Hard-Fi interview

eFestivals spoke to Hard-Fi at Glastonbury Festival. Returning after a four year hiatus, to once again headline the Leftfield stage on Saturday night.

This is an interview for eFestivals, have you ever visited the website?
Yes

Have you ever played Glastonbury before?
We played Glastonbury in 2007, we were due to play 2005 but we didn’t, it was great actually, it was a good show.

So had you ever been before you played here?
Went to a few in the 90's, jumped the fence. Well, before they had the big fence, been as a ticket holder a few times, now come as a performer, done the cycle.

So, are you here all weekend?
We kind of got here at about 2 o'clock, been sat in a car, stuck in the mud for about 2 hours, we're going to do the show, then we're going to watch Lee 'Scratch' Perry, and then we've got to shoot off, sounds really glamorous but we're going to shoot a video. It's actually not that glamorous because it just means you don't get to hang out and have a laugh.

How are you finding it since you got here then?
Well so far, muddy, but I think it will pick up, now the sun's out.

Nearly gig time anyway, so we're kind of getting into that mode when we're excited.

So do you have a highlight yet?
A cup of tea!

So what advice would you give to festival goers?
Drink plenty of water, sun factor! Wishful thinking. Drink plenty of cider, make sure you bring your own drugs.

Is there anyone on the bill you're looking forward to seeing?
Lee 'Scratch' Perry we're going to see after our gig, and then would have like to have seen Audio Dynamite. And apparently Radiohead did a surprise gig, that would have been cool. Queens of the Stone Age, would have loved to have seen that. Beyoncé would be good to see.

Have you done any festivals already this summer?
No, we haven't done any festivals we've been making our album.

What other festivals are you looking forward to?
I always have a soft spot for Reading, because I used to go when I was a kid. Can't wait to go there a rock out, you know, burn some paper cups, chuck bottles in the air, that kind of thing.

What was the first festival you ever went to?
Mine was Reading.

Guilfest is quite a good one, it's still quite small and chilled, it's got a really good vibe about it.

Which bands and Artists have influenced your music?
The obvious ones are like, The Clash, The Jam, and then Daft Punk.

We played in the Leftfield, which obviously Billy Bragg organises, so that.

Lady Gaga.

Yep, the Gaga.

I love the Gaga, I've stolen all her moves.

And her outfits.

Who's the best band you’ve ever seen live?
One of them might have been at Glastonbury, best Queens of the Stone Age line-up, Dave Grohl on drums, Nick Oliveri on bass, Mark Lanegan was there, doing every other song pretty much, yeah.

What's your one essential item you take on tour?
Dartboard. We don't go on without the dartboard.

So what's been your most memorable festival appearance? And tell us about it.
Probably V, V Chelmsford 2006.

Everything went our way, you know, great weather, it was as thought the whole festival came to see us. They were all getting into it, hands in the air you know.

Glastonbury as well, we only announced it on the day.

I'll tell you what as well, I know it's know really a festival, but one of our really early early gigs, we got asked to support Green Day at Milton Keynes, and we'd been playing to like 200 people, and they offered us a slot, they asked if we wanted to do it and we said yeah, and we got there and walked out and there was liken 65,000 people, and it's very memorable because I almost shit my pants.

I remember that gig, I wandered out onto the stage smoking a fag, and there were massive no smoking signs because of pyrotechnics, and these people came out of nowhere and were like NOOOOO!

What's the last music you bought?
The last music I bought was that Beastie Boys one that came out the other day.

What piece of advice would you give to someone coming to Glastonbury for the first time?
You've just got to chill out, if start letting all the mud and shit get you down you're just going to get down.

My best advice, bring your own toilet roll, don't get lost, don't burn your candle too early! You've got until Monday, pace yourself.

If you ran a stall at a festival what would you sell?
Choco-banana's. I reckon they would go like hot cakes!

Wellies.

Finally, anything you'd like to say to our readers?
Hi, sorry we've been gone so long, but we're back now. Everything's going to be okay.

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