The Maccabees headlined Leeds O2 Academy on Sunday 7th February, they were joined by The Drums, The Big Pink and Bombay Bicycle Club. I caught up with the front man, Orlando Weeks, sat on some very glamourous stairs and discussed dented tins of tomatoes, meringues and how to calm the nerves with a hot toddy.
So, how are you?
I'm fine, yeah, just had a game of snooker so I'm feeling really relaxed.
Just now? Thats cool, so are you nervous for tonight?
Not really nervous, kind of erm, figured out...(random man walks in between me and Orlando and doesn't say a word) I've forgotten where I am now! Well we've had three shows now and anyy of the big problems, we've ironed out. The set is so good now, we know the other boys, so everything's alright. Bit of a fiasco today coz our trumpet player has lost his trumpet (laughs) and it's just the weirdest thing to go up to random people and tell them that he's lost it, ya know, or phone people up saying "we've lost a trumpet" and they think you're kidding coz it sounds like a weird thing, so yeah, we had to convince everyone that we had actually lost the trumpet.
So that was today?
Yeah, that was today, the kind of rock 'n' roll lifestyle we lead, looking for trumpets.
Very eventful Orlando! If you're nervous before a gig, do you do anything in particualr to calm the nerves?
Well, I try and watch a film if I'm feeling frightened. I'm usually alright really, it's just erm, you kinda have rituals and stuff. I usually have a hot toddy about half an hour beofre and then about 20 minutes later I have a glass of wine, then I'm usually set up.
The NME tour is going around different places, how do you feel about travelling around?
It's alright, everyone gets on real good. I've known some of the bands for a while, I've known The Big Pink for a while. The Drums are sweethearts and Bombay Bicycle Club we've played witha couple of times. It's all going pretty easy, like, there's no trouble or anything.
What do you get up to when you're not travelling?
Well, I write usually, I get pretty bored. You end up doing really unnecessary things like, I spend a lot of time in the library, I just go out of the house to use their internet although i have internet at home, it's just so I have something to do. I go around the reduced section at Morrison's (laughs) at the moment there's just crushed boxes of meringue and I'm not really a big fan of meringue. It's just on the off chance that there's a slightly messed up bottle of Ribena and I'll have that, or dented tins, tomatoes, you know it's good stuff if it's dented!
On a serious note, are you planning to play any festivals this year?
I don't think we're gonna do any of the big ones this year coz we had such a good time last year, if we do go back, it just won't be the same and the next time we do go back, we wanna have a whole new record ready.
Exciting! So who is your favourite band to watch live?
I'm really enjoying watching The Big Pink actually. I used to watch a band called General Cardkey and that was a real show, but you really have to search YouTube for stuff from them, they were immense.
So Orlando, being in the postion The Maccabees are in now, would you consider yourselves as a famous band or just a bunch of lads playing music?
Well, I think we're doing alright at the moment. We've been going at it long enough so it feels justified in a way. Its not why we're here, to get famous, it's such a compliment to headline tonight, and to be honest, it's such a good line up as well and so it's a big deal for us.
Okay, I'm looking forward to see you play. Thanks a lot Orlando, lovely talking.
You wanna go watch The Drums, thank you, it's been a treat.
