The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Sits Down With... The Pretty Great Whites!

On the same evening and I was lucky enough to grab some time with The Get Alongs and 3's A Riot, The Pretty Great Whites also made time for a quick interview. As well as being awesome musicians, this is a band of four of the nicest gentlemen I've had the pleasure of meeting. Bringing me my drink, making space for me and my friend to sit down and politely waiting for me as I faffed around with all my uni notes, these boys have the whole package... and their fans know it! So what did the Kris, Dave, Kane and Liam have to say for themselves?

***

First of all, boring question but, who are your biggest influences?


Liam: The Who, The Jam, all that really!
Dave and Kris (in unison): Sham 69
Liam: Yeah, Sham 69
Kane: Paul Weller too, legend.


Ahh Paul Weller, I'm a fan. Looking forward to hearing your stuff then... So they are huge rockers with loads of stories to tell, but I want to know what's been your biggest rock and roll moment so far?


Dave: Rugfest
Liam:        Rugfest
Kane:               Rugfest
Kris:                        Rugfest was a rock and roll moment because... well... I can't remember much of it... We had no shoes on... guitars got broken and it went down quite well!
Liam: Basically we drank beer from a wellie!


Eeeew. That reminds me of particularly treacherous game of Ring of Fire...


Kris: Grim. Yeah, you know really the people who come follow us regularly... they're all off it. That's partially because we hang out with them. We drink with the fans, everyone gets smashed and has a good time.


Awh that's nice you have a close relationship with fans! So, you're not adverse to being drunk on stage at all, what with those two alcoholic drinks in your hands Kris...


Kris: *Shrugs* It gives you the courage. The majority of my life I spend...
Liam: Wasted. On the p**s.
Kane: On the floor.
Kris: Drunk. And that's where the songs come from. When you're drunk you're more likely to take in what's around you and when you do that, you write a song. If they're written under the influence, they should be performed under the influence! It puts your heart in it!


Makes sense! So you guys write all of your lyrics then? Where does the inspiration for the songs come from... apart from the bottle...


Kris: Every song is inspired by something in the world around us. Like, the first song is inspired by a prostitute druggie wino, then the last one is about government propaganda and oppression and stuff. Like, none of our songs are commercialized they're all social commentary.


*Rest of the band gazes in awe at the eloquence of their drunkest member* Wow ok, so you're tackling some pretty heavy issues there, not going to lie.


Kris: Well, David Cameron is a f**king w***er, he just sits there behind his desk.


Do I sense a labour voter then? Lib Dem perhaps?


Kris: I don't follow any of them. To be fair, Lib Dem told me they'd legalize marijuana. 


Yeah, and they told me that they'd make uni free. They lied.


Kris: They chat sh*t don't they? They just want a bit of that *rubbing fingers together to signify money* don't they? We're the ones that work and pack cheese for a living so they should just f**k off. 
Liam: Pack cheese?
*Band laughs*
Dave: But yeah, in answer to your question, we write our own lyrics.


*Can't help but laugh* Ok, do you know the other bands that are performing at HippyHaze? Who would you like to perform with if you could?


Liam: Emilio Pinci straight up. 
Kris: We've known him for like, seven years and he's an amazing writer and guitarist


Yeah well I haven't had much experience of meeting him yet but I hear great things so I'm looking forward to it. I'm probably going to need to interview him soon...


Kris: Well you know what, at any point when you're there and he's there, just come and find me and I'll introduce you. Are you going to be at HippyHaze? *Everyone looks baffled at his question*


Yeah... my dad is the organizer, remember? 


Kris: Oh yeah, yeah yeah. Anyway, I'll introduce you. He's a top guy!


Fab! Ok, so who has a girlfriend and who hasn't? 


Kris: Liam is a dedicated boyfriend!
Liam: If it counts, we met at our first gig...


Awhh that's sweet!


Kane: Basically she's a groupie. 


*Laughing* Leads me to my next question. Would you s**g a groupie?


Dave: Oh yes.
Kris: Hell yeah.
Kane: Without a doubt.


That's what we like to hear! One more question... what's your favorite milkshake from The Hippy Hippy Shake?


Kris: Have you done a Pretty Great Whites one yet? That one.


No we haven't yet, but we will, I promise.


Liam: The Kinder Bueno one.
Dave: White Maltesers.
Random stranger: Blackcurrent Cheesecake.
Kris: To be honest, I've only tried a bit of the 3's A Riot one. It was dead good. It tasted pukka!


Well it's been really nice to meet you guys, I'm so glad I've had an opportunity to interview you all. Thanks for your time.


The Pretty Great Whites: Thanks.

***

Labeling themselves an 'indie/post punk' band, The Pretty Great Whites seem to have a very large following of Stoke-based fans and I'm now one of them! Songs to listen out for are Fake Romance and Pretty Little Scumbag... check out their MySpace page and see if you can resist bouncing around your bedroom to these two tunes. I challenge you. Can't wait to see them perform at HippyHaze this Easter, not sure about you guys, but I'll be directly in front of the stage screaming like I love them. Join me? Like you'd be able to resist, The Pretty Great Whites really know how to rock a venue, and we're chuffed to have them on-board :)

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT FAST SO MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET. PLUS IF YOU BUY A 3 NIGHT TICKET, GET ANY REGULAR SHAKE FOR FREE!

