Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Ricky Wilson

Episode Date: August 10, 2020

This week, Emily goes for a stroll with Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson and his dog Reedus - they talk about Ricky's childhood in Leeds, the ingenious song-writing formula behind Kaiser Chief's success, and why Ricky is happiest when he's with his partner Grace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm glad you didn't call your dog Ruby. Oh, I meet a lot of rubies. I do, and they're all... You shout that in a North London playground, you get trampled in a rush. I think you were responsible. There's a whole... Yeah, we were. The year after, it was the top girl's name. Sorry about that.

This week on Walking the Dog, I went for a stroll with Kaiser Chief's frontman, Ricky Wilson. Ricky doesn't live too far from me in North London, so he turned up at my house, 15 minutes early, may I say, most punctual rock star ever, with his absolutely huge and totally fabulous Labradoodle, Reader's brilliant company for a dog walk. He'll chat about everything. So we did, from his childhood and leads, to his success with Kaiser Chiefs and the ingenious songwriting formula they came up with to ensure success.

We also discussed his crossover into TV, which included a triumphant stint on the voice, and the thing that seems to make him happiest, his relationship with his partner, Grace. Okay, and you, Reader's. Ricky also does a podcast with the legendary Tony Blackburn. It's called Ricky and Tony Pop Detectives. And I thoroughly recommend you give it a listen. They explore all sorts of pop-related urban myths and it's a total joy. So do check it out.

I loved my walk with Ricky and Reader's and I hope you do too. Let's hear from the man himself. Here's Ricky and Readers. Ricky, have you got poo bags? Okay, we've got the poo bags. We've got our rock legend. And we've got Reader's. Come on. Good boy.

Should we go up and then down? Yeah. And then through that playing field that no one seems to know about. I go to that playing field all the time with you. It was really good during lockdown when you weren't supposed to let them off a leash. Although there were lots of youths having get-togethers with cider. And I found myself turning into the sort of Coronation Street. Oh, bag.

Do you know, there's meant to be a pandemic? Yeah, but youth can do whatever they want as long as they tidy up. Is that your next album? Yeah, well it's a good title. Very Kaiser Chiefs. It is very Kaiser Chiefs. So, yeah, walking the dog. Well, I should say you might have got the clue already by the mention of Kaiser Chiefs.

But I'm with someone very exciting. I've been wanting to do this boy for a while and I finally got him. I'm with Ricky Wilson from the Kaiser Chiefs. And this is a bit of a first because he came to my house. I did sorry about that because we're sort of in the same kind of manner in North London aren't we yeah but you're not only that there's been lockdown and and the opportunity to do something face-to-face one thing but to be able to go there you know and it's around the corner and you can take your dog is amazing well

you've got your dog yes can you introduce us to your dog this is read us he's four and a half years old he's a a labradoodle but looks more like a poodle. He's huge. He's quite big and he's got a bit fat. He was just staying at Vince and Lorraine's, that's his mother and father and brother and father and a lot and that's toast for breakfast he's got quite big. Well I won't, I'm carrying Raymond but I promise this won't be the whole way. Well I'm going to let him off the lead at the moment. Yes and I will do the same to Raymond

because Raymond tends to do a lot of sniffing. Oh he's only got into sniffing recently. Oh really? Mm-hmm. And he's only just learnt to cock his leg. Oh, really? I know, we're all very proud of it. I don't want to shame you, Ricky, but Raymond did that very early on. I will.

I mean, it's... Well, I think he's just, because his legs are so long, he just... I don't think he thought he needed to. I know, it's not such a stretch for Raymond. So, how long have you been in North London? We'll keep it vague, because I don't like a burglars guide. Well, no, that's fine. I've been in North London.

Well, I lived in Primrose Hill for years. Yeah. and I felt like I was in a Disney film and then all the celebrities started disappearing so I said where are they going it turns out they're all going to crash end so I just followed them because that's what we do oh there he is look he's cocking his leg very high too high to be honest read that was like Stephen Merchant cocking his leg no well done readers I've probably been I've been London probably about 12 years yeah

And in North London, around here, about six, I reckon. But this isn't where you're from originally, obviously. No, I'm from Leeds. Yeah. The London of the North. Well, I'm going to have to pick him up until we get there because this will just go on all day. Really, does he mark everything?

He marks everything. It's small man syndrome. Oh, well, he thinks he's a small man, Reader. Readers is having a nice sniff of Ray's wee there. Do you think they'll get on, Ricky? Of course. You get some with everybody. Well, the height be a challenge.

No, no. Come on. Were you, what I call a dog family? We had a dog, yes. Tish. Tish was an Alsatian cross with something else and lived quite old, probably about 15. And I had a cat as well. I'm not really a cat person.

Are you not? No, I liked ours, but I think that's the case with most things, isn't it? You kind of, you do make a distinction very early on whether you're a cat or a dog person. whether you're a cat or a dog person. What do you think the difference is? Uh, I mean, apart from the obvious. I don't know, I think that, I don't know, to be honest. I haven't really thought about it.

I just think you know. Thank you. Cross. I just think you, you just get a sense for it. Is that right? I think dogs are more like your best friend, and cats are like those mates that you see occasionally. But you wouldn't call a cat if you had a trauma.

Well, maybe I'm more like a cat then. So that's why I like, sorry, because I'm, I'm a bad friend. I don't have many, but I'm, that's, but the ones I do have will testify to the fact that I'm not a contactor. Are you not? No. What do you mean by bad friend? What just, you know, I'm not that proactive. Yeah.

You know, I like people, but, you know, it's, it's been, lockdown's been really good for me because it's been a, that's been a, that's, bit like the way I'd like my life to be. Does your other half, does she tend to take care of the friendship? Yeah, she's got lots and lots of friends and very proactive, which is, it's really good. I think that you just, oh, there's a car coming. Come on, Ray. There's a, um, you know, like. Well, it's a taxi. Who's get a taxi to the park? I would. It's a school, maybe. Readers, be careful now. Um, you see, Ricky, that's how I expected you. to turn off in a black cab or a limer. Did you? Oh yeah. I'm quite a miser to be honest. I'm a miser chief. We, no I don't really like spending money, which is

which is good. I don't even like to know how much money I've got. My mortgage advisor ticked me off the other day because he said that I should really know how much money I have and where it is. Yeah. And then because he asked me about paying the deposit on the new house. I said, I don't know, Brian. And he goes, you really should know these things. Do you know, I was asked to do an article for, I think it might have been the times, recently about like money. And I read the questions and I thought who would do this? What sort of questions was it? Like how much do you earn? What do you spend your money on? Have you got an investment? I thought, I mean, I like doing interviews when I've got something to sell, but not that much.

Are you sure it wasn't a tax people attending? Yeah, well you do get like one of those emails you get from Apple saying you wrote them money and then you realise it's spelt wrong. What's he doing? I mean, Raymond! I think a dog with a name of a... Ah, it's a good thing. Do you think so? You know, guide dogs, they have to begin with a hard sounding letter like a c. Oh, is that right?

