Lacey

December 2014

After being handpicked by James Blunt to support him at the Capital FM Arena last month, Nottingham’s Lacey are back in action with a show at Rock City this weekend. Bassist Graham Turner explains how it was playing the city’s biggest venue

THE whole day was surreal, from the moment we arrived and began unloading our gear behind the stage.

When James Blunt was soundchecking we had a little peak behind the curtain and saw the empty arena, thinking that it would be filled with 7,000 people later.

They really looked after us. At the soundcheck that we did they made sure were sounding spot-on.

He introduced himself to us, which he didn’t have to do. And he was thanking us for playing. He was an absolute gentleman.

He was given the opportunity when he was starting out (by Elton John), so he’s been there. And I guess he’s just trying to give a bit back, to the up-and-coming guys like us.

There were waters, beers and snacks in the dressing room but... and this shows how ignorant I was about the whole thing... I walked into the green room where there was a cold buffet set out. I sat down with some of that and then a waitress came to my table and asked what I’d like to order! I ordered the beef stroganoff, obviously. People were opening doors for us... it was crazy.

Half an hour before we went on we were really focused. All the banter stopped and we got our professional heads on. This was our biggest show, the biggest night of our lives.

It went as well as we had hoped. There were no hiccups. What surprised us most was the reaction of the crowd. They were really responsive and really involved. They were clapping along, they were cheering.

You can’t really see anyone, apart from the first couple of rows but you could hear them. After you finished a song the noise of the cheers was crazy.

Straight after the set he came up to us and gave us a few compliments. We didn’t know he was watching because we couldn’t see him.

And the guy was flawless for two hours during his show. I’ve not seen anything like it. He’s an incredible musician. He was smaller than I thought but that shows how he carries himself on stage. And yes he’s very posh but I’m not going to hold that against him.

We had a bit of spike on social media after the show, in terms of Twitter followers and Facebook likes. And people were leaving positive comments about the set.

We did 30 minutes at the arena but we’ll be doing an hour at Rock City and showcasing a lot of material from the album. That’s ready to go and we’ll be releasing it early next year.

Lacey play Rock City on Saturday, December 20 with Layby and Cut the Heroics from 7pm to 10pm. Tickets are £6 from 0845 413 4444 or go to alt-tickets.co.uk. For more about Lacey find them on Twitter and Facebook: Lacey OfficialUK. 

Lacey

October 2014

NOTTINGHAM guitar band Lacey will support James Blunt at the Capital FM Arena in November.

The multi-million-selling chart-topper chose the quartet from five local artists shortlisted by EG.

“Lacey seem like a lot fun, full of energy,” says Blunt. “I’m really excited to have them as my support act for Nottingham.”

He asked EG to help him find a support act from Nottingham for the date on November 22, part of his worldwide Moon Landing tour. Over 100 singer-songwriters, bands and rappers applied by sending in a link to a video of them performing.

EG chose the best five to send on to Blunt. As well as Lacey, whose Hometown video was filmed in the city centre and at the Albert Hall, the lost included rapper Ashmore, teenage singer-songwriter Tyler Nugent, soul pop musician Rob Green and quirky band 94 Gunships.

“It’s fantastic – we’re blown away,” says Lacey’s drummer David Pearson.

“Hopefully it’ll be a game-changer for us.”

Lacey, which also features Graham Turner, Josh Lewin and Pete Maksymiw, has been together for three years and picked up a strong enough following to pay for a debut album, which is soon to be released.

“The three others went to uni here and I lived with their housemate,” says David.

“We played in a five-a-side football team together and we were awful so we had to start a band instead.”

They toured the UK earlier this year.

“We were playing to 500-capacity rooms mostly, which is pretty good, but this one is absolutely huge.

“We’re confident we will be able to win over the 10,000 crowd. We put on an entertaining show.”

All band members live in the city centre.

Says David: “I actually live next door to the Arena so it’ll be a short stumble home for me.”

Blunt’s rise to fame was helped by Elton John, who invited him to support him on tour in 2002.

“One night I was playing to 40 people and then next I was playing to 40,000,” says the 40-year-old.

“It was a fantastic opportunity and I want to be able to do that for someone else.”


Tickets are £42-£88 from the venue. Call 0843 373 3000 or go to capitalfmarena.com. For more about Lacey search LaceyOfficialUK on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Watch their Hometown video at /entertainment. 

James Blunt

October 2010

Last weekend I was in Italy for a TV show, then Zurich in Switzerland and then Spain for more interviews. That’s fairly typical when you have an album coming out.

With the second album I struggled a bit with the promotional duties because I felt I can’t keep explaining lyrics to songs and stuff like that. But this time, in a strange way, I’m enjoying it.

I still live in Ibiza. That’s home. But with making the new album I was in London, locked away in a studio, writing and recording for 12 months.

I work hard and I try and play hard too.

When I’m on the road, either doing interviews or touring, we’ll often just find a local pub or bar or club wherever we are. We try to get out, otherwise we’re pretty much locked away in a tour bus for two years.

There are 12 of us on each bus. I know lots of other solo artists who keep themselves separate from the rest of the band but I would be very lonely if I did that. So instead, my drummer is a foot above me on the bunk and my keyboard player is through the curtain across the small corridor, about half a metre away.

It’s very close knit to say the least and it feels like we’re a band. As does the album. Rather than just one man who has written some songs on the guitar and put a band around it, it’s been a collective effort this time.

