After over a month in Chicago, what have I
learnt? Firstly, that I'm not writing nearly enough - and I haven't done for
about a year. It used to be an escape for me - an outlet for everything,
whether I was publishing publicly, or simply spending hours creating an
eloquent, self important rant about whatever had pissed me off that day,
only to delete it once I had it perfected. My own variety of Mandala, laboured
over and then swept away, ready to start again. I felt I should have picked up
my blog again as soon as I got here, detailing my foray into the unknown – but
my foray into the unknown was mainly me getting lost, getting drunk with strangers,
and feeling very alone, so I guess you didn’t miss out on much. Oh, and I
accidentally found the Bean one day…
Dead Friends
My accent is popular
here - mainly with folk who want to talk to me about the queen, or Diana, or
all the words I 'don't say right'. Otherwise it's mainly great for ensuring I
never get the fucking coffee order I want. It also helps with dating, at least
for the first date, which is also strange out here. It’s intense and casual at the
same time, and usually involves an actual date of some kind, instead of just
yelling at each other in a club before being invited over to “Netflix and Chill”.
Or, my preferred method of vaguely fancying someone, becoming friends with them
and then never doing anything about it, ideally moving to a different
town/country after two years or so and never talking to them again.
Arty Stuff
The city is pretty cool, and so far I’ve lived
in really nice areas. Logan Square was, as all Hipster villages are, filled
with great bars and cafes and quirky shops. I spent a day in a tattoo shop. I didn’t
fit in. Ukrainian Village is also nice, in that it’s close to the city and the
cool bar streets, and slightly closer to the train station for work. The actual
place seems quieter, although there is a ‘Western Clothing’ store opposite my
amazing flat, so at least I’ve got Christmas presents for everyone back home
sorted…
Thanksgiving Parade
Thanksgiving was great, and also weird. I was
invited to a colleague’s house, to spend it with her family which was the sweetest
thing. It’s pretty much a rehearsal for Christmas (i.e. getting drunk with your
family), but instead of celebrating the birth of Santa and opening presents,
people celebrate sports and yell a lot. And say what they’re thankful for,
which as a British girl was a little uncomfortable. Sincere emotions = intense
discomfort.
I think the main thing I've learnt is that maybe I'm
not as independent as I thought I was. Maybe in a good way. I need people more
than I thought, and I miss having people I love around me. If I’m slightly busy
at the weekend, it’s difficult to talk to anyone back home because of the
time difference, which is hard. This also is weird for me (see above emotions/discomfort etc except now this is something I’m feeling about myself. I give myself the
creeps…). I haven’t taken many photos either, because no one else is a tourist
and I’m usually just hanging out with people. It’d be weird to take my fancy
camera to the bars.Long story short though, feelings, drinking, and
I guess I’m blogging again.
Crack out your sun-dresses and don your sandals, it's officially summertime, and as a girl who can't deal with the cold, this is great news for me. OK, so it's only marginally warmer, but ladies and gents I'll take it. I've also noticed everyone around me seems a lot happier too, which is all jolly lovely, and it's got me in the mood to celebrate all the other things I'm enjoying right now/give you a general summary of what I've been up to lately (you may have noticed a lack of blogs, I've been a very busy girl).
Firstly, I've got a new internship! It's at a full service eCommerce agency, and I spend my days blogging, tweeting, and learning about how to stay friends with Google. Oh, and occasionally I get to spend the afternoon browsing pictures for the perfect image of Kit Harington for a certain brand...
Ok, so he had to be wearing clothes for what I was looking for, but you can see how a girl could get distracted (I mean a girl less dedicated and professional than me of course...). I am, however, really enjoying myself - even on days when I'm not browsing GoT hunks (yes, I said hunks - also GoT is back soon! I literally cannot wait...). I'm learning lots, which is a nice change from some of my other internships, and I was thrown right into it from my first day, writing articles that are up on REAL COMPANY WEBSITES!!! Not to mention the people are lovely. I am still at the pub too, which despite me having no free time now, I still love. It has become my home away from home (I'm probably there more than my real home...). I also do their social media, so check them/me out on twitter and on facebook, or come see me at The Hope and Anchor Wokingham, the best pub in the world (in my completely impartial opinion). Also, my Anglesey pictures got featured on a blog!
