A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...
"I'll have my mobile and my normal phone beside me, usually both ringing at the same time. More often than not it's my manager, Matt, telling me what the day ahead entails. Most days at the moment involve doing a number of phone interviews with people around the world which tend to take a couple of hours. If they're first thing, I'll do them in the bath as well.
"Around lunch time, I throw some stuff in a bag for whatever I need for that night's show or for the few days ahead if we're on tour. I always take my CD player and my Dictaphone, which I can't live without. I use it for recording song ideas or lyrics and have already got three tapes worth of stuff for the new album. A good supply of super-strong vitamins is another necessity because there's always something going around on our tour bus. They're great for lurgy-prevention. And of course, I always pack some army surplus clothing because, as people might have noticed, I'm a bit partial to my camouflage greens. I've been wearing that stuff for years and now suddenyl everyone seems to be wearing it. I blame it on that band Hear*Say - I personally think they modelled themselves on Feeder! Now it looks like I'll have to find a new trademark.
"We've been on tour with Stereophonics recently, so all my afternoons have been taken up with soundchecks, something that I personally loathe. I hate it. It seems like a pointless exercise because however much you do them you can never tell how you're going to sound until you walk out onstage anyway.
"As a support band, there's a lot less time spent hanging around, which suits me. We aways drink before we go onstage, although I stopped drinking beer because I used to find myself burping my way through our set or I'd forget all the words. Now it's wine or vodka. These days I ask for a couple bottles of good wine on the rider and Jon (Lee, drummer) always asks for pants and socks, but never gets them. We mustn't be that big yet! Another thing I need is chewing gum because I always keep a piece of it in the side of my mouth when I sing. I'm not sure why, it's something I need to do.
"After the show there's usually more drinking and then we'll maybe go and meet some of the fans and sign a few things.
"Music is a big part of my life, but I try and switch off sometimes. At home I like to go out for nice food in London and sometimes go somewhere swanky. My favourite place is Nobu, which is over-prices but really nice.
"Living in Camden is conveniant for the London life and I've been here a long time now. I'd love to have another house to escape to, like Majorca or Wales. Who knows, maybe if the next album does well.
"I've noticed that I tend to get recognised a lot more at the moment and it's really nice. I love it - who wouldn't? It's a bit weird signing autographs when you're out buying shoes in Covent Garden, but it's never a problem. Plus, we're not exactly at the level where we can't walk down the street. One time, though, I came out of (trendy London restaurant) The Ivy and was surrounded by paparazzi photographers. I think they thought I was someone else! I had to put them straight and tell them I was only in Feeder.
"Besides that I just like to relax because on tour I really don't get much time to myself and it drives me crazy. I'm the person in the band who needs his own space the most. If I could fly from venue to venue every day and meet them there, I'd gladly do so.."