The Downbeat - Ben Thatcher (Royal Blood)

Episode Date: August 12, 2024

My guest on the podcast this week is Ben Thatcher, one half of ROCK GODS Royal Blood. We talk about his band of course but also about the time he nearly blinded Taylor Swift and drew a portrait of Kan...ye West - on the same day.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Hello, is it me you're looking for? If you're listening to this on Spotify, you probably thought you've accidentally gone on to the page of, what was his name? Can't even remember his name. Lionel Richie, got it. You haven't. It's the Downbeat Podcast.
Starting point is 00:00:16 You're listening to the Downweek Podcast. Or if we're on YouTube, you're watching the Downbeat Podcast. Ooh, a return to the unhinged intros. Why, you might ask? Well, this is an emergency intro recording because I had a guest cancel their episode, and I've just got to go quick, quick, quick, quick, quick. My guest on the podcast this week is Ben Thatcher, drummer and one out of two members of the band Royal Blood.
Starting point is 00:00:40 He's an unbelievable drummer. He's a great guy. I caught up with him before their show at the Glasgow Academy, which was ripping. We had mutual friends, we became friends, hung out of him a bunch of times. We get a little bit boozy, it's a bit boozy, it's a bit of a boozy one.
Starting point is 00:00:56 I hate to tell you if you don't like boozing. We were boozing. Can't remember what we talked about. It's pretty good, though. I remember at the end going, yeah, that was good. So enjoy that. Before we get started, I want you to know we have a Patreon, patreon. patreon.com, forward slash, the Downbeat.
Starting point is 00:01:09 On it, you get these sweet little episodes. You get them early. You get them ad-free. You can get early access to merch. I'm wearing brand-new merch right now, which is out right now. Patreon.com forward slash the Downbeat helps me go on trips. It helps me just make the podcast as good as it can be. We've also got merch.
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Starting point is 00:02:32 off 1 to 2 displays or 33% off 3 or more by going to Display.com forward slash the downbeat and using the code downbeat check it out. Oh, at last. He's fine. Look at him straight to the drink. Come on. Ben, sitting in front of me. Ben Thatcher.
Starting point is 00:02:59 Cheers. Hello. Cheers. Simon, this is a Bluetooth. Cheers. Come on, Simon. Simon's first margarita. Tom has never had a margarita in his life before. Very good. Thoughts? Are you okay with that?
Starting point is 00:03:11 Yeah, it's really good. I'd give that a nine out of ten. Nine is good, thank you. You are a connoisseur. Could have had half salt rim. Maybe the glass could have been colder. Well, you were late.
Starting point is 00:03:22 Yeah, I was late. I was late. And it has been sitting here. Yeah. Only have you been adjusting all these. Oh, so that's one of all, actually. So, okay, it's still a nine. Still a fucking nine.
Starting point is 00:03:31 Still a nine. Had to use brown sugar. Heroin. Yeah, which is, It gives it not a greatest look, but it does, I like the taste of a brown sugar. Did you put syrup in it? No, just brown sugar, homemade. Lovely.
Starting point is 00:03:45 The issue with Simon having never done it, you can't give it a real rating. Simon, just rate it out of just drinks. See, I'm not a big alcohol, guys, so you can, you said there's a lot in, I can barely taste it. So I'm going to say, like, a good nine as well. Is it like a... But I don't know what a 10 is. Like a phanta lemon would be like a 7. What's your number 10?
Starting point is 00:04:06 What's a 10 out of 10 drink for you, just all drinks? It has to be a nice cold beer. I've got cold beers as well. On a summer's day. What's your brand? Actually, now I've thought about the summer, winter, a Guinness. It's a Guinness. Oh, Guinness and Winner.
Starting point is 00:04:21 That's a hard 10. Yeah, in an old Irish pub. Like, he really smells like wood and leather. Fire on. Big fan of that. Yeah. Making me miss winter and we're not even in the fucking summer. Drinks are seasonal, aren't they?
Starting point is 00:04:33 Diamond, what's your number one drink as? in a drink that you would give a 10, alcoholic or non-alcoholic? I'm a fucking nightmare, so I just drink that pink monster. Pink monster, fuck me. Never had a margarita, pink monster on ice. What a fucking guy. I'll tell you what mine is. Go on.
Starting point is 00:04:50 I feel like you were even going to hard agree. There's going to be like a look of, oh my God, you're right, or you're going to disagree. Specifically, Japanese grape fanta. Do you know the one I mean? Have you ever had it? No. Fucking amazing Is it?
Starting point is 00:05:06 Purple can Yeah But it's not like that American grape flavor Yeah That's where it can go wrong I feel Yeah the grape
Starting point is 00:05:13 When it's not a real grape Yeah it's too sweet Japanese grape fanta Okay The fucking one Actually yeah Now you say it The green melon
Starting point is 00:05:22 Raminet soda Oh there you go Back on the Japanese shit Yeah Time's lippy today Because he's had a drink He's had a fucking He's drunk already
Starting point is 00:05:30 Ben Thatcher A.K. Benji Talent What do I call you? Ben's fine. Just Ben. Where did talent come from versus Thatcher?
Starting point is 00:05:40 Billy Talent. Really? I love Billy Talent. That's literally what it was. Yeah, and it was my MSN name. And you just stayed? And it stayed that way. I haven't even changed it.
Starting point is 00:05:50 I know, yeah, because in my head before we actually met, I was like, I wonder if his second name is just talent. No. Talented man. Don't really like the name Thatcher either. Why not? Oh. Commentations.
Starting point is 00:05:59 Big connotation. Yeah. And my girlfriend's Irish. So she doesn't. Not a big fan in Ireland, Thatcher. What you should do? Take her name. Not to put you on the spot.
Starting point is 00:06:09 No. I'm getting married. No. We're not, well, that's why we're not getting married. Just the name. To ruin. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:06:16 I mean, it's just a name, isn't it? And it's, uh, but Talent and Thatcher, it wasn't a, it wasn't a thing. It wasn't like, I hate my name. I need to change it.
Starting point is 00:06:27 No. It was just that I love Billy Talent. Do you know those guys? Yeah. Isn't that weird? Like you were an MSN kid. Did you? Yeah, twice.
Starting point is 00:06:36 What, like a full set? No, I'd just come on and do a couple of songs. What did you do? The first time was at the Roundhouse, and I did, this is how it goes, which is my first song of theirs I heard. And then I did River Below in Brighton. They just let you, but I guess you are.
Starting point is 00:06:51 It's well known that you're a good drummer. Thank you. If I was in the crowd and I didn't know who you were, I'd be like, why you letting someone else play that song? Yeah. But I bet you smashed it. I saw you smash Phil Collins lately. You actually were there.
Starting point is 00:07:06 I was there. Yeah, that was a... You killed it. You smashed it. It certainly did you. Yeah, but you were in a different realm. No. I find, yeah, because you had the...
Starting point is 00:07:18 You were playing your tunes. Yeah, I did assist. They're technically very difficult. And so there was a lot of people doing this in the crowd. It was quite scary for them. If anyone doesn't know what we're talking about, me and Ben both played. the Zildian 400th.
Starting point is 00:07:34 Yeah. It was really fun. It's not often you get to go to a 400, 400th birthday. It's not ever, really. I don't know many 400th. I can't think of another 400th that I'd go to. Just went to Tammar's 80th. Eightieth.
Starting point is 00:07:49 Yeah, nowhere near. Yeah, not even, I think it was 50th. You won't even make their 400th. There advances in technology I might. I might be frozen. I don't think that's in our time. Or it's Mars attacks yesterday, actually. No, it's just fresh on my brain.
Starting point is 00:08:03 that sort of taking the head off, putting it on, Pamela. I think we need to do the face off things first, don't we? The movie. Yeah, that's the first thing. Yeah, great movie, yeah. I went for a thing in the pandemic. I'm sorry we're not talking about Royal Blood, but fuck you. I went for a thing in the pandemic where I went through classic Nick Cage movies.
Starting point is 00:08:22 Some underrated bangers, the rock. Not seen that. You haven't seen The Rock? No. I was thinking of, what's the one where he's a prisoner on the plane? What's that one? Conner, yeah. Conner is fucking...