Secondly, I'm still living with my sister and her wonderful boyfriend, which I thought would be weird, but it's absolutely not. As I type they're wailing away to Tina Turner in the kitchen, in that happy way couples that have been together forever do, my sister in Sri Lanka pants and a baggy jumper (still looking ridiculously gorgeous of course), and I don't mind at all.
I also got to see my uni friend on Sunday, and I'm seeing the wonderful Eleanor, superbabe and uni housemate extraordinaire soon. I don't like to jinx things, but you could say life's pretty good. On that note, I leave you with this...
Being a graduate of the arts, I often find myself filled with a deep ennui. A sense of longing that remains unfulfilled by the everyday. Society is a burden upon my self-conscious, and the only escape I can find from this torment is within the realms of Shrove Moodsday. (It's a bit like interpretive dance, but with pancake related food items).
Lemons. Their zesty facade can't hide the truth of the bitterness beneath.
This mango coulis reeks of desperation. There's nothing cool about it.
It's not summer, berries. You're not fooling anyone. This mango is all too aware its not Coulis.
This Maple Syrup is living a lie. And everybody knows it.
This avocado and mozzarella desperately attempt to fit in. They don't. It's the start of a true tale of unparalleled desolation. The wine is all good though, despite being from different origins.
Bananas are depressing.
This pancake is a metaphor for myself. Bare. Empty. Smokin'.
Bacon is never ready to be there when you need it.
This pancake is desperate to be put out of its misery. It is consumed with a longing for the end.
Paincake.
Paincake Day.
Dear god what am I doing with my life. Happy Pancake Day y'all!
This time last year, as I sat in my university room, contemplating whether it was time to start panic writing my dissertation or whether it could be put off for another week, I was relatively calm. The kind of calm that comes from thinking that when you leave uni it can't be that long until you find yourself in a 9-5 office job. That you should enjoy this relatively easy life before you're waking up at the crack of dawn to earn the living that pays for your crappy London flat and severely reduced social life.
Well, several months down the line (eight, to be exact) and I'm still hanging around the house (not the London flat, but at home with my family) at 4pm in trackies and a t-shirt that's now tie-dyed from the amount of times I've bleached and re-dyed my hair in it. The dresses and blazers that I bought six months ago for my imminent office job hang, beautiful but unworn on my clothes rail. I've had interviews. I've done internships - actually I just finished one last week - and I have 'put myself out there' as much as I could have, and yet I still can't persuade someone to pay me. Except, of course, the landlady at the pub down the road. I love bartending. I've done it since I was eighteen, mixed in with other things, and it has rarely let me down. I would happily bartend forever if it paid more. Still I can't help but wonder, why are we not told more about the real world before we are thrown into it? I went to a school where university was more than the norm, it was a necessity. You go to uni, and that's that. Now I don't for one second resent that - I loved uni and I know it was the right thing for me. For one thing, it stopped me running away to Africa, a country which, from experience, is pretty big on mugging me. What I do resent though is the way no one tells you that it actually won't help you get a job. Yes, you will be more qualified, and in that respect it will. You can at least apply for better jobs. But in terms of actually getting them, you're no more prepared than before.
