News

The catch-up #80

13th Jan 2009

For our latest catch-up Q&A, we called up Dan at home to find out what he got up to over Christmas and new year, hear about The Feeling's plans for 2009 and discuss the perils of autographing boobs. Leave your comments below. And if you have a question for Richard next time, please email it to feedback@thefeeling.com.

Hi Dan. Where are you?
I'm in my basement, writing some stuff and experimenting with orchestral bits.

Do you have a proper set-up in your basement?
Yeah, I've got a couple of pianos and a whole new recording system. I've been using a rather rubbish laptop for years now, so I treated myself to a brand new system.

Is it dank and dusty?
No, it's a nice basement - it's the reason I bought the house. I've got my pianos down there and I've got lots of privacy. It's hard to find somewhenre in central London where you can make noise. And it's kind of separate to the rest of the house - it's got its own little bathroom and kitchen. It's almost like a little apartment in itself.

Was it difficult to get the pianos down there?
Very. I had to hire a crane. It was really embarrassing. We had to close the road and they had to crane lift them in through the front of the house. I thought it would all be simple but the movers just looked at the stairs down to the basement from the front of the house and said it was never going to happen. So we closed the road and craned the pianos into the basement. So now I'm never moving house - they're there now. I used these guys called Butler Piano Removal and they were actually really good. They looked after my stuff really well.

So, how are you?
I'm good - very well actually. I'm really enjoying not having any gigs. There are a million distractions - friends I've not seen for a while, plus bits and bobs round the house that I've been meaning to do for the last couple years. But I've been busy getting on with it, down in the basement with my new toys.

How's it going?
It's great fun. I'm losing hours of the day, though. I may well look back in a few months and realise I wasted the whole of January noodling on three tracks I'll never use.

It must be nice to have the time to noodle.
Yeah and I think, ultimately, the gold is in the noodle. It's about just doing it for the fun of it and without having a deadline or a goal. Just doing it for the sake and enjoyment of doing it. I haven't had that feeling for a while and it's quite nice to have that back.

When do the band reconvene?
Richard's been skiing in Meribel with his brother in law and I'm going back to Meribel soon as well. We want to do something out there again as a band this year, but we're not sure if it will happen or not because we've left it quite late. I'll go back in March anyway, but we might do a couple of shows while we're there. We could always do just something small. We want it to become like an annual excursion and everyone there seems keen to make it happen. It's just an excuse to go for a skiing holiday really.  So, yeah, we'll meet up on Thursday to discuss the Alps thing. The guys are probably desperate to get on with something but I'm quite happy in the basement on my own for the time being.

Will you be nervous playing the new stuff to them for the first time?
No. We've already started work together on some new material. Back when we rehearsed for the tour we had four new songs that we were working on. And they're always hearing new stuff cos I always play it to them whether they want to hear it or not!

Did you have a nice Christmas?
Yeah, I had an amazing Christmas.

Paul was telling us in the last catch-up that you'd become a turkey salesman?
I did indeed. My boyfriend's dad's a butcher, so we always go up there and grab a load of turkeys. They're amazing, beastly things.

How many did you have?
We managed to get about five or six this year for various people and we had a spare one for ourselves. They come in boxes with certificates and things! They're like super-posh turkeys, but they're great because they're really moist and easy to cook.

Did you have one at home?
We actually went to my mum's this year, with said turkey. It was quite relaxed. We played charades for the longest time. I've never really enjoyed charades before, because it always just falls apart in chaos, but this year it was brilliant. We had a really serious competition going between two teams. It was very intense. My little brother kept coming up with the most ridiculous things to try to make it difficult. It went on for hours - proper marathon stuff.

It's one of those games that people talk about but never actually play.
It's actually a brilliant game. We had a lot of game playing over Christmas. At my friend's little house the other day we had a game of Murder In The Dark which is, of course, a classic. And then we decided to push our luck with a game of Sardines. There was about twelve of us in this tiny house playing Sardines - it was the most ridiculous thing ever. It was such a small house, you had to go and stand outside in order to let the first person hide. But we had some very talented hiders. Someone even managed to get under the couch, even though it was entirely enclosed.

Sound's like you've been having fun.
It's all about playing games.

Right, onto readers questions. Kay would like to know what your favourite Christmas present was?
There's a good question. Ryan bought me a really good gold signet ring with the Gillespie family crest on it. It even comes with a little wax thing so I can write letters and can leave my little stamp on them with the ring. It's really cool.

You can do that instead of signing your autograph.
Yeah, except it wouldn't really work if I was being asked to autograph someone's breasts.

