Although Download missed out on having the mighty Don Broco play this year, they still came down for a chinwag. As mentors for the Red Bull bands this year, we discussed them, what’s coming up for Don Broco and playing the main stage at Reading and Leeds this year. YES!
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE RED BULL BANDS THIS YEAR?
Si: I really like the cranberry one but the lime one…
THE BANDS…
Si: Oh, the bands! Press To Meco, smashing it! They’re playing today, a bit later. We’re gonna watch them in a second.
Rob: Searching Alaska and Sky Valley Mistress played today as well. Really good. And did you see yesterday, this band called Akord, from Aberdeen – really nice guys – got invited on to the main stage with Down and played with them? They saw Phil Anselmo and he was being a legend backstage and was like “You guys should come watch sidestage” and then he goes “Do you guys play bass? Do you guys play guitar?” and just started rocking out with them onstage. Yeah, for real. That could only happen at Download…thanks to Red Bull.
Si: Red Bull, enabling the stars to play with bands from Aberdeen.
SO ARE YOU GUYS THEIR MENTORS?
Si: In the loosest possible sense of the word.
Rob: We came in to the Red Bull Studios about a month or two ago and met a load of the bands who were doing this Red Bull Music Academy Download project and we gave them some tips and hints.
Si: Only if they wanted them! We didn’t force our tips and hints on them. “LET ME GIVE YOU A BIT OF ADVICE ABOUT BEING IN A BAND BOY!”
Rob: Si basically took all their riffs and rewrote them.
Si: “That riff? Get rid of it!” But seriously, it was really fun. They came into the studio and recorded some tracks and we just hung out with them and told them a bit about what they were in for with Download and festivals. That’s the real answer, not “Give me that guitar boy! GIVE ME THAT RIFF!”
Rob: The Loose Mentors are in town.
Si: That can be our side project! But anyway, they’re all really good. There are 8 bands playing Download, and there were 15 in the studio but they got whittled down to 8 by public vote. The 8 bands have all recorded a song with Red Bull and were all judged on their live performance and now they’re playing Download.
Rob: Most of them haven’t played Download, in fact I don’t think any of them have. This is their first opportunity.
Si: That’s why it’s a big deal for them…
Rob: “Actually I played a few years ago…”
SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR DON BROCO?
Rob: Well funny you ask! We will be hitting up Reading and Leeds main stage this year for the first time.
Matt: Very, very exciting, and also shit scary. It’s a good kind of fear.
Si: The kind of fear that helped the cavemen hunters get the deer.
Rob: Get the dick?
Si: The deer!
Rob: That is a life of fear, a life without dick.
Matt: This interview has deteriorated since I’ve turned up. I shouldn’t have come! But anyway, Reading and Leeds is going to be amazing.
Rob: And on the best day as well! The Biffy Clyro day. Nine Inch Nails, Fall Out Boy…
Si: Sunday, otherwise known as Biffy Day.
Rob: We’re on about 4 I think…
Matt: It’s pretty surreal.
Si: We’re very lucky!
Matt: When we found out we were blown away! We couldn’t believe it.
ARE YOU HERE ALL WEEKEND?
Rob: Oh yeah, baby!
YOU’RE GONNA GO ONSTAGE WITH RAMMSTEIN AREN’T YOU?
Si: Rammstein don’t have to fear a life without dick. They’ve got a big metal one wherever they go.
Rob: If anything, they’ve got too much.
Si: No wonder you’re a loose mentor!This interview is deteriorating so quickly.
SO WHAT’S HAPPENING FOR YOU AFTER READING?
Si: We’re writing our new album. Back to the factory to churn out that number one everyone’s been waiting for. And then sack it all off and live in our mansions with our big metal dicks.
LAIS MW