On gym popularity and cork injuries…Where have you been, and what did you do there? Is, basically, the premise of *Good Trip, Bad Trip*. Bands, they get about, don’t they – but what do they take away with them, from these exotic places and amazing festivals.
Here, Craig Kneale from Glasgow rockers Twin Atlantic tells us about the band’s on-the-road (and overseas) escapades…
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*‘Brothers And Sisters’, from ‘Great Divide’ (review)*
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*Best Trip…*
“My best trip was probably our first North American tour we did back in 2010. There’s something really inspiring about travelling across America, it feels like you’re doing something very exciting being that far from home playing your music in each city. It was two months long, and kind of took us everywhere.”
*Worst Trip…*
“Probably when we travelled all the way to Vienna to play with *White Lies*, and they cancelled the show as we got there. Vienna is nice, but it’s not travel-25-hours-in-a-van nice.”
*Our favourite foreign venue...*
“There’s a venue called The Troubadour in Los Angeles, which is my favourite because drums sound unbelievably brilliant in it. It’s also a really cool venue with loads of vibe, and it’s been there for years and years. Even *Elton John* has played there, if it’s good enough for the Rocket Man then it’s good enough for us.”
*We’re surprisingly popular in…*
“Gymnasiums. People tell us a lot that they hear our music getting played in the gym. It’s good to know that our music is good for pumping iron, that’s always been our dream. Hopefully one day we’ll get featured in a Rocky-style sports movie, as part of an inspirational montage section.”
*Best or worst exotic foodstuff…*
“The best would definitely any Mexican food in California – it’s the closest thing I’ve had to a religious experience. It makes me sad that I didn’t get to experience any of it until I was 22… That’s two decades of burrito/taco/quesadilla excellence I missed out on. Myself and Ross (McNae, bass) are vegetarian so the worst place is anywhere where they don’t know what a vegetarian is. And that’s more places than you would think.”
*The most interesting individual you've met on the road…*
“We’ve been really lucky that we’ve met so many interesting people since we’ve started travelling about. Some highlights include our surfer friend George who bought a car purely because it had a Grateful Dead sticker on the back window, and a guy called Jonathan who used to work at our label who helped draft *Pink Floyd*’s letter announcing they were breaking up. But I think our collective favourite is Dave McGeachan, who works for DF Concerts in Glasgow. I know we didn’t technically have to travel to meet him – but he’s one of those guys that people know, no matter how far they’ve travelled. He has great stories about pretty much every band that’s been popular in the last 30 years, but he treats every person he meets with the same respect.”
*Worst on-tour injury, or accident…*
“I think I’ve received the majority of our on tour injuries. The most *Spinal Tap* one is probably when Sam popped a champagne cork to celebrate the end of a tour and it hit me in the neck. They were all hugging while I lay struggling to breathe on the floor. Another notable mention is when I cut the top of my thumb off when we were recording our first album. I was trying to cut a hole in a pair of jeans with a very sharp knife, but I should have probably taken the jeans off before attempting it...”
*My essential travel item…*
“My running gear. I try to go a run most days we’re away – it’s a really good way of seeing a little bit more of the city you’re in and it’s a great way of keeping busy while you’re waiting to play, before the show. And it’s good for you, apparently. If it’s not, then I’ve already knocked years off my life with it.”
*My essential travel tip... *
“Try and get into reading and you’ll never be bored when you travel between places.”
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Twin Atlantic’s ‘Great Divide’ is out now on Red Bull Records. Find the band *online here*.
*More Good Trip, Bad Trip features, here*.
*Buy Clash Magazine*
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