The Young Knives - Electric Gardens awaits

Art rocking tweed lovers talk fave festivals and saving the world

United Kingdom | 27 July 2007

The Young Knives head to the Elecric Gardens festival in Kent next weekend. Lovers of all things countrified, especially the local bitter, don't be surprised to see three bails of noisy tweed rolling around Ephraim Gardens...

Virtual Festivals: What's been your most memorable festival experience?
The Young Knives: "We all used to sell programmes at various festivals as you’d get in free and get a miniscule commission on each one you sold. One year someone was giving out Red Bull and they gave us two crates that we consumed while walking around and selling. This was at a time before we knew what Red Bull was and we thought we were either having a collective heart attack or that we’d been spiked."

VF: Which musical moment sticks out in your mind as an all-time festival highlight?
TYK: "Watching Pavement and Frank Black, one after each other at Reading 1995. I think that same year we also saw George Clinton and Parliament while enduring one of the heaviest thunderstorms I have ever been in."

VF: What’s been your best gig of the year so far?
TYK: "It would have to be Brian Jonestone Massacre. They seemed almost oblivious to the crowd and all faced the centre of the stage. You could tell that everyone watching was waiting for Anton to kick a fellow band mate and end the gig in a riot."

VF: Which of your track always seems to get the biggest reaction when you play?
TYK: "‘She’s Attracted To’ always seems to make the crowd go a bit mental. Everyone needs a good scream at their mum and dad - or a punch."

VF: Who’s the funniest person you’ve met while gigging and promoting your records?
TYK: "That would be a guy we met in Austin. He sports a Magnum PI style tash and walks the city streets a pink tutu. He’s a bit of a local celebrity and ran for mayor there but didn’t get in unfortunately."

VF: When was the last time you had an argument with your band mates?
TYK: "We’re always having a friendly bicker with each other and it never escalates to shouting or fisticuffs… well very rarely. Most arguments never resolve. They bubble to the surface much later with a fresh hatred. No we love each other really."

VF: What was the last song you guys wrote? What would you give it out of 10?
TYK: "We’re working on a song called ‘Flies’ as we speak. It’s about how you get covered in millions of little flies when you decide to wear a particular shade of yellow t-shirt on a hot summer day. It’s a perfect 10 odd-ball summer anthem."

VF: Electric Gardens – what’s it saying to you?
TYK: "It says let's sip a pint of Spitfire bitter in a sun drenched field surrounded by acres of hops and pear trees and watch The Happy Mondays."

VF: Who else on the line-up will you be trying to catch while you are there?
TYK: "We’re big fans of Supergrass but I think they’re playing Saturday so I doubt we'll be able to tach them. We might go see The Rakes to catch some of their new stuff."

VF: Why should we choose to see you play at Electric Gardens over anyone else?
TYK: "We’re awfully exciting live. We sweat a lot and generally try our best at showing off. Our music has also recently been scientifically proven to end wars and prevent disease the world over. Looking at the line-up, none of the other bands appear to have reached that accolade."

More about The Young Knives here.