It’s been quite a year for Coventry upstarts The Enemy - a number one album, top ten singles, sold-out 3,000 capacity shows, searing festival performances and more! Not only this, but in gobby frontman Tom Clarke, they’ve got someone prepared to shoot his mouth off, slag other artists off and hold no prisoners. With that in mind, Gigwise caught up with them to get their low down on 2007 and the year that lies ahead. Heather Mills and Peaches Geldof beware…
Gigwise: What have been your Enemy highlights of 2007?
Tom Clarke: Reading Festival!! A sweaty tent full of fucking mentalists, just what you need to kick off your Carling sponsored drinkathon come campathon. One of the most suprising and heart warming crowds we've played to. Thanks to everyone who made it so special, not that you can remember being there anyway.
Andy Hopkins: Another highlight would be the week we handed our songs over to the record buying public, the release of our album, thanks again to everyone who went out to buy it. When it was announced that it had gone to number one, we were on the way to scotland knackered after playing a home coming gig in Coventry the night before, but we still found time to celebrate 'obviously'
Liam Watts: Godiva festival in Coventry was one of our proudest moments of 2007. Walking onstage with the specials 'too much too young' blasting out to 7000 locals was one of the best feelings to date. Especially as the year the before we were first on to around 40 people. That was after they opened the tent doors about half way through our second song. A special than you to the people of Coventry for your support. nice one!
Gigwise: What have been your low points of the year? Would you change anything about the last 12 months?
Tom: In general, being on tour's pretty fucking untouchable, you wake up, eat drink play a gig get a massive buzz drink some more eat some more and then occasionally, wake up in a pool of sick thinking that the world's going to end. Fortunately the when you spend everyday with your best mates and you've got sound people around you there's always someone there to remind you that things could be worse. There may have been low points, but the highs massively outnumber the lows and I wouldn't change a thing.
Gigwise: Who are your heros and three zeros of 2007?
Tom: Heroes : No more heroes anymore. Ask the stranglers. Quite liked the TV series though.
Zeros : Heather Mills. Put your leg back on you whining attention seeking money grabbing heartless witch. Money can't buy you love, love.
Peaches Geldof. She tried to sue us because I said that the only reason she was at Glasto in a big shiney Winnebago (tarted up camper van to you and me) was because her dad didn't like Mondays. The case never made it into court, obviously someone in her daddies legal team with half a brain realised that it was in fact true. Peaches......sour grapes.
Gigwise: Your honest views have earned you a bit of a reputation. Are there any regrets at all?
Tom: Why would anyone regret being honest? Getting straight to the point and cutting through the bullshit saves time and lets everyone know where you stand. The problem with bands now days is everyone's terrified of the N M fucking E, scared that the media won't accept them. What everyone needs to do is grow a set of bollocks, say what they're really thinking...and that goes for the media too, if there's anyone or anything to blame for setting shit trends that last two seconds before disappearing into obscurity it's the music press....new rave is here to save the world...oh no hang on a second it's dead....new rave never existed, it amounted to probably less than ten glossy pages in the press cuttings of 2007, people need to stop overthinking stuff....you either like stuff or you don't, it's that simple. So err......no.
Gigwise: What do you hope to have achieved by this time next year?
Tom: Unaided unpowered human flight. Everyone's got to have something to aim for.
Gigwise: Name your favourite albums of the year.
Tom: REV AND THE MAKERS. The State Of Things: Earlier this year when I first heard Heavyweight Champion of the World on the wireless, I was convinced that Ian Brown and Pulp's bastard child had been unleashed for the masses to dance, drink and screw to. Then a large speech bubble screaming "Fuck Bush Fuck Blair" from the megaphone mouth of front man Jon McClure in a page of the New Musical Express got me all excited at the prospect of a working class band with something to say other than "red light indicates doors are secured." On a drizzly afternoon through the speakers of a van sat in yet another unexplained traffic jam on the M6 I listened to The State of Things in its entirety. Then I listened to it again a bit louder. It's not just Heavy Weight Champion of The World, or He said he loved me, the singles are there and they're bangers undoubtedly, but the rest of the album is packed with lyrics that relate directly to the normal, 206 driving, kebab eating, trainer wearing Oasis loving millions of common people. Pulp's woodchip on the walls has been replaced by cheap Ikea furniture but the mams and prams and leccy bills and all the other everyday shit that millions of normal people all across the country can relate to is there, conveniently combined with some massive choruses and club classic beats......it's just fucking class. Anyway, we were trying to think of two more albums that came close this year, and frankly we can't. I suggest that you use the time you would have spent reading another two paragraphs to go out and buy the Rev album.
Gigwise: Are there any bands/artists who you predict great things for in 2007?
Tom: Bands that are certainly worth checking from bits and bobs that I’ve heard are.... Lowlife. Jersey Bud. Sergent. Harrisons and Exit Calm.
Gigwise: Have you got any ideas for your New Year resolution?
Tom: I'm trying to cut down on Kebabs.....Doherty hasn't got a patch on my donner addiction.