Starting point is 00:08:34 With a bunny. Yeah, Conner is number one for me. And now I go face off, but then I go to Rock. Sean Connery. So it's... It's on Alcatraz. They filmed it on Alcatraz. Wow.
Starting point is 00:08:44 And it's like this little, like, chemical weapon that can just kill everyone. And it's like... Maybe we should watch it tonight. We should watch it work. You want to go out for dinner? Yeah, but then we'll watch. I'll watch the fuck it. I've got it bought on Prime.
Starting point is 00:08:58 That's how dedicated I am to the fucking rock. Have you ever bought anything on YouTube? one thing. What? Wait, what have you bought on YouTube first? One thing.
Starting point is 00:09:07 I wonder if we bought the same. No, it's definitely not. I brought it legend. Tom Hardy. Yeah. Why did you buy it on YouTube? It's on everything.
Starting point is 00:09:14 Yeah, but I think at the time it wasn't. Ah. Do you know what mine is? What? Life's too short. Oh, yeah. With the Ricky Jervais,
Starting point is 00:09:21 Stephen Merchant, Warwick Davis. Yeah. I think it got taken off streaming platforms because some of it some of it, some of it,
Starting point is 00:09:31 you can't really say anymore. And then I was like, I really want to watch it because it's fucking funny. Yeah, it's great. And the only place I had it was YouTube. Okay. So sometimes I'll dip back into that. Are you a YouTube premium man? No. If you thought about it. I don't really go on it. You're not a YouTuber.
Starting point is 00:09:46 I'm not a YouTuber. What the fuck do you do in your spare time? Instagram Reels. Really? No, I don't. Just saying yes. Yeah. Becca, my girlfriend, she's a TikTok. Like. All the good girls are TikTok girls.
Starting point is 00:09:59 She takes the piss out of me when I tell her about a real well is she like team ticot yeah and she's already seen like months ago well I'm sending her have you got a TikTok no I have one right and all I do is post a podcast clips I don't bother with like trying to be funny or a trend
Starting point is 00:10:15 that makes sense I guess it makes decent money that's the thing that's shocking about TikTok to me right like I'll just post and close it and forget about it and I posted a video yesterday about with Will Thompson about like top five job stopping tattoos
Starting point is 00:10:31 Yes, I saw that. And I just popped it on. Yeah. And I was like, I forget about that. And I opened it up today. And it made 168 quid. Wow. That's amazing.
Starting point is 00:10:41 I know. And I was like, fuck. Yeah. That's dinner paid for. I know. Yeah. I got you on that. I got you on that.
Starting point is 00:10:48 YouTube premium. So, wait, wait, wait, man. Let's get into the man. Yeah. For disclaimer, we know each other. Yeah. But we're always really drunk when we hang out. Which is going to happen in a minute anyway.
Starting point is 00:11:01 Yes. nothing's going to... Nothing's going to fucking change. There'll be cuts in the episode where suddenly there's different drinks on the table. That's what will happen. It's a bit like the hot ones, isn't it? I would love to...
Starting point is 00:11:13 See, the thing with them, they have... They have that thing. They have something to do together. Which everyone knows. Well, obviously, I know you, so this is a fucking breeze. Yeah. But, like, sometimes there's someone sat there
Starting point is 00:11:25 and we don't know each other. Yeah, a bit awkward. Yeah, and I'm like fucking... Yeah. Scrabbling around for... If I could just make him eat a fucking hot wing and shut the fuck up, then it'd be fine. What does the man Ben Thatcher do in his downtime? I love to watch football, and I go to the football.
Starting point is 00:11:42 I'm a big Brighton fan, and I love walking my dog. I actually don't really get bored when I'm at home. So I think I'm on the road so much of the year that when I come back, I just want to do nothing. Do you get in trouble from your girlfriend for not wanting to do things when you get home? Not so much. I get more in trouble when I come back because I feel like the Saviars return I'm like, babe, I'm back
Starting point is 00:12:07 and she doesn't care. That's a good way to be though. Yeah, but I think like she's just so, she likes her routine and that and I just come in the first week's chaos because I just disrupt it all and I'm like, hey, what's up? But then I think when you're at home
Starting point is 00:12:26 you get into like a routine. I love like mundane things like, doing the washing. You love doing the washing? I love doing the laundry. What rig have you got? Because I know something about you and it is that... I've got a good rig, yeah.
Starting point is 00:12:39 We've bonded before about being UK people who are world travelers and we've seen the site. Now I know for a fact you have air conditioning. In my bedroom, yeah. In your fucking bed, which is not, if you're watching this in the States, you've got air conditioning, that's fine. Yeah. That's not done here.
Starting point is 00:12:58 It's not done here. It's not. And it's getting. hotter. And you've done it. I have. So what's this? Have you got a washer dryer? I haven't separate. But you got a good dryer? Yeah. Like a, like, oh yeah, it's got Wi-Fi and shit. I get a message anywhere in the world when the washing load is done. I know that before anyone. That's fucking sick. How are you, how are they plugging this dryer in,
Starting point is 00:13:21 though? Because I looked at dryers. My mom had a tumble dryer. Yeah. It didn't, it, it just tumbled. There was no dry. Oh, really? Yeah. Oh no, it's just like heat, isn't it? You got a full, like, I'm in America rig, because I love to, I'll hold my hands up. Yeah. I love doing laundry in America because it's put things in one thing
Starting point is 00:13:40 then put it in the other thing, then fold. That's it. Hanging is when I'm out. I'm out on a hang. As you can see up there. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Shit hanging up there. You can't do that on the road either.
Starting point is 00:13:52 You can't have things hanging. Fuck, no, you can't. I often have people, like you give it, give it to a fluff and fold on the road, so you're not actually involved. In the process. Oh, you're at that next level. I like the process.
Starting point is 00:14:03 Yeah. And I like putting things in it that make it smell nice. This actually brings us on to our, something that I wanted to talk about quite nicely. Now, I once had a little peek into your dressing room. Do you know where I'm going with this? You're going to go on to the sausages, aren't you? No.
Starting point is 00:14:20 No? What's the sausages? I'll teach you that in a bit. We'll cut to that, maybe we are talking about the same thing. Is it the T-shirt rolled up in the socks? It's absolutely that. Yeah, that's why I call the sausage, the tour sausage. Would you like to talk me through it?
Starting point is 00:14:34 Because I was quite shocked when I first saw it. So I'm just very consistent, let's say, with my packing. And I wear the same trousers, same shoes most days, jacket. But the base layer is your pants, your socks and your t-shirt. Yeah. Which I have the same every single day, which is just a black t-shirt, which is just a black t-shirt, which you fold up your black t-shirt and then you put your underwear in the middle and then sock either side yeah this is this is what i remember then you roll up and then you tuck the socks
Starting point is 00:15:11 in so it becomes this like sausage shape and then that's you set and that's that and how many of those go and it's in a big flight case yeah have them in a flight case that how many are loaded in there i go 10 10 at a time 10 and then the fluffer all go clean them but also i have like little spare things just in case I remember seeing a lot of hats. Yeah, there's a hat rack. Hat rack. Yeah. The dream.
Starting point is 00:15:33 Yeah, it's good. Is that the sort of thing? Have you ever been in a band that had more than two people? Yeah, loads. Not loads of people, but loads of bands with more people. Pros and cons? Definitely at the start, it's difficult with more people because people have jobs. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:15:50 And it's hard to live the dream in that way, isn't it? It's hard to get everyone on the same boat. Yeah. I guess for Royal Blood, we based the whole thing on restriction. It was whatever we could both do together. And it worked. What year did you start Royal Blood? 2013.
Starting point is 00:16:11 Just jamming. Yeah, well, Mike, so Mike called whatever he was doing Royal Blood, really. And he had, he went out to Australia and was doing raw blood. He started it really out there with another guy. And then came back from Australia. and then we were in the rooms together and just writing songs. He had like a couple of skeletons. He basically had that the bass sound.
Starting point is 00:16:37 Yeah. And it was like struck gold. It's like it's crazy, isn't it? Yeah. It's just like that's Royal Blood. You hear it and it has been emulated since then. Then when we played together, it was like, okay, this is it. We've, you know, the chemistry between that and the dynamics.
