Hot Hot Heat @ Reading Festival 2007

United Kingdom | by Ross Purdie | 10 September 2007

You can just about hear the main stage from the tented lounge and drinks don't boil within five minutes of buying, so who are we to argue? The Canadian rockers, best known for party anthems like 'Bandages' and 'Middle Of Nowhere', headline the Carling Stage tonight and are up against the Chili Peppers (who will go onto disappoint in a big way). Not knowing this, however, we caught up with Hot Hot Heat singer, Steve Bays, and drummer, Paul Hawley, to find out if going up against Keidis and co freaked them out in the slightest... 

Virtual Festivals: How are you enjoying this incredibly hot festival? We find it quite strange when it doesn’t rain..
Steve: “It’s great, I’m just a bit dazzled coming out of that dark room (Carling VIP bar) and into the light.”

VF: It’s all about the shades today, isn't it.
Steve: “Sadly Paul’s shades have just broken. They were beautiful new sunglasses, now he has only one eye.”
 
VF: Is this true?
Paul: “Painfully so (showing broken glasses). I think they just jiggled themselves loose. I blame our tour bus for things getting broken.”

VF: Is it a hectic tour bus then?
Paul: “Yeah, there are sunglasses a breaking and toasters a popping.”
 
VF: How are you enjoying the festival?
Steve: “This is our third time doing Reading and the energy here is very laid back compared to other years. Everyone is taking their clothes off and drinking.”
 
VF: Do you think it is due to the weather?
Steve: “Yeah, and also because it’s only Saturday, tomorrow will be different. Everyone will be either dead or going crazy.”
 
VF: So what’s the plan for tonight?
Steve: “We’re just trying to get weird and play a good set. We played last night in London and it was such a good show. The last British festival we played was Glastonbury 2005 so I hope people remember who we are.”
 
VF: What can you guys tell us about you new album?
Paul: “That’s a hard question to answer, but I can say it is the best album we have done.”

VF: How do they fit into the live show?
Steve: “Well the songs are much bigger, really good for playing to a larger crowd. ‘Elevator’ was more modest and pop based, and this bigger, huge sounding rock songs.”
 
VF: You must be pretty stoked to be headlining?
Paul: “Yeah, I was actually surprised. I figured no one was going to show up last night and it ended up being a sold out show. I was just surprised people give a shit, I guess, I thought our crowds were too ADD that if you work on a record for two years you have to start again from scratch.”
Steve: “I hope people come watch us because we are playing at the same time as the Chili Peppers.”

VF: Does that freak you out at all?
Steve: "No not really. I mean we're fans of the band so we're a little disappointed we can't watch them play, but it's not like we're scared of being up against them. We just hope to get a big crowd."

VF: What’s been the reception to the new album, 'Happiness Ltd'?
Paul: “I’m not sure really. It’s out in a week or something. We actually had our first review but we haven’t read it because we feel so good about this album and we want to remember how that feels for now. Don’t read your own press is a philosophy we follow strongly.”
 
VF: How does playing in Britain compare to playing in North America?
Paul: “People are just more excited to see live music over here; I think TV has taken over North America, it’s totally sad. There are still a lot of people passionate about music over there, but over here it just seems to be engrained as part of the culture. The festivals are streamlined and it is a pleasure to play here; you can roll in and get lunch and walk around. In America you have festivals but it really doesn’t feel like it, in America a lot of people are like “I don’t get it, why would you want to sit in the mud?”
 
VF: Only Coachella really stands out really…
Paul: “Yeah, Coachella is actually the only one I can really think of that is anything like this. It is definitely giving help to festival culture in North America. I remember the guy who started it saying to me this year, “the first year we lost money, the second year we lost money again, the third year we lost a bit less, the fourth year we broke even and this year we have made a profit.”

VF: Is there anyone else you want to see today?
Paul: “I want to give some hugs to people I haven’t seen in a while and receive hugs. I love giving hugs. I kind of want to take it easy tonight so I can enjoy tomorrow at Leeds. It is a lot of pressure with two back to back awesome festivals.”
 
VF: You have to be careful not to overdo it.
Paul: “Yeah but only if you’re playing. Maybe tomorrow, after I play, I’ll take seven thousand ecstacy tablets and take in the rest of the festival.”

'Happiness Ltd' is released on 11 September and you can listen to it in full on their MySpace.