Because I have a degree, I can now apply to be an account executive, or a junior digital marketer. But I have no idea what that means. Obviously, I've researched it and, on paper, I know what the role entails. But, throw me into an office and the cracks would appear pretty hard and fast. University has in no way prepared me for the real world, with the exception perhaps of reinforcing the knowledge that I will always feel like I'm surrounded by people having money thrown at them for nothing, while I work two jobs to, maybe, be able to pay my rent. This is in my head. I know this. But it still makes me feel like I'm failing. Add to this the fact that everyone around me seems to be falling into their dream jobs and it's a wonder that I get out of bed in the morning. However, I'm starting to see through the illusion a bit. The curtain has been pulled away, and there is the small old man playing the wizard. Largely because I've noticed, the main 'dream job' status updater has landed three of her 'dream jobs' since last summer. And they're all in very different fields. Now, perhaps she's just a very positive person, or perhaps, more probably, she too has fallen into the facebook trap that is, in my humble opinion, ruining society.
Let me start by saying that I love facebook. I can't get through a day, or even a boring television scene without it. But it has ruined good old fashioned British modesty. Because we now have an audience for every part of our lives, we have to make it all seem very exciting. We have begun celebrating every minor victory as if we have been given not only a golden ticket but the entire chocolate factory. But all it's really doing is making everyone else feel like, well, a bit of a failure. And it's a vicious circle, because obviously they don't want the social media-verse to know this, so they'll post an over-celebration of their latest tiny win to trick the masses into thinking their life is bloody wonderful too. This would never have happened if they had to share that news in public. Name-dropping, place-dropping and general bragging is just not acceptable face to face. You wouldn't get it down the pub, so why is it ok on the internet?
This is one of the reasons I love the pub, and it brings me onto my second point. Everyone loves the pub. It's a staple of British society, as bars are all over the world. So why is bar-tending looked down on? (I'm guilty myself of responding to questions about what I'm up to with 'well, I'm just bar-tending for a bit'). And why is it not one of the highest paying jobs in the country? Imagine what would happen if there was a pub strike in England? It would be chaos across the country, regardless of class, social status, and if you consider the amount of family pubs, age. So I firmly believe this needs to change. We bartenders are therapists. Rent-a-friends. Often genuine friends. We will flirt with you regardless of what you look like (but remember we rarely mean it...).We will pick you up at the end of a rough day. You celebrate with us, commiserate with us, and your social welfare largely depends on us. Ask someone who their favourite bartender is and they'll know instantly. But who's your favourite lawyer? Or accountant? Or digital media analyst? Not a clue. So start a revolution with me. Maybe it is only temporary, but I'm not 'just a bartender'. I'm a Bartender. And you couldn't make it through your week without me.
You may have noticed I've been quiet lately. It's not by choice. I recently moved, and while beautiful and lovely, the new place is lacking some essentials. There was a gas issue which meant we couldn't move in for a while. Blinds/Curtains only arrived last Friday, two weeks after the move. Now privacy a girl can live without - Hi there builders across the road, I'm here to accidentally make your day as my make shift curtain (a dust sheet wedged in the window) falls again. But no internet? That's unforgivable. Are we living in the dark ages? It's a basic human right and someone needs to be held accountable. I've been left stranded with nothing but a basic and painfully slow facebook check to get me through the day. I'm beginning to understand how Moses felt, wandering lost through the desert. Bored...
There is however a light shining far in the distance (or rather, just up the road) guiding my way. For an hour or two a day I hop onto my camel (ok I walk, that's enough of this Moses nonsense) and head to The Giggling Spring Cafe. It may not look like much from the outside, but this little cafe has become my haven. I can sit upstairs in the quiet, whip out my laptop and tap away for a few hours, drinking cappuccinos and eating the best Stollen in the world. The decor is cosy, the wifi password never changes, and best of all, the staff are amazing. I genuinely look forward to coming up here and having a little chat. They remember my order. They ask about my job hunt/my day. They're just all types of lovely. In short, I'm a big fan of this place, and thought I'd take a minute to give them a little blog shout out.
Thank you Giggling Springers. I hope I soon have internet at home, but I'll miss my almost daily trips up here. I may just keep them, minus the laptop, and hopefully plus the kind of wages in my pocket that a full time job gets you.