Starting point is 00:16:56 It just works. I can only dream of having two people in a band. Decisions get made quick. Decisions? There's no possible. I guess, though, do you have, like, someone who is a decider, like the tiebreaker? No. We have never really had a disagreement about anything.
Starting point is 00:17:17 We both, musically, are focused on the same thing, and it's about writing the best song. And we both normally come to the same conclusion. That's a, you are in a dream. Yeah. Fucking dream. Speaking of Nicholas Cage, your dream scenario. You've seen that movie?
Starting point is 00:17:32 No, I haven't. It's fucking great. It's new. It's new. It's new. It's fucking weird. This is a movie podcast now. Oh, how about that one?
Starting point is 00:17:40 Is it Knowing? Is that Nicholas Cage? No, it's Knowing. Is it about aliens? Yeah, it's about end of the world. Shit. I can hear Simon typing away. Simon.
Starting point is 00:17:50 Knowing. That is Nick Cage, yeah. Thank you. Give me the synopsis of knowing. When John learns. about the time capsule containing cryptic messages about the coming apocalypse that mentions dates of disasters he sets out to prevent them. Is it good?
Starting point is 00:18:06 You haven't you seen it? I have seen it. I have seen it. I have seen it. Yeah. Are you a DVDs man? I was, yeah. What about now?
Starting point is 00:18:15 No. I don't know why I'm obsessed with knowing about your home life. Actually, I do have them all still. I got rid of all the cases. Put them in folders. Alphabetic. You got a lick of the tism? Probably.
Starting point is 00:18:27 Do you know what? The clothes rolled up. The thing is, all of those things do say that. Yeah. But I... It's a spectrum. I don't know. Maybe.
Starting point is 00:18:38 Maybe it's OCD. Could be that. I don't like to label it. Yeah, nice. Good for you. Yeah. I just think I'm, I like, I like organization. I like knowing where things are.
Starting point is 00:18:48 I like order. Is that the opposite of ADHD? No, because I think I have a bit of that as well. We're all just fucked. Drummers often have... Yeah. I'm definitely fucked. I was talking to Simon
Starting point is 00:18:59 when I was bringing these margaritas over, I was like, I had to use every single bit of CPU in my brain to get them over here without spilling. I'm the same. I used to be a barman. I couldn't even like, couldn't take trays over at all.
Starting point is 00:19:13 But you think that's now because you've got stuff like a fluffer to go and fucking do you. Maybe. Like, because I get, there's certain levels of like, getting comfortable in music. And once you go past them,
Starting point is 00:19:26 it's hard to go back. Let me ask you this. When was the last time you flew an economy? Not too long ago, but it wasn't by choice. You can't go back. It's difficult to. I have to go back because we don't have the money. But when I'm doing something for my own...
Starting point is 00:19:44 Again, two-piece. Oh, that's what I mean. Yeah. I'm so... I want to kick everyone else out of my band. Yeah. It's me and Tom and I'll sing. It's another, yeah, it's another pro for the two-piece.
Starting point is 00:19:54 But, yeah, it's different. When you get a two-piece, let's say business class flight, when you get, let's say you're going to the States. Yeah. B.A.? What are you flying with? B.A.? Yeah, I'm assuming B.A. Clicking the points. Are you next? Yeah, same.
Starting point is 00:20:09 Well, you're gold? Yeah. I'm so close to gold, but I'm not going to make it before my tier point ends. Come on B.A. Come on. Give me some fucking free shit. At this point in the podcast, you are probably thinking, how can I start a band and be as cool as the guest in this podcast?
Starting point is 00:20:24 Well, I mean, I play the guitar. but usually I just play it without an amplifier because I can't afford an amplifier and all sorts of stuff like that will stop because the lovely people at Neural DSP are giving you 35% off plugins. You can make yourself sound like royal blood. You can make yourself sound like Gojira with archetype Gojira. There's a, I think I'm saying it right, rabia, rabia, I don't know. You know the guy with the afro? Well, he's got a absolutely rocking pack. If you play the bass, right, I'm not going to slag you off right you know what i'm thinking about it realistically if i didn't play drums i'll probably play the bass well they've got the base they've got a dark glass pack
Starting point is 00:21:04 they've got nollie's own pack we love nollie on the podcast neuraldsp dot com use the code the downbeat and you can get 35% off any plugin you can sound great you just plug in you go plug in press a couple of buttons away you go neuraldisp dot com the code is the downbeat do you ever have you know because it's like two pods next to each other is it ever you and mine used we used to do that but we both like the window seats so um we're both away and there's other randoms in between yeah because if you're in business you only have like the one seat do you ever talk over the over the random person about anything no i don't know why i'm i'm so obsessed with your home life yeah and the two-piece dynamic in my head it's like a
Starting point is 00:21:53 fucking like a Harry Emfield, like sketch, like a double team thing. Yeah, well, it used to be a lot different. Maybe not in the greatest way. When Mike's made a lot of changes to himself, he stopped drinking, which he's absolutely nailed and like he's doing so well with it. And yeah, he's just, he's a very different person to me in that way. He, he's well into magic. I don't know if you've seen any of the car tricks.
Starting point is 00:22:22 David Lane. And he's very, yeah, he's very good at them. Is he? Stroke one up to the royal blood, tism. Yeah. Tism test. And then he, he's really into fitness. He's got like weighted vests that he's running around in.
Starting point is 00:22:37 I mean, you're into your fitness. I am, but I'm also into my drinking. Yeah. But they are at odds with each other, yeah. Yeah. See, I hate running, but I do it sometimes. I sometimes go to the gym. I think if you quit drinking, you'd go mad on the gym.
Starting point is 00:22:52 Yeah. I feel like we're very similar. Yes, I think so. What's your tour bus situation if there's two of you? Two people on the bus? No, we travel with all the crew. Oh, no offense. That sucks.
Starting point is 00:23:02 No, it's great because we have all the crew, mainly from Brighton, actually. Oh, they're all just fucking mates? They've all been with us from the start. Okay, that wasn't a shade on crew. It was more like, in my head, like I'm just imagining having two people on the bus would be fucking amazing.
Starting point is 00:23:21 Yeah, well, we've had a, We've had a couple of times where we've had to have like two or three buses, and our bus has become a little bit vacant. I suppose you would get fucking... I'm saying it like it's a really good thing, but I would get so fucking bored. You've got a drum tech's your boy. He's been your drum tech for a minute.
Starting point is 00:23:39 Yeah, Davey, shout out. What's the other crew? You don't have to give them names, but I just mean like the numbers of crew on a two-piece. We have 16 normally with us. But you do have... There's the guy that also, I don't know his name, I'm sorry, plays a couple of simps and stuff. Darren, Darren Watts, yeah.
Starting point is 00:23:58 So he's, does he count as crew or band or what's? He counts as band normally. He travels with band a lot because that's our schedule. 16 people to deal with two of you. Yeah, it depends on the production of things, but yeah, normally it's about 16. Monitors, lights. Real fucking, real rock show. It is, yeah.
Starting point is 00:24:21 coming tomorrow. Good for you. Of course I am. Do you know how close it is to hear? No. You're on a fucking dock where I am actually, but I'm going to. You're swimming. Swimming.
Starting point is 00:24:29 That's where it is. And that's where we are. It's fucking on this street. I walked from there to get to here. Oh, really? I would love to come. Amazing. Yeah, we've got no one on our guest list, so as many as you want.
Starting point is 00:24:44 How does this Royal Blood write a song? Different ways every time. Sometimes it comes from riffs. sometimes it comes from drums. Are you in a room together or is it like Michael record it, send it to you? Depends. Let's take a hit. Let's take the hit.
Starting point is 00:25:02 Let's take number one. What is that? What are you putting as your number one before I say, what's your number one? I can figure it out. Yeah, that's number one. Yeah, that was Mike. Mike sty that intro. Are you in a room together?
