Interview with Alex Velikova.
“I think we need the non-stop we are all ADHD riddled to the bone!” Jason Blackburn
We caught up with Dan Shaw and Grant Clayton from Beauty School to talk all about their festival experiences, with a special appearance from Jason Blackburn who joins us halfway through.
What has been your favourite part of being at Slam Dunk today?
Dan: We got to see Arm’s Length again, who are our boys we toured with them in January. And also the sun!
Grant: We are from the North so it’s nice weather its normally grey and miserable. But also just coming to Slam Dunk anyways, because it is a festival that we have been coming to since we were kids. So it is the dream really to be able to play it.
How does it feel being on the other side of the stage?
Grant: Weird!
Dan: As soon as I finish playing I am straight out front watching the next band. I feel more comfortable there. It is a very pinch me moment. It’s surreal really.
Grant: It’s amazing! We are very fortunate.
You guys have a lot of different influences, what is currently inspiring you? How have those changed while you have been a band?
Dan: Thats a tough one. So when we first started we were really into bands like The Wonder Years and Mom Jeans which we are grateful to share the stage with today. It is fantastic. But I guess as we got older I look into the newer up and coming emo stuff. Bands like Arms Length and Ben Quad.
What bands are you guys seeing for the rest of the day?
Dan: We are doing a bit of a split up. We are seeing Arms Length. I think everybody wants to see One Step Closer. We all really like those guys.
Grant: L.S. Dunes for me. Seeing those guys together is pretty mindblowing really. I have tattoos of some of the bands on my leg so it is a bit special for me.
What do you have coming up what are you excited for?
Grant: We’ve got some shows in July with Hot Mulligan, and we are playing in Brighton, Norwich, and London. Then we are releasing our new EP. We are in the middle of releasing a five or six track we have not decided yet. And then going into the new year we are looking at releasing another full length, so it is a busy time we are pretty much gonna be non stop until the middle of the new year.
Jason: I think we need the non-stop we are all ADHD riddled to the bone!
Finally, you guys have been going to festivals a lot do you have any festival tips?
Grant: Wear sun cream and bring antihistamines.
Dan: And if it is a camping festival spend on a tent!
Jason: There is a story! When we played a different festival last year on day 2. I woke up in the lovely teepee tent which I invested in and it works great. Waterproof! I wake up stick my head out of my tent and the only way that I can describe Dans tent was pre-folded and it would slide into the bag easily. And he was inside it!
Dan: I tried to fix it with bits of tarpole from other peoples tents and cable ties. There was a hole in the top it looked like a pile of bin bags! And I would just climb into it like some kind of trashman.
Jason: Yeah, invest in a tent guys!
Catch Beauty School this year, tickets are available here.