Hello, how’s the tour being going?
The tour’s been great, man. A really busy one, some equipment failures like the wheel falling off our bus, but it’s been good, man. It’s been crazy, this’ll be 24 shows in a row now, another few weeks before we actually finish it off, but it’s been good.
How come it’s taken this long to get out on this tour in support of your last album?
Basically when your release a record you go through cycles for tours on continents; South America, North America, South Africa…This’ll be the last cycle before we go to work on our next record. It’s been 2 years since our last record but hopefully after this one we get done, we go home and start work on the next record.
Do you think in future you’ll continue with the more technical aspects?
We don’t really sit down and say ‘hey, this song’s going to be technical’ or ‘we want this one to be slow’, it’s all about what each individual feels musically and if they come to the table with some shredding riffs or some slower riffs…we’re all about connecting with that old spirit of music in the human heart. Fast stuff, slow stuff, crazy stuff, simple stuff, we’re of the belief that there’s as much power in one note as there is in a thousand notes.
You chose not to address the Egyptian political upheaval while onstage, was that a conscious decision?
Yeah absolutely, because we speak of the history of Egypt and not about the current affairs.
I’ll say right now publicly, what’s been going on in Egypt has been a disgrace. These people, the history that’s been given back to them by the Vatican, the historical items, the artefacts…and then to go in and desecrate them because they’re pissed off with the current situation in their city, country or whatever the fuck, it’s a god damn disgrace and they don’t deserve to have any of it!
But what can we do, you know? It’s not up to us to go up onstage and start preaching current affairs and politics; we’re all about the powerful history of Egypt which is a beautiful thing.
To clarify, are you condemning the people who are protesting?
That’s a political issue, I’m not condemning any- actually I’ll tell you who I’m condemning…I’m not taking sides, but the people who took these artefacts and destroyed them don’t deserve to have them in their possession.
So you’ll continue to focus on the Ancient Egyptian themes?
Absolutely. I mean we watch with interest what’s happening in Egypt, but it’s not our job to talk about the politics. That’s not our place; we’re not a political band. We speak of the beauty of Egypt.
I think it’s fair to say that no band sound like Nile, now there is that “Nile sound” is it harder to go forward creatively?
No…I mean it depends what level your on; experience I suppose and where your head’s at musically. But as far as direction- in this band we’re chocked full of different directions.
I think when we speak of new directions we keep what’s at our core, and I think the best thing we’ve come up with lately is by looking through our back catalogue.
I mean Nile’s grown and evolved over the years, naturally as any band does. But we look to past records to kind of think of what we used to have and how we’ve changed over the years, to kind of think how could we bring this or that back.
How do you see that progression developing in the future in relation to moving on from your last record Those Whom The Gods Detest?
From the last record? Well you have to keep it brutal, obviously! And everyone in this band has such high standards. You know, for a track that someone can listen to for four and a half minutes we can sometimes spend a month on making it the way we want it to be. It just depends…there’s a lot of different routes to go with it.
Wow, is it difficult playing in Nile?
Well…it’s not a beginners game *laughs*
Yeah, we’re not all about getting up and going, ‘hey look how fast and cool we can play.’
It’s about connecting with some people, doing something we love, and it boils down to the sound and feeling that came from when cavemen banged on rocks with sticks- and it was electricity, man!
This is what we do.
And tonight?
Yeah, great! I thought it went really well. The crowd were really into it, we’re pleased.
What’s coming up in the future?
Right now, getting this tour done, getting in the studio, hashing some new stuff out and going right out on tour again to support that record. Push! Push! Push!