Starting point is 00:25:12 No, he did that before and he showed me. And I was like, done. It comes to you as a full demo. Yeah, pretty much. Now, yeah, I think that, I think so. I think he had all of that until, and then I think I put things in at the end and like, when he goes, da-da-da-da-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-dit. I'm intrigued with like how obviously being only two of you, no disagreements,
Starting point is 00:25:42 how much input either side has. Yeah, I think we both listen to each other. And I think we both, like, out of the black was, Both of us in a pub, and I was just tapping it out on the table. And he was playing stuff, and he was like, I was like, how about you just copy me? And then that's how that kind of came up. It's playing stuff in the pub? No, no.
Starting point is 00:26:04 So I was doing that in the pub. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then when we came to do it, and he was like figuring stuff out. How often do you get together and have like a jam, or is it way past that? We did on the, like, the first and second record. third was pretty much demos that drums that he was programming
Starting point is 00:26:25 but that was a bit of a diversion from our normal sound and it was during COVID and then the third one we did go back to playing together a little bit and it doesn't take long like we'll start playing some stuff and then it
Starting point is 00:26:41 you need to hear it what it sounds like on through the speakers so you just loop like parts of my drums and then he will just write to that for a bit. How long does it take you to record an album? Like the actual process of recording it? It can probably take up to a year. Wow.
Starting point is 00:26:57 We like to take our time with them. We've had four records out and it's been 10 years. So yeah. Four records, 10 years. A lot of big, a lot of famous fans. You've got like famous fans. That happened quite early. And I think it was about the time of us coming out.
Starting point is 00:27:13 And I think at the time when Royal Blood came out, there wasn't a lot of rock music. in the mainstream. There was Biffy Cliro, bowls. I got beef of Bivy Cliro. Have you? Yeah. And then you,
Starting point is 00:27:27 I would literally put you guys in, in with that. But all of those guys were a lot older than us as well and had done it for a lot longer than us. Yeah. So when we came out and it was a two piece, it was like we got people's attention
Starting point is 00:27:40 and we had a number one record very quickly. What do you attribute that to? Because it was real fast, you were just suddenly massive. I think we had to be prepared. Like we had been so many bands before Royal Blood and we knew how to play together. So when we did get that bit of interest,
Starting point is 00:28:02 we were like, right, let's ride this wave, let's go with it. And we've kept it going. Was there ever a moment where you thought, oh my God, my band is big? Glass and Bree the first time we played it. I didn't expect. We were playing at that time to like 200 caps.
Starting point is 00:28:17 venues selling them out and then we played glastonbury and there was we filled the tent and more what year was this 2014 or 15 14 let's go 14 yes this is the john peel tent r i p yeah and then it's not called that anymore though is it isn't it it got renamed to the woodsies the woodsies thank you you do glass and brie yeah but obviously there's not big money by that point i yeah i yeah I don't really know what's going on. You were just like, this is... I'm in this whirlwind of excitement with the band. And also, at that time, yeah, we had no idea what was going to happen.
Starting point is 00:28:58 We were just enjoying finally... Best way to be. Yeah. Authentic. Now look at you're getting a fluffer to do your fucking laundry. I know. So obviously, stratospheric success happens. You know, it happens.
Starting point is 00:29:12 You get there. Do you ever buy your... Other than air conditioning in your bedroom. Did you ever buy yourself something with like when you got like first album advance that was fucking massive? You've bought anything extravagant? No, I've been very down to earth.
Starting point is 00:29:27 No extravagancies. Apart from, I mean, I bought a house. Yeah, but that's a necessity. Yeah. Nothing.
Starting point is 00:29:33 You haven't got one thing that's, you haven't got one thing in your possession. You were like, I shouldn't have fucking paid for that. No. Not a single thing. I have bought things for people that have maybe been that, but not for myself.
Starting point is 00:29:44 What an altruist. Yeah. Anything that springs to mind? Yeah. Well, I don't regret this at all, but we had a bit of an in-joke with our tool manager, Steve, at the time. And every time we went to Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, we would always go into the Paul Smith store. Yeah, I know the one. There was this rubber cactus that was up there.
Starting point is 00:30:07 And we would always ask about how much it was. And just because it was ridiculous. and it was a fair few quid. And Mike and I thought it would be funny one time to, for his Christmas present, to buy the cactus. The one from Heathrow Airport. Yeah. Amazing.
Starting point is 00:30:28 So we, yeah, we bought him the cactus. That's fucking... And it's, yes, absolutely. I'm looking at your... The bear brick. No, the scratching... Have you got a cat? Yeah, this is a cat.
Starting point is 00:30:41 That's not for me. Yeah. Yeah, but it looks. little bit like the cactus. Oh, right. I thought you were looking at... Kind of like triggered me, I think. I thought you were looking at the bare brick,
Starting point is 00:30:49 which is also an extravagantly stupid amount of money. Very similar. Yeah, very similar. Really fucking expensive for what it fucking is. That would be my one, actually. Incident. Incidentally. There we go.
Starting point is 00:31:01 Both together. I love fucking dumb shit. Yeah. I love fucking dumb shit. I brought a nice car. Yeah, that's what I was getting at. Yeah. What did you get?
Starting point is 00:31:09 I got a brand new... This is a bit of a hairdress. car but it was an Audi TT Roadster so it was that's very you yeah it was um very fast and it had two seats so I didn't have to take
Starting point is 00:31:23 anyone with me perfect you still got it no we got a dog so I had to change you oh no yeah what we've got now like family run around I have a Q3 I do like a Q3 though I looked at a Q3 I got an S3 and I did look at a Q3 yeah
Starting point is 00:31:39 I'm a big Audi guy so am I fucking love an Audi they're great it's a shame I've had so much drink, otherwise you can have a spin in mind. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Speaking of your famous fans, do you remember these?
Starting point is 00:31:51 Yes. Have you seen what I've done to it now? If you're just listening to the audio, I get no fucking money from it, so watch on YouTube. Someone made me. We were actually just this pair of drumsticks. That is amazing.
Starting point is 00:32:06 Ben gave me these, who he got from the man. Yeah, himself. Would you like to tell the story of how that happened? Because they're a treasure possession of me. Someone made me this. That's very good. Well, Lars has been a big fan, and I'm a fan of his.
Starting point is 00:32:25 As a person and as a drummer, I fucking love him. I don't know him as a person, but I love him as a drummer. He's brilliant. You need to get out to the architect shows. I can't. I can't. I can't. There was one this weekend.
Starting point is 00:32:43 to come to a show and to show his face. And he's such a good hang. Amazing. And I've been lucky enough to see him a few times and sit side stage. And those drum kits, those drumsticks came my way. And I was like,
Starting point is 00:33:06 I know I need to get these to you. Do you remember how they came your way though? Because there's a photo. It's a photo. Yeah, because you were aware. Oh, of course, yeah. I was wearing the last t-shirt that you made. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:33:19 Of course, yeah. And then he gave you the sticks to give to me. Yes. Which is incredible. And I don't know, no, you know this because I had to send five more t-shirts to his wife. And I don't know what happened with those. His kids probably have the...
Starting point is 00:33:36 Yeah, I assume somewhere there is a family photo. Of, yeah. Family all rich, my fucking literally... literal God wearing a t-shirt that I made with him on it. I would love to know. I think Jess sent me one of her wearing it. I'd love there to be a family for it. I would literally, I'd kill myself with happiness. Well, do you know those boys as well? They play in a band called Taipei Houston. I thought you were about so type A negative.
Starting point is 00:34:01 Type A, no. Lars's two of those boys. Oh, type A, like the place? Yes. Yeah. I've seen it. I haven't heard it. Well, there are now a three piece, but they were a two piece. Both of them in the same band? Yeah. Tell me one of them as a drummer. Yeah. Thank God.
Starting point is 00:34:14 Lane and Miles, man. I'm a big, I'm a big Lars fan. There's a bit of Lars in your playing. There's a bit of Phil in your playing. You've got some... Yeah, there's bits of... There's a bit of old-school influences. There is.
