CityLife

Courteeners' Liam on year so far...

Liam Fray

IT'S fair to say that 2008 has been pretty good so far for Middleton boys The Courteeners, ahead of their Apollo double head honcho Liam Fray shares with us his highlights so far...

Meeting Morrissey
We played a small show in Camden own earlier this year, probably March. We arrived at the venue and as cigarettes were pulled out of packets whilst we duly respected the smoking ban, a familiar figure stepped out of a Hackney carriage. Morrissey.
Greeting me with: "Are you any good then?" I politely replied, "Of course we are".
He stayed for the duration of the show and joined us for a couple of light ales afterwards in our dressing room.
It is a very strange thing to meet one of your idols. For him to come and watch your band, when in his words, not mine: “I very rarely leave the house", and then to knock on your dressing room door and say very, very positive things about the band and the songs, well, it was a pleasure and a privilege.

Touring
We've been on tour pretty much since we got signed and I can tell you first hand - it is brilliant. Everything you think it is, it is… and more.
For a start you're playing guitar every night of the week. Ever since I’ve been able to play guitar, I wanted to play it to and with other people. I saw it as a social tool. Go out, go back to a party in Burnage, or Fallowfield or wherever and have a good time. It's the same now, just more people are invited, and I don't have to wait for a Magic Bus.
Seeing the reaction we got on our first away days, in places like Liverpool, Glasgow, Birmingham, London, all over - it was insane. In February we played a venue in Dundee called Fat Sams. The capacity of the room we were playing was 200. They had to move it to the bigger room and on the night we sold 1,000 tickets. It was like Guy Fawkes had turned up, the atmosphere was absolutely amazing.
I remember meeting a group of young lads just after the said gig. They were telling us how they formed a band because they heard our demos and all that, they were just so passionate. Apart from in Manchester, I'd never come across anything like that before.

Manchester
I remember after playing a show in Inverness in January, we drove to Loch Ness for a photoshoot. I remember being stood on the pebbles next to the water when we were told we'd sold out the Academy 1 in Manchester in an hour. It was surreal.
I mean, we've got total belief in what we're doing but we weren't sure the rest of Manchester did. Something changed for me that day, I felt like were making our mark. Like we'd arrived.
We've got these two gigs at the Apollo (this Wednesday and Thursday) coming up that are going to be monumental. I've seen some great bands there, Oasis, The Strokes, Kings of Leon so I'm buzzing off the fact that we've sold out two nights there - get in!
I mean every band must love playing to their home crowd, but not every band has the privilege to call Manchester home, do they?

St Jude
07.04.08. For anyone who's in a band the day that your first record comes out has to be one of the proudest days you're ever gonna get. Once it's on the shelf, that's it. You just gotta sit back and see if people get it. They did. Went in at number four. Got beaten by the Stones, R.E.M. and some Welsh bird. Not bad for four chancers form Middleton.
That time was a lot of fun. We didn't have much time to sleep mind, we did an instore at HMV Market Street at midnight. Seeing everyone queuing outside in the April chill was very humbling to be honest.
Top people our fans, great bunch, impeccable taste. After we'd finished the signing we drove straight to London to do a photoshoot in the morning and then HMV Oxford Street at 6pm on Monday.
They are the days you remember. The madness, the mayhem, not knowing what time or day it is, literally not knowing where you are when you wake up - wouldn't swap it for the world.

Glastonbury
Fast forward to June and the festival season starts. We triumphed at all the festivals, but Glastonbury is the one people seem to thrust most attention on. Probably because they're thinking ‘How the f*ck did Jack Penate get on the bill?’.
Anyway, our tour bus broke down on the way down, so when it was fixed we needed our spirits lifting. Elbow went onto the bus stereo, Starlings to be precise, about 15 times on repeat. What a tune - top band, top boys. Proper chuffed that they won the Mercury.
Come 5pm on Saturday the John Peel tent was packed inside and 30 deep outside. I'll never forget the buzz of seeing that many people crammed inside that tent. I don't care what anyone says, we were the best band at Glastonbury, by a mile.

Other highlights
My year thus far includes smashing Japan, twice; conquering Europe; Lee Chapman and Leslie Ash in Ibiza; fearing for our lives during the Greek riots in Olmypiakos' stadium; getting a mention in Corrie; getting Not Nineteen Forever on Giggsy's DVD, Kelly Osbourne trying to get smart and then her getting told exactly what I thought of her earrings; losing in the semi-final of the Soccer 6 but getting Lee Sharpe to do the Sharpey shuffle at the bar whilst necking Sambucas, Vampire Weekend saying we were the best live act of the year and seeing Miles ‘cheeky face’ Kane everywhere we went. But we need more time to talk about those, so I'll wait til you’re previewing our inevitable GMEX show next year.

The Courteeners play the Apollo on Thursday, October 9 and Friday, October 10. £15. Call to check for returns. Ida Maria supports on both nights, Kid British on Thursday and It's A Buffalo on Friday. To celebrate The Courteener’s triumphant homecoming gigs this week, the boys will be recording Thursday’s gig which will be turned into a live four-track EP. Fans can get hold of the special edition for a bargain price of just 99p. All you have to do is pre-order at www.7digital.com/thecourteeners or text LIVE EP to 78789.