We are incredibly excited to be welcoming back Geordie rockers The Pale White to our place on Friday 10th April. We just had to meet ’em…
Hey The Pale White! You’re about to embark on a nice and juicy UK tour that will see you through April, with a stop at our place along the way. Anywhere in particular you’re excited to revisit or anywhere you’ve never gigged before that you’re looking forward to visiting?
It goes without saying that our hometown shows are a true spectacle, so we can’t wait to revisit Newcastle’s Boilershop. 100 Club in London has been one on the list for quite some time now too – they have some CV… Hendrix for starters!
And of course who could forget The Bodega?! We have some very fond memories of your gaff over the years. Someone seriously needs to change the bus lane rules around there though… Nottingham council are making a comfortable living on bands trying to load in to the many venues around that neck of the woods. Should we start a petition?
Haha, maybe! Last time you went on a similar sized headline tour was a similar sort of time last year. Since then, you’ve toured with Pixies, supported Sam Fender at St James’s Park, been on Sunday Brunch (!), but most importantly, you let your second studio album, The Big Sad, out into the world. What a year! Anything I’ve missed? What topped it all for you guys?
After touring arenas with Pixies in Europe (which still blows my mind to say), we immediately hit the studio to write and record the new record so haven’t taken much time to reflect. But yeah, pretty good year when you see it on paper like that! Playing St James’s Park was the highlight though… a life highlight, in fact!
Is this tour the first time your fans can come and see you headline with ‘The Big Sad’ in the setlist? You have, of course, released a brand new single ‘Medusa’ over the past couple of months – can’t wait for that one! What else can they expect from your Bodega show?
Yes, and no. We accidentally ran over schedule on ‘The Big Sad’ mixing sessions, and had to release the album after the album tour which was a bit weird at first…
However, it was a unique way to showcase the songs from ‘The Big Sad’ exclusively to anyone who had come see us on tour. They got the first real taste before the album’s release, and in the end worked to our advantage to really get people hyped up for the record!
But of course, we have just announced our third record ‘Inanimate Objects of the 21st Century’, out March 27th. We like to think of it as the yin to ‘The Big Sad”s yang – the evil twin! If you think of the juxtaposition between tracks like ‘Final Exit’ and ‘Medusa’… It’s really telling that although the songs were written in a similar time frame, they just wouldn’t have belonged on the same record.
I’m sure it will be an interesting setlist jumping from the melancholy of TBS, to the absolute carnage of the new record, with a few Pale White classics thrown in for good measure. Very excited to play!
You have been compared to a few different bands from a few varying genres. This must mean you have quite a unique sound. Can you all agree on a favourite band or do you all have different influences that are all over the place?
We never try to be anything, other than ourselves. That being said, we’re not shy to wear our influences on our sleeves – but it must come out in a unique way as people have always struggled to box off exactly what genre we are. When it comes to support tours, quite often we’re too pop for the heavier shows, and too heavy for the pop shows. A peculiar scenario… until Pixies came along and took us around the world. Hey, (excuse the pun)… but if the band that want to take you out so happen to be one of your favourites of all time – we’ll take it!
Alongside them, we worship The Beatles. It almost doesn’t feel cool to say it, but we’d be lying otherwise. We know someone who has a bit of George Harrison’s toast from a gig at The Cavern Club in ’63. Won’t even give us a crumb, selfish.
Once you’ve finished your tour, what next? Are you treating fans to festival appearances over the summer? Any other plans you can tease for us?
There’s a few things on the horizon which we can’t talk about just yet, but what we can say is – if it comes off, it will be an other worldly experience for two lads from a little town called Wallsend. But in the meantime, you can catch us at Bearded Theory Festival.
What’s your dream rider? Go wild. No budget!
This is tough. You can’t fit the Millennium Falcon into Bodega’s dressing room so no point in answering this one.
For you guys, we’ll try anything. Thanks so much for chatting folks!
Tickets are still on sale for The Pale White at our place here.
