1. So...what's with the name? Are you big White Lion (or U2) fans or what?
Or is this band your "Pride and Joy"? :)
Pride and joy, we are so proud of what we have done and of each other. It all seems like a dream with the way that the album has been received. It's great to be in a band with such a great bunch of guys. In PRIDE there is no such thing as hard work, we just have fun all the time and somehow still get the work done to a very high standard. Musically the last two years have been the best years of my life!!!!
2. "Far From The Edge", your first album has received good reviews all over the place. Are you happy with it yourself, and have the sales exceeded your expectations?
The album has turned out so well, Pete "Pee Wee" Coleman has done such a good job and again is such a nice bloke, we were so lucky to work with such a talented producer. The only thing I would have liked to have change for the first album would have been to have more time. We were on such a tight schedule for recording, but we did it!!! The whole album was recorded in twelve days and mixed and mastered in three, so there wasn't much time for drinking. NOT!!!!!!! NO BEER!! NO BAND!!! To give you an idea one night we came back to the studio about four in the morning and lets just say we had all had a lot to drink and you how it is, at that time of the morning the best thing to eat is toast and tea (a phrase we have in the band is "The meal of Kings") . The floor in our plan was that we forgot about the second batch of toast and set the fire alarms off to the whole building at four in the morning! Boy they were pissed with us.
3. Can we expect album number two soon? Any idea what's it going to be like?
We are the middle of writing the second album at the moment which should be recorded at the beginning of next year, fingers crossed, it all depends when we tour the first album and I hate to sound bigheaded but the next album is going to blow the shit out of the first one. Same sort of style of music, but the songs just kick so much more arse!!! We are going to be play some new ones when we get live, so you'll have to tell us what you all think of them!!!!
4. Have you guys been touring a lot or is this band more like a studio project?
We haven't been touring yet, but we are in the middle of sorting one out for the start of 2002. Sadly I can't say much more than that at the moment as I will be shot on the spot for letting the cat out of the bag. All I can say is that the band we are in talks with are also English. We have the costing for the tour coming through next week and from that we will decide if we're off on tour or not( Sadly it costs a lot of money!!), but no, PRIDE'S not just a studio project.
5. Urban, who reviewed your album for our site, compared you to the likes of Harem Scarem & Ten. Do you see any similarities to them yourself, or do you reckon he's way off the mark?
What can I say? For us it's mad to be compared to such great bands with this being our first album is amazing and your not the first lot to make these comparisons which blows us away, and yes I think there are some similarities between us HAREM SCAREM and TEN. Now would that be a gig or what!!!!!
6. You've got 30 words or so to defend yourself for joining the list of dozen of bands with a song called "HOLD ON"! I just hope your next album isn't called "Arrival", that seems to be really popular these days too..
My old band had a track called "Hold On" most of my mates bands have tracks called "Hold On", so I think there is an unwritten rule that all bands have to write a track called "Hold On". We're just getting our version of "Hold On" out of the way early that's all. Don't worry we are still looking at couple of names for the next album, but I can tell its not going to be called "Arrival". [Kimmo: Now that explains it...there's an unwritten "Hold On" law!]
7. Now, a section called "In My Dreams". Imagine no financial restrictions, everything's possible. Please fill in the blanks.
7a. Your next record would be produced by...
I know this is going to sound a bit cheesy but I'm really looking forward to working with Pete again, he's so down to earth and the only producer that will put up with our drinking and eating habits and the horrible smells that Chris and Noddy always make!!!
God the tour bus is going to be bad, they are the only two people I know that eat curry seven days a week :(.
7b. And you'd go on tour as a support act to...
It would have to be one of three bands I think, Def Leppard, Queensryche or Mr Big. For selling albums it would have to be with Def Leppard, but as for fulfilling dreams it would have to be Queensryche or Mr Big and as Mr Big have just SACKED Billy Sheehan (Still sounds mad!!) and are going to be so shit without him, that's if Billy lets them continue (keeping swearing to a minimum hear :) it would have to be Queensryche.
7c. And your CD went on to sell ... copies.
Enough for me to have a Lambo and a big bike!!!!!! Oh and a nice big house with a swimming pool:)
7d. And while you'd be on tour, you'd meet ... and you'd have a intense affair with her.
I'm all ready with the love of my life and have been with her for the last seven years, so I'm going to be the one that goes to bed early on tour with a bottle of water. Sleep is my favourite pass time after playing that is. Good job I'm the ugly one!
Tell me about it, I think the UK is a shit hole. As soon as I get enough money I'm gone on the first plane to sun and sand (and beer). It's that time of year now when all it is going to do is rain for the next six months and every other week you end up getting a cold or flu. The flood warnings are already out over hear, which isn't good when you live less than a hundred yards from the sea. How DO we write such uplifting songs? It must be the hope of better things I think!!!
9. Now that I've shouted out my stupid associations about Brits, it's your turn. Impressions about these countries we represent:
I know this is going to sound sad and very British, but I've only ever been to Spain out of the list above and I love it, but this will all change next year when we tour though as we're going to be playing everywhere, so we will be at a town near you soon!!! Keep logging on at AOR-Europe to find out when we're touring!! (I'll have a JD and coke please)
10. Any other comments to your fans, obligatory website plugs etc?
Thanks to everyone who has gone out and got a copy of are album, you can't start to comprehend what it means to us!!!! All I can ask is to come and supports us live and help us get rock music back to the place were it should be……….number one!!!!
Our web site is in the middle of being built at the moment so all we have is an e-mail address, so if you have any questions for me or any member of PRIDE feel free to e-mail us at pride_ffte@hotmail.com and I promise that we will write back to every e-mail that is sent to us.
Plugs:
Thanks to Tony at DR Bass strings, a guy who also take the piss out of me for living in a shit country and he has good grounds, he lives in the great USA. He also has the best hangover cure!!!
11. Do you think this interview is memorable enough to earn us a "special thank you" on your next album? Pretty please?
Of course, but it might cost you a pint or twelve and a curry when we come to Finland!
All the best and See you all at the Gods in November!!!!!
Simon Farmery
8. That's enuff silliness. Now that you live in UK which we all know is a bleak country where it always rains, how come you can write such uplifting songs as "Savior Of A Broken Heart" etc? And do you guys drink a lot of tea?
9a. FINLAND
9b. SWEDEN
9c. HUNGARY
9d. POLAND
9e. TURKEY
9f. SPAIN
Thanks to Ben at Warwick bass guitars, nice to know a guy who is as made as me and the only guy I know that has broken every bone I his body!!!
www.warwickbass.com
www.drstrings.com
Interview by Kimmo Toivonen, 