2004 05 MAY RAG - RAG Magazine

Do you find it’s hard to be creative and different?Well, no. The writing is just what comes out. It’s also a combination ofDan and Justin’s style. Dan is a more rhythm player with more bluesyriffs, and Justin is more into the ‘80s solos. It’s just a combination of allof us. That’s what comes out. It’s not contrived. It’s just what happens.It’s just what comes out.There was a press release on PR Newswire from voodoodoctor, Doktor Snake, claiming that Justin sold his soul to theDevil for fame – is there any truth to that?This is the first I’ve heard of it. Doktor Snake, who’s he? I don’t havea clue about that.What is the most rewarding aspect of what you do?We are all perfectionist. Even though all our shows go well, if we haveone where we had an absolutely amazing show, then that’s rewarding,all of us being happy – just if we’ve all played our best.Did you always know you wanted to do something with music,or was there another aspiration in your life?Yeah, I mean I played the drums as a kid and I got to a certain stagewhere I was like, shall I move to London and play music or should I goto college - study film and television for a couple of years. But afterdoing that, I wanted to make films or be a film director or something. Idecided I did want to move to London and play music instead.What was the last show you witnessed, as a member of theaudience?I saw a band in London a few weeks ago, but you wouldn’t have heard ofthem, called Doing Bad Things. They are sort of in the London musicscene – a lot of people are talking about them. They are sort of the buzz.Were you impressed?Yeah, I was impressed. I’ve seen them twice now. I think our recordcompany is trying to give them a record deal.Did they know you were in the audience?Yeah, well, I met them for a drink afterwards and said I really liked it.Some of them had come to see us before and I met them there.Do people approach you a lot in public?Well, less than the other guys because I’m the drummer so I get slightlyless attention. Justin and Dan can’t really go out to a normal placewithout getting a lot of attention. But sometimes I go to my normal pubsin London and people come up to me.What is the strangest thing a fan has asked of you?This guy wanted me to speak to his daughter on the phone. She waslike two [years old] or something. She couldn’t sleep and he wantedme to try to help make her go to sleep.Considering all of your success, what is the biggest thingyou’ve learned about working in the record industry, orperhaps a misconception that you had before?[Pauses] I was gonna say the amount of work, but I did realize it wasgoing to be hard work. I still don’t think I realized how little time wewould have off. We have no time off because we are basically alwayson the road. And so, maybe I thought there would be slightly more timeoff than there is. I mean it’s great.I know that for a while the media has said that Americanaudiences just don’t get the Darkness. Does it bother you thatthe media often focus on your costumes and image morethan your music?Well, it was the same in the UK in the early days. We’ve always had tosort of prove ourselves by touring and playing live. After a while in theUK people don’t go on so much about [the costumes] now. Recentlywe won an Ivor Novello Award, which in Britain is one of the highestsongwriting awards. It’s one of the most serious awards there is. It isvoted on by a panel of musicians. [Proving yourself] takes time. We’reused to it though.