The people I meet in the bars and clubs of various towns and cities, on the whole, have pretty good hearts and to me they’re especially kind. I find that a mind-blowing experience. I do enjoy the talking more than the photographs.

I don’t watch a lot of TV. When I’m at home I do get the time but it’s Spanish TV. So, I got out, I go to bars, to the clubs. I don’t like staying inside that much. I like to go out and socialise.

In Ibiza I’ll go to the beaches, I like diving, I love surfing, water ski-ing and from the time I was in the army I’ve been regular skiing too when I get the chance to go in to the mountains.

I’ve seen the odd show and been to a gallery or a museum or two while I’ve been in London because that’s where people take me out. But most of the time I’m in London, I’m actually working.

I haven’t any fitness regime in place. I find if you don’t eat and just focus on the drinking...

When I’m working I can walk a mile a day in an airport because we’re on the move so much.

I don’t have a book on the go at the moment but I’ll read anything that’s out there. I haven’t any particular favourite kinds of books. There’s Great Expectations on my book shelves here (in London). That was a good read. No, I haven’t read that for a long time. I’m looking at my book shelves as we speak and I’ve just decided I’m not going to tell you any of the other books. It’s definitely not worth mentioning any of them.

Because I’ve been locked in a studio for a year, I’m embarrassed to say I’ve only listened to my own music. I really recommend it, you’ll love it.

Now that I’ve got out the studio and the album is done, I think The xx have a really interesting sound, Mumford & Sons sound really good too. I’ll hear a lot more now I’m out and about.

A perfect weekend would begin with me getting up late. I’d phone some mates up and we’d go and have a pub lunch in the sun. Then we’d go to a park and have a few drinks... so, spending time with friends, that’s all I’m really after.

James Blunt’s new single Stay The Night is out on Monday. The album, Some Kind Of Trouble, is released November 8. He plays the Royal Concert Hall on February 21. Tickets are £29.50, call 0115 989 5555.

James Blunt

October 2008



Five Minutes With... James Blunt
HE has been on tour all year, over 150 gigs across the world with interviews for each show, so when EG caught up with James Blunt in the USA we decided to give him a break from the usual round of questions about drugs, girls, Ibiza and being rather posh. “I’m not too sure where I am,” he says. There’s a pause as he checks. “I’m in Portland. I’ve been touring with Sheryl Crow for six weeks and it’s really good fun. She’s a really down-to-earth person and I get a good reception here.” He’s been on the road since January and the tour continues until February. “It’s been a long slog,” he admits, with just ten days off in all that time. That said he has been crafting a few new tunes along the way. “I’ll very much keep the sets to Back To Bedlam and All The Lost Souls,” he says of next week’s Nottingham show, “but chuck in a new one to see what people think.”

If you had to be stuck in a lift with someone, who would it be?
Mahatma Gandhi. If he’s not available then Barack Obama would be good.

Do you have any superstitions?I always check that my flies are done up before I go on stage.

Have they ever been undone?
No, I’m pretty good at following that. I have a lot on my mind whilst on stage but I’m pretty sure I’ve managed to achieve that.

If you could have only one song on your iPod, what would it be?I think that would be a pretty miserable iPod to have wouldn’t it?

It’s an early model, low on memory...You know, I’d go for a really long song then. Maybe something by the Future Sound of London. You can almost get a whole album’s worth by the Future Sound of London. And they’ve got some pretty good stuff.

When was the last time you cried and why?(Sighs) Hmmm, over spilt milk yesterday. No, I’m lying.

Do ever shed a tear?I don’t feel much of a need to. I know the papers seem to infer that I do a lot but no I don’t.

What’s your indulgence? Do you maybe collect things?I’ve actually been traveling about five years doing this job and I travel with hand luggage only. So as long as I can wash my clothes occasionally, that’s all I’m after.

You’re happy living out of a suitcase.Exactly. You can tell that by how scruffy I look.

How environmentally friendly are you?I’m definitely environmentally aware. We plant a tree for every ticket that I sell online. And we bring Friends Of The Earth out on tour to teach us and educate anyone else who wants to listen at our shows. The one car while I had a home in Los Angeles while I recorded this album was an electric car. So I’m definitely aware but I’m possibly as guilty as the next person at the same time.

How fast was the electric car?On acceleration faster than anything else I’ve been in. And I normally drive motorbikes so I know what acceleration’s about. You know those Scalextric cars we had as kids? It was like that. Because it was a prototype it had no restrictions of any sort. It was really, really, really fast. It was amazing.

What were you doing this time yesterday?I was doing interviews but I was in a different town.

What will you be doing this time tomorrow?I’ll be doing interviews. But they’ll probably be with people from Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, who knows? It’s a pretty kind of scheduled diary – interviews, sound check, interviews, then the performance and if we’re lucky an after party.

The times that you have been to Nottingham have you ever been to the Castle or had a look in the caves?I haven’t done those things but I’ve been out on the town a few times there. I’ve had mates who live up there and I’ve done quite a few gigs there. So, I’ve hit the bars a lot.

Any stories?Unfortunately I can’t remember them but that’s a sign of a good night.

James Blunt appears at the Trent FM Arena on Monday October 6 supported by Teddy Thompson. Tickets are £32.50 from the venue or call 08444 124 624.