If you're ever in Wokingham and fancy a coffee I can't think of anywhere better.
P.S - they have a very basic website here. And sorry about the lack of pictures.
So, exciting week! On Wednesday night I was invited to interview The Family Rain with Louise, a three piece band of brothers from Bath, before their show at the Oxford O2 Academy. They consist of twins Will (bass and vocals) and Tim (drums and vocals) and brother Ollie (guitar and vocals). Musically, the boys say their biggest influences are the Stones (who they opened for this summer!) and the Beatles, and their sound is a bit Black Keys, a bit Foals, a bit Kings of Leon, a bit brilliant.
We were shown backstage by the boy's manager - the lovely Wayne and introduced to Will and Tim (Ollie came later), their guitar tech Marlon English, and their broken playstation. We proceeded to have a lovely chat, get some band exclusives (Ollie's geographical tongue) and have a cheeky shower photo shoot. It's all very Rolling Stone...
On That Hair... Polly: First of all boys, you all have great hair...
Will: We often get that comment. I actually invented this
haircut. I used to have really long
hair, like Ray Davies from the kinks. I
didn't cut it for about 10 years, and then one day I went back to the
hairdressers and asked them to cut the back off.
P: Like ‘The Rachel’?
W: Yeah I had like a graduated bob. I actually took in a
picture of Leonardo DiCaprio, it was all a bit 90’s. But it is the posh spice
bob isn't it?
Tim: My hairs actually shoulder length, And it’s the easiest
thing to maintain. I cut it myself, I haven’t been to the hairdressers in about
7 years.
Louise: I suppose when you’re on tour you don’t really have time
to.
T: Exactly. I've got one day off tomorrow, and my
hairdresser’s on holiday.
L: Nightmare. Speaking of which, Polly I think you should tell them about your graduation
disaster.
P: Um, no. Basically I spent a lot of money, and came out
with tiger stripe highlights. I’d asked for something really subtle. It was
awful.
T: And now that photo’s up on the fireplace for years?
P: Yeah. That’s everywhere. Every single family member has
that photo. Brilliant.
W: Geez.
.
On Brotherly Love...
L: Ollie isn't here! We actually had a question specifically for him! It was about you two as twins. Maybe you could just
answer for him and see how it goes!
P: Do you think he feels left out?
T: I think he hates us. He thinks we gang up on him and he
hates us.
W: We actually all dislike each other eventually.
L: That’s the perfect
atmosphere. We don’t like each other either.
T: The best things come from arguments. They sort
out everything.
P: The best music is made from them too. You need some
conflict in there.
W: Yeah you do.
T: Everything's out on the table.
L: You can’t write songs about happy things. You need some
meaning in there.
W: Exactly. So true.
On 2013...
L: So 2013 has been a pretty big year for you guys.
T: Busy busy busy.
W: It’s been the longest year.
P: What's been the highlight so far?
T: I'm gonna say Ibiza Rocks, with Biffy Clyro. That was
amazing. I think I remember when I first went on a lads holiday, we went to
Ibiza didn't we? A few years ago. I remember seeing all the imagery for Ibiza Rocks, but we were with a certain crowd who wanted to go to Privilege and do the
club thing instead. But I always had it in my mind that I wanted to go back and
have the chance to play, and when it came up that we were going to be with
Biffy, you know, we were just like ‘That’s going to be fantastic’.
W: It felt like a real summer thing as well. It felt like it
topped off the year.
L: Did you get to tour around Ibiza or was it just a couple
of venues?
W: Well it was fly in, play Mallorca, next morning fly to
Ibiza, next morning fly out.
T: So we had a night in Mallorca, a night in Ibiza
W: What’s the name of the place in Mallorca?
T: Magaluf?
W: Yeah we went to Magaluf. We went down the strip, and
there was this smell for about quarter of a mile…
T: Vomit. It stinks
of vomit basically.
