Catching Up with Grand Slam Opera

A while back YMC chatted to Grand Slam Opera, a new band yet to play their first gig, four months later we wondered how things are shaping up for them.

YMC: Last time we spoke you were about to play your first gig, have you managed to get a few since then?

Johnny: Yeah loads.

*Ethan & Thomas mumble incoherent profanities*

Johnny: What did you say?

Matt: Oh Jesus! Yes! We’ve had plenty, we’ve been gigging nearly every weekend I’m knackered.

Thomas/Johnny/Ethan: Whoah!

Johnny: How can you say knackered? That’s like…

Matt: Ok, I’m very tired.

Johnny: Alright.

Ethan: I like getting drunk at gigs. That means I’m drunk every weekend.

*Johnny mumbles incoherently*

Matt: Sssshhhhh! Second Question!

YMC: What do you think have been the best gigs you have played?

Johnny: Balanga Bar!

Ethan: Balanga Bar!

Johnny: I can’t remember any of it though.

Ethan: I can’t.

Matt: Personally, I…

Ethan: Leeds Met!

Matt: Yeah Leeds Met was fun…

Ethan: Yeah it was most fun. Only because you were hammered.

Johnny: Royal Oak, that was well good!

Matt: No that was hell.

Thomas: Ethan caused a riot.

Matt: They had to stop the gig.

Ethan: That was the best one ever!

Matt: Are we actually allowed to play there again?

Ethan: Yeah.

Matt: Oh that’s alright then.

Ethan: We’re banned from Zuu Bar! But we haven’t enjoyed any of them.

Matt: Zuu Bar’s not the best gig in the world. But you know, I don’t want to say anything negative.

Ethan: We’re banned.

YMC: Thomas, do you still have the best ideas for songs, or are the others catching up a bit?

Thomas: No they’re not. Done. Next Question.

*everybody giggles for about fifteen seconds to this response*

YMC: Johnny, has Matt bought you a van yet?

Johnny: No I’ve not passed my test yet, but I expect it in a couple of weeks.

Thomas: He does enjoy stealing his guitarists’ car though.

Matt: Yeah that caused a few problems.

*everybody laughs*

Ethan: Luckily we’re still going strong.

Matt: If you’ve not heard about that, it’s you know, a bit of Grand Slam Opera legacy for you there.

Ethan: It could of caused a few band hiccups but Tom just rose above it. Good lad he is.

Matt: He was surprisingly cool, I mean if Johnny stole my car I’d murder him!

Ethan: Tom’s a good guy.

Matt: And crashed it.

Johnny: I didn’t crash it! Did I crash it?

Ethan: No.

Johnny: Yes!

Matt: He told me he crashed it.

Ethan: He thought he did.

Johnny: Ethan said I had, then I thought I did, but I didn’t. I don’t know.

Thomas: Next question.

YMC: You mentioned last year that you thought you had a strong line-up that could get through the difficult early days, do you still see it that way?

Ethan: No because Johnny keeps stealing cars.

Johnny: I’ve got some other members, like back up. Well not back up but I intend on bringing them in.

Ethan: Do they all look the same as us?

Johnny: No, no.

Ethan: They should do. It’s the only way it’s going to work.

Matt: How strong are they physically?

Johnny: We’re still together so…

Ethan: No physically strong! God.

Johnny: Oh right, I don’t know.

Ethan: You’re a bit weak. You’re a bit slow as well. You don’t function right well.

YMC: Are you going to be recording anything any time soon?

Matt: Yes we’re done. We’re mixing.

Ethan: Yeah we are, we’re currently mixing with the lovely Tom Fox at Moorcroft Studios.

Matt: Yeah we’ve got a new recording it’s coming out soon boys and girls.

Ethan: We’ve got ten songs altogether.

Johnny: Girls can’t listen to it.

Matt: Girls can listen to it, they can shake their bum bum.

Thomas: Boys can listen to it too.

Ethan: Boys can’t listen to it, it’s illegal.

Matt: Have you noticed it’s the boys that like me at the gigs and not the girls?

Ethan: It’s because you give off that gay vibe. You know with your crotch?

Matt: I wouldn’t call it a gay vibe. I mean at the last gig, we were playing and there was some young boy at the front and he just asked for a cuddle.

Thomas: Aw bless.

Matt: And like at the end it was all young guys at the front.

Ethan: Do you know why?

Matt: Why?

Ethan: Because you’re gay.

Matt: Ah well.

YMC: Any big gigs coming up?

Everyone: Cockpit!

Matt: Yeah we’re supporting the wonderful Steven Barlow & friends otherwise known as Fight The Front Line.

Ethan: Hey Matt we’re going to do a video shoot we’ve decided for you.

Matt: We’re doing a video shoot?

Johnny: We’re going to kidnap you.

Ethan: We’re going to play a gig in Manchester and do clips of the day before and in the night.

Matt: Have we got a gig in Manchester?

Ethan: No but we’ll book one.

Matt: That’s what I’ve been trying to do since…

Johnny: Yeah but now we’re making a video it’s going to make it so much easier to book a gig in Manchester. We’ll just do it in two seconds because we’ll say, we’re making a video so book us.

Ethan: It’ll just be us and a guy with a camera so we can all fit in one car.

Matt: Great stuff. Well we answered that question to the point!

Ethan: We’re staying in a Travelodge as well.

Matt: Goodnight Vienna.

Find out more on http://www.myspace.com/grandslamopera