Altsounds - Altsounds.com Q&A Interview

I met up, somewhat cautiously and ever-so-slightly hypocritically, with Dan Haigh from Fightstar. Having always slated the band to my friends I was interested to see what he could say and if it would sway my opinions. After meeting Dan, I will - when I get a second - check out more of their music, purely because he was so nice…..even though he kinda wanted me to fuck my own face.

Altsounds: How would you best describe your music and what kind of genre would you class it as?
Dan Haigh: Jesus that’s a tough question! Erm, the thing about Fightstar is that we don’t really adhere to one genre, we’re influenced by a really diverse range of music right the way from the heaviest of the heavy stuff to singer songwriters and we do that all in our music too. When you buy a Fightstar record, not one song on the record is going to sound like any other, so it’s a very diverse mix. Trying to put us into one specific genre is difficult. I guess you could just say that were Rock music. But, you know we just try and do well crafted melodies with power.

Altsounds: Do you like more genres other than just rock?
Dan Haigh: I like a pretty diverse range of stuff too. I grew up as a real metal kid, I was really into proper Death Metal then slowly got into nu-metal, Deftones then Machine Head, then just straight metal like Pantera. I was a huge Metallica fan. Then from there just got wider and wider and wider, bands like M-83 at the moment who are powerful, dark, trance-y, cinematic music. I listen to movie scores a lot.

Altsounds: What about rap?
Dan Haigh: I don’t really like rap in excess. I do like the Beastie Boys. They’re one of my top 10 acts, they’re absolutely awesome.

Altsounds: Would you do any rapping for me?
Dan Haigh: No

Altsounds: [Laughing] No?
Dan Haigh: HELL no!

Altsounds: Well you could sing me a love song with power if you like?
Dan Haigh: Well I’m the bass player and I don’t sing for a reason.

Altsounds: So I take it Fightstar aren’t straight edge, they do drink?
Dan Haigh: Yeah we like a few drinks now and again. We’re actually endorsed by Jagermeister, so we certainly get a lot of free Jager. They’ve actually been amazing to us, they sponsored my wedding too. So we got a lot of free bottles of Jagermesiter at the wedding. I think I’m going to get a custom bass with Jager on it as well, which I’m really excited about.

Altsounds: I bet you are, that sounds pretty good, I’ve never heard that before.
Dan Haigh: I think it might be a first!

Altsounds: So what’s your recommended hangover cure then?
Dan Haigh: Gotta be a double sausage and cheese from McDonalds. You gotta take that egg out of there, cos that’s not so cool, they really let you down with the egg. If you just get the two sausages with cheese there is something about the bap that will sort you out!

Altsounds: It’s probably the salt they put in the bap…
Dan Haigh: Yep, along with the MSG and everything else in there

Altsounds: Where are you actually from, like the band, are you all from one place?
Dan Haigh: All over the shop. We all live in London now. I came from a town called Grimsby which is in North Lincolnshire.

Altsounds: So if I wanted to go to Grimsby where would I go to rock out?
Dan Haigh: They have a little boat permanently moored in the canal and it’s called the barge, it’s kind of a rock bar, it’s got some good stuff on the jukebox.

Altsounds: Good stuff. Altsounds.com is by the people for the people…
Dan Haigh: That’s good, respectable.

Altsounds : So what have you got to say to our readers that may avoid Fightstar for previous reasons…..you know what I’m talking about. What have you got to say to the readers who haven’t really listened to any of your stuff because they are still quite judgemental that Charlie was in Busted?
Dan Haigh: Jesus...

Altsounds: Don’t say fuck off though, they’re still nice people.
Dan Haigh: Well I was going to say take a step back and literally fuck your own face, but I’ll reel that one in and say this instead. Why are you so hung up on pre-conceptions? It's time to relax, cast aside your petty pre-conceptions and simply choose whether you like the music or not. If you do, welcome and if you don’t, literally take a step back and fuck your own face (laughs) no, no, just go listen to someone else.

Altsounds: I can imagine that you'd be quite defensive of that subject and that’s fair enough.
Dan Haigh: I’m not at all, I’m just pulling your leg. You must put when you’re writing this up that I’m pulling your leg.

Altsounds: Ok I will do. So forget those people who avoid you, what would you say to people that have never heard you before and they’ve seen your album cover with a cow and a girl and they think, are they being sexist there? [Dan’s face is a look of shock, confusion and humour] Ha ha ha, only joking. No I mean, what would you like to say to people who have never even heard of you? Sell yourself!
Dan Haigh: Well I think selling myself would be an improper thing to do. I would just like to say there are ways to hear our music for free, you can use your imagination, Youtube for example. Just have a little listen. If it tickles your fancy then maybe consider purchasing a record. Just leave it at that.

Altsounds: So have you played Reading or Leeds before?
Dan Haigh: Yes we have, I think this is the third time.

Altsounds: So which do you prefer, Reading or Leeds?
Dan: That’s an impossible question, that’s like choosing between children.

Altsounds: Sophie’s choice...
Dan: That’s it! That’s the one, poor Sophie. I can’t remember what Sophie elected to do in the end.

Altsounds: I don’t remember either.
Dan Haigh: I’m not going to fulfill Sophie’s role, I can’t choose.

Altsounds: What is your best festival tip?
Dan Haigh: We get asked that a lot. It’s hard to come up with an original response. I 've got nothing. It’s just bring wellies, bring toilet roll, you know like, yawn… bring fireworks, that’s what I’m going to say. If the music lets you down you can have your own little show and enjoy it.

Altsounds: If I was a princess lock away trapped in a tower how would you rescue me?
Dan Haigh: Cool, that’s a good question. Dunno, maybe some kind of tactical nuke? I'd keep it small, I mean, the only way to be sure would be to nuke it from space.

Altsounds: Ha ha ha.
Dan Haigh: No, no I’m kidding. Aliens. Yeah, that was an Aliens quote. Rescue you from a tower.....I think I’d hire Bear Grylls, you know like Ray Mears and Bear Grylls. They're extreme survivalists, they train the SAS. So me and Ray Mears would go super covert, like BELOW the radar. We’re talking full camo, ghillie suits, reeds, the lot. Probably have no need for rations at all cos, like, Ray Mears and Bear Grylls can live off the land, eat some foliage. We’d probably march in by night, go the tower.

Altsounds: Eat some stone?
Dan Haigh: .....maybe eat some stone, only if Ray said it would be OK. Then it would be a question of either scaling the tower or possibly digging a tunnel inside the tower. I quite like the tunnel idea, then we’ll get our way up there and then it’s got to be some sort of aerial escape. We'd fashion a hang glider out of bits of lint and other things that may be in the tower and then we'd just fly away!

Altsounds: Awesome, thanks very much for speaking with Altsounds Dan!
Dan: Cool thank you.

Do as Dan says and go and check out Fightstar on Myspace now. You are likely to not be disappointed:

Fightstar Music - Official Fightstar Website