L: So that was the highlight then?
T: Yeah that was the highlight. Fond memories.
W: We asked the taxi driver what the smell was, and he kind
of (mimes throwing up)…and we were like oh my god where are we going?
T: It’s notorious.
W: We turned up and it was just neon signs into the
distance, and people just falling everywhere.
P: Sounds grim.
T: Yeah it was.
L: Like Sun Sex and Suspicious Parents?
W: I’m an avid watcher of that. I think it’s great.
On Being A Bit Psychic...
(Ollie comes in with Chinese food)
O: Got some noodles. Am I allowed to join in?
P: Yeah!
L: We even had a question specifically for you! Basically, you know, twins, brother…
P: Do you hate that.
O: Yeah. It’s the absolute worst position to be in. They’re
total pains in the arse.
T: There’s no pleasing some people.
P: Yeah, I bet they’re just talking psychically all the
time, and you’re left out…
O: They grind me down.
W: We can talk psychically though.
T: We genuinely have psychic abilities…
P: I don’t believe you. I reckon we can test this. (Twins
get genuinely excited) You whisper something in his ear Louise, and he has to
tell Will what it was.
W: Or just write down a celebrity. Ok? Quite a well known
celebrity.
T: I’ll go over here. Send it across the room.
P: I'm trying to think of someone obscure but I can’t! Ok
(writes Stephen Fry).
T: It’s good there’s a candle here. That helps.
W: OK let me do this. We've worked out a system of clicking…
L: I really want this to work. Ollie you’re clearly the
sensible one
W: Click's the name of the game. So (clicks his fingers). How’s that Tim?…Now?...
P: Do they do this a lot?
O: Too much.
T: It’s not working. There’s too much going on up here
(gestures to air above head). Reset it.
W: OK. Click’s the name of the game. So try this (clicks).
Please work...You got anything.
T: Yeah. I'm getting like a kind of chef area. No, he’s a
clever man…
W: Who are you getting then?
T: Stephen Fry…
W: Bham
P: No that’s not real.
W: No that’s psychic! That’s psychic right there.
Marlon: Right, I’ll do one.
P: Louise go watch Tim.
M: What area of entertainment should it be.
P: Films titles.
(M writes Titanic and passes it to Will)
W: Ok pass it here and I’ll do that. It’s just psychic!
We've spent so much time with each other that it’s just…
T: Ok send it through
L: I’ll see if I can block it with my brain waves…
T: Stop blocking it!
W: OK click's the name of the game right. Think! (clicks 3
times). Think!
T: Reset Will. Reset this.
W: You've got to listen to what I'm saying!
T: Speak louder!
W: Listen! Click's the name of the game. (clicks).
Now think! You must have something…
T: We are psychic. The psychic powers just weren't strong
enough.
W: You've let everyone down.
P: You’ve let every twin in the world down.
On Being Back In the Studio...
L: So how is it being back in the studio guys? How does the
studio vibe work, does one of you have more of a role?
T: Literally the song writing process it just insanely
natural.
P: Is it all quite collaborative?
T: Yeah we just start writing. We write by playing. But
studio-wise we always like to collaborate with a producer. I know
like a lot of bands like to think they know a lot of things about recording and
techniques and stuff, but we prefer to sort of bounce our ideas off a producer.
L: Do you have a favourite producer to work with?
T: Well we did the album with Jim Abbiss (who's worked with some massive names, including The Arctic Monkeys on their Mercury Prize winning album "Whatever people say I am") which was
crazy. He was really good.
W: The main thing is we haven’t actually worked with a bad
producer yet. They've all let us have free rein, but they also bring their own
styles.
T: Yeah, they suggest things, but don’t force it on anyone.
Just say ‘you could try this’.
W: We always try to do it as live takes, so we record
everything down at once, so it’s essentially us playing.
L: So you can listen back and see what works and what
doesn’t?
T: Yeah, we want it to be as live as possible.
