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Steve Hilton is a busy man. When he's not writing a film score with David Holmes, he's a member of The Free Association and one half of Children. Speaking to Duncan Whittaker half an hour before his first visit to the stage, Steve reveals the finer things in life.
Where are you from please mate?
I'm from London. Canterbury originally, but London now.
What's Canterbury's biggest claim to fame?
The Arch Bishop!
Oh yeah! Is it well off?
The place I come from is Favesham, which is just outside Canterbury, which isn't really. I'm a gypsy at heart.
Quality. Done any travelling like gypsy style?
Err, no not quite!
And what are the kids like in Canterbury?
Great. Really good. I really want to have a gig down there because the crowds are so great. They're all music fans. There's a venue called Penny Theatre, and it's full of hardcore music fans every Monday night.
What sort of music?
Anything really, it's kind of hip-hop based, which is where I'm from. That's my roots. They really champion new music and innovative stuff.
Are you into Rodney P and stuff like that?
Timberland is my real massive hero at the moment. Timberland is just the boss as far as I am concerned, and Missy and all that.
So you're into the American side of it all then?
Yeah. That's kind of my roots.
What football team do you support down there?
I don't get football at all I'm afraid. I'd like to. You see people watching a match and it's like "yeah, I really want to get into the excitement."
So what's the nearest team then?
Gillingham I guess.
Ever been to Burnley?
No never. I've got family in Manchester though, and they're coming tonight. All the auntie's, uncle's, cousin's and that.
Are you going to do a Peter Kay style "Hi ya Mum" when you're onstage?
I should. Maybe I'll do that. My Mum came to watch last night and I forgot to do it, so maybe I should do it tonight. A belated one.
And what did you do for Valentine's Day? Have you got a bird or anything?
Yeah, my girlfriend and I are in the band that's supporting The Free Ass tonight. It's Patti, over there.
Hi ya Patti. How ya doin? (Just for the record, blonde, very attractive, and knee length boots aswell. Quality!)
It's gonna be good. It's mad doing two bands at once, because you come off from the support and then you're back on again, but it's good.
You get two cheers though.
Exactly.
Two for the price of one! Do you ever go fishing as well mate?
No. All I tend to do really is music. I don't really have anything like that.
And where have you been in the world that is quality?
I would definitely recommend New York. The Free Association's first gig was in New York, and we recorded the album in L.A, so we know people over there. New York has such a great vibe, with the club's and everything. New York just has this real mad energy about it, and an 'anything could happen' kind of vibe. There's a great spirit of innovative music in New York and people just doing their own thing, like these mad club nights spring up in bars and people have their sound systems. When we're in the studio we tend to work till one or two in the morning so it's a great place to be because you can just come out the studio and go from club to club. We got ourselves into a lot of trouble in New York.
Carry on...
I can't really go any further!
Have you ever been mugged or anything like that?
I haven't actually. Maybe tonight, who knows!
How did you meet David Holmes then?
It was a mad story. I was a fan of his music for a while and was working with a lot of people doing lots of different projects. I got a phone call one day, and the previous night I'd been speaking to my flat mate about David's music, and I had this muffled phone call going "This is David Holmes, I'm in Barbados." And the phone just cut out and I thought that it was my flat mate just winding me up. And then he rang back again about half an hour later, and he'd heard a couple of things I'd done, and really liked it and said, "Do you want to collaborate on a movie?" So we did, which was Buffalo Soldiers, then we did Oceans Eleven, and Analyze That and loads of stuff like that.
Was it cool working on Oceans Eleven, with the cast and all that?
We had the best time ever on 'Oceans.' We just went out and got twatted every night. We did the music in L.A, and it's set in Vegas.
Did you go gambling in Vegas?
Yeah. The casino's are mad. It's such a mad environment to be in. I remember once there was this little old woman sitting at a fruit machine, maybe 9 O'clock in the morning. I came back two days later and there was the same woman at the same machine just putting money in still, transfixed.
Nice. And how was George Clooney?
George was cool.
Quality. And do you like your women shaven, or bushy?
Shaven! Oh yes!
If you got run over by a big tour bus, how would you like to be remembered please Steve?
By tonight's gig.
Cheers my man. Have a top gig. It's been a pleasure.
