite good for me really!
Graeme: laughs They've all been of such a high standard! laughs
And your worst?
Graeme: Glasgow... We went next to to a pub just for a pint and the barman had been up all night and was still up, and was forcing us to drink free beers and that stuff with gold in it, and kept pouring loads of those so by the time we got onstage we were totally wankered.... never doing it again!
What would you say is the best and worst thing about being in this band?
Iain: Best thing.... is getting to do wicked stuff all the time. Worst thing is being away a lot , miss people a lot.
Graeme: Wost thing at the moment is my bunk on the bus! Its ridiculously tiny!
Iain: We've got these heated bunks laughs which in the summer aren't good, and literally you cant lift your legs up, bend your knees up as its too small! An hour after you go to sleep there's no air! Its really tiny and claustrophobic.
What has been the high point so far for you?
Iain: I don't think we've had our highest point yet, I'm holding out for that....
What is the most rock and roll thing you've done?
Graeme: Probably when our tour manager got arrested because of us..
Iain: I haven't changed my underwear for two weeks.... No i have really, just makes me sound more rock and roll!
What music have you been listening to at the moment?
Iain: The Pixies and Serafin are my favourite bands at the moment.
Graeme: Yeah, they're on rotation in our car when we're at home. I've been listening to Simon and Garfunkel on the bus when I'm trying to get to sleep.
Iain: Steves been listening to Black Sabbath!
If you were to describe your band as a whole in five words, what words would you use?
Iain: Dark , black, dingy, smelly..
Eh?
Iain: laughs You said describe it as a hole!!!!
arrgh! laughs Ok, decribe your band in five words then....
Iain: Graeme,Iain, Steve, Jim...
Graeme: Halo!
Iain: No, and Dave! Now I feel bad cos i've left people out, Dange...
Graeme: and Tom, and Scott! lighting and drum tech
Five words....
Graeme: laughs OK, how about very very very very fuckinggood, all one word! laughs
What are your ambitions for this band?
Iain: To never have to have a proper job would make me happy.
Would you ever have a song on a soundtrack?
Iain: Yeah, that'd be good!
Graeme: I think it'd be cool to have a song on a soundtrack, you'd watch it and be like "thats my song!!!"
Finally, What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in a band, is there anything that you wish you had known before you started out?
Graeme: Write good songs......and learn to play an instrument....
Iain: Really well... but not too well, so you get cocky. Don't get too cocksure...
Graeme: No, we dont want any wankywiddly solos...
Not mentioning any bands.....
Iain: laughs aaaah Your words not ours Jen!Advice always sounds like you're totally up yourself... I can't give advice!
Graeme: I don't know how we live let alone get to play gigs! laughsNever get really pissed before you play.....
Iain: Yeah! that's good advice, don't get pissed before you play!
© 2003 Jen Thomas
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