P: So you prefer doing live shows to studio work?
T: Exactly yeah. We predominantly want to be a live
band. When we got signed we said, you know, put us out on the road, we love
playing live, we just want to be doing that.
O: It is one of those things though. When you’re doing one,
you miss the other.
T: Yeah there’s something nice about the studio in that it’s
a solid work place. You’re going back to the same place every day and it’s a
bit more chilled. It’s a different energy.
W: It seems like your brain is working harder. Touring’s a
lot more physical, but I feel a bit stupid at the moment.
L: Yeah you couldn't even do the psychic thing!
P: How much longer have you got of the tour?
T: Tonight is about mid way through. But we've been out on
the road for about two and a half months solid.
W: Yeah we've been living out of a suitcase for two and a
half months.
P: You’re back home in Bath on Friday though aren't you? You’re
playing at Komedia?
T: For literally the day
W: Yeah we’re driving home tonight, because it’s not that
far, for the first time in a few months. Just to wash our clothes!
O: You’ll get to see your fish as well.
W: It's a pig fish.
On...fish...?
P: Is that a thing?
T: Yeah, it’s a fish that looks like a pig…
P: Hence the name!
W: Yeah and some shrimp. Some guppy fish. It’s not a big tank
though. It’s a humble tank.
L: But a lot of love in it. Any other pets?
W: No the pig fish is kind of like the family pet.
T: Got two new guppy fish as well.
On Bath...
P: Do you find there’s a different vibe playing Bath because
it’s your home town?
T: We do, and we absolutely can't wait to do it. We tell all of our old friends and family, and a lot of people come out to
see what we've been doing, and how we've progressed. Home town shows are
undeniably a really good atmosphere.
W: Yeah we can’t wait to do it. We did a show in Moles earlier
this year which was absolutely mental. It was amazing.
O: Plus we've never played this venue before either.
T: It’s like the next stage up from Moles. So we’re quite
proud of that, moving up to the next stage.
W: And the fact that all of our mates can come down and
watch it.
L: Polly has a question she’s been dying to ask you about
Bath.
P: It’s a really personal question because I went to school
near Bath. The Fudge Kitchen. You guys know about this right?
T: Yeah! Fudge Kitchen? That’s the question?
W: I’ve got a friend who used to work there!
P: Is it the guy with the ukulele?
W: Yeah. He’s got a big moustache. He’s called Max.
P: I love that guy!
T: I used to work with his girlfriend. He’s a really nice
guy. Used to give us free fudge.
L: Whoa! Free fudge?
P: That’s like my dream.
T: Our Dad’s a sign writer. I think he did the sign for the
fudge kitchen.
O: Yeah lots of connections to the fudge factory.
P: This is really exciting for me. I mean, you’re a cool
band, but now I know your fudge connections…
W: But Bath is so small. It’s hard to do anything without
everyone knowing about it.
L: Lovely place though...
O: Yeah. It’s chilled out.
T: I think we didn't realise how nice it is until we left.
Not saying that everywhere else is rubbish.
W: Oxford’s pretty darn good.
L: So one more on the Bath theme…baths or showers? And if
you say showers, are you betraying your hometown?
T: You say that, but we’re The Family Rain…and rain falls in
showers
P: Well there’s my mind blown. This is all very
controversial stuff…
L: You’ve blown this question wide apart.
O: It’s very multi-layered.
T: I would say though, I would love to be able to have a
bath…you can’t really do it on tour.
P: You should put that on your rider. ‘I want a bath’.
L: ‘and a working play station…’
T: Plus we stay in Travel Lodges a lot. God know what goes
on in those baths…you shower because you want as little contact as possible.
W: I’d say showers though.
T: Yeah keep baths as a little treat…once a month have a
bath, and then the rest have showers.
L: Well answered guys. Well answered. So moving back to
music…your new album has some tracks on it that feel quite different. Is this a
direction the band is heading in?