Yeah. Call him, Ricky. I think he might listen to a male voice. Well, Grace always tells me off for doing my Reader's voice when he's in trouble. What's the Reader's voice when he's in trouble? I don't want to do it because he's not in trouble. Oh, okay. We'll have to wait, but I'll point it out and you'll know when you hear it. It's the same as my dad's voice when I was in trouble.

Look at Reis is just looking at Ray. Come on, what are we doing? Do you have Readers on the bed? Of course we do. But he's kind of, there's been a tipping point recently. He's getting grown up. And he does take himself off to bed. some point he'll like just school cars and he goes to his bed which is under you know as

you go in under the stairs yeah he's got bed under there and he just goes off to there Ricky call Ray do you see Raymond or Ray yeah either is fine but Raymond no um um so um what's that dog um I don't know it's from Yorkshire terrier thing you should know Yorkshire well it doesn't mean I know everything about Yorkshire that's why I left. They've drummed me out. I've done so many interviews this week with, I did BBC World Service this morning, talk sport, all about Leeds going into the premiership. I have no idea what I'm talking about. I'm excited for them and it's good for us because whenever something good happens with Leeds we play a gig. And I am a fan in the respect that I'm from there

and the football team, but the rest of the band are mad for it. Oh really? And I've done so many interviews with, I'll go on a radio show and it'll be a maybe in Japan or something and they'll say, so you're a big fan of Leeds United and I'm like, read us, read us, here. And they'll say, so we've got a quiz for you, a Lees United quiz, and then we're going to play a record and join the record, I go, just give me eight out of ten of the answers

and we'll all look better for it. And that's what I usually do. And then the questions are like, in 1978, who was the captain for the... And I have a... actually learned quite a lot by Lies United and I am very pleased have gone up but I don't know that much about it. Was your dad into football when you were growing up? No, that's the thing that he's

only got into it since he retired really. So tell me a bit about your family life and your parents. Yeah. Your dad was a tea, he worked for the BBC. He did work for the BBC. He did work for the BBC. Yeah, he did that for years and years. He was, he directed It's a Knockout. That's where he met my mum, who was the score girl and it's a knockout. Really? Yeah. So she was probably quite glam, was she? She was a model, but not tall enough. She was only five foot something, small.

But she wasn't tall enough to be... She was a schoolgirl and it's a knockout. But the weirdest thing is... Because I don't really talk about that that much. Yeah. Because you talk about your parents, and in the earliest when I got very famous, people had like knock on the door and ask for an interview.

But the weird thing is, now it's fine. But the... I'd read things like that. So that's why he's famous. It's not what you know, it's who you know. How would a man directing it to knockout be able to rig the charts so that I could, like,

it's not like you could ring up top of the pop and saying, remember me, it's Jeff, worked there 20 years ago, and you had a favour. Do you think there's also a bit of a lazy assumption about people that go into music, that do you know what I mean, they've got to have a sort of oasis-type backstory? Oh, and yours was presumably, you know,

but it's a relatively middle class I suppose well yeah I mean like the music's the only way out yeah well it was I mean there was only one way out when I was a kid but we lived in a cul-de-sac so it was more literal but yeah I don't know I mean it's changed now because there's some right poshos aren't they that's true you know there's been like a research like recently it's proper poshos and yeah drama school kind of yeah radiohead and cold play in Oasis is probably the one of the last one's made of the Arctic monkeys. But even like Alex's dad was in bands and stuff. And did you, was your family, were you quite a noisy extrovert family? Not really. My brother's louder than me.

Is he? Yeah. But, um, on that, Readers, you've done so many today. It's like it's, it's, sorry about this. It's so embarrassing. I thought on the way here, I thought, right, that's it. You're cleared out. Readers is doing a poo. Yeah. You don't we don't have to comment on it do we like texture and this is an important part of dog ownership I know but see how swift that was he was quick wasn't he for a big lad I was talking about me with a bag I thought he was impressive for a big unit no copy of the son and were you and your bro close did you fight I mean your brothers do a bit don't no no no not really no I mean This is weird because you might listen to this, but not specifically close.

Yeah. But then not particularly the same. So, you know, I was just a bit quieter. And this isn't like a famous person saying, I was actually quite shy as it's up. It's like, no, I just kind of enjoyed watching what was going on. And as a second child as well, you'd get the benefit of seeing the older one do everything wrong and see what it takes to not get things wrong. So you kind of just sit and watch.

and then learn from their mistakes, which is, well, thanks James. Were you popular at school, Ricky? What sort of gang were you in? The same gang I am now, just me and Craig, who's my best friend from school. Yeah. And my best friend now, I think, it was pretty much just me and him since the age of, since. Well, I broke my arm and he was put in charge of sitting with me at lunchtime in the classroom. And I've been friends ever since. Oh, that's so cute. I love that.

He's now a seaweed harvester. Yes, you were involved in his business in some way. Yeah, well, you know, I thought it was the future. And it still could be. I read something, and it was a teacher sort of slightly slamming you when you were showing off or something. Oh, yeah. And it was something about... Enough of the cabaret, Mr. Wilson.

Now, that's the kind of... If I was a teacher, that's perfect, isn't it? Because it's kind of, it's not telling off, but it really puts you in a place where you embarrasses you. Those are the best insults. The most awful thing a parent can say to you is stop showing off, the humiliation. Oh yeah. But then you realise you're showing off, which is awful. Were you a show off?

No, not particularly. I don't know. It's not the question to ask a person, is it? You need to ask the people that were there. And you might get a different response. I think that with me personally, I am a show-off, that it takes a form of, it's more of, it's not an instant karma kind of show off, it's a long-term revenge kind of show off, whereas I think to myself, like if my brother, who's excellent at singing, I thought probably at the time, I'll show you. Yeah. So yeah, I think that I, because I'm incredibly petty and hold grudges.

Once, once some kids, must have been kids, got hold of my number and were ringing me all the time. This is when you'd become famous. Yeah. And ringing me in the middle of the night. And once they rang me at a party and it was a final straw because they're saying, you know, just singing songs down the phone. And I didn't want to change my number. Yeah. But they hadn't withheld the number that time from his mobile phone.

So I stored it in my phone, waited a couple of weeks. It was actually a landline. Right. I'm getting to get through the story. It's been a long time. And then I rang the phone and what I assume was his mum answered. And I said, I can't leave my name, but I'd like to say, I have some strong authority that your son is into drugs.

