- You'll have
to bear with me, I've got no voice left
* You were recording vocals yesterday weren't you..?
- It's not that, it's just too much partying!
* I see. So,
Towers of London, who, what and why?
- Five guys from London, as the name suggests, just out having a good
time. We're not part of any scene from London or anywhere else, the
reason Dirk came up with the name is that we want to tower above everyone
else from the city, that's why it's quite an apt name.
* So who would
you put in the tower if you had the chance, or even in a noose?
- It'd have to be a big one, there'd be lots of people! Drowned in Sound?!
Let me get back to you on that one.
* Have you deliberately gone out of your way to antagonise people like
them?
- No, not at all. Because we're not part of a scene we get a lot of
shit and people are shocked by us initially. We don't go out looking
for fights, we don't go out to trash venues, but sometimes these things
happen, and we're not sort of soft guys who'll take shit, we stick up
for ourselves and that's all it is. We've had to fight for the band
really, and that's where the press has come from.
* By all accounts, your last gig in Cambridge was fantastic, I wish
I'd been there!
- Yeah it was a really good night, I really enjoyed it, there were about
a hundred kids there and they were all getting into it, I don't know
what happened, a couple of drapes got ripped down and the next thing
we know is Donny's arrested! Crazy!
* What can
people expect who come to the gig on June 13th?
- Just to have a good time. I think the whole point of doing the Cambridge
gig is to go back and prove our point that that's not what we're about.
We've got a bit of a bad name around Cambridge and we want to show that's
not what we're about. We're a good time band, and that's basically it.
* Who are your
heroes?
- The band members are all into a lot of different stuff. I'm into a
lot of 80s stuff, Gun'n'Roses, Sex Pistols, Motley Crue, Aerosmith,
numerous things. And I like Led Zeppelin, John Bonham was one of my
idols, and Oasis
* What's more
important, ability or attitude?
- Attitude, definitely.
* That's right
- If I wanted to be the best musician in the world, I could be a session
drummer for Dire Straits, but it's all about attitude.
* What do you
listen to when you're hovering?
- I haven't got a house, so I can't hoover! But at the moment if I was
chilling, at the moment I'd be listening to The Damned.
* Instead of
a reformed Spice Girls and Sting and all that shit, what would your
ideal bill for Live Aid be?
- I'd have The Who, AC/DC, Motley Crue, Queen and Metallica with Cliff
Burton.
* Are any of
you Manics fans?
- Oh yes! Definitely! Motorcycle Emptiness, what a great song, I love
it. That's a tune and a half, it's the one to listen to while hoovering,
you could just pick the hoover up in the guitar riff and play air guitar
with it!
* And you'd
have time to do the whole house, it's such an epic! Seeing as the new
single is called 'Fuck It Up', can you tell us what things have you
fucked up lately?
- Cambridge!!!! That song is not about our sentiment, it's for everyone
to take home and put to their own personal use, it's not about something
the band's done. It's about what each individual who hears the song
can take from it and relate to in their own life, it could be about
some kid who did something stupid last Friday night, and that's what
the song would mean to him.
* How did you
get your record deal?
- We just played hard. We played a lot last year, our manager got us
lots of gigs with Baby Shambles and so on, we got a few stories about
us along the way - which helped; we then got spotted by one of Rick
Reuben's A and R guys in Liverpool. Next thing I know we're playing
to him and getting flown to New York and playing to every record label,
including a few majors, but they just wanted us cos we were there and
they didn't really understand what we were about. But there was one
label, TVT, who saw us at our most controversial, at the In The City
gig where Donny got glassed, and they really understood what the band
was about, they didn't just want it so they could have it. They genuinely
loved it and didn't want to change it in anyway. We signed to them on
December 6th, so that took 4 months. The first single 'On A Noose' charted
at number 32, even though it was delayed a few months; I think that's
pretty good for a band like us cos, as I say, we're not the sort of
band that can go and sell a lot of records just cos we sound like The
Libertines. Cos we don't!
* I teach 10
year olds guitar. What would be a good song to teach young guitarists
- or drummers?
- Motorhead, 'Ace of Spades'. When I was a kid I watched them play it
in the lounge on The Young Ones, and that changed my life! So if you're
a ten year old and into the guitar, go and watch that! It'll change
your life.
* And one of
the favourite insults in my school is 'Piss Weasel', have you got a
favourite insult?
- That's a good one, as is 'Skunk Pussy'! They might like that one.
* Not sure I'll be telling them it! What's next for Towers of London
then?
- We've got to get through this tour alive, we're off to Germany at
the weekend where we'll be playing with Motley Crue which we can't wait
to do! Then it's the second single which'll go Top 20! Maybe not, but
it'd be nice. And the album's already recorded and it's due to come
out in the autumn, it's being mixed at the moment, I can't wait to hear
how it sounds when it's finished.
* Great. Last
question is, what's best, chips or cream buns?
- Chips. Definitely.
And
with yet another correct answer, it was time to bid Towers of London
farewell. Thanks to Snell for his time and to tour manager Dave and
Mike at hall Or Nothing for fixing things up.
Details of
the free Towers of London / Johnny Panic / Tsar gig on June 13th are
available from here and
look here
to see the good people of Cambridge discussing the band.
There's a spot on Towers of London review at www.vanguardonline
Pix used are by Alessia from The
White Queen website, which has lots of original and stunning pix
of the likes The Darkness, Franz Ferdinand, Johnny Panic and too many
more to type. Apart from this one below which I nicked from Drowned
in Sound, ha ha ha!
www.towersoflondon.com
Slag
this interview off on our message board here
|