Love and milkshakes

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Sits Down With... 3's A Riot

The namesake of one of our current 'Special' milkshakes (available in-store at the Hanley and Newcastle shops), 3's A Riot just happened to be playing at the same 20th January The Underground gig as The Get Alongs, so I was lucky enough to grab five minutes with the boys and get the dirt on who they are and what 3's A Riot is all about... Hyper and packed full of adrenalin not long before stepping on stage, the down-to-earth Toby, Joe and the two Dans were more than happy to have a bit of a giggle with me about the state of the ladies toilets before we got down to business. Here's what I found out...

***

Ok, so 3's A Riot! I feel like I'm talking to a bunch of celebs in that you have a milkshake named after the band...

*Excited voices as all boys speak at once expressing their excitement and love for the shake. Words such a 'favorite' and 'epic' get bandied around*

Well, we're glad you like it! It's right yummy. Anyway, we don't have much time so let's get on shall we? Who are your biggest influences? 

Joe: Sergio Pizzorno from Kasabian!!! 

*This exclamation meets with some ridicule from fellow band members*

Joe: Don't give me any s**t about Sergio! 

Toby: ...Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighters, anything rocky... We've just got so many genres of music that we love, they all just kind of join together into one. 

So you totally don't discriminate? 

Dan: No, not at all. We even love pop music.

*One of the boys from The Pretty Great Whites comes and asks if he can borrow some kind of musical necessity (a tuner?) and Toby agrees*

Awh, you boys are all so sweet, helping each other out and what not! 

Toby: Yeah always! We're all dead close!

That's good. Tell me boys, what's been your best rock and roll moment so far, I mean you've only been together since last summer, but I bet you've got some good stories right?

Toby: I'll tell you a funny story... *Gives warning look to fellow band members* The last gig we had at The Sugarmill a lad jumped into the microphone stand, the stand tipped over and smacked Joe in the face giving him a massive black eye. *Joe shakes his head, with shame* We carried on though. That's been our biggest rock and roll moment we've had yet... we've got a lot to come! 

God, yeah, I can imagine! 

Dan: And the shoes.

The shoes?

Toby: Ah yeah, people have a tendency to chuck their shoes at us. 

Ouch. Shoes? That's horrendous. And dangerous!

Joe: And we've got a chant.

Toby: You'll hear it tonight.

I'm intrigued. I'll keep an ear on it and join in though, promise. Now tell me. Do you write your own lyrics? What's your most personal tune? Have any of you lovely lads been heart-broken and been crying and just had to pour your feelings into your music? 

*Boys share a knowing look*

Toby: Well, I've not found love yet, so I'm yet to have my heart-broken!

Awhhh. I'll get onto that in a minute.

Joe: What about the new one 'The Wanted Man'. That's a passionate song. 

Dan: Yeah it's a bit deep.

Toby: I guarantee you'll shed a tear tonight... 

*Boys share a mischievous glance*

Joe: You know, don't tell anyone but most of our lyrics don't mean much...

Toby: Whatever rhymes is put in there. It's the music that's important.

I like that response! Means you don't take life too seriously, go with your gut and don't over-think things. Ok, so Toby, you haven't found love yet... But to all of you... All of the girls out there want to know, would you ever sleep with a groupie?

Joe: WOAH.

Toby: We've slept with teddy bears, that's as serious as it goes.

*Boys cheekily smile at one another and quite clearly are not about to divulge their filthiest groupie-related anecdotes to me* 

Joe: This is all a bit intimate!

Toby: Look, whatever the night brings, the night brings...

Joe: She hasn't come tonight! I'm gutted. Gutted.

Awhhhh! Well, you're probably better off as there's no toilet paper in the ladies... 

Joe: So what? Do you want me to go fetch some?

*Boys laugh*

Toby: That will be because Joe went in there and did a number two earlier.

*Boys laugh more*

NICE. No, I'm just saying, unless they've brought tissues like we have, most of the girls out there haven't used toilet paper. Just giving you a heads up...

*Look of disgust dawns on the boys faces*

Ok, on that bombshell... Who would you like to perform with out of everyone in the HippyHaze line-up?

Toby: That's a tough question! I'd like us to collaborate with a lot of bands really. Anyone and everyone, it's all experience isn't it? We'd take them all!

Bless you boys. Ok, well that concludes my inquisition. Thanks for chatting with me and good luck!

Boys: Thanks, bye.

***

I can honestly say that this indie/rock/alternative band contain four of the most unpretentious, up-for-a-laugh lads I could ever hope to meet. Their performance was fab and the fact that they let their music guide their lyrics rather than vice-versa keeps their entire set sounding so fresh and different, in spite of their more mainstream inspirations. Toby, Joe and the Two Dans (as I affectionately call them...) are not only musically talented, but also packed full of charisma and I'm sure this is part of the reason The Underground sold out by 8pm at their gig last weekend. They'll be as much of a laugh off-stage as on at HippyHaze and I for one can't wait to kick back and have a beer with them after their performance on Easter Sunday. In the meantime, I'll have to get my fix from their delicious special 3's A Riot flavour milkshake containing Nestle Crunch, Chocolate Digestive Biscuits, Chocolate Sauce and Whipped Cream. Almost as yummy as the lads themself. 

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT FAST SO MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET. PLUS IF YOU BUY A 3 NIGHT TICKET, GET ANY REGULAR SHAKE FOR FREE!

Love and milkshakes

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company