And I think you should probably search his bedroom. And I said, thank you. And I put the phone down. Now, I don't know what happened there, but she probably searched his room, probably found some porn, embarrassment. But that's the kind of petty grievance that I hold. So yeah. But there is a weird thing with famous people, because you meet two types and they're the ones that are that you like and then the ones that you that really believe it's real yes and it makes them in some way different yeah I've met loads of those but um I heard Daisy May Cooper talking the other day and she was saying that about going to the bafters she was really honest saying how flat it felt and it was all she ever dreamed of but then it

wasn't flat but I think that's just a thing of you know everything ambition is a movement target, it's always out of reach. You could say it's like fog or you could say it's like a rainbow. Depending on which, whether you're an optimist or a pessimist. Which one are you? Fog. It might sound like I'm really out of breath, but I think that there must be some weird humidity in these woods. Oh, you know what, it's so sweet he's looking up at you really adoringly. It's because I've got the treats. When Grace walks him, she never takes treats or a ball.

Oh, that's your other half, isn't it? Yeah. And he has a miserable time. But with me, he's constantly at this bum bag. Yes, it's a bum bag. So when did you know you were musical? I was really lucky to be at the perfect age for Brit Pop. So, 17. Oh my God, readers. Not again.

Readers. Good boy. So perfect age for Brit Pop. Yeah. Which was great for me, because not being sporty, you could get away with being attractive, but not being attractive. Because that's what they're, you know, like, I'm not dissing anyone, but you can see Jarvis Cocker on TV and go, hang on, all the girls at school are swooning and writing his name on their bag. Yeah. But he doesn't look like, let's say, Peter Andre.

Yeah. So it was kind of an exciting time to be a skinny indie kid. Because suddenly it turned the nerds into the cool kids. Yes, that's true actually. Yeah, getting a bit of love. That's all right. Ridders is very jealous now. He usually gets all the attention.

Oh, what's this, Ricky? These are the school. This kid's school. It's a school for kids, but they're in the woods. Oh, were they playing lets room? the podcast audio yeah they set up a little toilet problem as well which I think's weird really were you outdoorsy when you were a child yes I was because we lived in a wood not like these kids but we our house was in some woods so that was a great place to lose

yourself in six foot of bracken and build swings and have the basically ideal childhood were all the time wanting to live in suburbia really oh god you know I see those you know When they build Barrett houses, and you think to yourself, I just thought, I imagined living like, you know, I was in the Goonies or something with like leaving your bikes outside and having loads of kids around. Yeah. We moved to the woods and I had to kind of make my own fun. My brother was quite a little bit older, not a lot, two years, but he was quite technical, so he was always making radios and stuff like that. Okay. Come on, it's only a little bit further.

Is there any a bit further, or I'll carry you into this bit? Or is that too far? What's that? No. Because he hasn't seen it in ages. Okay, look. But then I'm doing that thing which all people do. You know, when you kind of, what's the word?

Not anthropomorphise, but you project your feelings onto the dogs. So I'm there going, oh, he hasn't seen the playing field in ages. But I don't think he's thinking about that. I always think that about Ray. I always think, oh, he doesn't like that. How do I know? He might be having time of his life. So did you ever have a sort of hairbrush into the mirror moment as a kid where you would sing and think, oh, that sounds good, that voice?

No, no, I don't. I think the singing came after the decision I wanted to be a pop star. I think it actually, when I was any good, came when I got the job on the voice because I thought I have to actually be good now. We have to sing every week with other judges. But before that, if you're in a band, you can say, that's how I sing. Yeah. You don't have to be a good singer. You can just be the singer in the band, which is, usually the person that's best of it. But yeah, there was a bit when I really wanted to just be in a band

because I thought, this is what all my heroes are doing. So that's what I want to do. And I'd kind of go and see a lot of music. So I kind of wanted to do it for free. And I'd go to the festivals. And I thought, it'd be nicer to be playing the festivals. But you did, you went to university and you did a sort of, did you do art and design?

I did, yeah. So was there a plan at some point to go down that route? Or was that just, I want to do something creative and this seems like a good thing to do for three years? Well, I was good at that, I suppose. You just do what you're good at. Everything always felt like a, like a, everything always felt like a means to doing what I wanted to do.

And then suddenly when you start, because I got a job as a teacher then, and suddenly you start feeling the fact that what you're doing as a means to get to what you want to do is taking over from what you want to do. You kind of have to remember that you have to stay on focus. Yes. And I do really believe that you can make things happen by willing them on.

Yeah. And... Were you ambitious, Ricky? Oh yeah, yeah. I'm still too ambitious. Over-ambitious. That's why being a pop star is a really... The worst thing about being a celebrity is you can't say how crap it is, right?

But the worst thing about being a pop star is it's just about relative values of how dashed your hopes can be. can be because when you're making a record you don't think hope this goes to number three you think I hope it goes to number one hope it's our biggest living record all the time but when it goes to number three you're kind of like well that was a waste of two years I have to do some talking to readers now sorry readers readers danger concentrate read us good boy okay cross when you achieve those heights yeah anything after that unless it's always no one can sustain it you know, even hell this.

Well, there is the argument which I tell myself a lot that if the graph of your band success is just going up at some point it's going to be so devastating the drop that it's going to ruin your life

even though you've had an amazing success. So if your graph is more like going up and down all the time, much like ours it's actually far more fulfilling in the long run. Because we've had an extended journey when I first met Brian who I mentioned earlier

who was worried about my money he said plan for it to last no longer than five years and I thought screw you Brian and it has it's been 16 so far and now I think we can do it

for as long as we want well I really loved your last album thank you was that slightly overwhelming though the success of your your initial success. Well, I had nothing to compare it to. So yeah, I think it probably was overwhelming,

but in the same way that you kind of, we were so busy, we didn't really notice, and we were having a really good time. I look at photographs, and I'd never seen five more tired-looking people. We were just knackered. I still getting over it, but we were flying every day, and we didn't really know how big it was,

because we were never in the right country that it was big in at the right time. Yeah, except when people would shout, I predicts a riot every time you walk through the street presumably. Well, we weren't even that recognisable because I didn't really wear the stripy blazers and stuff like. But, you know, and you're only as recognisable as you want to be. Do you think that's true? Definitely. Because it's how you walk and hold yourself. And if you want to get recognised, you will. And if you don't want to get recognised, you won't.

I'm glad you didn't call your dog Ruby. Oh, I meet a lot of rubies. Yeah, I do. And they're all. You shout that in a North London playground. You get trampled in the rush. I think you were responsible There's a whole Yeah we were The year after It was the top girl's name

Really? Yeah yeah Sorry about that At that point Everyone wanted a piece of you And I think people's attitudes Imperceptively changed

Just that you walk into a room And there's a sense of Oh, he's here Because you're the talent now Yeah but if you were like Hello You can sweat the little one though I'm joking, you can stroke any dog you want.

You know, I suppose that, you know, there is the old thing about if you're the most famous person there. Then, no, you don't have to, I don't want pity strokes for the big dog. There you go. See, you're happy now, aren't you, readers? Readers. Yeah, I never was really in places where I was the most famous person there because it was all going on. And I didn't, I just didn't really go out that much. We were never at parties or anything like that.

