How was 2016?
Band-wise: pretty good. Life-wise: the worst. But you don’t want to hear about that.
What was your favourite moment of the year?
You’re supposed to say “making our new record” when you’re plugging your tat, but it was genuinely fun. Past recording experiences in Grey Hairs have always been a bit like milking a walrus – hard, lengthy work with results that you probably have no use for anyway and that leaves you feeling kind of ashamed. But we took the unprecedented step of rehearsing for this one and actually writing some songs.
What was the best show you played?
We curated a night in the Black Iris Brewery just round the corner from where we all live. Surrounded by fine, fine booze, our commitment to not getting wrecked was truly admirable. People danced. We can’t ask for more than that.
What was the best show you went to?
Every time we saw or played with Hey Colossus this year. In a moment of sincerity, that band’s collective game-upping has been inspirational.
Also: The Rebel – first in Cambridge, second at Supernormal fest. Both were encompassing, scary, hallucinatory experiences. The man is a genius.
We all made our drummer Dave drive us to see Kid Congo Powers in Leeds and it was a tremendous evening too. Dave may have a different personal perspective on that though.
What were your favourite releases?
I have no idea what actually came out this year other than Sweet Williams’ “Please let me sleep on your tonight” which is pretty much a perfect record. Can’t speak for the rest of us though. Every time I go round Dave’s he’s listening to Zipper with his shirt off and I know James really enjoyed the documentary on Insane Clown Posse so our opinions probably aren’t worth much.
What are you looking forward to next year?
It’d be nice to play live a bit more.
Or retire. One or the other.
I hope people like our album enough to make another but, you know, you can hope in one hand and shit in the other (and see which fills up first)…
