2017 has been rubbo for a lot of things, but not bands. We’ve had a bumper crop of returning superstars, dazzling debut albums and live shows that’ll knock your socks off.
Just when you thought things couldn’t get better for Glass Animals, they smash festival season to smithereens with some of the season’s best sets, instigate pineapple-gate, and get nominated for the Mercury Prize.
Hey Dave, how has your 2017 been?
My 2017 has been sick. Started with a tour in Asia, then Australia, then South America. Then I fell off a stage and broke my leg. Then Drew got in quite serious trouble with a clan of pimps. Then Coachella with the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen. Then we got picketed by the Westboro Baptist Church. Then Red Rocks, the best venue in the world where we got hit with a hurricane, and everyone took their clothes off in the rain. Then I went in a human centrifuge for the ‘Agnes’ video. Then the amazing Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds Festival. Then our first arena shows. Then Radio City and the Shrine and the Greek where the crowd smoked so much pot I got way too high on stage. Then utter chaos in Mexico where we got held up by the cartel etc.
Crikey. So, pineapples then. That Reading & Leeds ban was a bit weird, wasn’t it – did you see many pineapples in the crowd?
That was weird. I think I saw about five real pineapples in the crowd and about 100 inflatable/paper mache ones. People got creative. I saw a LOT of pineapples in bins by security on the way into the arena. They actually enforced that shit. I even saw one security guard confiscate someone’s pineapple balloon. Who confiscates a balloon? That’s like confiscating joy. Also, a balloon is like the most harmless thing on the planet. I can’t actually think of anything less dangerous.
That was probably the most fun music-related news story this summer, but what do you think has been the biggest music-related news story of 2017?
Probably something to do with Ed Sheeran? But the horrific accounts of sexual harassment and assault within the music and entertainment industries are the bravest and most important series of stories to surface in quite some time. That kind of behaviour cannot be tolerated. This year society as a whole has started attacking it head on, and I’d say that’s pretty big.
Congrats on being up for the Mercury with ‘How To Be A Human Being’, was being shortlisted a surprise?
Thanks! It was a huge surprise – we’d actually booked a tour over the announcement and ceremony as we didn’t think we were in for a shot! But it is incredibly heartwarming. It’s the award we grew up with, and every year we go out and buy the whole shortlist and argue about the records.
Did it open any doors for you guys?
I don’t know, but we made a lot of good friends out of it…. Loyle [Carner], Kate [Tempest] and many of the shortlisted artists are lovely people. It made me proud to be part of the UK’s music family… a scene that is constantly changing and churning out such a diverse range of albums all with such cultural significance.
What’s your album of the year?
SZA, ‘Ctrl’. Or LCD Soundsystem, ‘American Dream’.
It’s nearly Christmas now – how do you get into the festive spirit?
I watch Elf.
How many Christmas jumpers do you own?
None – I wear a Strokes hoodie that I found on the floor at Reading Festival in like 2007 when I was about 12.
What’s the best part of Christmas dinner?
We don’t really do Christmas dinner – my mum is from a Jewish background. She has a couple of her friends around who are far from their families, and they all bring different things. Curries, chips, soup, whatever. Everything goes. But I do really like stuffing.
Which big or buzzy bands do you think will make a comeback in 2018?
Oasis! Go on.
Who do you think will be the biggest new band of 2018?
Nilufer Yanya. Dave. A Chal.
Taken from the December/January issue of Dork, out now.