Fightstar took over FemaleFirst for the day yesterday, here's what happened when drummer Omar got his hands on the Imperial Vipers frontman, Ash Simmons.
Imperial Vipers - Fightstar's New Celeb Best Mates
Hello there Ash, how are things going with the new Imperial Vipers album?
Cool man, our new album has just come out and it’s available on iTunes and it’s all going well. We’ve been doing a few dates to support it and it’s all looking good and we’ve got some good gigs coming up too. Playing on May 3 at Islington academy and we’re coming up to Manchester on July 12 to do Ruth from FemaleFirst’s Battle Of The Bands.
Cool, cool, You doing the festivals too?
I think we have a few small ones, we’re waiting to hear on the big ones yet, I think we’re being considered for them so hopefully we might be seeing you boys!
We hope to see you too! To anyone who hasn’t heard of you yet, how would you describe your sound?
It’s always a difficult one, I think if you’re going to compare us to any other band it would be somewhere between Soundgarden and the Clash. We definitely have some influences from the grunge stuff but we’re a lot more British sounding I’d say.
Good stuff, and tell us a bit about the inspiration behind your new record that’s just come out.
We’re from a small town called Dunstable just outside London and the front cover is actually a picture of the high street and it really sums up what the album as a whole is about - with all the ‘To let’ signs and all the boarded up shops. The high street is pretty much dead and a lot of the songs on the album is about what it’s like to live in a small, dead end town and all the stuff to go with it.
Cool, and if you could cover another band’s song, what would it be?
I was thinking about stuff like this earlier really, I’d love to do Now I’m Here by Queen, but I don’t know how we’d do it!
Ha, yeah, that would be awesome, do it! Maybe on the next B-side or something.
You never know!
And if you could set up your dream festival, what three bands would you have headlining?
I think we’d have to have AC/DC [Omar: Yep, good], Alice In Chains [Omar: ooh] and Metallica [Omar: Sweet! I’ll come to that festival, I’m telling you now!] Maybe I’m in the wrong business, maybe I should take over organising festivals?
Haha, good plan, and what has been your favourite musical memory to date?
Before the band or with the band?
Well even something before the band, just something that’s quite special to you.
Staying with the Alice In Chains thing, I went to see them and it was the first time I’d seen them with the new singer and it was at the London Astoria on a boiling hot evening and I tell you, I’d never been to a gig with much anticipation in the air, and when they came on - I mean he was stepping into some big shoes there - the love for the band was so immense that the singer was [I don’t even know the new guy’s name] just so overwhelmed. I really want to go see them at Sonisphere festival too.
Yeah, that’s quite a line-up this year…. And if all of the bands equipment was on fire, what one piece would you save and why?
I don’t know! That’s a tricky one!” I think it would have to be Loftys drum kit!
Yeah, I tried to say my drum kit earlier and everyone looked at me as if to say; “No way mate”
I supposed you could replace the drum kit, I guess you’d have to save the guitars, [Omar: Yeah, that‘s what our guitarists said!] but with me I’d have to save my microphone!
Selfish! Haha, I like it, and if you could only listen to one CD for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Porbably, Blood.Sugar.Sex.Magik by Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Good album! And as a random last one, tell me about the most terrifying moment of your life…
We did a show over in Paris and it was like a big indoor windsurfing competition and we opened it all up, and we got dropped down from the ceiling over the water and as we were about to go down for the show, the guy started letting us down and the chain got stuck on one corner and started tilting [Omar; Oh my god!] but when we actually got down properly all the nerves that we have before the gig had gone because we were so grateful to still be alive!
Amazing, how the hell did you play the gig after that, I would have been lkike “I’m out of here!”
It was quite surreal, but it was good.
Well nice one Ash, thanks for your time.
Bye man.
The boys didn't get away with doing just a bit of work though...
Keep an eye out for Charlie's Go: Audio Interview coming later
Also, read their...
Underoath - Too Bright To See, Too Loud To Hear review
Young Guns - Mirrors review
Asteroids Galaxy Tour - The Sun Ain't Shining No More review
Alec Empire - Shivers review
Bell X1 - The Great Defector review
Read our Fightstar - Be Human Review here
Tagged in Fightstar