T: Our album is quite eclectic. There might be stuff that
people aren't expecting, but we try not to be too genre specific. So I suppose
we’re going in more directions than most bands. We love rock ‘n’ roll music, and the Beatles and
the Stones have always been our main influences. But we also respect the fact
that there is good music in every genre.
On The Rolling Stones...
P: You opened for the Stones this year didn't you?
T: Yeah in the summer. That was just insane. It was insane.
Just a really, really good day.
W: Our Dad couldn't make it the show in Hyde Park in
1969, so we got to take him to Hyde Park this summer, and it was just a really
good day.
T: Despite their age, it is still the best show I’ve ever
seen.
P: Did you get to meet them?
W: Well I got to tap them on the back…
P: Did they know?
W: No. I was in an area where I wasn't meant to be so I
somehow got into this area, and tapped him on the back and instantly got taken
down by security. They came off stage and there were five or six cars about fifteen feet
from the stage, and they just ran off stage and piled in.
T: Yeah, these 6 cars just took off. The whole day was
mental. It was just the biggest scale in the world.
L: Do you want to be playing to that scale one day?
T: Well yeah. That is the aim. You may as well. We've always
said – Bigger than the Beatles. You've got to.
On Being Very Creative...
L: So what three words would you use to describe the band’s
sound?
W: What did I say? Home grown music? Yeah, there you are.
P: Straight in there! Nailed it. So your videos are all
very creative. Is that you or someone else?
W: Yeah we actually shot and edited the video that got us
signed, the one with the car and the flares.
P: 'Trust Me…I’m a Genius.'
T: Yeah. So we did that ourselves.
P: Whose car was it?
T: A friend of ours. It was kind of cool, because it was all
down to necessity. We didn't have the means to do anything really, so we just
bought some smoke bombs and some flares, and then went out into the countryside,
and ever since then we've come up with the ideas.
O: Although we didn't come up with the interactive one.
T: No someone approached us with that idea.
P: So you just stole it?
T: Yeah.
W: We were like ‘if it hasn't been done before, let’s do it’.
L: Well they're really good. You must be quite proud of your work?
T: Yeah, I actually do all the artwork for everything, every
poster, or album cover or anything. Stickers, T-shirts. I do all the artwork.
P: So, bit of an overachiever?
T: Yeah. Completely self-taught though.
W: From the start we wanted to be sure with the label
that we could have that sort of control over things.
T: I think they also appreciate it, because they don’t have
to pay anyone to do it for us...
W. And it makes it more personal.
L: Well I’ll definitely be having a deeper look at it all.
T: The cat was designed by me too. (Reveals tour t-shirt) This
is Frank. I drew it and I was like ‘That’s him. He’s got to go on all the posters.
Raindrops in the eyes...It’s great isn't it? He’s gone everywhere with us.
On MIA...
L: So if you could join forces with another band/artist…
P: McBusted style…
T: We said we’d like to work with MIA.
O: Yeah definitely MIA. We think that everything she does it
just really exciting, and original. She did that band sleighbells, she produced
them and it sounds insane.
T: Yeah their first record, they put it down to her. And if
you listen back to some of the tracks you can hear it. Their album’s great.
W: So MIA yeah.
T: We keep mentioning it in every interview hoping…
W: If you can get this to her…
P: We’ll give it a go.
W: You just have to 118 it…
T: That would be amazing. It would be a dream come true.
On Tours...
P: You've already mentioned Ibiza, you also went to
Switzerland over the summer though to the Montreux Jazz Festival. How was that?
T: Yeah that was amazing. One of my favourites of the year
actually. It was in a little club with about 3-400 people. It was rammed, and
the stage – people could stand around the side.
L: So it was quite intimate?
T: Yeah, and the stage was not even as high as this
(gestures table) it was like a little step.
W: …and what lake was it? It was literally on the banks
of Lake Geneva.
