Deaf Havana are taking Britain by storm this month, on their biggest tour to date. Guitarist, Chris Pennells, chats to Hit The Floor about what surprises the band have up their sleeves this time around, as well as revealing their weirdest rider requests.
HTF: You’re out on tour this month; what can fans expect from your shows this time around?
C: We’ve really tried to please the fans with this set, so we’ve been looking at our social media sites to find out what everyone wants to hear.
HTF: You’re going to be performing with a gospel choir and a string quartet at your Clapham Grand show, how did that come about? What do you think it’ll add to the gig?
C: We’ve worked with both the choir and string players since the start of this album campaign but never together save for our session at British Grove, so we thought it was about time to bring them both to the stage. Plain and simply, it’s so that our songs can be heard as they are on record, and to augment the other songs in the set. We’ve always been very anti-backing track, and we want to make audiences coming to our shows realise that real music can still be played by real people, and to make bands realise that bringing all these extra musicians to the stage is perfectly practical.
HTF: You’re on tour with The People The Poet and The Maine this time around, there really is something for everyone on this tour, isn’t there?
C: We’ve just brought out bands that we know and like as music fans ourselves.
HTF: Speaking of opening acts, you’ve just got off a big European run with You Me At Six, what’s it like to tour with them? Got any funny stories from that tour?
C: It’s great to tour with those guys. We’ve known them for quite a long time and touring a long time is so much easier when you’re doing it with your mates. Typically just a lot of drinking happens!
HTF: On the road, do you have any bizarre pre-show rituals?
C: Boozing. Haha. And we like to have a generally stress free and relaxed day before band.
HTF: What about rider requests? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve requested and actually got?
C: On this tour we are requesting board games and a mask of a celebrity. Last night in Norwich we were given Monopoly and Daniel Craig’s face.
HTF: You’ve just put out the video for your new single, 22, tell us a bit about the track?
C: 22, as far as I can decipher it as I didn’t write the lyrics, is about James’s love/hate relationship with touring.
HTF: Deaf Havana’s sound seems to evolve with every album you put out, do you think that’s an important part of being musicians?
C: I think it’s very important that bands never record the same album twice. I know some fans will always prefer some of our albums over the others, but how boring would it be to listen/play the same music for years and years?
HTF: How did you rate touring America? How different is it touring in the States, compared to in Europe / Britain?
C: It’s incredibly hard compared to the UK. The travelling really drains you! Good beers though.
HTF: You must get to see some pretty amazing places on your travels, where’s been your favourite?
C: My personal favourite has been Australia. The climate is incredible, great food, friendly people.
HTF: Finally, what’s in store for you guys for the rest of the year?
C: Just more touring and a lot of festivals!
Interview by: Laura Halbert