Starting point is 00:34:25 What would you say your top five? Top five. Influenced, drummers. I've gone backwards with this, so... Dave Grell would be one of mine, and then I went backwards to Bonham. So, because he got influenced by Bonham, obviously. John Theodore
Starting point is 00:34:44 So good From the Mars Valter record Oh That intro When it just blew my mind And then Yeah then when Him with Queens is just
Starting point is 00:34:57 Incredible I've never seen him with Queens And I'm desperate to Oh he's amazing He's amazing Chad Smith Great drummer You said that
Starting point is 00:35:05 You said that like it was a No he was Blood Sugar Sex Magic Was one of the first records I ever remember playing to So that's how many have I done now? Four. All big hitters.
Starting point is 00:35:18 I have to go, Taylor Hawkins. You've literally just said the five rock drummers. Yeah, I know. That's good. That's a good thing though. And it comes across in your playing. Yeah. Did you ever meet Taylor?
Starting point is 00:35:29 Yeah. We toured with them in 2015. Oh, fuck. Yeah. So that hit extra hard. Yeah. We had a great time with him. He was obsessed with the police.
Starting point is 00:35:41 when I was just... I assume the band, not the organisation. Yeah, he loved Stuart Copeland and he loved Roger Taylor and he would just fucking be listening to that the whole time. He was a machine. Great fucking drummer.
Starting point is 00:35:58 Yeah. Big RIP there. Bonham as well, right? Sometimes I forget how fucking good Bonham was and then I'll play... Because if you're out and about and you hear a Led Zeppelin song, it's never like fooling.
Starting point is 00:36:11 the rain or anything like where there's real fucking some bonham magic on it yeah and then when you go back it's like he was doing shit yeah 30 years before everyone else oh yeah john bonham was like the mishugger yeah of 1970s yeah insane every every drummer that i love has has been inspired by him so yeah i feel like i'm a bit like you i was machined backwards from john bonham i would get into a drummer and then they would be super influenced by john bonham and then they would be super influenced by john bonham and then I went backwards. Yeah. Oh,
Starting point is 00:36:42 this is the guy it came from. And I think that's the same with, like, Chad Smith with him with, uh, the James Brown drummers and all that funk stuff and, moving the back beat to the end of four. Spicy.
Starting point is 00:36:54 Neil Purt as well. Like, that was Taylor again. Yeah. I feel like I'm sort of, I mean, I did used to love Rush, but like my,
Starting point is 00:37:04 the things that interest me with like parodils and shit like that. Mm-hmm. Came from like Gojira. Mm-hmm. But that came from, fucking Neil Perk. Yeah, exactly. He was the guy
Starting point is 00:37:13 that started doing the paradigdal shit. Simon Paradigdal, do you know what it is? I know it's a drum thing. Do you know what the... Look it up, Simon. Do you know what the sticking
Starting point is 00:37:23 is without looking it up? I have no idea. No. Now do it. I mean, everyone says that you're like the Paradigidol guy. Yeah, and it should be the guy from Gojira,
Starting point is 00:37:33 but I've fucking stolen it. You've coined it. So people will backwards engineer for me. There we go. I'm well into that. Well, guess what? He needs it off. this guy who nicked it off of this guy.
Starting point is 00:37:42 There you go. The way it is, though, and I feel like drums is the only instrument where we're like okay with it. We're like rip each other off and we do shit. And everyone's like, oh, that's fucking sick. Yeah. But if you ripped off a chord progression, everyone goes fucking mental.
Starting point is 00:37:57 I guess you can get like licks off the Hendrix lick, Jimmy Page lick. If you did it note for note, like we often do. Yeah. Yeah. Speaking of people getting annoyed, we're in Scotland. Oh, okay.
Starting point is 00:38:11 we go in there what the fuck happened it was a radio one event and we were playing in between Noel Horan from one direction and Lewis Capaldi
Starting point is 00:38:23 very poppy yeah and it was a radio event you know we were there for Radio one and the audience win tickets to be there so nothing's paid for
Starting point is 00:38:38 or like yeah or anything like that and you you know there's people that do like royal blood and there's people that don't move it's free tickets and louis capaldi being being the biggest fucking artist in scotland yeah you'd assume oh yeah almost everyone's and him and nile will have a thing yeah and uh we were a little bit we felt a little bit awkward i guess and we went on did our thing we had fun um said a few silly things did a few silly acts and then it blows up the next day.
Starting point is 00:39:11 But we had a good show. We didn't mean any offence and yeah, just got blown out proportion. What was the silly thing? I think Mike walked off with his fingers in the air. Yeah, I'm struggling. But he was a joke. He wasn't angry. He came off and we were like laughing about it.
Starting point is 00:39:29 Yeah, I feel like he got totally blown out of proportion. It did. People fucking hated us. People went fucking mental for it. And there was people saying for you, like, you were spitting at the crowd, and it was like, you were just fucking... I know. I think there's just people that didn't understand, like, a rock drummer.
Starting point is 00:39:44 That's what we do. Yeah. I spit a bit of fucking water around. Yeah, I didn't even do... I think I just did a little... I saw people call... Yeah, but people do all the fucking time. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:39:53 People calling you Tories. My dog got called a Tory. Your dog got called a Tory. And then there's the Waitrose thing. What was the Waitrose thing? Just these guys shop at Waitrose. Which is fine. I've got nothing against waitress.
Starting point is 00:40:06 Yeah, Wade Troyes is pretty fucking good. But I'm more of an M&S guy. You an Eminet's? Even more Tory than Waitrose. Yeah, but it's nearer to my house. But then I do the M, I do, I'm not going to even say it. I do three shops. Yeah, I'm a bit, I'm a multi-shopper.
Starting point is 00:40:21 Because Eminest don't, Eminest just do their own shit. Eminest can't be your main shop. No, you do your main shop. I'm fucking agree with everyone. Yeah, you go to Asda or Sainspris for your bits. For your bits. What are you going out of MNS then? I get more of the...
Starting point is 00:40:36 Acutramant. Yeah, just the chakouteries. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, all that stuff. The meat, the more meats and cheeses. The Tory shit I get from there. I get the Tory shit from there.
Starting point is 00:40:50 I don't get it from fucking wherever. But you get your products from... What's your main product, product place? ASDA. Asda. Now, this man is not a Tory. He's going to ASDA. The ASDA and M&S are super near each other.
Starting point is 00:41:03 So I just go from one to the other. and then yeah go home do you want to know a funny thing about scotland got one waitrose that's maybe why they were calling us wait true yeah yeah there's one and it's in the west end of glasgow maybe not in the whole of scotland but the one in glasgow it's in the west end and actually listen i love waitrose it's when you actually when you i've done it when you crunch those numbers yes against a morrison's now morrison's i think is the this is i'll go out on a limit if you're just listening to us this in America. You've got no fucking idea
Starting point is 00:41:36 what we're talking about. I will go out on a limb and say that actually Morrisons... It's more Tory. Is the more Tory. And this is why. Because it is marketed
Starting point is 00:41:45 at the working class but the prices... Did you get the double meanings? Absolutely fuck the working class because the cost of stuff in Morrisons is the same as Waitrose but they got the ads with all the guy
Starting point is 00:42:02 with all the normal people. Yeah. They're fucking you. Like the Tories are. But Waitrose, same price, has that posh connotation, is better. Yeah. The guy behind the deli at Waitrose stream. Andy, shout to Andy.
Starting point is 00:42:21 Again, I'm trying to talk about the band. Now we're on fucking, what's your supermarket? What's your supermarket? I think I heard your back on Twitter. I think I've got some shit. Yeah, you did. Thank you. I got you as well.
Starting point is 00:42:33 And is what it is. It's gone. It's past. We were the news that week. And we were actually on the news. That's how mad it was. Grand scheme of things. Good publicity.
Starting point is 00:42:45 Or bad publicity? It was bad. I had a really bad week. Yeah, you were quite cut up. It was, um, it wasn't nice. The things people were saying, that's weird though. For something, for such a benign situation to get you that much hate. That was one of a few turning points in,
Starting point is 00:43:03 Twitter actually that made me stop being on Twitter so much. I came off of it. Listen, when someone deserves a pile on, I'm kind of all for it. When someone's really fucked up, I'm like, yeah, let's fucking go. But like, the mutation to now just like, okay, what's the next fight? And then when I was seeing some real, like, putting your fingers up at a crowd, you're a rock band. Yeah, yeah. that happened the amount of photos that we have from stray and drew is
Starting point is 00:43:33 flipping everyone like that's literally just what you fucking do the thing is we weren't doing that either we weren't he was just walking off stage as a joke was doing that because he knew the cameras were on him it was just like it was just stupid it was it was stupid and we did deserve a little bit of of it not as much as we got but you can't control it and it's it's done it's whatever That's not our band. Our band's about the music and it's about... We're about having a good time.
