Hip Parade - By Andy Squire
Everyone knows Hip Parade have been my favourite Unsigned Act from the start, and seeing them get into the final three made my week. Their drive, passion and infectious personalities are far greater than any other I’ve seen… plus they’re pretty fit. I spoke to the gorgeous frontman Rob to find out if they have what it takes to win.
Hey Rob, so you made it to the final three, how do you feel?
I feel amazing; it’s great to know that the public chose to put us there!
What did you think of the overall result on Sunday?
I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked, I didn’t expect that at all! I thought it was going to be Tommy, Bo and Toby! [FF: Really? We had our money on you, Bo and Tommy. Bo was amazing on Sunday.] Yeah I know, she was good and she looked really good as well, she looked brilliant.
Bo’s rooting for the Scarlet Harlots now! [FF: What?! No! Traitor! Well you have all Scotland voting for you now… well half probably!] We’ve got Scottish people and you. You’re an adopted Scotsman now Ruth!
Wow! Thanks, so now you’ve got my vote you’ll have no problem; but how nervous are you about Sunday?
I honestly haven’t had that much time to be nervous, I’ve just been crazy busy! I was on Real Radio as Ginger Celebrity Of The Week so that was mad! It was drive-time radio and they were playing our songs all week at 5pm when everyone is listening! We’ve also been doing interviews with all the papers and it’s been crazy!
You better not be forgetting about your FemaleFirst friend when you’re mega famous! Talking of being famous, what song will you release should you win?
We’ve been recording it this week! It will be Girl On The Radio
And how do you think you’ll feel if you don’t win?
It depends what happens; if Tommy wins we will be over the moon for him because he’s cool. We will just keep on doing what we’re doing and try and get support with him one time and then go back to our day jobs.
No! Don’t go back to your day jobs!
I hope not, we have a few gigs coming up so hopefully we will get something off the back of that!
What will you do when the show ends?
I don’t know, it all depends on what happens on Sunday. Everything is hanging by a thread around what happens on the show; we just can’t do anything. We’ve had people talking to us and saying; “we want you to do this and that†but we can’t agree to anything because it all depends on what Simon Gavin wants. We had our first real conversation with him the other day which was weird because it’s always just been in front of the TV cameras up until now.
What so you only talk to the judges when we see you talking to them?
Yeah. Everything is always on camera: as soon as you step off the plane, Boom! Camera is in your face filming everything. So everything is so false and sterile, its really weird. But as soon as the show finished I went for a pint with Alex Zane and got abut halfway through the pint and Simon turned up and whisked me away to record the song!
Wow, the life of a rock and roll star. I just can’t wait for Sunday now! If it’s your song that get’s released at midnight on iTunes do you think it will be at number one the following week? You could be the next Alexandra Burke!
Haha, I don’t know! To be fair I think more people watch the X Factor than Orange Unsigned! I think we could get in the top 100 at least.
If not I’ll just buy them all and put them in our shed. But regardless of the outcome, where would you like to be one year from now?
Same as always, we want to be touring and doing it full time. We’d love to record again because it was really cool going in the recording studio. We recorded in the same place as Led Zeppelin recorded which are one of the bands we all [in Hip Parade] collectively respect and like. When he told us they had been in we were like; “What!!??†it’s mad.
Then the second day we were mixing the CD and Ian Brown was in the room next door and The Enemy was upstairs. We were making tea in the same cups as them! It was crazy! It was like, “there are no cups left, oh wait, Ian Brown is bringing some dirty ones down!†It was bizarre to think that I was washing Ian Brown’s cup so I could have a cup of tea!
I know! Ian Brown should be washing his own cups and making YOU a cup of tea Rob! Does he not know who you are? I don’t know! Moving on….what has been the highlight of the show for you?
Probably the Sunday just gone and knowing we had the public backing and having people pick up the phone and vote to keep us in the show, its so nice to know that real people actually like us and not just judges on a TV show. To be honest, the judges are just a TV show and everything they say and do is for the TV and when it’s finished it’s just forgotten and it’s all on our heads to make something of ourselves.
It’s amazing to know that there are people out there who listen to our music and think ‘I like this band’ and then pick up the phone and spend their money on making our dreams come true. That means so much to us and it’s the nicest feeling in the world. I think I let it show a bit on TV.
I loved it when you got through, I just wanted to climb through the TV and hug you! But, if you could go back and change something, would you?
Nothing to be honest. Everything that happed has played its part and been worthwhile, even when we’ve been really rubbish! When we played badly we went home and were all upset and gutted and when we came back we got stronger and stronger as a result of that bad week and feeling like that.
What advice would you give to next years entrants?
Work really, really hard and that’s it. If you’re a band you need to work really hard, and if you’re a singer songwriter then just be yourself. [FF: Just look cool.] They have it easy, they just play guitar and look cool; when it’s covers week; “Ah, I’ll just download the chords off the internetâ€, oh it’s acoustic week this week; “oh look, nothing’s changed!†Haha!
Haha, you’re funny, that’s my Quote Of The Week you little scamp! So, finally, why should we vote for Hip Parade to win?