Have you autographed many breasts in your time?
I have autographed a lot of breasts! It's a rock 'n roll tradition to sign boobs. In America, you do a lot of fake boobs and the great thing about a fake boob is that they're very easy to write on. The worst thing is if you haven't got a marker pen and some girl comes up to you with slightly wobbly boobs and gives you a biro. It just doesn't work and it's really embarrassing. You're kind of scratching. When you're doing that, you're aware it's wrong for so many reasons.

In reference to the Turn It Up lyrics, Nickki H would like to know if you've ever read a newspaper on an escalator and wonders if it's not a bit dangerous?
Well I do see people doing it. I always think they must be really interested in what they're reading.

Sue wonders if you ever worry that people might grab you when you crowd surf?
Oh people do grab me when I crowd surf.

What do they tend to grab?
It depends what city you're in. I won't mention which, but in some cities they really do seem to be properly trying to get my shoes off, so I have to do them up really tight. Some places are particularly grabby and once when I leaning into the crowd, some woman about three rows back from where I was standing just reached over and grabbed my vest and pulled really hard, ripping it. I just wanted to stop the gig and ask, 'What exactly are you doing? Is that rag of vest really what you were after?!' Sometimes when you're surfing and you get near the back, there's more space than there is at the front and I have to beckon people towards me so that I don't fall. Actually, once there was this woman who, as I apporached her, instead of putting her hands up to help me, pulled out her camera and stepped back, making a huge hole in front of me and proceeded to take a photo of me. Inevitably I fell on her, but she only really had herself to blame!

James admits he has a nerdy question. He and a friend would like to know what the green tape over the pick-up selector on your Les Paul is all about?
Ah, well, that's because I kept catching my hand on the pick up selector when I get all carried away and do a windmill arm. It was cutting my wrist, so because I only use one pick-up position, I took it off and wired it straight through without the selector. The switch isn't there anymore, it's just a hole and one of my crew covered it up with that bit of bright green tape. And I thought, that'll do then!

Last question, Monica would like to know how you spent New Year's Eve?
I went to a friend of mine's club in town. He runs this pretty big club up in Tottenham Court Road called Popstarz with a bunch of friends. The main reason I went there was because I didn't have to queue! There was free alcohol and we had a room that we could use to put our bags in and stuff. A bit like a VIP bit, with a roof terrace.

Were there any other notable VIPs there?
Absolutely not! Really it was just the mates of the guy who own it - his name is Tommy Turntables and he's wicked. And because he runs the club he had his mates in his own VIP area. None of us were VIPs really, it was more to do with the fact that we were his mates. We went on the roof to see the London fireworks and then everyone came back to mine after the club shut at about four and we had a party there until about seven. Over the next two days I had loads of people pretty much crashing at my house. We basically had a little commune going for the next three days while we were recovering. It was a really fun way to start the year.

Comments

Showing 21 to 33 of 33 (prev 20)

From	Comment
pteranodon 14/01/09	Awesome catch up Dan thankyou very much
bigbird75 13/01/09	Aw thanks for answering my Q Dan, glad to hear you all had a lovely Christmas. I'm pleased you are enjoying your time to yourself i think you thoroughly deserve it. We have been spoiled these last 2 years but i have to admit i am missing the band and the gigs a lot. Looking forward to hearing your new material. Great catch up Dan thanks xx
dansjovigirl 13/01/09	Aw - great to hear what you've been up to. Sounds like a really fun Christmas. Liz - I'm with you on that trip hun ;-) x
nicole 13/01/09	Great Catch up =)
sam2691 13/01/09	Great catch up thanks. Sounds like Dan had a good Christmas and New Year. Sam :D
nikki_h 13/01/09	great catch up - can I come to Meribel with you Liz, not sure if the family will be too keen lol :P thanks for asking my question!! xx
suered 13/01/09	Thanks for the catch up, and for using my question, even though they altered it a bit! xx
mattleeds 13/01/09	Great catch up Dan! Glad to hear you're spending some quality time in the basement, playing around with pianos and 'orchestral bits'! Exciting, keep it up! x
lilitu 13/01/09	Thanks for the great catch-up! Boob-signing made me lol. :D Can't wait to hear the fruits of noodling. (That signet ring sounds genius! Want one)
natasha08 13/01/09	Excellent Catch-up thanks Dan!! Always nice to hear what you're up to have fun nooooodling!! =D xxxxx
lizc 13/01/09	Aha I feel a trip to Meribel coming on.. nice catch up thanks xx
rox 13/01/09	Nice catch up! I think the question about the green tape is very good because I was curious about it too :P.

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