QUESTIONS & ANSWERS – der gig-blog-Fragenkatalog 181 mit DESPERATE JOURNALIST

Desperate Journalist und Stuttgart, das ist eine lange Geschichte. Seit die Band aus London 2016, als sie wirklich noch ein Geheimtipp war, in einer Off Location am Nordbahnhof auftrat, ist sie regelmäßig auf ihren Touren hier vorbeigekommen. 2017 im Goldmark’s, 2019 im Merlin – und wir waren immer dabei. Dann kam der Brexit und eine Pandemie und es sah nicht gut aus für weitere Besuche auf dem Kontinent. Doch jetzt sind Jo, Caz, Rob & Simon endlich wieder in der Region, und zwar am 03. April in der Manufaktur. Im Gepäck haben sie ihr fünftes Album „No Hero“ und noch mehr Live-Präsenz. Nicht umsonst hat Indie-Ikone Suede sie gleich auf zwei Touren mitgenommen. Unseren Fragebogen haben alle vier ausgefüllt und geben spannende Einblicke.

No band without a founding myth. What is yours?
Rob: As my good friend JFK once said – ’the great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic‘
Jo: We were birthed from the head of Zeus in a Wetherspoons in 2012.

What was the most wonderful gig you ever played?
Caz: If I exclude every gig we played supporting Suede, it will have to be the Grow Up album launch gig at the Scala. It’s a big, beautiful and grand venue and we filled the room. It really did feel like a huge achievement at the time (which it was), and I kept having goosebumps on stage, feeling so happy to be there.
Rob: Yep, Scala is probably a good call – for once we had the feeling of moving up in the world instead of forever sliding down.
Simon: Look at these guys romanticising the past…
Jo: A recent particularly great feeling one was in Nottingham on the last tour – one of those times when everything comes together perfectly, and you feel invincible. This is particularly satisfying when it’s playing new songs. The Scala was also an amazing moment, as was Benicassim, and the recent Garage gig – and all of the Suede supports, obviously.

Where would you absolutely love to play?
Simon: Brixton Academy, followed by a European tour playing 2,000 capacity theatres supporting someone amazing.
Caz: Also Brixton Academy. But if we’re allowed to have even bigger dreams, then the Royal Albert Hall.
Jo: Glastonbury, main stage.

How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t listened to it yet? How has it changed since your last Germany tour in 2019?
Simon: Describing your own band is hard (‚post punk‘ could mean almost anything at this point). Since 2019 we’ve released 2 of our best albums, so i’d tell people to find them on Spotify.
 Jo: We’re that little extra spice that makes existence extra nice. A giddy little thrill at a reasonable price.

What’s your best memory of seeing live music?
Caz: Probably the first time I saw The Cure (in Paris in 2000). I was obsessed with them at the time and seeing them live, being in that world, surrounded by other fans is a feeling I will never forget.
Jo: I couldn’t possibly name a best of all time, but a particularly good and striking one I had recently was seeing Bohren & der Club of Gore at the Union Chapel church in Islington – it’s an amazing venue, quite dark with just a little bit of coloured lighting and its own spooky natural reverb, so watching such an intensely atmospheric band there was totally transporting and psychedelic. Time seemed to stand still.

Describe the perfect stage outfit.
Simon: I always wear shirts and ties for some reason and i’m happy with that. There is a perfect length for my tie though, or it gets in the way of my bass strings
Caz: Anything in which my drum sticks won’t get caught (I tried fishnets once… never again!).
Jo: Something which makes me feel cool and attractive but doesn’t require too much admin or force the crowd to look at my pants.

What was your your worst studio experience?
Caz: I love being in the studio but I remember recording the drums for Hollow was very challenging for me at the time and took longer than anticipated.
Rob: For me it’s a toss up between trying and failing take after take to get the piano part for Radiating right and it getting angrier and plonkier sounding… weird as it’s dead dead simple – and a similar thing happening with the intro to Adah which I just couldn’t get to sound right. Eventually I brought in this stupid little Marshall amp thing about the size of my hand which for some reason suddenly worked.
Jo: Whenever I record anything which isn’t singing in the studio I always get angsty because I’m less confident in my abilities. But one must break free of the straitjacket of the paradigm.

Which things must always be in your tour bag?
Simon: Eyeliner. I also bring a hair dryer because you can’t rely on the rubbish ones you find in budget hotels.
Caz: Dark chocolate.
Jo: My giant 2L water bottle which I refer to as „Big Slay“ due to one of the online reviews of it starting with „big slay from this bottle…“ and Vocalzone.

Which song never fails to make you sing, hum or whistle along?
Simon: I’m not much of a singer, you’ll find me air drumming to anything above 140bpm.
Caz: There are so many! If I love a song I can’t help but sing along.
Jo: Once a few ales have been consumed, literally anything I know the words to. I remember singing along to quite a lot of Alanis Morissette on one tour, much to Rob’s „enjoyment“.