They should vote for us because they want to vote for us. We want to win so much, but it’s the voting public who can decide; so it’s up to them.
Is there anything else you want to say to everyone before the day of reckoning?
Vote Hip Parade! Haha!
Well it’s been great talking to you again Rob,; I wish you the very best of luck for the final and I really hope we can keep in touch; even when you live in a mansion and are living the life of a Rockstar. Take Care.
FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison
If Hip Parade get your vote then call 09011 21 31 04 and give them the success they deserve.
Read our interview with Judge Simon Gavin here
Read our interview with Fangs here
Read our interview with SleeperCell here
Read our interview with Scarlet Harlots here
Read our interview with Toby Sebastian here
Read our interview with Tommy Reilly here
Read our very first interview with Hip Parade here
Calls cost 25p from a BT landline. Calls from other networks may vary and from mobiles will cost considerably more. Details and Terms at http://orangeunsignedact.co.uk/vote_terms. Voting closes on 25th January after the show is over.
Everyone knows Hip Parade have been my favourite Unsigned Act from the start, and seeing them get into the final three made my week. Their drive, passion and infectious personalities are far greater than any other I’ve seen… plus they’re pretty fit. I spoke to the gorgeous frontman Rob to find out if they have what it takes to win.
Hey Rob, so you made it to the final three, how do you feel?
I feel amazing; it’s great to know that the public chose to put us there!
What did you think of the overall result on Sunday?
I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked, I didn’t expect that at all! I thought it was going to be Tommy, Bo and Toby! [FF: Really? We had our money on you, Bo and Tommy. Bo was amazing on Sunday.] Yeah I know, she was good and she looked really good as well, she looked brilliant.
Bo’s rooting for the Scarlet Harlots now! [FF: What?! No! Traitor! Well you have all Scotland voting for you now… well half probably!] We’ve got Scottish people and you. You’re an adopted Scotsman now Ruth!
Wow! Thanks, so now you’ve got my vote you’ll have no problem; but how nervous are you about Sunday?
I honestly haven’t had that much time to be nervous, I’ve just been crazy busy! I was on Real Radio as Ginger Celebrity Of The Week so that was mad! It was drive-time radio and they were playing our songs all week at 5pm when everyone is listening! We’ve also been doing interviews with all the papers and it’s been crazy!
You better not be forgetting about your FemaleFirst friend when you’re mega famous! Talking of being famous, what song will you release should you win?
We’ve been recording it this week! It will be Girl On The Radio
And how do you think you’ll feel if you don’t win?
It depends what happens; if Tommy wins we will be over the moon for him because he’s cool. We will just keep on doing what we’re doing and try and get support with him one time and then go back to our day jobs.
No! Don’t go back to your day jobs!
I hope not, we have a few gigs coming up so hopefully we will get something off the back of that!
What will you do when the show ends?
I don’t know, it all depends on what happens on Sunday. Everything is hanging by a thread around what happens on the show; we just can’t do anything. We’ve had people talking to us and saying; “we want you to do this and that†but we can’t agree to anything because it all depends on what Simon Gavin wants. We had our first real conversation with him the other day which was weird because it’s always just been in front of the TV cameras up until now.
What so you only talk to the judges when we see you talking to them?
Yeah. Everything is always on camera: as soon as you step off the plane, Boom! Camera is in your face filming everything. So everything is so false and sterile, its really weird. But as soon as the show finished I went for a pint with Alex Zane and got abut halfway through the pint and Simon turned up and whisked me away to record the song!
Wow, the life of a rock and roll star. I just can’t wait for Sunday now! If it’s your song that get’s released at midnight on iTunes do you think it will be at number one the following week? You could be the next Alexandra Burke!
Haha, I don’t know! To be fair I think more people watch the X Factor than Orange Unsigned! I think we could get in the top 100 at least.
If not I’ll just buy them all and put them in our shed. But regardless of the outcome, where would you like to be one year from now?
Same as always, we want to be touring and doing it full time. We’d love to record again because it was really cool going in the recording studio. We recorded in the same place as Led Zeppelin recorded which are one of the bands we all [in Hip Parade] collectively respect and like. When he told us they had been in we were like; “What!!??†it’s mad.
Then the second day we were mixing the CD and Ian Brown was in the room next door and The Enemy was upstairs. We were making tea in the same cups as them! It was crazy! It was like, “there are no cups left, oh wait, Ian Brown is bringing some dirty ones down!†It was bizarre to think that I was washing Ian Brown’s cup so I could have a cup of tea!
I know! Ian Brown should be washing his own cups and making YOU a cup of tea Rob! Does he not know who you are? I don’t know! Moving on….what has been the highlight of the show for you?
Probably the Sunday just gone and knowing we had the public backing and having people pick up the phone and vote to keep us in the show, its so nice to know that real people actually like us and not just judges on a TV show. To be honest, the judges are just a TV show and everything they say and do is for the TV and when it’s finished it’s just forgotten and it’s all on our heads to make something of ourselves.