Interview: The Blackout [Takedown 2015]

In honour of The Blackout’s final tour ‘This Is It Is It’ (the best name for a final tour of all time), we interviewed Sean Smith and Bob Davies at Takedown Festival, their last ever festival and South Coast show. In classic The Blackout style, they left us on a hilarious note. TBO, you will be missed. Thanks for the memories.

How are you chaps?

Sean: Still alive.
Bob: We’ve been sat down for awhile.
Sean: And now we’re stood up. Things can happen at any moment. One minute I’m sitting down, the next I’m standing up. Wild.

This is your last ever festival.

Bob: It is. It’s our last South Coast show as well. That’s not a surprisingly long band name, it’s just our last show on the South Coast. When I was looking at the poster, I was like “Why is our name so small? Who’s the band Last Ever South Coast Show? Oh.”

How are you feeling?

Bob: I’m excited to play.
Sean: Rhys is the reason the band split up. If anyone wants to send him hatemail, just go to his Twitter.
Bob: He’s not really.
Sean: I’m telling the truth. It’s Rhys’ fault. He left, and then Matthew left. Scum. Subhuman scum.

What next?

Sean: Probably an Extreme Fishing show like Robson Green.
Bob: Let’s fucking fish then, butt.
Sean: They’re all gutted fish by the time I finish with them. The thing is, you can ask these questions and have the same answers like every band in the room, or you can have answers about extreme fishing. It’s more entertaining than “Yes, we have a new album coming out soon, and it sounds like a slowed down Young Guns”.

Now the band is finishing so you can say whatever you want.

Sean: I never really cared anyway.
Bob: We played this festival two years ago and I was about ten years older than everyone else. I felt like their dad for the day. All these 22 year old men in their vests.
Sean: But we’re still the best in town: this town, today.

The best band who are playing their last ever South Coast show today.

Sean: Should be, but Matthew broke his wrist the other day. So one Monday he says, “I broke my wrist playing football.” And he broke his ankle doing the same thing. So next week I’m gonna go sword swallowing and firebreathing just before our last tour.
Bob: Why don’t we just add a ‘V’ into our name like ‘PVRIS’ and ‘CHVRCHES’? I’ve not heard them, I’ve not met them, I’m sure they’re lovely, but they’ve got a stupid fucking name.
Sean: Write that, PVNKTASTIC.
Bob: Let’s change all vowels to Vs! Stupidest trend I’ve ever seen. And this is coming from a man who grew up with bands who had numbers in their name. Like Linear 77. What does that mean?!

I think I’m gonna cry at your last show.

Sean: Me too, like a vagina.

Can we all cry together?

Sean: Yeah, if you can get onstage.
Bob: We can synchronise it time-wise, but I’m not setting aside a time.
Sean: CRY NOW!
Bob: It’s gonna be a weird one, that one. It’s gonna be good and bad. It’s gonna be a lot of fun. What I reckon is, we’re gonna come on and everyone’s gonna have a top laugh for half the set, and then bit by bit, everyone’s gonna be like [bawls]. I’m looking forward to it, but…
Sean: I just wanna play. I’ve been so bored sitting in my house. I’m all for a cry, don’t get me wrong. It’s gonna be a very wet floor in Merthyr that night. Rhys got drunk once on tour and he was watching a documentary or something –
Bob: No, I think it was Black Hawk Down.
Sean: Then he started crying and he said, “Ohhhh, I don’t want to bring a child into this world” and then he said, “Snoz, wipe away my tears”.
Bob: He had Snoz’s hand in one hand and a beer in the other hand, and he wouldn’t put the beer down, so he made another person wipe away his tears.

Remember when you put Rhys in a bin?

Sean: Oh yeah, on Warped Tour. That was a good time.

There have been many good times in The Blackout camp.

Sean: Yeah, about seven or eight.

I’ve known you for 13 years. That’s half of my life.

Sean: I feel very strange.
Bob: I always forget how young you were when you first started wandering about the place. Madness. Half your life!
Sean: That’s about a tenth of your life Bob. And now it’s all gone, because of Rhys.

Shall we schedule in a reunion show now?

Sean: Yeah, we’re gonna do one on March 29th. Or maybe April 1st. Wait until April 1st comes, we’ve got a tweet that’s gonna rock the world. Everybody, The Blackout’s back alright. What’s that band that said “Oh, we’re leaving”, played two massive sellout shows, and six months later announced another tour? Genius, boys. Come on then, we need a bassist. Splitting up is the new carrying on. That’s your quote.
Bob: £10,000 if you wanna use that Lais. Fictional or real money. I’d prefer the latter but I understand how it is.

I have £40 if you want it.

Sean: At this point I will take any money.
Bob: What’s interesting now is that when we do press nobody can ask us about the next record. I’m waiting for one to ask, “What have you got coming up next?”
Sean: Excellent journalism.

I can’t wait for the reunion show already.

Sean: If you could just make sure you print: “It’s all Rhys’ fault.” Thanks a lot!
Bob: Lovely stuff!

LAIS MW