And the people who I've been friends with were so close to me. They knew it was not really that real. Yeah. So it was all right. I don't have an expensive car or anything. I've got a 2004 RAV4, Toyota RAV4, which would cost us £1,400. Did you ever watch other people in your industry? behaviour, obviously no name's mentioned, but and think, oh, I don't want to be like that, or...

Um, well, it's kind of weird because, like, you see, you know, when other people behave in a way... Just in a kind of starry way. Yeah, I know, but it's kind of, it's kind of cool and you think, wow, that looks exciting. Yes. But then you try it yourself and it just makes you really anxious. Because like, if you've been to a party and been, like, annoying, the next day you're just sitting in your flat thinking to yourself, to yourself, oh my God, is this going to be in the newspaper that I was a dick? And then it's not worth it. To come up with music like that, which is catchy and sort of anthemic as well,

but has credibility as a piece of music, you know. Well, there was a plan and it seems fiendishly simple, which was we knew that we could only get 20 minutes. before some bigger bands. But we knew we could get on before the bigger bands. You mean you when you were gigging? Yeah, because we had a club and we could like pull in favours so we could get on the bills. And, but we only had 20 minutes.

So if we made songs that were, it sounds like you've just like bottled lightning, but we thought, right, so we have to make the people like the songs very quickly. Now it seems like, why isn't everyone doing this? But everyone wasn't doing that? And so we were like going, okay, how do you do it? Well, you have a one-line chorus that you repeat four times.

That works. Yeah. Okay. Before you start the song, you say the name of the song, which is the chorus very clearly. Don't mumble it. So if it's I predict riot, Nick said to me, Nick said, you've got to go, I predict a riot. And then we'll play the song. So we do that.

Say the name as much as possible. We're Kaiser Chiefs. This song's called I predict a riot. This song's called, Oh my God. And so people knew it were. And it worked really well. Should sit on this log? Yeah, shall we sit down?

I used to sit on that log but it's been taken. I love a log. We used to call it the dog log. Oh, sit down here, Edith. I had a whole gang of ladies that I used to meet her every morning. Did you? Wanted a pet squirrel. Well, she found it and then she nursed it back to health and it lived in a hood.

So, Wickey, I'm really fascinated. Why don't more people do that approach music in the way that you did, which is... Simple. Well, it's not... But it created brilliant music. It was combined. that simplicity with the fact that when we arrived, no matter how hard we tried to be cool,

we're enjoying ourselves too much to be cool. So we'd arrive at somewhere like the NME Awards or the enemy awards or anything like that, and we'd just be having the time of our life. Well, everyone else was desperately trying to appear like they didn't want to be there. But we were just like going, this is exactly where we wanted to be for years.

And when you're, I mean, we didn't get signed to with 26. And then, when you put that in perspective that like George Harrison was when the Beatles ended, we were just so relieved that it was going to happen. And it was happening. And it happened really quickly. Yes, it felt like, it suddenly felt like I couldn't remember a time when you hadn't been around and those songs hadn't been part of my life. And they weren't just songs that you think, oh, do you know that song?

I mean, they just became part of the infrastructure of music in a sense, you know? We also had this kind of thing in our man. manifesto, it wasn't that long, it was, and it changed a lot because at first it said don't wear jeans and then we started wearing jeans. But the song titles worked better when they sound, when they can be used for a newspaper headline. And then you suddenly, because then they started to be used to. Did you really, that's so clever. Even like every day of love this and less was used as a headline and then you go, right, we've, we've broken through that thing that bands need to break through.

which is into the consciousness rather than just having a catchy tune. The other thing is you realise really quickly that it can disappear very quickly. I mean we got that message like we went to the Brits and we nominated for 5 and 1 3 and the next year we went and we were nominated for 3 and 1 none and the next year we weren't invited. So you suddenly realised, ah right, you've got to do something about this. And you also realised the moment that Radio 1 decide they're not going to play a single is the moment they'll never play you again.

And all these lessons you learn just kind of make you survive. You used to get quite a lot of anxiety, didn't you? Yeah, but I didn't realize. I mean, the thing is, it's weird, because everyone has anxiety to a certain extent, but it just sometimes comes out sideways. But it's strange now that it's a bit like,

I'm not being down on anxiety, right, or anyone says to have it, because it can be really crippling. And some people can't leave their house. I just, it was mild. But, you know, it's a bit like allergies. Now we're all allergic to something, but we weren't before.

And I think before, I was just like a bit nervy. But I think I constantly had stage fright for about four years. Did you? And it was, it wasn't bad. Because also you've got to think about all these things is it's probably the reason it happened. Because it was part of what I am. So if I wasn't like that,

it wouldn't have been the same and it wasn't the same it wouldn't have happened so you it's not and don't worry about it isn't and also a doc said to me that anxiety is just adults not being able to process excitement right it's exactly it's like it's the same it's like you know they say like a worrying about a few DNA cells away from a banana it's the same thing with anxiety it's just excitement just with not let out in the right way well some people would say that feeling nausea or even being sick or just feeling nerves, before going on to a stage in front of, you know, an arena full of people

is a completely normal human response. And there'd be something slightly sociopathic about you if you didn't feel it was old. And that's why you get a lot of sociopathic rock stars. But you do. I always think they're incredible, the way they walk. But even walking through a backstage area and you're walking past like the Kingser Leon dressing room.

If you don't feel to yourself, oh my God, this is amazing. Then you're weird. I saw James McEckerman. boy in Sainsbury's the day and I nearly like I didn't know what to do with myself it's weird isn't it and we saw Vigo Moultenzin outside that book show that Snappy Snaps used to be in Crouch End

I get stars right by anyone do you? It's ridiculous I get excited I think sometimes really minor celebrities really exciting oh yeah I love it when we've got a record coming out the same time as the end of a series of Love Island it's fantastic because they're on fucking everything

And then you get to meet them and you go, wow, they're so leathery. I was jealous when you did the voice because... That was good. Tom Jones said something about you, didn't he, in his book? He said, what did he say? Nice bloke, no bullshit. I like that. Made me quite like myself that a little bit.

That's Tom Jones's take out. I think that's good. I think that's one of the nicest things that could be said about somebody. because it's about being authentic I mean it wasn't a world where we had to at times be less than authentic but I think he saw

the fact that I was good at that but then put it to one side you know because we were doing TV at the end of the day and did you when you decided to do the voice again that seems like from what I'm learning about you very consistent with your approach to work

which is right similarly you were saying with I predictor right I know that's going to get some use it's like keeping a presence, isn't it? And was the voice part of that in a way? Yeah, definitely, because I can't really do anything else apart from make records. And they can make it so that you're not allowed to do that anymore

at the level you've been used to. You can always make records, especially now. But there was an element, I mean, I've never said this to the band, because I always said that I did it for the band, but I really wanted to do it. Because it was exciting, and it kind of like was, it was like going on a ride where you're kind of like scared, but going, this could change my life for the worst,

but I'll never know if I don't do it. And it was an incredible three years because I was super famous until literally the day after the last episode. And it's so weird. The difference between the paparazzi and everything like that, it's just, it's like an off and on switch. And if you're on the voice, it's on,

and the day after it was off. It was amazing. I was hilarious. Like people were going for my bins and stuff. And I loved it. Did you? Well, it was hilarious, because all they can find out is that I'm not that good at recycling.

