Space Cadets - The Asteroids Galaxy Tour

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, hardly a name that rolls off the tongue, but for Lars Iversen and Mette Lindberg, core of the soul-soaked, booty-shaking, pop-technicolour group, its one that suits the aspirations of a band who, having only been together for eighteen months, thrive on fantastical escapism.

After hooking up in the summer of 2007 for a musical meeting of minds, a demo tape was hastily assembled and landed on the desks of David Enthoven and Tim Clark, who, impressed with what they heard, hopped on a plane to Denmark in a bid to snap them up. Not only did the sound impress the founders of ie:music but also the management of Amy Winehouse, who requested that their debut gig be as support act to the diva herself.

“It went so fast” laughs Mette “We had just started out and we had maybe five hours of rehearsing and then we played twenty minutes, our first concert, at a big venue, sold out and supporting Amy Winehouse.”

“That was the very start of The Asteroids Galaxy Tour” adds an unfazed Lars.

Although the brains behind the band, when playing live, Lars and Mette recruit more brawn, swelling to an all singing all dancing brass bearing six-piece. But despite the problems of cohesion that can arise when interpreting other musician’s domestically crafted songs for the stage, the transition is naturally uncomplicated as Mette explains:

“It’s not that complicated because me and Lars are in charge. We play it for the band and then everything is recorded so we have the big sound. We play it again and they add their vibe to it as musicians, so it’s far easier than if we were a big band and everyone had to say ‘no it should be like this or like that’. They just grab it, get the feeling and understand the music.”

“We’re really lucky” adds Lars “because it’s not just any backing band, it’s our really good friends and the best musicians in Denmark.”

It’s been a long day for the pair; Lars is battling flu, they’ve only just arrived in London, already crashed their hire car and with past comparisons referencing acts such as the B52’s leaving their music misunderstood, talk of sound and style leave the pair looking cold and the conversation soon deflects to a spiral of wayward tangents that include Elvis impersonations, how Lars has always wanted to be Luke Skywalker, Mette’s secret crush on an adolescent wizard (“I think I love Harry Potter”) and what would happen in a stand-off between the two:

“He can do magic and he can fly” says Mette.

“He still wouldn’t beat Luke Skywalker” quips Lars.