Interviews

The Holloways

Paul Cook 30/09/2007

Having experienced their fair share of success with their debut album 'So, this is Great Britain' London-based four-piece The Holloways have been busy notching up various festival appearances and a packed out tour of the UK, now with it drawing to a close, the band grace the Cambridge Junction with their poppy indie/ska sound and larger-than-life personalities. After a lengthy sound check, which was comical to observe, the band are gathered in their cushy tour bus to have a quick chat to GIITTV's Paul Cook:

So far you've been to numerous venues and played loads of shows in the past year, are there any particular places that you would consider your favourite?

Japan! The summer-sun festival was fab'. The way it was organised, the people, the way they treated us, the crowds were amazing and it was clean and everything worked really well. The backstage was brilliant too because whereas behind the stage is your backstage, but in Japan it's all just one backstage area, we were like next to Sean Lennon and Cindy Lauper.
Oh and the security guards there were dressed like military police and if you said hi to them like “hai!” they would salute you!


And you've got a couple more gigs abroad lined up, Germany and Amsterdam are you excited about those?

Yeah, yeah, Amsterdam, I like Amsterdam. Lots of cyclists, lots of people stoned - Lots of stoned cyclists - Great combination. We actually rented bikes last time, me and my manager-

- And I nicked that girl's bike didn't I. I brought it back though!


Are there any particularly memorable moments on the current tour so far?

Bryn fell down the stairs and broke his ribs. He's actually sitting here with two broken ribs. He fell down the stair of the tour bus.

When did this happen?

4 days ago at 5am in Leeds, after the Sheffield gig but in Leeds. These buses are f****g dangerous. Bryn was getting off the bus and the driver turned the bus off and all the lights went out and he missed a step. I mean these buses are really high and if your in bed and you go around a corner there's no sort of barrier to stop you falling out!

Back in June you played Ibiza Rocks, how did it go?

Yeah! Ibiza! We played Ibiza last summer as well and had an amazing time, but this year we had a villa, which was great. We got there and thought we would be in a hotel or whatever. They said the tour bus is out the back, we went round the corner and it was this big bus and inside were leopard print seats, it was amazing. That then drove round the corner and there was this villa, we got out and there was 7 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and a pool, the fridge was stocked full of booze and food and it was like “We staying here?!” - F*****g ace! We want to get our own villa out there! Ibiza's great, it's just a good laugh.

You've also done some of the festivals this year including V Festival and T in the Park, did you enjoy them and did you form any strong bonds with the other bands?

They were all amazing, all the festivals. We couldn't have asked for anything more really, we've had really good crowds at all of them.

V is a bit of a weird one, as an actual festival. It's all sort of corporate really. We got there and the department of transport were there and came round to check all the buses were road legal and then the inland revenue came round to check that the tour managers were paying their taxes and stuff.

Yeah, I was trying to get my mum into the festival and they're all idiots really. He said “You have to go to the hostility tent.” The fucking hostility tent, that's right, exactly what it was! And all the bars and stuff, the bands actually playing the festival have trouble getting in, but Jake from Hollyoaks - He's in! Wooh!

But then again the gig was good, the fans were great and they were queuing outside the tent so it was all good on that side of things.


Going back to 2004 when the band formed, how did you all meet?

Alfie: I met him (Bryn) at a party, I liked him and I was looking for a band, he said he used to play bass and I said “why don't you pick it up again?” A week later he moved into a house over the road from me, he got a bass, we started jamming. First time me and him went to Nambucca together was the first time Rob had gone there, he played on stage, we thought he's good, grabbed him and we jammed, had a bit of an acoustic gig and then Dave said that's great I'll be the drummer. And it all happened in about five weeks or something.

Are there any particular favourites from the album that you enjoy performing the most?

Alfie: I always enjoy playing 'Fit for a Fortnight' and 'Lonely Face' because it's a different one. It's nice to just break it down and sing at your own pace. Until the crowd don't know when to stop clapping and it gets faster and faster.

Bryn: I enjoy playing 'So, This is Great Britain' especially when we put it in the set now and the crowd sort of go crazy for it.

Alfie: I like 'Two Left Feet'


What do you listen to on the tour bus?

We watch a lot of films too. We watched the World's Fastest Indian the other day. I nearly cried at the end when he did it! I was so proud of him! Actually it was just me who watched it! We watch loads of Family Guy too, probably too much actually!

The Holloways myspace site shows your support for the campaign for strong climate change law, is this an important matter for you guys?

Yeah, we just basically don't want to die a hot, drowning, melting ice death. So turn your telly off basically!


The new video for "Dancefloor"



The Holloways support the Pogues on their December tour:

11 Dec 2007 20:00
Academy With the Pogues Glasgow, Scotland
12 Dec 2007 20:00
Academy With the Pogues Newcastle
14 Dec 2007 20:00
Arena with the Pogues Nottingham
15 Dec 2007 20:00
Central (GMEX) With the Pogues and Billy Bragg Manchester
16 Dec 2007 20:00
Academy With the Pogues Birmingham
18 Dec 2007 20:00
Brixton Academy with the Pogues London
19 Dec 2007 20:00
Brixton Academy with the Pogues London
22 Dec 2007 20:00
Nugent Hall(Kings Hall Complex) with the Pogues Belfast
23 Dec 2007 20:00
RDS Merrion Road with the Pogues Dublin