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AN INTERVIEW WITH.....
THOM FROM COLOUR OF FIRE.

WHO IS IN COLOUR OF FIRE AND WHAT DOES EACH MEMBER DO?
Owen - Vocal/Guitar Stuart - Guitar/Vocal Mathew - Drums Thom � Bass
HOW DID YOU ALL MEET AND COME TO FORM COLOUR OF FIRE TOGETHER?
Owen & Stuart were fans of each other's previous bands (Inertia Crisis & Cognac) and met at a gig one night. Mathew was introduced by a friend of Owen's after his band (Honeytone Codey) split up. Thom met Stuart on a very drunken pubcrawl organised by the local magazine he used to run.
YOU ONLY GOT TOGETHER LAST YEAR. YOU'RE ALREADY QUITE WELL KNOWN. ARE YOU SURPRISED AT YOUR QUICK RISE TO FAME?
I wouldn't say we're there just yet, but it's been an exciting ride so far! We've been careful with the decisions we've made along the way, and so far they seem to have been pretty good ones.
WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
Sonic Youth / Queens of The Stone Age / And you will know us by the Trail of Dead / Glassjaw / Hundred Reasons / Oxes / Idlewild / At the Drive In / Bright Eyes / Smashing Pumpkins / Biffy Clyro / Godspeed You! Black Emperor - loads really...how long have you got?
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO CALL YOURSELVES COLOUR OF FIRE? WHERE DID THE NAME COME FROM?
I think it comes from a Boards of Canada track - Stuart is a big fan, and he'd already written the name on the tape of songs he sent to the rest of the band - we just kind of didn't get around to arguing about it. Job done.
IS COLOUR OF FIRE NOW YOUR FULL TIME CAREER OR DO YOU ALSO HAVE OTHER JOBS TOO?
It's a full time career. But it doesn't pay well just yet. Enough for beer, fags and a portion of chips whilst on tour! Getting the music out there is important at the moment, and hopefully the money will come with time.
YOU HAVE ALREADY SUPPORTED BANDS SUCH AS IN ME AND IDLEWILD AND YOU'RE ABOUT TO SUPPORT PLACEBO. WHO HAVE YOU MOST ENJOYED PLAYING WITH AND WHY?
We did a great gig in Leeds with 'And None of Them Knew They Were Robots' and 'Catylyst' who are both AMAZING Leeds bands. But we'd be lying if we didn't say the biggest buzz has been from the bigger crowds getting into it. The Inme dates were cool - their fans are fucking mental. And seeing Biffy Clyro play after our set was cool. Those boys ROCK!
IF YOU COULD PLAY WITH ANY OTHER BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
Queens of The Stone Age - so we can pull Nick Olivieri's beard again. Oh, and because they kick arse.
THE PLACEBO GIG WILL BE YOUR BIGGEST GIG TO DATE. ARE YOU SCARED?
Not really. We've played the Astoria before, and we've met Placebo, who are all really nice guys. Playing to lots of people who are into what you're doing is easy. Imagine standing on a stage and saying "We're amazing!" and 2000 people looking at you going "Yes you are." That's not scary. Playing a crowd that doesn't give a fuck about what you're doing is what scares us most.
WHAT ARE THE BEST AND WORST THINGS ABOUT TOURING?
Best - Playing to big crowds. Meeting people afterwards who enjoyed the show. Free beer. Manchester Uni's 12" pizzas. They're all good things. Worst - Travelling back from London in a cramped minibus full of amps and guitars in the snow. Having days inbetween shows when you're not playing. It takes a couple of days to adjust, so you don't know what to do with yourself on days off.
WHAT ARE THE BEST AND WORSE GIGS YOU HAVE PLAYED?
Best - Manchester University on Inme's tour. The crowd were fucking mental. Worst - At a small gig in York at a pub called The Junction. The PA was dodgy and kept giving Owen & Stuart belting electric shocks in the mouth. Stuart was also off his head on something to combat a throat infection and Owen was full of painkillers after breaking his ribs on a nigt out in Leeds. We didn't play very well that night.
YOU'RE FROM YORK. WHAT IS IT LIKE LIVING THERE?
York's a beautiful city. But it can be a little claustrophobic at times. You can go to almost any pub in York and you'll probably meet someone that you know. It's like a massive village. With a cathedral.
WHAT IS THE MUSIC SCENE LIKE THERE?
It's been better. There were some great bands around a couple of years ago, but they've all seemed to split up or moved away. There must be some good bands, but I haven't seen them if there are.
YOU'RE ABOUT TO RELEASE YOUR DEBUT SINGLE. TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT.
The title track 'Decisions, Decisions' is a really hooky tune. We recorded it as a demo in June which is what got us all the Radio 1 and management/label attention. We decided to re-record it and release it as the first single. It's great, but not our best tune by far. We didn't want to blow our load too soon.
YOU GOT ANY PLANS FOR AN ALBUM?
As soon as we get signed.
DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE PLAYING AT THIS SUMMERS FESTIVALS?
I hope so. Playing live is our raison d'etre at the moment.
IF YOU EVER GOT TO ANY OF YOUR HEROES, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM?
I don't really have any heroes. Not sure about the rest of the band. I'm not sure I'd want to speak to anyone that consider a hero. I wouldn't want to spoil the image I hold of them.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF TV SHOWS SUCH AS POPSTARS AND FAME ACADEMY?
I think it's sad that a small number of music industry executives have managed to obliterate the quality of music widely available to people in such a short period of time. People will see through it eventually and start demanding music of substance again soon.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
I spend a lot of time dealing with the stacks of email we get from fans. Listening to music and spending time with people who mean a lot to me are also important.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE?
Every day something new and amazing happens that surprises me. I never thought I'd get the opportunity to chase a career with a band, so to get this far has been fantastic. I think it's more about the adventures you have along the way. As the great poet Steve Tyler once screeched "Life's a journey, not a destination..."
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE COLOUR OF FIRE TO ACHIEVE WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO?
Signing a deal with a label that allows us to grow as a band. And seeing a bit more of the world would be great. I'd like to take what we do to as many people as possible - at home and abroad. DO YOU THINK BRITAIN SHOULD GO TO WAR WITH IRAQ?
It's not a good thing, killing, is it? I'm sure the Bible's against it...
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR ANYONE THINKING ABOUT STARTING UP A BAND?
Do it. Stick with it. Be aware of your own weaknesses. Keep growing and developing - look at what everyone around you is doing, and then try to do something better than that.

ALL QUESTIONS BY MR MARTYN.

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