Starting point is 00:44:03 I mean, the first fucking 10 sentences of this, you were talking about how you hate your second name because it's to do with Margaret Thatcher. The man's not a Tory, confirmed. He's been Tory checked. He's been autism checked. We've done it all. Done all the checks.
Starting point is 00:44:16 Now, I've been around your drum kit a couple of times. Now, just to your left, there's a little custom-made thing. Yeah. A custom-made, what is it? Talk to me about it. It's the tequila box. It's the tequila box.
Starting point is 00:44:30 It's a bit of hardware. Yeah, it's a bit of, um, it's a bit of wood that has a thing cut out of it that holds a nice silver petron. It perfectly fits. I fucking blew my mind when I first saw it. Yeah. Now, was that custom made? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:44:45 Who made it? My drum tech Davies to do that. To do it up and it just comes. Does that fly? Is that a fly item? Yeah, yeah, that comes. It's just one or you've got multiple? Uh, there's just one.
Starting point is 00:44:57 And it flies. It flies. It flies. It's in the fly rig. It just needs that and it has that silver bottle of patron. Yeah. So you've got a bottle of tequila on stage. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:45:06 Mike's sober. Yeah. Sometimes I don't have a tequila bottle on stage nowadays. What do you do with that? That's still there, though. That's still there. Yeah. I put things in it.
Starting point is 00:45:14 That doesn't fit like a bottle of patron. No, it doesn't. Because I've seen that bottle of patron. That is fucking laser. Yeah. Laser tight. And there's a little cup holder with it. Oh, it's glorious.
Starting point is 00:45:24 Sometimes I don't drink. Really? Sometimes I do. For you? Yeah. Never butt heads of like you're drinking and he's not? Is he like, he's real good at it? Yeah, he's done so well with going in his lane and like doing his thing and doing what he wants.
Starting point is 00:45:41 It's the same, Drew, asking her quit drinking. Yeah. Never once has he been like, I can't be around this or whatever. He's just like, yeah, you guys just do whatever. I think there's a commendable. I think that Mike's been sober for six years now. And I think probably at the start of that, It would have, you know, but it's something that I would talk to him about.
Starting point is 00:46:02 And it's not a thing. And also, you can't stop people from doing things that they enjoy. And also, I imagine if he said to you as a problem, you just fucking just get rid of the completely custom-made patron thing. Exactly. Yeah. But also, I know myself. I know my limits.
Starting point is 00:46:18 I know growing older, hangovers are getting worse. I don't, and I want control of what I put in my body. How old are you? I am 36. Fuck me, I'm older than you as well. I'm older than every fucking motherfucker that I bump into these days. I always forget my age. When it comes to mid-30s, I'm like, I think I'm 35.
Starting point is 00:46:37 Am I 37? This happened to me yesterday. Literally, I think I was in bed and I was thinking... How old are my? No, I was thinking about being 35, and I was like, I'll be mad when I'm at 38. And then the other part of my brain was like, my friend, you're 37. Yeah. Like 38 is coming.
Starting point is 00:46:54 In my head, I'm 35. Yeah. That's the same. So old. Yeah, we're getting... Fucking hate it. I hear you on the hangovers, though. I went out last night for the first time
Starting point is 00:47:02 in fucking ages and I had of four drinks. I've been in the fucking bin all day, all day. And now we're packing. I feel fucking great. Now I've had a couple of drinks. I feel great. Here's a story. There's a rehash story.
Starting point is 00:47:14 Okay. You can tell me if we can't talk about it. What about this roadie hurting their bollick? Okay. This was on Stern. I know. I've watched the stern ages ago. I can't remember what the thing.
Starting point is 00:47:24 Poor guy. Is he still with you? He might. might be. Okay. Yeah, let's keep it that way. Absolute legend, yeah.
Starting point is 00:47:30 He, uh, yeah, he just got caught in a bad situation. And, um, for you that are listening, um, be careful when ladies or men are,
Starting point is 00:47:44 or whatever you, any in between, any in between, are sucking your member, member, um, just be careful of the two, the two balls.
Starting point is 00:47:56 What happened? What happened? I wasn't there. But I think what happened is it got a bit intimate, let's say. And I woke up on the bus with a text message from said person. I'm saying I'm just about to go into surgery because one of my testicles has contorted. Wait, so you were out together the night before or he'd gone out? We were out together and then he had gone out further. Gone out further.
Starting point is 00:48:31 Met someone. Yeah, things happened and then things got very complicated in the night. And he had to get the bus driver to pull over. That is an aggressive sex session if you're twisting your bollocks up. Yeah. I actually know a few people who have had a twisted ball. I've got quite lucky. I've got quite small balls.
Starting point is 00:48:50 They sort of stick to themselves. They sort of just fucking tuck up. Yeah. Fingers crossed, no, no issues. Yeah. I'm also not really into. Ballsucking. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:49:02 Yeah. It fucks me out. I'm like, nah, that's not good. Yeah. I'm out on it. I fucking hate it. But bless him, like, we were on Howard Stern the next week. And we had not told anyone about this.
Starting point is 00:49:17 And he was asking us a couple of questions. One was about Mike had just started dating someone. and he was like, Mikey, you know, dating, Mike was like, no, you know. And then he, I was going through a divorce. And he was like, so Ben, what's it like, you know, with you with the ladies? And I was like, oh, it's a bit difficult.
Starting point is 00:49:36 Anyway, we kind of like dismissed those things. And then he was like, so I heard that one of you, the other week got your dick sucked and your balls have fallen off. It wasn't that. It was, I'm paraphrasing. your balls one of your balls exploded
Starting point is 00:49:55 he said actually and we both looked to each other and we're like yes that happened like yeah that it wasn't us how does he get his fucking info I don't know
Starting point is 00:50:06 he's a fucking goat you must have a team big up the divorce group by the way I think that's how we divorced yeah that's how we first fucking
Starting point is 00:50:12 oh yeah this is what I was saying every time we met we've been fucked out of our brains we met at that time in that little cocktail bar maybe we're not divorced we met at that
Starting point is 00:50:22 little cocktail bar. We have mutual friend, Sam Carter. And I was literally going through a divorce and you'd just gone through one. And we were like, fucking, that's right. Boys, a couple of divorce dads just fucking hanging out. Did you do a two truths in a lie for me? You've got it, you've got it. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:50:39 So two truths. Is this a thing that's always on your podcast? I've started to try and do it, but I also don't really understand how the game works. And then also I forget to do it. Okay, so there's two truths and one lie. One lie and I've got to decide for which one is a. Okay, yeah. Here's number one.
Starting point is 00:50:55 Yes. A. A, thank you. One A. I once did a line of cocaine off of George Washington, the first president of America's silver food platter. I want that to be true more than I want anything else in the world. Carry on. Number two, B.
Starting point is 00:51:14 Tennis player John McEnroe once tattooed my arm after I played a show in Madison Square Guard. Wow. These are the fucking best ones. Yeah. Okay. Three. And number three, a few years back, Bono invited me on a boat party down the River Thames. We got smashed and ended up getting a McDonald's at 6 a.m. I'm so stoked that two of these are true, because they're the best ones anyone's ever done. And that's why I asked you, because I was like, this motherfucker's got fucking, this guy's got story bars. Okay, let's break them down. And I'm going to fucking, let's really get into this.
Starting point is 00:51:53 Okay. What was it, George Washington? George Washington's silver platter. Food platter, yeah. Food platter. Where was this? In Fort Lauderdale. Okay.
Starting point is 00:52:02 How did you bump into it? It was owned by someone that I know. Someone owns that? Yeah. It's not in a museum or anything. No, no. This one's the life. This one's the line.
