Scouting For Girls

April 2010

My weekend: Roy Stride 

I LOVE the cricket. That’s always on in the background. And it really annoys my girlfriend. Particularly since we moved house and had Sky installed. Before it was just on during the summer but now it’s all year round. That really annoys her.

I’m really hooked Flash Forward and Modern Family on Sky 1, which is probably the funniest show on TV. It’s a bit like The Office but in a family environment. And like The Simpsons, each episode has a nice feeling to it. It’s not cynical in any way.

I’ve also recorded the top 20 on MTV2, Jonathan Creek, Grey’s Anatomy and This Week, the politics show.

That said I don’t really have a lot of time to watch TV. Why? Because I’m writing songs and setting the charts on fire (laughs).

I buy loads of DVDs. I’ve got Flight Of The Conchords, The A-Team and Band Of Brothers. I’ve got The Hurt Locker which I’ve been meaning to watch for ages.

Avatar? No. I think I’m one of the only people in the world not to have seen Avatar. I haven’t been to the cinema in such a long time.

When we’re on tour sometimes the crew will go to the cinema during the day. But I generally stay at the hotel writing music.

I do watch a lot of music DVDs with a notebook. I literally watch them with a notebook so every time I see something I think, yep, I like that, we’ll have that. It can be anything, something to do with the lighting...

The masterclass for me is Robbie Williams Live At Knebworth. That is a man in complete control of 120,000 people. I take a lot from how Robbie Williams works and plays with the audience. It’s all about entertainment, having a really good time, connecting with the audience.

At home I like to listen to what’s going on right now in the charts. Unlike Greg our bass player who doesn’t listen to much after 1979. I’m enjoying Ellie Goulding, Florence & The Machine, Biffy Clyro, Keane, The Noisettes and Scouting For Girls’ Everybody Wants to Be On TV, the album of 2010.

I probably need to go to the gym. Not when I’m on tour because I run around for an hour and a half each night. But when I’m not...

When we’re on tour I like proper English pub food. I’m vegetarian which cuts down my options but I like vegetarian versions of sausage and mash or a roast dinner, without the roast meat, of course. That said we tend to eat off the rider most of the time. We have to. It’s like going swimming. You can’t eat too much before a show because you get on stage and you’re all bloated. And when you come off stage you have a few beers and then all you really want to do is go to sleep.

The last tour rider was good quality cheese and red wine. I think our aim is to get gout. How rock n roll are we?

We usually have a toast to whatever town we’re in before we go on stage. I don’t know if you’ve seen Spinal Tap where they say “Tap into America”, we say “Tap in to Nottingham” and have a glass of red.

I’ve just finished the Chris Evans autobiography, which is a really good read and I’m currently reading a biography of Phil Spector. The next one will be The Dirt by Motley Crue. I love reading books about musicians.

My perfect weekend when I’m not working, I would take the dog out, go to a country pub, sit out in the sun and have a roast dinner.

With the missus, yes. She’s with me at the moment so I have to say that.

Scouting For Girls play the Royal Concert Hall on April 28. Tickets are £22.50, call 0115 989 5555.