wars are an up and coming hardcore band from Rugby, we managed to catch a chat with them after their opening support slot with Bury Tomorrow. We spoke to the most dolphin obsessed man in Britain and the four other members that make up wars.
HTF: So, this was your first home town gig, as a band, where you a little bit nervy, where you excited? What were your feelings about everything?
Matt: Well we heard you guys were coming so…
Rob: Yer that was it.
HTF: So this has turned it up a level?
Rich: Yer we were fine until then. Haha. Well I guess so, you’re going to have a little bit of nerves, mainly because we’re supporting such a high profile band, but it’s always exciting, it gets to the point that it becomes less nerve racking and you just get excited about things rather than nervous.
Rob: Yer, you roughly know what you’re going to do, and the good thing about this place is The Vault is awesome, we know the people here and we feel quite relaxed so that’s good. But there’s always going to be that thing, where no body’s going to have seen us as wars before, so we’re got an impression to make.
HTF: So is there that fear that “Oh God, what if no one shows up?”
Everyone: Haha, Oh absolutely.
Rich: But we’ve finally gotten used to that feeling now though haha.
Rob: I mean Rugby always tends to be good, but you’re always gonna have that point in time when you’re like “ah man no one’s gonna be here”, it’ll be so embarrassing haha.
HTF: So was tonight [with the good crowd] a pleasant surprise as such? Were you happy with how it turned out?
Rob: Oh yer yer, it was surprise and we’re really really chuffed with how it turned out. It looked massive in there, with a good few people, and everyone seemed to, at the front, be paying attention. Like we’ve said, Rugby seems to have an awesome scene in general, and sometimes it’s a little difficult just to spur it into action, but this seems to have really done it.
Matt: Yer, but when you have a massive band like Bury Tomorrow coming to Rugby, you’re gonna pull some people in. And when Simon comes over to you, and says you’re on in 15 minutes, and there’s like 3 people standing at the bar, but then you go outside and there’s people queuing up the road already, it was a really nice surprise, a good feeling.
HTF: You’ve really only been a band officially for the last 2, 3 months, yet you’re supporting Bury Tomorrow, you’ve had a track on Daniel P Carter’s show.
Sammy cuts in: Two Tracks.
HTF: Haha, I’ve been shown up.
Everyone: Oooooh burn.
HTF: Is there a secret you guys have to getting success so quickly, or is it just a bit of luck?
Rob: We were just very careful how we put everything together, we spent a lot of time talking it through, and discussing what would work best. We’ve had friends, who have helped us along, and we’ve just been really careful, making sure every step was the right one.
Rich: Yer I think that’s it, although we’ve only been a band for about two months, we’ve been together for, like ages.
Rob: We’ve been working on what we’ve, kind of, planned, because when we’re played in bands before, we always tended to do stuff, and then get massively ahead of ourselves, and have then never been able to bring it back in. So what we’ve done this time is to just literally plan everything, so we know exactly what we’re doing, know who to contact, who to ask, and that’s had a good reaction so far so.
Sam: And of course we’re… Really good.
Everyone: Haha.
Rich: Haha, can you edit that bit?
HTF: Nope, all of this is really going in haha.
Sam: Awwww everyone’s gonna think that Sam’s a knob head haha.
HTF: Well, as well as all this, you’ve got your EP out next month, on stage, you get the feeling that you’re less nervous than bands that have been around for like 2 or 3 years, so it does sound like you’ve got it altogether, in how you want to sound, and operate. Do you feel that is really going to be shown on the EP?
Rob: It’s certainly going to be different to the live experience. We’re all song writers at heart and we want to make the best song we can, so when we play it live, that’s going to be a different sort of beast. At the end of the day, all the songs we’re writing, we’re all pretty passionate about, and we try and get that out, and what really separates the two experiences.
HTF: Right guys, this is the point in the interview where things are going to be getting a little bit interesting. Right, because you’ve only been a band for like 2 months, we felt it was best not to just do the standard questions, so we’re going to mix things up a little bit. What’s the best way to meet someone? SPEED DATING!
Everyone with a lot of scared/confused face: Alright…
HTF: So we’ve got here a few standard speed dating questions. What you might want to do, it may not be that difficult, see myself as an attractive blonde.