Starting point is 00:52:15 This one's the fucking line. It's in his house. I think I'm just going to say that that one's the lie. Okay. What was the next one? John McElroe tattoo. Madison Square Garden. Where's the tattoo?
Starting point is 00:52:28 On my arm. Let me see it. No. Why not? Wait, have you given me two lies and one truth? No. Oh, you're just really into this. Okay.
Starting point is 00:52:38 So you're not going to show me the tattoo? Nope. Who own the tattoo equipment? Harry Robbins, who tattoos a lot of my tattoos. What was the billing on Madison Square Garden. Queens of the Stone Age. Queen's the Stone Age Royal Blood?
Starting point is 00:52:52 Yeah. Is that a thing that happened? Happens quite a lot. Side note, that's fucking amazing. We've been on tour of them just recently. When was the MSG? November, 2017. I was going to say, fuck me.
Starting point is 00:53:04 What's it? It's just side note. What's it like playing Madison's Prairie Garden? That's on my fucking list. Insane. Yeah, amazing. That's literally a bucket of this venue for me. And it's annoying, right?
Starting point is 00:53:15 Because when the Rangers score, they play, but we've never played there Glasgow Rangers No sorry New York Rangers at Madison's Gregorffey But you're right to think maybe that was a thing No when the New York Rangers Score
Starting point is 00:53:32 They play fortune teller is one of the songs that they play Which is fucking sick That's wicked But also let me fucking play there Yeah John Maccrow so I assume How did John McEnroe get the tattoo needle? He just gets involved
Starting point is 00:53:47 I've been with him a few times. You know John McAro? I don't know him, but I've come across him quite a few times in my life. One of them being retatooed your arm. Yeah, the second time he, um, came up to me and went, Hey, I'm John. I'm an actor. Nice. And I was that, John, I know who you are. Yeah, and you are somewhat of an actor. He is, yeah. But you are a tennis player. Um, what did he tattoo on you, if you're not going to show me? Um, it's like a, it's like a claw. There's no fucking way. Okay, next one. So there's two lies so far.
Starting point is 00:54:22 So far, two lies, I'm going to have to come back. And then Bono's boat party, River Thames. And you've got McDonald's at 6 a.m. Yep, with champagne. At the McDonald's? We brought the champagne with us. Okay.
Starting point is 00:54:36 Where did it more? Where did it, where did it, what do they call it when it fucking kicks a boat off? Do you think I remember that? Well, River Thames? Yeah, I mean, we were, I don't know where we were on the River Thames. Do you know where the McDonald's was? Nope. But I know where we took off from the O2 Arena.
Starting point is 00:54:53 That's what I meant. That's what I meant. Okay. From O2 Arena. You two are playing. Yep. On the boat for a party. Were you supporting or? No, I was just there. Just hanging out. I was there. Bono, how did he ask you? Do you want to come on the boat party?
Starting point is 00:55:07 He had asked me before the gig that this was where the after party was going to be. Now, I get a really rare opportunity to quote Alan Partridge in context. here. Do you know Bono? Do you know Bono? I've met Bono a few times. Yeah. Lovely, lovely man. I look a bit like Bono. Stick a pair of glasses on me. It's fucking Bono, yeah, isn't it? Fucking mad. Do you know his son? Yeah, it's me.
Starting point is 00:55:36 No. He's in the band Inhaler. No. Very good band. What kind of music is it? Rock. Asthma. Oh, it's rock. Rock, asthma. That sort of thing. Yeah. Cortico steroids. inhalers. Anyway, back to this fucking thing. Okay, what did you get in McDonald's?
Starting point is 00:55:53 In McDonald's? I don't remember. You don't remember? No. That doesn't surprise me because you're often in a state of don't remember. But it was at six, eight, it was a McDonald's breakfast. That's what I'm saying. After a night. I thought it was going to catch you out. You were going to say Big Mac and I go, ha. No, it was the breakfast. Bono was in McDonald's?
Starting point is 00:56:09 Yeah, a bottle of champagne. What did Bono? Dublin McMuffin. I think so. I think that's what we both had. The coffee? No, we had champagne. Champagne. But she didn't get the meal?
Starting point is 00:56:21 No. I don't know which one's a lie. I think they're all a fucking lie. Can you just tell me what it is? Because I literally, I think if I had to guess, I'm guessing the fucking George Washington ones are lie because why is your friend going to have a silver platter owned by George Washington? That's the truth.
Starting point is 00:56:37 Divulge before we go on. Yeah, it's just a friend of mine in Miami. Is it a fucking famous friend? No. Why do I still think this is a lie? Tell me the story. We were just at his house and we were being partying. It was after one of our shows.
Starting point is 00:56:54 He's a, yeah, he's a rich man. Yeah. And he was showing me around his house. And he opened up this silver platter. Like you know those ones that haven't been laid on. Like George Washington would have. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And there was just some lines of...
Starting point is 00:57:13 Pre-plined? Mm-hmm. And then you just, right, okay. so now I'm like what the fuck is I don't think John McElroe could tattoo a claw the fact that you said claw made me think maybe it's so obscure though
Starting point is 00:57:30 it's really hard to decipher which one of these is not true I think I'm going to have to find another question what kind of boat was it it was like a ferry Noel Gallagher was DJing no actually Noel Gallagher wasn't DJing he was just there Bono was DJing
Starting point is 00:57:46 Bono was DJing his own boat. I think he was. You think he was or he was. I think he was. You know, definitely wasn't old Gallagher. And you can't remember what you ate. No, I had a McDonald's breakfast. I feel like if I had McDonald's breakfast with Bono, I would remember.
Starting point is 00:58:02 I remember what I had. No, I asked you what you had. You said you didn't remember. No, I didn't remember what he had. What did you have? I had a double sausage denet of McMuffin'Hill. You just know how to live life, my friends. Extra Hash Brown.
Starting point is 00:58:13 Extra Hashbrown? Oh, glorious. Had you disembarked the boat by this point? At McDonald's. Yeah, but I'm trying to think at McDonald's or you disembarked somewhere and went to McDonald's. Yeah, that. Was there a captain?
Starting point is 00:58:26 It must have been. I got nothing. I got nothing to decide for these two fucking things. Does John McElroe have any other tattoo experience? Not that I know. So were you getting tattooed already? And how did him getting involved happen? I was already getting tattooed.
Starting point is 00:58:43 I just gave you that line, but carry on. And he came into the dressing room and did part of it. Ah, now that's... Either way, both of these stories are fucking incredible. I'm going to say the Bono one is the lie. Correct. Yeah. It's a half lie.
Starting point is 00:59:02 A half lie? Yeah. What happened? I did go on a boat with Bono. But it was no McDonald's. It was no McDonald's. Was it after a show and it was an old thing? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:59:11 Did you meet him and his sound and everything? Yeah, he's brilliant. That's fucking cool. You ever play with you two? No. Surely they'd ask you. I think in different realms. You're both in rock world now.
Starting point is 00:59:23 You're just standard rock. No offense. I know you're playing download, but you're rock. Yeah, we're playing download. That's fucking cool. You'd have done it by now, so how was it? Yeah. Well, we first played download 10 years ago.
Starting point is 00:59:37 And this is our comeback. Come back to Download tour. Are you excited? Are you a headline? No. Queens are. When you come to that? I can't.
Starting point is 00:59:46 Where are you going? I've got a, it's this weekend, isn't it? I've got a podcast on Saturday. Yeah, it's this weekend. Yeah, and then I've got, do you know what? I'll say it as well because it'll be out by now. They all asked me to do a live show at Download. Oh, did they?
Starting point is 01:00:00 And the money was like not really enough to cover doing everything. But I was like, okay, I'll do it because I'd like to do it. Yeah. But can you let me, I was going to use my own money to do up a van? Have you ever seen Steveo's podcast? Yes. So I was going to do up a van. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:00:19 And I was just like, do me a favor. Like, loop me in with the press team. Just let me put this van in the backstage, like the actual backstage, not the fucking BIP bit. Yeah. And then I can do podcasts all weekend. That will cover the loss that I'm going to make on hotels for Simon me, guest or whatever and all that stuff.
Starting point is 01:00:36 And then they just ghosted me. Oh. I was really annoyed because I wanted to do it. I had the guests all sorted for the live one. It would have been fucking seen. Could have got Theodore on it. There was so many. that I could have just popped in.