T: We sat there, us three and Wayne (their manager) had a
beer and then had a romantic meal on the banks of Lake Geneva.
O: It was our first fly in/fly out so it was special in that
respect. We’d never flown to a show before, it was really good.
L: Quite different from Ibiza then?
W: Yeah it’s all good isn't it? We just love being out on
the road, wherever or whenever.
T: Especially going to see places like that.
P: Where else have you been?
W: Well, Germany...
T: We did a little European tour in the summer with Willy
Moon. We did Romania.
W: Yeah Belgium, back to Germany.
O: Holland.
W: We've done most of Europe this year.
T: We just want to get out and do America, explore the
world.
O: We did Hull…
P: Exciting! Soon to be cultural capital!
T: We've got some love in Hull actually, we've done some really good shows there.
O: We did the Miles Kane one there, which was a really good
show.
L: Yeah you've already toured with some pretty big names!
P: Who’s been your favourite?
O: Probably Miles.
T: Yeah he was a just really calm, and a really lovely guy.
W: It was just, from the off, it was just a really good tour. We
would just hang out with them, and get drunk every night. They were just really
accommodating as a team. So party central you know.
T: Yeah, it was just really nice to see that he’s got
crowds that big who are into his music. So yeah. Mr Miles Kane.
O: Why have you got your shoe in my face?
T: Why have you got your face in my shoe?
P: Good shoes though…
L: Great hair, good shoes. We like the jackets too, that’s why
we have matching ones.
W: Yeah it’s all about the jackets. This happened though
(reveals a broken shoulder). I've worn this for about 6 years. It’s this year!
T: You've actually thrown up in that as well.
W: Yeah, used it as a sick bag going through the airport.
P: That’s a touching story…
W: Haven’t even washed it.
P: Why would you? That’s memories…
W: Well I took it off and there was no trace of it…
On My Phone!!! And The Tongue Exclusive...
L: So we discovered it’s the year of the selfie, so thought
we would get you to take some on Polly’s phone.
P: It’s now in the dictionary.
W: I can imagine actually. Let’s do it then.
P: We’re going to make it a competition. The winner gets to be our favourite member of the band.
W: Our guitar tech’s obsessed with selfies. He always pulls
a face. I've done quite a serious one.
T: I'm going for the angle. You’re meant to do it from above
aren't you?
O: I'm going for the tongue out.
L: That’s a good one. Will your’s isn't really close enough
to be a selfie…
P: No, not intimate enough.
L: I think Ollie wins.
O: Well I threw myself into it. Tongue out, heart on my
sleeve.
T: I haven’t seen you put your tongue out actually. He never
does it.
P: Special moment for us then!
L: You get our first interview, we get Ollie’s first tongue
exposure.
T: Yeah it’s a good day isn't it…
W: Your tongues all fucked up isn't it? It’s got cuts all over it…
O: It’s called geographical tongue.
P: Because it looks like a map…and now we've got it on
camera.
T: Proof! That’s why he never sticks his tongue out.
P: We've got an exclusive! Ollie's geographical tongue! Call
The Sun.
T: They've got new people haven’t they? It was Gordon Smart…we
know too much about this, we've probably spent too long in service stations…
W: Do you know what I like? i. It’s only 20p…
T: Or the metro. That’s free.
(Wayne comes back)
Wayne: Have they shown you their psychic abilities?
T: The first one worked. The second one…there were too many
lights in the room….the candle threw the psychic out…
P: I've heard that can happen.
W: Ollie got it…
L: So it’s not just a twin thing?
O: No we can all do it. It’s a tour thing. We can do it with
Wayne as well.
W: When you’re stuck in a van together for so long you start
thinking the same thoughts….
L: Do you have a pre-show ritual?
W: We just drink a lot of Jameson's, and jump up and down
like football hooligans chanting Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire…
P: Well we're going to let you get on with that. Thanks for having us!
For The Family Rain's tour dates and more information look here.
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