What was the first song you fell in love with and why?
Simon: Apparently i loved You Got It by Roy Orbison when i was a small child, i don’t have a strong opinion on it either way now, but he did have a good voice.
Caz: I believe it was “Toute Première Fois” by French singer Jeanne Mas when I was very very young. My parents said I was constantly asking to hear it.
Rob: Pretty sure it would be Dancing Queen by Abba
Jo: I was obsessed with What Have I Done To Deserve This by the Pet Shop Boys when I was a young child. I apparently called it „the Pingu song“ because it is vaguely similar to a bit of music he dances to in one episode.

Your favourite weird food quirks?
Simon: Not sure i have any, but i am pro pineapple on pizza, and i used to order curries with banana and lychee in them.
Caz: I don’t think I have any. Perhaps dunking pastries in coffee and tea might seem unusual to a non-French person though?
Rob: I have a perhaps slightly odd predilection for various spices which I love to put in pretty much everything whether it seems particularly appropriate or not – porridge is a good example….
Jo: My comfort meal is peas (well, ideally petits pois) on toast. I also cannot resist super processed salty corn based snacks (ideally American; Cheetos are the best).

The greatest musical genius (dead or alive)?
Simon: Robert Hardy (dead)
Caz: Robert Smith, obviously (sorry Rob!).
Rob: Ha!

What do you look forward to at the beginning of a tour? And what at the end?
Simon: Cracking open the first beer at the beginning, and a nice cup of tea at home at the end. So British!
Caz: I look forward to being on stage at the start. Then at the end it’s all about that cup of tea in bed with my cat.
Rob: I really like the Venn of not yet being too tired and culmatively hungover and having played a few shows in a row to the point where we sound better than we usually do comes together. Usually shows 3-4.
Jo: I just really fucking love singing our songs. As long as I’m on form, it’s the best feeling, so I look forward to that. I also very much enjoy exploring new towns, though we rarely get to do a huge amount of that sadly. At the end of a tour I’m usually looking forward to my own bed more than anything.

With which detail on the hospitality rider do you nag the promoters?
Simon: We’re not very demanding, as long as there is beer (not IPA) and something vegan i can eat, i’m good.
Caz: As Simon said, we’re not that demanding, but might be oat milk for me?
Rob: Just beer as I’m so relentlessly British, not even that fussed what it is.
Jo: We don’t nag anyone, but beer and water are essential.

Your most embarrassing moment on stage?
Caz: I get easily embarrassed, and it will happen every time I feel that I haven’t played something as well as I should.
Rob: I live my life mired in embarrassment so pretty much everything I do humiliates me in one way or another.
Jo: I have messed stuff up before, forgotten words, missed notes etc, and I used to feel crushingly awful about it and sink into terrible despair which would then lead me to be a knob to everyone but these days that stuff doesn’t really bother me so much. I always put all of myself into performing, so I know I am trying my best. Also Rob is talking bollocks.

What song gets you on the dance floor right away?
Simon: The Rat by The Walkmen gets us all on the dance floor. Our message to any DJs out there is simple – Play The Rat!
Caz: Definitely The Rat! But also I’m not ok by My Chemical Romance. And any Cure song.
Jo: Loads of stuff, I love 2 flail. If I had to choose one though it might be Spellbound by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

If your music was food, what would it taste like?
Simon: Probably more savoury than sweet, some sort of acquired taste…
Rob: A delicious but challenging Rogan Josh
Jo: Bibimbap; there’s a lot going on but it hangs together beautifully. Deeply satisfying with an ice cold beer.

Who is your second favourite band mate?
Simon: Haha! I like them all in different ways.
Caz: I obviously love them all!
Rob: I dislike everyone equally.
Jo: The Spirit of Fair Play.

What do you recommend for a healthy lifestyle on tour?
Simon: A tour is not really the place to try and be too healthy but just do the basics. 8 hours of sleep or at least lying horizontally in a hotel bed is a good start. Drink water and don’t forget to eat.
Caz: Try to eat some fruit and veg – it’s easy to just eat snacks and chips.
Jo: I second the fruit and veg. You need to counteract all the booze/exertion/fast food/bad sleeping. Vitamin pills and ibuprofen!

What audience behaviour drives you mad?
Simon: Being too quiet and polite, i can’t stand silence between songs, i’d rather be shouted at! Also people who moan that you are not playing their hometown on Facebook.
Caz: I can’t usually see much of the audience, but the silence between songs is definitely one that can make things very awkward.
Jo: Not showing up. Or being sleazy (this has only happened a couple of times thankfully).

Which new British bands should our readers know about? Beside yours.
Simon: Slime City, Bloodworm, Oliver Marson, Enjoyable Listens
Jo: I am painfully out of touch but I also like those above. I have also been enjoying WOOZE and Moreish Idols.