Interviews

Pull Tiger Tail

Paul Cook 06/06/2007

Meandering our way through the Norwich Waterfront's narrow corridors we come to a clearing. The scent of flame grilled burgers and chicken hit's us as we reach the courtyard at the back of the venue. Of course, it could only be Pull Tiger Tail, The Rumble Strips and The Little Ones feasting on a selection of Morrisons' BBQ food grilling superbly on the disposable BBQ's in the corner. “Hang on one sec' while we finish these” we get told. A couple of poster-signing minutes later between the bands who are organising farewell gifts and gestures and we're sat in the tour van commencing the interview with Pull Tiger Tail(Marcus Ardere on guitars and vocals, Davo McKenzie-McConville on bass, and Jack Hamson on drums and vocals) one of Britain's most promising young indie talents.

It's come to the end of this year's NME New Music Tour, you've visited twelve venues in fourteen days, are there any moments that stand out for you?

“Many. When we walked on stage in Birmingham that was great because people just screamed. Glasgow was also good. A lot of just 'walking-on-stage' moments - because then after that we have to play and you know - do stuff. Walking on stage, some of the reception we've got has been amazing.”

“Also on this tour I learnt to crowd surf-“
“And scaring the shit out of the rest of us because he does it and I'm like be careful Davo!”
“In Birmingham they tried to abduct me!”

“It seems like a lot of tours we've learnt stuff offstage as well like how to have fun, we've learnt a lot on this tour.”
“Before we would never have considered going to a Thai karaoke restaurant so now we can tick that box.”
“Like members of each band doing like Guns 'n' Roses karaoke in this Thai restaurant in Birmingham.”

“I'd say a massive highlight is what your witnessing right here. We went to Morrisons and we bought a BBQ and luckily we bought enough for other people to jump in and it's just a great vibe.”
“I'd say we've definitely made some lifelong friends on this tour, well not lifelong but you know!”


So you have made some strong bonds with the other bands?

“I think the problem with touring by its very nature is you do make really strong bonds and then as soon as your not on tour with a band you'll never see them again.”
“Basically because they're always on tour and you're always on tour or they're in your home town and you'll be away or you're in their home town and they're away.”
“I'm sure it will happen with the Little Ones, like if we're ever in L.A. I'm sure sod's law will be that they're in London and we're there - I'm not complaining about this but we are busy everyday of our lives, we're lucky if we get 2 days off in a row and seeing as that's true for every band unless your on tour with someone you'll never get to hang out. It's in your schedule and if you've got a space in it you've got teams of people making sure that you're not free!”


So you're due to play loads of the big festivals this year, are you excited?

“Really excited - We don't even know how excited to be we're that excited! We've never done festivals before so it's like a completely new thing for us.”
“We've basically got one festival weekend off and then we're full up with other stuff until Ibiza comes up. We've been offered 16th, 17th, 18th doing like two Kasabian and one LCD Soundsystem support - but it's not confirmed yet. Whether we get those ones is dependant whether Kasabian hate us or not, and we're ready to be loved by Kasabian!”


Is there anything coming up that you're particularly looking forward to?

“Reading and Leeds because that's the one that we went to must when we were younger.”
“I think we've got a really good day as well. We're playing in a good tent, Smashing Pumpkins are headlining that day and then I think we're playing the same day as Razorlight, no, yeah, yeah Razorlight, but I've seen Razorlight enough times so that'll be ok.”
“We're just looking forward to it as a chance to catch up with so many people like we haven't seen Klaxons for so long and we just got confirmed for the V Festival the other day and we're playing the same day as The Killers and that'll be great to catch up again. We love the Smashing Pumpkins but I'm not like 'oh I really wanna meet Billy' because it's too much of a hero, you know whenever you hear about people meeting there heroes it always sounds a bit sour. Although I would like to meet Jimmy Chamberlain.”


Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?

“Hopefully our defining third album will be out by then. Era defining. What year is it 5 years from now? -2012 - Oh! The Olympics! Maybe we'll be in the Olympics, doing the theme tune for the Olympics…”
“Opening the Olympics!”
“Yeah we fucking should do that! Why haven't they asked us already? This is bullshit, they've got everything else organised!”


You once lived with the Klaxons - How was it and did you influence each other's music?

“We get asked that so much and it's so impossible to answer - Living with other musicians is an exciting process.”
“In a way I think that when they brought back these demo's they'd done like 'Gravity's Rainbow' and brought it back and played that it kind of kicked our arses and we thought, we had been thinking of doing this band for a few months and then it was like right let's book a fucking gig, lets get on with this, I think it was like a catalyst - but influencing each other's music - no, not at all.”
“I think the thing's that similar between us is that they right good songs, we - like to think - we write good songs. When they came out and did so well with it and had so much fun doing it - it was really inspiring in that way.”


Your new single 'Hurricanes' is out on June 18th and it's tipped to be a success, do you think it will be?

“That's not our territory, we concentrate on writing what we want to write and making it as good as we think it should be and after that it's nothing to do with us. I don't think it's childish to turn your back on that side of things, I think it's helpful to try and remain naïve about it - at least not cynical.”
“I think in the couple of weeks leading up to the release we should just hit the gossip columns. Stumble out of bars and stuff. I'm going to set Donny 'Tourettes' Towers' trousers on fire. He looks like he wears sprayed on trousers.”
“This whole thing with success is such a secondary thing to us. We want to achieve good music and working with producers. I mean yeah, getting a number one would be fucking immense but once it's been released it isn't in our hands.”
“I would like someone to say we're like a band made up of three Yann Tiersens.” “Yeah I do want to be win big! I want to be successful! I want to win a fucking Oscar!”

“Interviews are sometimes a lot like therapy - You kind of work out what you actually think about stuff. Like when people kept asking about our name it did kind of kind of make us go 'oh yea it is about that!”
“I think success is only success if it's on your own terms.”


Suddenly Matthew Wheeler from the Rumble Strips runs over to the tour van and licks the window to which Pull Tiger Tail reply “If you could do the whole van like that!” The NME New Music Tour has been and gone for another year and as with previous years, this year's line up look set to make the leap to the main stage in 2007, Pull Tiger Tail might not like to admit but it's looking increasingly likely.