*Someone tiger growls*
Lee: I’ll be honest I’ve been seeing you as that all night.
HTF: Well that’s good; you’re one step ahead of the game mate haha.
Everyone: Hahaha
HTF: First off. If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?
Sam: Urmmmm Dolphin!
HTF: Right, this could go anyway haha, and why?
Sam: Because they’re the only other mammal that has sex for fun.
Lee: Sam’s got this all planned out!
Rich: A lot of people are going to be reading this going. That’s not STRICTLY true.
Sam: I’m gonna be getting some Wikipedia hits.
HTF: Oh you’re gonna be getting loads of Facebook requests now.
Lee: Sam Barnard, the dolphin boy haha.
HTF: Second question, what do you normally drink on a night out?
Lee: Hobagobolin!
Sam: Hobagobolin!
Lee: Haha we got pissed one night and ended up saying Hobagobolin to the bar staff, and it’s sort of stuck from there.
Rich: Disclaimer, although other alcoholic beverages are available. I was quick to jump in there haha.
HTF: Number 3! What is your least proud moment?
Rob: Wait a minute, wait a minute, let me just get the list out.
Matt: Waving at someone who is waving at someone directly behind you.
HTF: Haha oh ok, does this happen a lot?
Rich: All the time.
Matt: Surprisingly often haha.
Sam: We think everyone recognises us now.
Lee: That’s the reason we drink Hobgoblin, to forget haha.
HTF: If you had 6 months to live, what would you do with it?
Rich: Probably try and go on tour haha.
Sam: Become a dolphin.
Lee: Get really into debt and pay for everything.
HTF: Haha, you’re really are on board with this whole dolphin thing aren’t you?
Sam: I’ve had that answer ready, as soon as you asked it, boom dolphin!
Lee: He’s been on these speed dating things already haha.
Sam: That question came up. I got laid that night.
Rich: Another dolphin fan.
HTF: I’ve just got this idea now that there’s a group of people at these speed dating places, huddled together talking about dolphins.
Sam: Just me though.
Rich: Hahah don’t group us all together with this prick.
HTF: Right, next one, if you had £1 million, what’s the first thing you’d buy with it?
Rich: A Lamborghini Aventador
Sam: A dolphin
Lee: A dolphin
Rob: Haha no not a dolphin!
Matt: A pet dolphin!
Sam: SEAWORLD!
HTF: Just fill it full of dolphins.
Sam: MORE DOLPHINS!
Rob: Just surrounded by dolphins.
Lee: A lifetime supply of hobagobolin.
Rich: We need to stop talking about hobagobolin.
HTF: It doesn’t really matter, keep on going on about Hobgoblin, hopefully we’ll get money for it.
Rich: Sponsorship!
Lee: Nah mate its Hobagobolin, you have to say it right.
HTF: I’m sorry, Hobagobolin.
HTF: What’s the TV show that you’re most hooked on now, or what are you most looking forwards to?
Rich: Walking Dead
Rob and Lee: Game of Thrones
Matt: Better Call Saul
Sam: Dolphin Tale 2
Rob: There’s a Dolphin Tale 1?
HTF: That’s a film, but I’ll give you that.
Sam: Seaworld documentaries.
Everyone else: Blue planet haha.
HTF: Is Shark Week like the most horrid thing for you?
Sam: SO MANY DOLPHINS DIE!
HTF: What is the worst job you’ve ever had?
Matt: Working at Lidl.
Rich: Playing bass in wars.
Everyone: Ooooooh
Lee: Good answer!
Matt: He’s out then.
Sam: any bass players reading this? Get in touch. Haha
Rich: Being the van driver for wars is pretty shit as well *looks over to van driver sitting on his own*. He’s gone really quiet as well haha.
HTF: What did you want to be when you were 5?
Rich: The bass player in wars.
Sam: Dolphin. I need to stop saying that now, I’ve said it far too much haha.
HTF: Where is the next place in the world that you’d like to visit?
Rich: My bed?
HTF: That’s definitely in the world yes.
Sam: I’m not doing it, I’m not gonna say Seaworld.
Matt: It’s gotta be Seaworld hasn’t it?
