The Pigeon Detectives,
do you want to introduce yourself and say what you play in the band?
Hello, I’m Matt and I
sing.
What have you been up
to today?
I’ve been to the gym
(boxing) to get match fit for the tour, done 7 interviews before lunch, made a
sandwich, eaten a sandwich, been and proofed the t-shirts for our merch stand
so they can begin printing off all 600 and I’m just about to head to rehearsals
to learn how to play all our songs again!
You are going out tour
this month playing around the UK, what are the personal essentials you pack for
tour, any lucky mascots?
As long as you bring a
clean t-shirt and underwear for each gig then you’re pretty much sorted. We
have our rider requests nailed now after a decade touring so pretty much
everything we could need is delivered to the dressing room each day!
Having spent 12 years
on the road as a band, touring the world, what have been the stand out highlights/low
points?
There’s hasn’t really
been any low points! Being away from friends and family is hard..but being on
tour and waking up in a different place each day is amazing. Touring highlights
have to be the first time we played in America and Japan, it was like we were
living someone else’s life – it still blows me away visiting those places now
but the first time was really special.
Favourite show/ most
memorable of all time you have played?
I’ll never forget the
first time we were stood onstage and we could see people in the crowd singing
our songs back at us for the first time. I don’t mean friends and family, I
mean actual strangers that were there to check out the band and they knew the
words. That was the beginning of everything and our lives changed for ever from
that gig onwards. I’ll never forget Glastonbury main stage or sharing the main
stage at Reading and Leeds with The Strokes.
You are playing some
sweaty club shows to get back onto the road but also to promote the new single,
Lose Control! Will the set be a greatest hits or new album heavy?
We’re turning up to
these small venues to take names! It’s going to be all the ‘hits’ with a couple
of new ones sandwiched in there for people to take a breather and enjoy.
Going off the title,
when was the last time you lost control?
The song lyrics
shouldn’t be taken too literally. This songs is more of an internal
conversation between your ‘good’ self and your ‘evil’ self than a documentary
ion a specific event. We all want to be the best person we can be, but let’s be
honest the wheels fall off every now and again and that’s what makes us human.
Lose Control is from your fifth album in are
you bothered about critics and chart success?
Critically it would be
lovely to get some recognition or accolade for the direction we’ve taken with
this album, but it isn’t a driving factor we consider when making music. Chart
success is great for the ego, it’s a validation that what you’ve done has
crossed over into popular culture and it opens a s**tload of doors to promote
the album, but again it’s not something we worry about or concern ourselves
with.
Being in the music
industry for over a decade now how do you feel it has changed?
It’s brutal. It’s
absolutely brutal. Kids don’t even get a chance to express themselves and
develop or write a second album! They get one chance and if it isn’t a hit
you’re finished and the label is on to the next prospect! I love the music
industry but I despise the music business, the two have slowly become
indistinguishable and bands need to start to revert back to the DIY approach of
releasing music and touring by themselves and for themselves, not to line the
pockets of big companies.
Where do you see The
Pigeon Detectives in three years’ time?
If a shark stops
swimming it dies. We’ve had a decade of front crawling around the world and
have no intention of getting out of the water for a long time. Even though the
venues on this tour are deliberately small and we knew they would sell out, we
didn’t expect them to sell out in under a week – that show of support from our
fans has really galvanised us as a band again and we feel ready to take on all
comers…
Final last words?
Thanks for the
interview and some decent thought provoking questions!
Matt x
Best of luck on tour!
Next up is a fresh pop
trio from London, who have been wowing crowds over on the Vans warped tour. Their
sound is diverse and refreshing, delivering catchy music to get everyone
involved.
Final act tonight is
what most people have come for the return of the USA kings. Delivering a hit
filled set, the boys pour through their back catalogue of albums and some new
ones to sweeten the deal. Although their current guitarist is currently on sick
leave his replacement steps up to the mark. A brilliant set which is both
exciting and emotional, thanks for returning, see you soon Emarosa. 