Because you were really honest about you. You were saying, you look, I had to get my teeth done and lose weight because I was going on. Oh no, you know something big is going to happen on TV with me if I start losing weight. Literally it would be like, because I can't be bothered otherwise. You're pretty slim though. You were slim to. Well, I had a wedding coming up, but we cancelled it. We were supposed to get married in September.

We spoke to them and we could only have 30 people there. But the clincher was no church bells. Are you going to have high. music there? The wedding? Yeah. No, a DJ. I can't stand a band at a wedding. Why would you want to hire some people to make it all about them? Have you ever been asked to play a wedding? You know, when I say a wedding like an oligarchs wedding or, you know, oh, I'd love to. Dubai. No, no, I'll tell you what, if there are any really rich people out there who want Keis-we, we will do anything buying closed doors for cash. We love it. The band, the thing is,

I don't enjoy it that much because it's always a bit awkward, but the band can just put the head down and play. We do lots of corporate things. We do lots of corporate things. and they love them. And I've started to enjoy it because it's different and I don't see it as like a, you know, encroaching on my artistry as I used to. Because I just thought this is me now.

I'm Mr Saturday Night. And were you happy with that? Yeah, yeah, I was more than happy because I knew what I was doing. I spent most of my youth enjoying watching people do it on TV and sat in the audience because my mum had taken to things

my dad was doing because he did that, Barry Moore's Saturday. night show. But, you know, we weren't TV kids. We were very quiet and polite. Brother was interested in the mechanics of it and I was interested in Michael Barham's silly walks. But I got to go to TV studios with my dad. Same thing. We'd go to multi-collared swap shop. Right, did you? We went to the road show and my dad, who was a bit of an intellectual because he did an arts program. He was reading Ulysses when we watched a wadi-wadi at the multi-collared swap shop

road show and I remember thinking why can't you be like the other dads? The worst thing my dad ever did was, no it's the worst thing I don't know. The worst thing he ever did is I probably don't know that. He told me once that the defeat at the end of the bill were him and my mum walking away. So I went to school and told someone this and they rang him up and they said can you come in and do a talk about it? And he had to say no it's not actually true. I'm not terrible.

A friend of mine at school, and what's brilliant is that because your dad worked in TV, obviously that was believable. A friend of mine whose mom was the producer of multi-collar swap shop, he lied himself to everyone and said his mom was the woman at the beginning of Tales of the Unexpected.

Really? The naked woman who danced in flames. Wow. He carried it so far. He said, yeah, she doesn't like to talk about it, so don't mention it to her. Because she had to be naked. It's funny because, I'm writing children's books now and I know that all celebrities eventually.

Are you? If you leave enough, it's like monkeys and typewriters, enough slave reviews and typewriters and they'll write a children's book. But I've written a few. And one of them's being picked up, which is nice. But my first one I wrote was based on a true story, which was on Christmas, I went to the next, since I've been famous, went to the next door neighbours

and helped the little girl next door build a castle, a Cinderella castle thing, she'd begin. And then when she went back to school, they said, went back to school they said what have you done over the holidays and she said Ricky Wilson came around and helped me build my Christmas present and they accused her of lying and then she had to do her homework again and she said the same thing and they said no and eventually her parents were called in and her parents said yeah that did happen and I'd love to have been there no yeah he did come around but yeah so

one of my children's books based on that it's about a little boy who amazing things keep happening to and he keeps them to go in school and tell them and every time it gets more and more amazing and he keeps getting told off And what, you know, that Jerry McGuire thing, you know, makes me want to be a better man. Which people always say is kind of, I mean it's smaltzy, but that's the key to a good relationship, is that you want to be your kind of best self as someone. Do you think that's true of you guys? How do you think she brings out the best in you?

Well, actually, lockdown's been really good, and it's been a really good test because suddenly you realise that you don't really need anything else. That's interesting. I don't really need anything else. A dog maybe, is eating a stick. Yeah, the dog and grace and I'm happy and I could live anywhere. And it makes you think, I actually need that much more. And if we stop tomorrow, we could just go up for Minoka and live there

and eat bread every day and get really fat. I am going to get enormous. When there's not a threat of TV anymore, I'm going to get enormous. Does that inspire you to? Do you diet and things? Yeah, I have to. Why? What, you naturally? I think I'm naturally on the largest rate, yeah. I was like, yeah.

Were you when you were younger? Yeah. No, no, when I was a kid, because my brother was a bit bigger than me and I wanted to do whatever he didn't do. So if he had sausages, I would fish fingers. And if he was a bit bigger than me, I wanted to be tiny. So I'd make myself the opposite of whatever he did. So, but yeah, I'd be bigger.

I mean, I've lost about nearly stone and a half during lockdown. But I put on about a lot of that during lockdown. It was amazing. Toberones. Why did no one tell me about tobarones before? They're incredible. No one told me. You get the knock at the door.

Hello, Ricky. We're here to discuss toblorone. But there's something about the presentation of the toblorone, isn't there? It's amazing. And it's so cosmopolitan. I know Ferreira Roche likes to think itself as cosmopolitan, but they've got nothing on the toblorone. Ferreira Roche-Mosh-e.

Yeah, I know that's so Nuvresche. Touloron is moneyed. You know, it's like, I imagine they have them in stately homes. 20 pieces in chocolate orange. You know these pub quizzes with that to do during lockdown? Everyone's doing really crap questions, so I thought I'm going to wait. I only had to do ten questions. And one of them, I bought a chocolate orange and counted them, is 20,

which I think's a really odd number. It's not an odd number, but it's not... I don't think there'd be like 24 or something. The best bit of the chocolate orange is the middle bit. You know, the bit that's not part of the segment. It's like a stalk. The spine. Yeah, the spine.

The spine of the orange. And what I'd like is they've given a nod to the real orange spine. Yeah. It's so faithful a representation. Perfect packaging. It's like a still life. And as you're eating it you can flatten out the orange bit on your sofa arm. That's true. What else I've been eating? I remember Daily Mail called me the Jowley Popster. Oh. No, Portly Popster and Jowley Frontman.

And I thought I've got to do something about that. And you didn't have I Predictor diet. Oh, of course, all the time. All the time. But you know, it was that song that bought me all the food. I kept you in chocolate oranges. Yeah. When Nick left, was there a set of the band, was there a sense of,

okay, you know, to calm down everyone, but is this going to be okay? Just because it was collaborative, wasn't it, and you all worked together? Yeah, but no, because I think, I think there was an element of, because it was happening for a year in leaving. Yeah. He decided a year before. So, and he was giving us time to put our affairs in order, which was gracious of him. But during that time, we went from being, it's going to be over to being, like, encouraged.

