Chatting with UK band Alias Kid

By Desh Kapur, Rock At Night Manchester

Rock At Night has been following the UK band Alias Kid for some time.  We finally got to have a little Q&A chat with them.  Check out the interview below:

1/ Hi, can you give me the band members and the positions they play
Maz (me) : vocal and guitar

Sean: vocal and guitar

James: lead guitar and backing vocal

Nick: Bass

Col: Drums

2/ You were signed to Creation by the legend that is Alan McGee, how did that come about? Did you play a special show for him or did he just turn up at one of your shows?

Me and Sean thought our mates were staying home on Friday and Saturday night too much, so we got a little band together and booked to play a few gigs down at The Ducie Bridge in Manchester. All we planned was to drag a few heads down, play some songs and then have a drink. Our first gig was to about 10 people and we had a top laugh so we did it again down at District in Liverpool for Alan McGee’s night there. Then we did another gig back at The Ducie Bridge which by then was a sell out with stage invasions and stuff. McGee just came along and signed us that night on our third gig.
3/ You are on your debut headline tour how is that going?

The tour has been top. The Manchester date sold out about four months in advance and a load of the other dates sold out too. There are so many people around the country who are looking for this kind of music and they just don’t get it much from the mainstream. We’ve met loads of great bands along the way who have supported us too. People should get out and check out their local bands because there is some top talent out there, proper rock and roll bands.
4/ What are your plans and objectives for the rest of 2016?

We have loads of stuff coming up. Once the tour is done we have a few more gigs around the country and overseas, the musicians against homelessness stuff and there are a load of festivals we are on as well. Then we have the new releases we will be working on too but we can’t talk about that right now. I will just have to say watch this space for the rest of 2016 because things are likely to pick up a lot.
5/ I saw you guys in Llandudno when you were supporting The Happy Mondays and was blown away, what was it like touring with the Mondays any stories you can share with us? I’m sure it’s a lot tamer these days or is it?
The Mondays and Black Grape are all cool and they were top to be on tour with. Stories wise there are loads. One that is probably safe to use was when we were on tour with them in Edinburgh in 2015 me, James and Sean from our band ended up in the middle of some Wild West style fight on the street between a bunch of locals where a load of fried chicken was being lobbed about. Dunno what it was about – don’t blame Alias Kid for that. Apart from that, watching our driver try to kill James our guitarist on tour with the Mondays in Dublin with a frying pan was pretty interesting.

6/ There are some top Manchester Bands and Artists about at the moment, which Manchester bands/artists that are standing out for you at the moment?

There are loads of good bands in Manchester it is impossible to pin-point just a few. To be honest there are loads of great bands all over the country, we see them all the time. The underground scene has 10 or 20 bands playing in every city in the UK every week who are better than a lot of what is spoon fed to us in the mainstream. People should get out and have a look.

7/ What are your musical roots? What bands did you listen to growing up and who are your influences?

We’re into so much different stuff it is hard to pin down what the real inspiration is. Sean’s really into The Sex Pistols, I’m really into Lennon, but to me music is more about the song than the artist. I suppose everyone draws on their own experience, I reckon my entire life influences how I write a song. Me and Sean sit in a room together or alone and sometimes a song will just come out of thin air. I think you create your own reality just by living in the world and all your inspiration comes from that. It’s not like I go for a walk round town and come home to write about what I saw; I just sit down and let it come out as it wants to. For me that is the most honest way to write; it isn’t contrived and it isn’t designed to be anything other than what it is.

8/ Since I play music, I’m always interested in knowing about gear. Do you favour any kind of guitars, amps, or effects?

I like my Epiphone guitars and boss pedals; I’m pretty straightforward with it. I had a Roland Cube amp that was the bollocks but it got trashed at an early gig and I never got it replaced. I’m not sure what the other lads prefer to be honest, although I do know Col can talk to you about drums until you completely lose the will to live.

9/ Who is an artist you have always wanted to see in concert but never had the opportunity?  Who would you like to tour with?

I’ve been pretty lucky I’ve always managed to sneak myself tickets for bands I like. I suppose you could go back to some of the legends that you will never get a chance to see and say yeah I wish I saw The Beatles and stuff.  A good thing for me is that loads of bands I was too young to go and see first time round are doing reunion tours now so I am catching them second time round. Touring wise we have been lucky too with who we have been on the road with. I’d love to get out on the road with Black Grape again if there is ever a chance. I can’t say enough good things about them as a band and as people, just all top lads.

10/ What is the best thing about being a musician? What is the worst thing?

There is nothing bad about it. I have heard bands moan loads about being on tour and all that. Thing is, if you don’t like it then don’t do it – just go home. The best bit for me is playing live. The first time a crowd sang one of our songs back at us I was like, what the fuck is going on. It’s a weird feeling at first but knowing people get it and get what you are about is the best thing for me.
11/ Is there anything you would want people out there to know about you or your Music?
I don’t think you can tell people about music. We have had loads of support and top quotes from big names but ultimately people who go to gigs will just listen and either like it or they won’t. What I do know is that plenty of people are looking for the sort of thing we do. The best thing to do is get down a live gig and check it out.

12/ Tell me one bizarre and interesting fact about yourselves?

I am pretty sure there is nothing interesting about the lads in Alias Kid – I would have known about it by now if there was. Saying that I reckon our drummer Col might have been the original face of the baby in the sun in Teletubbies. I’m still looking for firm evidence.
13/ is this going to be the year of Alias Kid

Let’s see what happens. I personally don’t care who’s year it is so long as we see good bands coming through – Alias Kid or anyone else.

14/ And just to finish what is your ideal night out?

Alias Kid gig followed by Alias Kid after-party, obviously.

 

 

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