A HECK tour is a wild ride. Anybody who has ever had the ferocious pleasure of catching the Nottingham technical noise-makers live will testify to the pure and unadulterated carnage. Bodies flung here and there as the band make use of every bit of stage equipment as climbing apparatus. It’s quite something.
But for the four-piece there’s a tiny bit of method in the madness, not least when hitting the road. As the band find themselves mid-tour, reaffirming their chaos, each member gives us some details on their must have possessions on the road. We’ve never really spent as much time thinking about these…
Paul Shelley and his shoes
Do you know what it feels like to walk bare foot through a steaming pile of dog shit? Do you know the feeling of the soft, warm poop squeezing through the gaps in your toes? No? Neither do I, cause I wear ‘Shoes’. When I leave the house, to mainly walk through grassy meadows and occasionally go on tour, I make sure I always take my shoes. If I’m feeling fancy, I can take up to two (yes TWO) pairs of shoes with me on tour. This usually consists of one pair for gigging and one pair for non-gigging. I know what you’re thinking: it’s pretty exciting right? Come wind, rain or shine, my shoes always accompany me on our musical adventures, keeping my tootsies toasty till the day is done.
Jonny Hall and his wallet
When I leave the house to hit the dusty road, I think one thing: ‘HAVE I GOT THAT GOD DAMN WALLET?’ My wallet is my passport to the wider world. In it I keep all my essentials; my ‘debit cards’ – which I use to remove money from computers; my ‘credit cards’ – which I use to remove someone else’s money from a computer. Hell, it contains such essential essentials that I could keep my bloody lungs in it and keep breathing.
The wallet in the photo isn’t actually mine, it’s my mate, Kev’s. I don’t actually own a wallet. I keep all my essentials in my pocket – except my lungs – which are encased in bone and a sticky membrane in my chest cavity. When you think about it though, if you put all your important things in your pocket, does it not become a wallet? Surely one cannot be disqualified due to a denim exterior? Are all pockets not actually wallets?
Matt Reynolds and his keys
Keys are a bit like people in a way; each one has its own individual shape and style that makes it unique. While some keys may look very similar, no one is exactly the same and each is really only right for one keyhole. When you force a key into the wrong hole it gets all misshapen and sad and sometimes refuses to work anymore. I like my keys because they let me into my house.
If I were to leave my house without them that would probably mean I had left my door unlocked. If I left my door unlocked I would be leaving myself open to burglars, squatters, animal infestation, terrorism and almost certainly death. I don’t always think about my keys an awful lot while I’m on tour, they generally hideout in the bottom of my bag, the forgotten unsung hero of the tour. But when I return home bloody and beaten you better believe I’m over the moon to root those guys out so I can pass out safely on my own floor. Keys are great. Keys.
Tom Marsh and his pants
I know what you’re thinking, it’s painstakingly obvious – how can you NOT take pants on tour. Of all the things, pants are pretty essential. They stay out of the way, “doing all the work” behind the scenes so you don’t have to worry about anything. These phenomenally-designed catchers-of-shit provide a job that is important; above all, maintaining your legs/shoes/socks/trousers free from that late night curry, that awkward illness or that nervous “bit-too-far” bout of flatulence.
I can make pants last on tour. Once the right way round, then I turn them round, then inside out, then I turn them round again. There are four ways of wearing the shit-nets that’ll keep you from having to take 14 pairs of pants on tour. I forgot to take my pants on tour once and had to fashion a pair of classy Calvin’s out of some duct-tape and Walkers’ Cheese and Onion crisp packets. The results were enough to last me the rest of the tour before I headed back to H&M to pick a new pair. Yeah, I take pants on tour.
Catch HECK on the road now, complete with wallet, keys, shoes and pants.
NOVEMBER
06 CARLISLE The Brickyard
07 HUDDERSFIELD The Parish
08 LEEDS Key Club
10 BIRMINGHAM Cellar
11 ST ALBANS Horn
12 DERBY Venue
13 LEICESTER Soundhouse
14 BURNLEY Sanctuary Rock Bar
28 LONDON Dr Martens #Standforsomething Tour @ The Black Heart, w/ Bury Tomorrow