Yeah. And I was a bit, and then, because I'd been offered the voice two years before. Mm. Had you? Yeah. And then Danny O'Donohue did it. And then I thought to myself, well, now it's a good time as a bit of a turbo boost and something that Nick would never have allowed. So it was kind of like, well, it's a new chapter that's start for the bang.

And that was pretty nerve-wracking because not everyone in the band agreed. Rightly so. I mean, it was a gamble, but it paid off. Everything you've ever done is a gamble. What do you think when you see young people wanting to... be musicians and if they said to you, right, I'm just going to focus on this and not do Qualificate you know this is my dream and I know it's difficult because I think that's why the voice was different because it was literally focusing on their instrument wasn't it and it was focusing purely on their talent, but do you think that it's really tricky because I'd always be an opinion if you want to do it enough go for it and if you want to do it enough it will happen before you give up but most people give up

because life gets in the way and I don't I think it's a kind of a madness that we had that we thought you know record companies have come and see us and saying we were too old and we were 25

really yeah and we were damaged goods oh god look at Raymond he's been a new friend he's quite attractive man actually he's gonna pick anyone

in the party have you trained him to do that oh my god he's just sat with the mind you've trained him oh my cute dog So she's walking over now to the hot guy in the three short shorts. Sorry.

And hoodie combo. Sorry. Oh, this old thing. Oh no, look, he won't leave you. Raymond, come here please. Well-trained dog there. What a charming man. I know.

How come I put this? I don't think he's... I think he'd be more interested in you, Ricky. Oh, right, okay. I mean, I think everyone would be... Likes blondes then, yeah. He was charming. How lovely.

Come on, Ray. I think Ray wants to pick a... Do you want me to carry Ray? No, he's fine. You come here. I'm going to carry you. Come here. Ricky, I want to talk about your podcast because...

Okay. I really love it. And do you want to talk people through it? Because it's a brilliant idea. So I met Tony Blackburn when I was... Well, I've met him a few times, but when I got to know him was when I was standing in for Dermott-Earie quite a lot on Radio 2. And there's a point where you have to do a handover.

When I'd go into Tony's studio in the morning and it sat down. morning's we had the show about the 60s and talked to him about what was on the Dermot-at-Lairie show and I enjoyed that intensely because it was always really funny and I'd always kind of we'd always take the Mickey out of each other and he seemed to really enjoy it and the first joke we've made together was we were talking about Love Island and and he said oh they wouldn't have me on this year and I said something about too many SDDs and he said no not enough tattoos but we're gonna get on really well. Yeah. And then when like every celebrity is nowadays approached to do a podcast,

I thought to myself, how do you get out of this? And I said, I'll only do it if Tony Blackburn will do it with me. And I didn't think they were going to ask him. And they asked him. And he said, yeah, definitely do it. So we were stuck with each other, which is great. And then I came up with the idea, which is basically just based on the kind of podcasts I like to listen to, which is crime, true crime. I like, the, I like, the crime aspect and then because Tony's been in the pop world since it was invented before it was invented and I and I've been involved so pop myths is something that everyone loves telling each other you know did Marilyn Manson have some ribs

removed so he could pleasure himself yeah stuff like that so we we started doing about pop myths and I liked the idea of dressing up as did Tony's two detectives and it's not really about the pop myths It's just about talking to Tony Blackburn about stuff he doesn't get to say on the radio. And we actually have two guests on a show and I'm dead interested in them. And even more so, which is a great way to work because I do no research at all. And then so you're asking questions because you're actually interested and not off a list of questions. Yeah.

Which is quite good because they just pop in there. And then Tony will come in from a side angle and ask them if they've... you know usually if they'd like twiglets and he's desperate to be sponsored by twiglets but they haven't come knocking because he says they're really hard to get hold of and he can only get him from a petrol station which is near his house and no not even near his house he has to drive to it oh well it's it's he gets crumsled down his medallion you're very um versatile man aren't you um I thought about this a lot which is that I do struggle

with a lot of things doing it, but that's probably why I want to do it. And I have to really wind, even before the podcast, I've really wind myself up into doing it because I'm nervous, and then I do it. And I can't say enjoy doing it,

but I love having done it. Yeah. And, you know, being in Kajas has afforded me the ability to, like, do anything I want to, really. As we were saying, that's quite unnatural, being on a stage in an arena, at the level that you've experienced,

yeah. most people don't know what that's like and you know there's that cliche about the rock star I came home you know I was made love to have many thousand people I came home alone but did is that a process of adjustment or probably no not really probably used to be you make excuses especially when you start thinking about like you know when you say well I need to have a drink because of the adrenaline and then you realize you later you don't right and then it's the first of like that and also half the fun of it was coming home afterwards I mean was it it's like half to once we were supporting you two in Amsterdam and we were back at the pub in Leeds before closing and that was half the fun to see if we could do it and then landlords said where you've been tonight supporting you two in Amsterdam and that was better than supporting you two in Amsterdam being able to say that to your local landlord but then I think you was a band there was always a slight tongue-in-cheek element to your music and you

and it always made me smile, do you know what I mean, rather than want to go and hit someone. But it was still, like I say, credible music and is credible music. So I wonder, it just seems like you guys had a different attitude maybe to some people. Yeah, I think also it's like, you know, when you can tell people how many books you've read without telling them how many books you've read. Same with politics. It's like, you know.

Is that brilliant? I get asked quite a lot about, like, who, you know, you support and I'm like you don't really have to ask me dear you know what's like it's like what do you want you just come out and jump to wear a rosette because I'm not going to because like literally half my supporters don't agree with me you know so and I don't and it's not I'm not what I'm thought and then you get into an interesting debate about if you have a profile you should be using it for good but a lot of the time and I do I do agree with that but a lot of the time you think yourself, it would be just annoying. Do you drink still?

I... Are you teetotal or do you have the odd drink? This is a weird thing. No, well I haven't drunk in nearly eight months. Oh really? But I will drink again. It's not like a... But because I want to and the reason I haven't drunk is eight months is because I don't want to be one of those people that can never do it. And you know, it gets close at times to being one of those people. And you don't want to live there.

What do you mean? Just one of those people that can't do it again and can't be surrounded by people that do. And everyone's aware of that and it's a problem. And I think it's an odd thing that my embarrassment would stop me from doing that. Do you think it was it though for you? I'd say nine out of ten people in bands that's a problem for easily. because it's so, it's part of it. Yeah.

Widesly encouraged and wildly as well. And they, you know, it's fun. But you don't want to lose that. I don't know. It's a really odd one. And I've thought about it a lot. And yeah, it's been quite good lockdown without that. And it doesn't make me worry about people.

