Photo:
The mobile telephone is a marvellous invention. You can send messages, take blurry photographs, play rubbish games, listen to music, and even talk to people on them wherever they are. This is particularly useful when trying to track down a touring rock band, and no, not a band within the confines of the UK, but one somewhere in Europe. So Feeder drummer Mark Richardson, there’s no hiding, a shop somewhere in Belgium is as good a location as any for an interview…
Gigwise: Hello Mark, how have things been going in Europe?
Mark Richardson: Really good actually, we’re coming toward the end of the European bit now but it’s been a really good start to the album campaign.
G: What can people look forward to on the upcoming UK tour?
MR: In Europe the gigs have been smaller than they will be in the UK, so apart from playing the new record the fact that the venues will be bigger and sold out on multiple nights will be something to look forward to, which I think is something we’ve earned. A lot of the time in Europe you have to earn it when you’re still building your reputation. A lot of crowds here have been warm, but we’ve had to work hard for their respect. It’ll be nice to get back to the UK and relax a bit where the crowds know the songs and will be going mental.
G: What sort of set are you going to be playing?
MR: It’s very much based on the new album; we get through most of the new record. But the other half is drawn from a mixture of the other albums, because a lot of them are the most popular songs because they were singles. If you did a whole set without doing any of the singles you might be pleasing yourself but you’re not putting on a good show for people who have paid good money to see you. You have to find a balance between hits and promoting the new record.
G: Do you see the smaller venues on this tour as a step down from the arenas you played last time in the UK?
MR: Not really, when you consider two shows at Brixton Academy is the same as one at Wembley Arena, two at Manchester Apollo is nearly the same as a night at the arena. The tour itself is quite small because we are doing quite a lot of big shows over the summer, and we want to finish with an arena tour like last time. You have to be careful not to put yourself out there too much, we could probably do an arena tour now, but it would be foolish because we’ll be around a lot this year.
G: Is the intimacy of smaller venues another reason for the locations you’re playing?
MR: There is a more intimate atmosphere, which I’ll look forward to, and in bigger venues you do lose some of that. On the other hand you can put on a bigger spectacle in the arenas, which you can’t in theatres – it’s swings and roundabouts. You make the best of what you got, we don’t really care where we play. As long as people are enjoying themselves it really doesn’t matter where you are.
G: Are you pleased with how latest album ‘Pushing The Senses’ was received?
MR: Yeah, it went in at number two and the single (‘Tumble And Fall’) went it at five, and so far it’s been really good. It’s still early days, the albums only been out a few weeks but the signs are good. The next single ‘Feeling A Moment’ was actually meant to be the first release, its catchy, full of melody, and is a great song.
G: How does you view this record in terms of Feeder’s development?
MR: It’s absolutely essential it came out now. The last album dealt with the feelings around Jon’s death (former drummer Jon Lee committed suicide in 2002), and this is much more a recovery album. It’s an essential step for Feeder as a band, because Grant exercised demons dealing with the tragedy of Jon Lee committing suicide, and without it I don’t think he would have carried on if he hadn’t been able to make the last two records as they are. We have to work with what we have, and this is a great record that we believe in and are behind.
G: Much has been made about how this is mellower than previous material from Feeder, and comparisons have been made to Coldplay…
MR: It’s fucking shit to be honest. This band’s been around three times longer than Coldplay, and much longer than Keane, who don’t have guitars in their songs. Comparisons put you in a box, boxes which are restrictive. We’re Feeder, and we just do what we do.
G: In the last year bands such as Franz Ferdinand, Keane, and Snow Patrol have broken through, how does Feeder fit into everything?
MR: We don’t fit into any scene that anyone wants to put round us, but we do feel a part of what is going in UK music. It’s not a scene as such like it was in the nineties with Britpop; it’s not that sort of thing. I can understand people comparing us to others, but we do what we do and we’re just a rock band. We use piano on a couple of songs and it’s like “oh fuck they’ve turned into Coldplay!” which is hilarious.
G: Looking forward to the rest of the year, are you nervous about headlining Download Festival?
MR: No more so than I would any other show, I’m really excited actually and it’s a good marker of where the band is. We’re guinea pigs to a certain extent, with it being the first time they’ve had an alternative rock day on the Friday, but it’s going to be good and to say the people there won’t be into anything but metal is to insult their musical taste. I give people more credit than that, just because they’re at Download doesn’t mean they just like one type of music.
G: What are your other plans for the rest of the year?
MR: Lots of shows with R.E.M. in Europe and the UK, a load of European festivals, festivals in the Southern hemisphere toward the end of the year and also the arena tour around that time.
G: Is it a relief to be recognised as a full member of Feeder now?
MR: Am I? I don’t really think about it, my job is drummer in Feeder, and people seem to be really interested in whether I’m a fully signed up member or not. But you have to remember that Jon was like a brother for those guys, they were in a band together for a decade, so it’s about taking really small steps and taking it at our own pace. Yes, this album I’m in the photos and I’m talking about the band, but it’s early days. I’m totally happy with the way things are, they’re looking after me, and I’m appreciative for what I have.
So there we have it, Mark Richardson happy with his role in Feeder, a band who are more than happy with their latest record. He promises a rocking show to leave their fans happy, and of course the telephone company is happy because of the international mobile call – which leaves Gigwise, who have to pay for that call. Oh well, at least everyone else seems pleased…
