Hello readers of FemaleFirst! My name is Adam and I play the bass in an amazing band called The Cinematics.  If you have heard of us, you know this is true, and if you haven’t what the hell is wrong with you?!

Anyways the good people of FF have allowed us to come into their offices and drink copious amounts of tea and generally kick back so it’s only fair that we try entertain you with bits of band banter.

We have just completed a month long tour of continental Europe, which has been absolutely amazing!  We are all a little road weary, believe it or not being in a band is hard work at times.  A lot of time is spent in vans travelling between shows and a lot of interviews which invariably end up containing the questions, “how did you meet?” and “what is your favourite film?” But I’m not even beginning to complain.

On this tour we started in Holland, dashed through Belgium, stormed into Germany, sneaked into Switzerland (customs can be tricky) then made are final march over the Alps into Italy… Playing gigs is what being in a band is about, connecting with the people who have listened to your music at home and have the impetus to come and dance to you live.

Personally, having the opportunity to meet so many random people in so many different (and odd) places is something very few people get to do. It’s not like you are a tourist, you have a direct connection with the locals and this often results in some incredible times. My friends are always like “you are so lucky! Your life is so amazing and random,” and I go “Yes, it is” lol.  Sometimes I wouldn’t mind their 40k a year payloads but as I say often, “I’m not wealthy, but I’m rich in spirit”…. and bullshit.

Anyway back to the band banter.  Highlights, whether good or bad, were plentiful on this tour.  On this first night of the tour in Utrecht our guitar genius Larry misjudged the whereabouts of the steps down from the stage and took a near fateful plummet off stage resulting in most likely broken ankle.  This could have been a tour ender but being the war hero he is he hobbled through the rest of the tour with surprising good humour and has an appointment at the hospital back in Glasgow tomorrow.  A horribly drunken night in Rotterdam led to our tour manager breaking his hand, that’s as much as I can say about that.

Three days off in Berlin led to me almost losing my mind in a sea of wild clubs, beautiful women (well, one in particular) and general German debauchery. I lost my phone, camera and 10,000,000 brain cells but had an amazing time!  My bandchums were a little worried but they know me well enough, if you don’t hear from me in four days start calling round the local hospitals.

A day off in Rome saw the most unbelievable amount of food consumed by four skinny Scotsmen you are ever going to see. We went to the Vatican and saw some scary catholic stuff, my granny would be proud, if she was catholic… A DJ friend invited us to a club which seemed to be entirely populated by models and poorly dressed men.  To be honest it was pretty weird, everyone just seemed to be there to pose and look contemptuously at one another.  In true Scottish style we slayed the bar, danced the night away and eventually the locals joined us in what proved to be a killer night on the tiles.  On a side note, Italy is fucking roasting and has mosquitoes.  So being the pale Scotsmen we are I’m sitting here bright red trying not to scratch myself to death.

So to round up, life is pretty good just now.  Album is out, gigs are plentiful and people came out in droves to listen to us crack some jams around the continent.  At this rate by next year we will be the biggest band in world, or at least in our home town… I hope I have given you a good impression of what being on tour is like, well, at least the PG version anyway!

Well peeps, take care and thanks for the read,

Adam. x