Because I can see it happening to me and I can see it happen to other people. Just when it becomes... It's like anything can become a habit. Yeah. Anything. And it's really crap when it becomes a habit because it stops being something that you enjoy.

What do you think of therapy? I'm always interested in people's news on it. I've tried everything. And the thing that... It's that thing nowadays when you hear people talking and you're just like going, oh God, therapy. Stop using what you've heard. Can't you just change it and say it out of your mouth

in a way that like doesn't sound like you've been to therapy as much. Yeah. Because it's a good thing for lots of people. I couldn't get my head around how much it costs. So that's what I didn't like. And if you're sitting there, think of yourself about how much money it's costing, you're not in the right place. Do you know?

Yeah, yeah. I can see that. So it's not... Some people really enjoy it. I know people that love it, look forward to it. I thought of it as like a... a big interview. Not the thing about this, you know, but you know what I mean? I thought about it as like a double maths. Really? Yeah. How are you on talking about emotions?

Rubbish. Are you? Hmm. But then as long as I'm okay with that then. Do you cry though? Oh god, yeah. Do you? Oh man, big fish. I saw that the other day and I was I couldn't stop. And I was generally upset, like shaking. You seem very, quite a calm person. I can't imagine you're getting angry of that. No, I don't get angry. Do you not? No, that's been one of my main problems throughout my whole life.

Never get angry. Why is it a problem? Because I bottle it up and, you know, I talked about being petty. It goes back to that. But it's, yeah, I just learnt from the very old age it got nothing done and there are better ways around it. But that makes you manipulative, and that makes you, not a nice person. It has to come out so sometimes you just have to rely on passive

aggression. I do that sometimes without meaning to. Yeah. You just think well passive aggression is a bit like the offside rule. I don't really understand it or when I'm doing it. You know like like yeah it's a weird thing. Here's my sexist joke. A bit a woman knows her to explain that though. But are you a sulker? Oh yeah that's another problem. The thing is all these things will come out in lockdown, but it's really good because Lockhart's been great for that. Because you suddenly realise we can live through anything being great. It's fantastic, but it's sulking. I'm not over things for days, whereas she is over things very quickly. But, yes, sulker grudges, all of that jazz. I enjoy, but I think I enjoy it.

I'm a wallower rather than a sulking. But then you're probably very well suited for that reason, because it's that yin and yang thing, isn't it, where you can't have two seltas. It's good. But you can't have this equally, I think if you've got two layers all on the table, that's all you're doing. Here it is. Let's cross here. You're all very punctual, aren't you? Because I noticed you were like super early and...

Is that a big thing for you punctuality? Yes, definitely. I love it. So here we go. Here's a... I want a ricky situation. Yeah. If someone was... Keep you waiting. Let's say I'd been 15 minutes late today. I wouldn't mind it.

No. But let's say if... you had to be somewhere exactly an hour later and you were a bit pissed off with me. Yeah. Would you not have said anything? Would you have said, oh, I wish you could be no time? No, I wouldn't. No, I wouldn't have said that. I might have said I have to leave at a certain time.

Yeah. But no, because it's not your problem. It's my problem for being petty. And what's the word that everyone in band calls me? I can't remember. But it's, yeah, I do get wound up by things like that. Well, we have a band member called Peanut who's always late. And in many ways I'm jealous of him because it doesn't actually mean anything.

It doesn't actually matter. It's just time. And, you know, learn to live with that. I don't understand why he can't be on time, but you can't. I'm usually late. Oh yeah? Yeah, and you know what? Grace is usually late.

Grace is in fashion though. You know, this is... But I think the difficulty I find with it is that you're all always making excuses and you feel your status is lowered. When I say status, I just mean you're not arriving as equals because you're starting on an apologetic front. Okay, well don't be late then. I think they're a bit excited, Ricky. The baseball cap didn't work. The baseball cap is the worst disguised in the world. They were looking back and giggling. Sometimes if you wear a baseball cap and sunglasses, you just look like, you know, like

George Michael always wore a disguise to the point where you saw someone in baseball class and sunglasses, you'd say, oh looks George Michael. And then nine out of ten times it would be. But like, especially around here. Oh, well, this was George's man. Yeah, it was, stomping ground. Simon Pegg told me to move to Crouch End. As soon as I did, he moved out.

Yeah, Simon Pegg was North London, doesn't he? I wonder why people come here, I suppose it just feels... Well, I came here because I wanted a garden, and that was it. And you can't afford a garden in Primrose Hill. Yeah. I did love living in Primrose Hill, but I used to, like, stride out of my door every morning. feeling like I was I'd really made it I left because a I wanted a garden and B one day I had to I needed pine nuts for a recipe and they were eight pounds eight

pounds I called the place so you've had so Kaiser Chief stuff has had to go like your live stuff's had to go on hold is it yeah you're gonna be touring next year though you're gonna be doing gigs next year yeah I mean we've shifted most of it from this year to next year yeah and I wanted next year off to concentrate on my children's books. But I haven't got next year off now. But then you just realize... That's so exciting to you. When are they coming out then? I don't know. I mean, I'm still, it's with two publishers at the moment. One of them says they don't, well, no one makes decisions, do they? And it's weird. It's so odd because when I, about a month ago, I was really excited.

And now it's been a month and I'm not excited anymore. And that's disappointing. Because I really enjoyed that excitement period. I felt like I was getting signed again. Really? But then you're quite, I think, forgive the, this isn't, this isn't, therapy speak because it's more but you're quite Taipei I think like things done turn up on time I want it done well no yeah well I'd like an answer yes or no I don't want to have to wait for a no or yes I prefer it to be like an answer today than continuous maybe's yeah because then I can move on Reedis is a good name so where's Readers from again well this is the thing it was

going to be either there's two actors that Grace likes Tom Hardy mm-hmm or Norman Readeus and Norman Readers is in a walking dead. Yeah. And then it was either call him Tom Hardy, which would mean you'd be either Tom or Hardy and I didn't want to shout Hardy in the park. So it was called Norman Readers for the first kind of day and then it just shortened it to Redis. He's quite a hunky man, the gravelly voice. Oh but you know it just suits him so well. It's quite regal. He is very regal. Well, now we shaved him, because sometimes he's a big fluffball, but we spent, God, is there any money that you think you're going to save by doing your own dog grooming? Don't.

No, I mean, can you imagine with Ray, it was a disaster? It took four hours, and he was a big fluffy bomb. We shaved him, and we couldn't get to work, so we had to take everything off. And he was like a whip it. And that's a two-person job, isn't it? So he looks good now because he's growing back. Are your folks are still with us? Yes, they are.