Sam: No! Because I actually signed a campaign to close Seaworld.
HTF: Oh ok, yer, because you want the dolphins free!
Everyone: FREEDOM!
Rich: Are you looking for serious answers to this?
HTF: Nah anything goes.
Rich: Ah that’s alright then!
Rob: I think we’re a little late in the game for those kinds of questions.
HTF: Well I can see where my last questions going to go… Do you like long walks on the beach?
Lee: I like pina coladas.
Rich: And getting caught in the rain.
Sam: I just love being by the sea.
HTF: Because of the dolphins?
Sam: I just feel at home.
Rob: Preferably in it.
Matt: I love long walks on the beach.
HTF: You just really love those dolphins don’t you?
Sam: I don’t… Not like, in a weird way. I just really wanna be a dolphin.
HTF: Yer, like you have those people who REALLY like cars.
Rich: Yer like too much.
Rob: Why don’t we get Sam to do a dolphin impression?
HTF: Go on then, dolphin impression.
Sam: EHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE (I really wish it were possible to type this out any better).
Rob: It was like there’s one here in the room!
Sam: I’ve swam with dolphins! That was the epiphany. Ever since then, I was like, I gotta be one!
Lee: I mean, this is starting to sound really weird now…
HTF: We’ve opened a box, filled with trapped emotions.
Rob: We’re gonna be that weird dolphin band. That’s not good!
Sam: I’m gonna get home tonight, and be really depressed because I’m not a dolphin.
HTF: Seriously… If your next t-shirt doesn’t have a dolphin somewhere on it, I’m gonna be majorly pissed off.
Sam: Well, that’s it. We’ve gotta do it then haha.
Matt: You should see it mate, you wait.
Rich: Ah fuck sake.
HTF: So what have you got next then?
Everyone: Demoraliser.
HTF: In Birmingham?
Rob: Yes.
HTF: Excited?
Rob: Very much so yer.
HTF: So is every day like a building block for you now?
Rich: Yer I guess so, we’re just sort of jumping on any little thing we can get now.
Sam: Get our name out there a bit more.
Rob: we really like playing live, so touring always feels like where we’re at home. So no matter where we try and play out somewhere.
HTF: So when the new EP is out, and circulated a bit, are you going to try and do a few headline shows?
Rob: Yer yer definitely, I mean if it’s appropriate haha. We’ve got a tour in July.
Lee: If anyone will book us. Please let us play!
HTF: Just knocking on people’s houses. I’ll play in your back garden!
Rob: Haha yer, can we come in!
HTF: Although, there was a piece of news a couple of months ago of Beartooth playing in someone’s house, and the support act, who try to one up them, set their guitarist on fire.
Matt: Woah… That’s impressive.
Rob: Well I’m sorry Matt haha.
Sam: Be all like, that’s for saying dolphin too many times, bitch.
Lee: We don’t need a bassist right?
HTF: Just set someone on fire and hope for the best.
Matt: I once saw a gig, where the vocalist was wearing a balaclava and poured a whole petrol can all over himself and just lit a lighter, and everyone ran a mile, but it was just water.
Everyone: Ooooooh. Hahah
Sam: That’s ingenious
Rob: That’s good for driving people away. Which isn’t too good haha.
Lee: That’s not exactly what I wanted out of this.
Sam: Haha well that backfired.
HTF: I feel I need to finish this off with one question. Rob do you ever feel inadequate that you’re the only one in the band without a beard?
Rob: Yer… All the time. I tried! I gave it a real good go but, it just wasn’t happening.
HTF: Was it just like bum fluff?
Rob: Yer that’s it haha. I mean I look about 12… I’m 26! 26 man and I’m still getting ID’d in family pubs.
Rich: Haha you’ve just hit a nerve there to finish on.
Rob: The woman at Tesco the other day took a good 5 minutes starting at my driving licence. And I was like “it’s unbelievable isn’t it?” And she turned to me, said yer, and then walked off, and then must have realised that what she said might have hurt my feelings, came back and said “you’ve got an angel face”.
Rich: Disclaimer. Other supermarket chains are available.
HTF: Well it has been fantastic speaking to you guys, and I hope it all moves on swimmingly from there.