Starting point is 01:00:47 It would have been fucking amazing. If you're watching this, let's do it next year. Please, I want to do it. Okay, so John McEnroe's true. It's not there. Which bit did he do? He just did some of that.
Starting point is 01:01:02 I've got a video. John, no. Go on, John. John, go in a... Be really careful with me. No, no, no. A tiny bit. John, a tiny bit.
Starting point is 01:01:14 A tiny bit. Go on, go on, a tiny bit. Fucking out, John! That's fucking amazing. Yeah. And it went down like you said. He just fucking popped his head in. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:01:28 Does he like rock? Yeah. He plays, I think he plays guitar. He does play guitar. I know he does. He's so sick. Yeah. The episode of curb that he's in is fucking...
Starting point is 01:01:36 Oh, it's brilliant, isn't it? What a fucking guy. Yeah. Double feature, two truths and a lie. Here we go. One more for you. Thank you. Okay, the first one.
Starting point is 01:01:44 I was in a festival in Canada. It was, yeah, outside. It was quite near a lake. and I managed to corner a frog that had got into our dressing room, put it in this little shoe, it wasn't a shoe box, it was a box from the beer box. I put it on the bus and we kept it with us for a few days. You kept the Tor Frog?
Starting point is 01:02:11 Yeah, that was Tor Frog. Okay, next. I got into watercolouring and I did a watercolouring of Kanye West. Okay. Just a portrait. And we were playing at the, I think it was the Brit Awards, and he was doing something there. And I gifted it to him.
Starting point is 01:02:31 And I popped it through his dressing room, and his security guard came back with it and was, he was quite angry. And he was like, who did you guys do this? And I was like, yeah, yeah. And then he just took it away. And I don't know what ever happened to the watercolouring. I did a Kanye West.
Starting point is 01:02:48 Okay. There was another event. This is the third. one another event and Taylor Swift had asked us to go into her dressing room and I was very excited by this news and thought I'd bring a bottle of champagne with me and I kicked the door of Taylor Swift's dressing room and I went way and it shot straight at her head and she literally did that and it just dodged her face and yeah and that was my introduction to Taylor Swift
Starting point is 01:03:27 wow one of those is a lie another three bangers what was the frog's name Jeremy now I know that's true based on knowing you yeah based on the love and affection that came from you telling me that frog's name Jeremy is true Tell me right now Just tell me right now Is Jeremy true
Starting point is 01:03:52 I can't tell you Until we've discussed them all Fucking Jeremy's of the truth Okay that's fine Now I knew it I saw it in your fucking eyes How did you get rid of Jeremy Just while we're on Jeremy
Starting point is 01:04:02 Before I decide for the others We let him go We decided it was enough time To be with us on the bus Do you remember where you let him go In Canada somewhere Some side of the road No it wasn't just a side
Starting point is 01:04:13 It was water Water based Yeah We pulled yeah Jeremy living his best life somewhere else We did have him For a couple of days
Starting point is 01:04:20 On the bus Still in the box Or you let Jeremy Just run free He wasn't He was in the box But we made sure he had water Yeah
Starting point is 01:04:28 He had a good surrounding He wasn't on the bus For that long Did you ever just get him out No I'm terrified You terrified of frogs Yeah but I had a bit of confidence
Starting point is 01:04:38 Because I wanted him to I wanted him to I wanted the story You wanted the story Yeah To tell on a podcast Yeah exactly Let's go
Starting point is 01:04:46 Taylor Swift next What was the meaning of her wanting you to go to the dressing room Irrespective of what happened They were opposite each other I think there was some award ceremony again Just to say hello Yeah I think we were just partying
Starting point is 01:05:00 And you kicked the door down And you fucking nearly took her eye out Now I believe that Yeah Because that's something you would do Yeah Karnia West watercoloring Why was Kanye West at the Brit Awards
Starting point is 01:05:13 I think he was either performing or winning. A Brit award for British people. Yeah, but it was for like international artists. That thing? Yeah. Interesting. I think Kim Kardashian was with him as well.
Starting point is 01:05:25 Really? No, this is your sociopath if this is a lie because that was such a fucking, you know, when there's a compulsive liar in the room, they're like, yeah, I think actually Kim Kardashian was there. Watercolour, full colour portrait. I'd love to fucking see if it is true. I think that one's a lie.
Starting point is 01:05:42 Even, ah, Taylor's was the biggest fucking artist in the world. I forget that you know, you know so many people. Where was the Taylor Swift situation? I think it was the Brit Awards as well. It was a, yeah, I think it was that. Why is the Brit Awards always your fucking number one go-to? No, I think they're all lies, except for Jeremy. I don't know.
Starting point is 01:06:02 It was probably the only awards ceremony that we get invited to, so. Never been up for a Grammy? No, we should be. Yeah. Kerang, we've got a Kerang Award. An enemy. Yeah, all the UK ones. They're really tiring you with that UK brush.
Starting point is 01:06:17 Yeah. Kineo West security guard. Did he look angry? You did. Genuinely angry? Yeah. Is that a representation of your poor watercolour skills? No.
Starting point is 01:06:26 I don't think it's just, you'd be in the room. He had taken it away again. Did you let yourself in the room to leave it there? Or do you slide it under the door? I slid it under. Slit that under the door. Yeah. That really, unless you are a fucking Bob Ross,
Starting point is 01:06:40 that is never going to look good. No offense. than your watercolour skills. I thought it was the best I could do and I thought it was quite a gift. What was the picture of Kanye that you used as a reference? It was just one off Google images, I think.
Starting point is 01:06:57 At this time, I was doing a lot of T-shirts with people's faces on as well, not watercolour, obviously, but... I think Kanye West one's a lie. Because I think you would remember the photo that you used. Okay. Well, do you want to know? Yeah.
Starting point is 01:07:11 That one's true. No. Yeah, I'll show you the picture of that later as well. We'll put that up. Convierre your passion in a business with Shopify and bathe records of ventas with the form of pay
Starting point is 01:07:23 with a better conversion of the world. You've heard of bien. The best conversion of the world. The incredible system of Shopify facilita the companies in your website web,
Starting point is 01:07:33 in the reds social and in the world. That is music for your ears. No, you'll be more whelts. Your business will be a super-exit
Starting point is 01:07:41 with Shopify. Empeza your period of Peruvre per month in Shopify.combeer records Can the picture come up? Yeah, that's fucking There it is there We'll have it up there right now
Starting point is 01:07:53 The bro, no wonder he was pissed off It's not fucking Get back to your microphone We need to talk about this You slip that under his fucking door Yeah I don't know the rules But as a white man
Starting point is 01:08:08 I don't know if you can do it I mean it looks like he's wearing a choker That's the only thing I'd say. I think that's pretty good. It looks like a fucking hieroglyph. You can't just slide that under his... It looks like him. I'll give you that.
Starting point is 01:08:22 Thank you. It looks like him. Fuck me. That's fucking incredible. Yeah. So you've just told me actually by accident, but it doesn't matter. So Jeremy is a lie. Jeremy's a lie.
Starting point is 01:08:34 Never happened. I can't believe. You came in so hot with the name Jeremy. I know. It was Taylor Swift pissed off that you nearly hit her in the face? She was she all right? No, she was fine. She was fun about it.
Starting point is 01:08:44 Her security guard was a little bit. You spent, it was that the same day as Kanye. You were on a fucking mad one with the security guards. Yeah, they had a separate security briefing for you. That's it. That drummer.
Starting point is 01:08:57 He's crazy. He's left Kanye some weird unabomber fucking manifesto. And he's tried to kill Taylor. Taylor Swift, yeah. Oh my God. You've had some fucking stories. Yeah. That's just one night.
Starting point is 01:09:12 And a fake night involving a frog. Yeah. I think we can leave it there. That's a good ending. Thanks. Thanks for coming on. Thank you for having me. It's a long time coming.
Starting point is 01:09:20 Yeah. I'm looking forward to seeing tomorrow. Thank you. Can't fucking wait. Let's go and eat some food. I'm desperate. Bye, everyone.

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