Just because I'm nice....
Charlie simpson used to be a laughing stock. Now hes in a band with a top 10 hit to his name. Matt davies from funeral for a friend met him to ask, "What went right?"
Its been a whirlwind three months for the two men huddled around a table at the intrepid fox pub in soho. The last time matt davies met fightstars charlie simpson, the funeral for a friend frontman was headlining the give it a name festival at alexandra palace in front of 9,000 people. Simpson, meanwhile, was facing a potential emogreddon with the staunchly black fringe bedecked crowd, not knowing wheather they would accept him as one of their own or single him out as a post-hardcore pariah and the evenings target practice. Since then FFAF have returned with a hugely-successful second album in the shape of 'hours', while the former busted man has basked in the vindication of a top 10 single 'paint your target'.
Today davies is spending a rare free hour before funeral for a friends explosive show at the astoria moonlighting as an honourary K! journalist, ready to grill simpson on taking the rock world, flying pints of piss, and the potiential for nutella abuse...
Matt: Give it a name was pretty intense. I saw you, and you seemed to go down pretty well. How did you feel about playing a big show like that?
Charlie: I absolutely shat my pants. I didnt know what the reception was going to be like. A select group had heard our stuff but cos theres not that much out, I was a bit freaked out. But it was cool.
Matt: Were you fearful at all about the audience reaction because of your previous band?
Charlie: Definitely. Its always more nerve-wracking than playing our own shows, because at our shows people are coming to see the band. But at festivals your always going to get someone who doesnt even know you so youve got to try and showcase your music to them, but it went down well. I was really happy.
Matt: How long was fightstar an idea in your head? Was it when busted were still going?
Charlie: I started playing in bands when I was 11, playing in rock bands all through school. When I was 16 I found myself in this situation where I was doing this thing, and I just thought I'd drop out of school and see how it goes. I didnt think it would become as big a thing as it did. I was always playing with other people outside of busted. It was a release from my day job.
Matt: Was it frustrating for you to be in that kind of band, knowing you wanted to do other stuff?
Charlie: What was frustrating was when people came upto me, hassling me, and I felt like I constantly had to prove myself, that I did know about rock music and I was into it. Its frustrating when somebody comes up and gives you nuts , and it takes 10 minutes of you talking to them about music for them to say "okay".
Matt: It was like that with straight-edge and hardcore kids for me. They'll give me nuts because I used to be a part of it and now they expect that I dont know a d**n thing about it. You can always stump them and prove them wrong because you actually know more about it then they do!
Charlie: Exactaly! But when I started playing with fightstar, I met them, and we went to rehearse in clapham and literally the day that happened I knew that this is where my heart is. I dont care about other people. Ive just got to do this.
I'll write some more up later!
