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Lightyear Interview

We caught up with some of the guys from Lightyear on their 2nd to last ever gig at the Boxing Club in Reading. The interview was held in their plush van, decorated with signed pics of Meatloaf and accompanied by bottles of pee and other exciting looking debris! I apologise now for it appearing like Jim and Ben didn’t say anything, but they were sat furthest away and the Dictaphone didn’t seem to pick them up, so im very sorry to them! But take it from me; they gave their fair share of input! I also apologise for misquoting anyone (its hard to tell them apart on a Dictaphone!) or getting names of places or bands wrong!!!

Key Ba-Baz Be-Ben C-Chaz J-Jim N-Neil

Ok, introduce yourselves and what you do in the band…

Im Neil and I play trumpet and sing a bit, Im Baz and I play bass and sing a bit, Im Ben and I play sax, Chaz-im the singer, Jim and I play drums.

Who are your biggest influences on you as a band?

Ba- NOFX, Propaghandi, Rancid, Op Ivy C- Beastie Boys, Wu-Tang Clan Ba- Millencollin N- Bands we’ve toured with like Hectic. NOFX, Millencollin, Propaghandi (discussion follows where everyone repeats those 3 bands!)

Influences on you as magicians, oops I mean musicians (?!) (Laughter and bemused expressions) Phil Collins for example!

N- He’s a very good drummer Ba- Sting for bass N- I like the way Squeak used to play trumpet in Adequate 7, although I could never be as good as him.

First gig you ever went to?

N- Michael Jackson, Wembley Stadium, Dangerous tour, 1990. (Chaz does a massive burp!) J- Take That, The Ritzy, Derby C- They played The Ritzy? I never knew! Ba- Lenny Kravitz, NEC, Birmingham (laughter, and many “Lenny Kravitz???!”) C- Offspring 94, or something like that.

Best venue you have ever played?

N- I reckon the Safari B club in Switzerland C- It was owned by this gay porn star who was also a Columbian drug dealer, he gave us hotels and loads of food and was in a (adopts suitable accent) ‘Porno rock band, Haaaaardcore!’ N- He actually asked us to take our clothes off! (Steph- and did you?) C- Yeah and I pissed in his (Neil’s) mouth! (Steph-we were gonna ask about that…)

What are crowds in other countries like compared to here?

C- Shows are better in Europe as they’re all DIY Ba- And they really mix the genres of bands. They put them on in squats, there’s one in Vienna called The Arena which is all DIY, its got a massive stage there like for Deconstruction, and people just work there for free.

What’s the reason for your split?

C- Im not saying this (awkward silence, me and Steph rack our brains for something witty to say, Steph wins!)

Steph-'Is it coz you don’t fancy each other anymore?' C- No, I think its because we do fancy each other (Jim jumps into front seat, from his spot next to Chaz (where we cant hear him L)! Ba- We’ve been doing it for like 6 years (Chaz says 7) N- We’ve been touring, proper full-time touring for like 3-4 years C- It takes over your life Ba- we’ve done what we wanted to do and got loads of amazing things out of it, but know we wanna move on and do something else.

Have you any specific plans for the future?

J- I start uni on Monday C- Im going snowboarding for a season in Lake Taho (jealous comments from me and random discussion about glacier skiing and Neil thinking its ‘going down a hill on a block of ice?!) Ba- He (Neil) is going to Tunisia (laughter at Baz’s mistake) N- Im going to Thailand! C- Tunisia???? N- Im going on holiday, then im travelling after that, no specific plans, just travelling (still laughter and ridiculing of Baz for saying Tunisia, and me promising to cut that bit out hehehe!)

This is your last tour, what has been the best bit?

Ba-I really enjoyed the Garage in London, it was totally packed and we had like a few people from our label on stage and our agent on stage and it was just dead cool to have them there. And loads of people got naked and stuff, it was just good!

Who’s the best band you’ve played with?

N- What, ever? (I misheard him and tho