They must have been so proud of you, Ricky. God, have you, definitely. I think mostly because, like, I set my mind to it. And also, I did things before because, you know, I became a teacher because I thought I was just trying to prolong the weight until getting the rock star career. You know, I was a teacher, but I had rock star them to fall back on. But, no, I think with anything, if you have kids,

I think whatever they want to do, if they said, if they, whatever they want to be, I think, if they, you've got to support it somewhat, you know, they were supported. If you ever had kids, what would you say if they wanted to do? I wouldn't want them to be famous. Would you know, why not? Because fame is just the detritus of doing something that lots of people like. And I suppose if you're doing something that's aimed at lots of people, then it's inevitable. I mean like it's weird because you know the coolest thing we've ever done has been

play to masses amounts of people no matter who they are because it's just like it's just a it's what we wanted we didn't want to be in a band with a small following because that wasn't in any way aspirational around the time we were getting into bands and I don't think it really is even for the people that say it is so it's really weird to be labelled, not that we have been really, selling out, because who you're selling out too? If anything, you're using other people to get what you want. So you're buying in. Yeah. So it's not like a, it was never a problem for us to be massively popular because it was always pretty much, it proved we've done it right. But also, the whole concept of

selling out to me is a bit redundant because selling out of what? Yeah, yeah. I felt with Kaiser Cheaps, why I loved and love you, is because I felt you were opting out of that whole game because it was funny your music. You were never serious about, you weren't reluctant rock stars, but, or aren't reluctant rock stars, but I think there was that sense of, this is all a bit of a joke, isn't it? Let's go for it. And also, yeah, you're right about selling out's become redundant, because by its very nature, it means that you're giving something of yourself for, let's say, financial gain,

but giving it away for someone else to use for their gain. But it's like it was such a mutual beneficial thing for anything we did. It was helping us. It's not really selling house. And that implies that you're taking away from it, but everything we did added to it. So I was offered an advert for chips, oven chips, right? And it was a glorious amount of money, more than the voice would have paid me for another free series.

And at the time I thought, well, I really want the money, but this actually might prevent me from doing things I'd really like to do in the future. So I didn't do it. And that would have been selling out because it wouldn't have been beneficial. So I think that selling out's a weird thing because it kind of, to me, all that I would have got was money. You created music and still create music, which is brilliant and people love it. And that's what it's about.

We recorded a version of We Are the Champions for Lise United yesterday. over Zoom. And then I sang it. And I was going, well, it's Freddie Mercury, but I can sing it, I've got the range. And I did it. And then I was going, it could be anyone in musical theatre singing that. No one could tell that to me, but if you listen to Chris Martin, you go, that's Chris Martin. That's what sold them. Freddie Mercury is always a tough, I mean, that was a range, wasn't it? Yeah.

I'm actually pretty good at singing, though. Your voice is beautiful, though. Well, I don't think it gets to recognition it deserves. Well, I'm recognising it. Thank you. I've commented it on several times. All right. Well, I did actually try really hard when I got the voice job. Really hard.

I suddenly thought to myself, I have to really pick this up. And it worked. I had lessons and everything. Did you? Yeah. And then it's got a lot better. But I gave myself such a headache doing where I said, I had the champions yesterday.

I was seeing spots. Like, you know, when, you know, it was like a trauma. I thought, no wonder they'd, like, in the old days, they were lucky because, like, they had to, like, travel to the next place and there wasn't, like, easy jet or anything like that. And now, we can do, like, four gigs a weekend, but they'd like to two a week, but they couldn't have done more because he must have been exhausted. And also, you're proper band, so you can't do also, wouldn't you be worried about turning up at a venue and saying, have you got any auto tune? Oh, right, yeah. I have been around some bands that have, like, extra people under the stage holding notes. Really?

Well, if I could afford it, I'd do it. No, it's true. If we could afford the crew to do that, I'd be like, oh yeah, I'd be fantastic and just pronts around all day. We turned up at TV and they go, you're miming. I'd be like, yes. Amazing, miming, fantastic. And then you'd hear things about people, kind of soft box, saying you've got a mime and being like, no, we're not miming. I'm like, you're an idiot.

It's amazing. Yeah, but the shame when you get discovered. Most of the time now, and the rest of the band, Mime is saying this. It's always just vocal to track. So they can turn up and just hire a load of instruments and play him. And I have to sing it. And then it's a right dos for them. It's really hard for me.

But that's the thing. The front man, he gets more of the attention, which is true in your case. But then he's got, it kind of rests or falls on his, you know, you get the flack if it doesn't. Yeah, but we're a little, I mean, in our case, I'm not sure they want the attention. Read us. Concentrate. They get just enough to get some money off at B&Q and stuff, but not the kind of like, I think they'd hate the other side of it. Yeah, but the chips ads, come on.

We did, the thing is, that happened at the same time that we got an offer to do an ad for Yorkshire tea. And I didn't want to do it because I just think to self that I didn't want to do an advert. But then the rest of the man really wanted to do it, so I said, oh, let's do it then. And then the amount we got paid for that was, I mean, hardly anything. But, and I couldn't tell them that I'd have previously been off this amount of money for chips, right? Also, I'd just done a thing about fitness for kids at school. Because on the back of the voice, I was doing everything, I can't go from fitness for kids to chips. That is selling it.

So we did the tea advert, and I was like, oh my God, I've just done an advert. And the people at the chips company must be like scratching the heads. And how come we didn't want our money? Which was a lot. And believe me, I eat a lot more chips than I drink tea. Coming this way. See when you let him off, he didn't want to go anywhere. Readus has just gone bounding to my front door.

It's like he owns the place. Can't you go in? Of course he will go in. He's fine. No, I'm getting you a treat, Reides. Leave it. Just outside my front door and I'm going to give Readers a treat. Desperate to go in. Let's get you a treat.

Ray is... Reydus. Oh, can I'm pretty. Straight up to the bolt. Read us. Look at their faces. God, I haven't seen Ray's eyes open all day. I know it's food. He's got a real eating issue. Right, let's give you your treats.

Readers sit. Dad, you give you, Readers his treat and I'll give Ray's. Ray. Will Ray take it off to a special place? Does Reyes do that? No. He's desperate to get it in there. Oh, I love him.

Do you know he did the other day? Go on. which I think it's quite clever. He was in bed and in the night, I got up in the morning and he was on the sofa, which he'd never done before. And then went to his bed and he'd been sick in his bed. So he'd been sick in his bed and then he'd gone and lay on the sofa.

Yeah. So he cleaned at the sick and thought, well, that's quite clever of me. He's obviously, I don't want to sleep there. The next night, he sent him to bed, he went to bed. In the morning he sat on the sofa, but he's not been sick. And he's suddenly gone, I went to sat on the sofa and nothing happened.

And it was much better. So he learnt. Just from trial and error. Jesus. It's gone, Reader's. Ricky, I love your dog and I think you're fabulous. Thank you. I appreciate it.

It's a bit unprofessional to say this. I don't make it a good podcast though, do I? I didn't really give anything away. There's no kind of revelation. It's a bit boring. Sorry. I'm not going to win any awards. I really hope you enjoyed listening to that

and do remember to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes. Thank you.