This is an archived post from our old website. Please excuse us if it looks a bit off, we are working through old posts and making sure they look tip top!
Friday Street play funky, rocky goodness, covering songs from artists such as Led Zeppelin, The Black Crowes, Oasis, Stereophonics, Wild Cherry and many more. Playing at the Londesborough Arms in Seamer this week (Friday 17th May) and performing as one of the headline acts at the Staxtonbury Festival this year, the band are:
Vocals – Dan Green
Guitar – Stuart Moir and Rich Kennedy
Bass – Rich Moore
Drums – Dan Bird
We meet at Vivaz just before their big Bank Holiday gig. Over the course of a high energy, raucous meeting, I find out enough Friday Street facts for every day of the week. Stay tuned – with two Dans and two Richards in one band, this might get confusing.
1) Band Image is key: They like to keep it fresh and clean…
Earlier that day I’d phoned Dan G to check the interview was still on. He was in the shower, but still answered the call. The lads then tell me that drummer Dan was in the bath and Rich K was with him when Stuart called to pick them up. Clearly, they like to share the cleanliness…
When we start, Dan B has something he says he needs to get off his chest straightaway; “I’m short, I’m bald, but I’m the best looking in the band and Dan Green uses the most hair products!” This sets the tone for a lot of jokes and ribbing of each other throughout the interview. And Dan G saying he hates the band. A lot.
In terms of keeping the creativity fresh, Stuart explains: “In the early days the band was much more acoustic, and we went through a few different phases, with the big changes being realised Dan came in…”
“Yeah, we had to find some easier songs for him…Mary had a little lamb, Baa baa black sheep…” jokes Dan B.
Dan G says he hates the band. Again.
The group had been together for about three years before Dan G joined. Stuart was the one who originally wanted to get a band together, so asked his mate Dan B, and then Stuart brought in Rich K, and Dan invited Rich M. Rich K sang for a while but then wanted to focus on the guitar playing, so they trawled local jam nights and found Dan G at Cellars just before Christmas.
2) They’re very focused.
The band have a dedicated practice space out at Seamer, and rehearse twice a week, every week.
Stuart tells me, “We have new song Thursday , to try out something different, and we do a full set run-through on a Sunday”
I ask how they choose their songs. They explain that they all suggest them, but will only do a song if the whole band agrees – if anyone objects, it’s thrown out. “We do get some pretty stupid suggestions sometimes,” says Stuart, looking wryly at his bandmates.
3) They can’t do a stage dive again at Staxtonbury
Singer Dan executed a phenomenal stage dive at last year’s Staxtonbury – “the first and last time you’ll see one there,” he explains, “because they’re moving the barriers further back now to prevent any accidents!”
Rich K admits that he noticed his guitar wire was curled up at Dan’s feet before the dive, and Rich just kicked it out of the way in time! “I should have left it” he grins.
I ask them what, if they can’t do it this year, will they do to impress the crowds? Shoot Dan out of a cannon? “Shoot him with a cannon, more like” quips Stuart. They mysteriously lay claim to bigger and better plans, but of course won’t reveal anything just yet. Rich K adds, “We’ll up our game a bit… but it’s secret…just think ‘Wembley’…!” Stuart will only reveal for now that they will have a completely different set to last year. Plus, of course, they’re all very excited about taking part. “It’s a great day, even if you’re not playing, it’s just a great atmosphere,” enthuses Rich K, “and we’ll have our own Friday Street camp! I’m going to get us a flag, I’ve decided…”
Which leads us on to…
4) Rich K is the band ‘Mum’ and the Marketing Man
“I had some really nice feedback from someone on Facebook the other day, they said they really liked how we do our gig countdowns…” he smiles. Stuart relates how, once, he was on the way to the wrong venue for a gig – mother-hen Rich saved the day, organising and checking on everyone in his usual style.
I try to fathom if they each have their own role or ‘label’ within the group, but the first joking answer that comes back is way too rude to reproduce here. Rich K then goes on to add, “We just play to our strengths, I’m stupidly organised to the point of OCD, and these guys… (pause)… erm… Let’s just say we each have our different roles and strengths!” he laughs.
Rich M adds that Stuart is the quality control. “He just tells us all we’re s**t and we have to get better… it’s not always constructive criticism, but then we do get better!”
5) They aren’t afraid to Challenge Dan and want your help.
One of the more amusing ‘stunts’ pulled by the band was their pledge that Dan G would do a sit up for every ‘like’ on the route to 300 Facebook likes. They only needed about 3 to get to the target but received a sudden surge that led to a video of Dan doing several press-ups whilst shouting out names of those who’d helped along the way.
Now they’re on the way to 500 likes and have offered to open the challenge up to the audience – so send them your best suggestion – they’ll pick one they like and Dan will be doing it!
“Crap. We’ve got some sick fans out there…” worries Dan. Guess what – he hates the band, again.
6) There’s a 6th and 7th member of the band that you don’t know about.
Vinny, their sound guy, comes over whilst the lads are being interviewed. They exclaim that he is their vital 6th member, a necessary part of the Friday Street machine. Then Rich M tells me there is someone they consider the 7th member – drummer Dan’s father, Al. “He comes to pretty much every rehearsal, suggests songs and is really supportive – if we didn’t have that support we wouldn’t be where we are. He tells us if we’re s**t too! At least he’s honest!”
Dan G interjects, “He eats all the Haribo though…”
There’s a Haribo problem in the group, it appears. “We have to have some at every rehearsal and every gig, Rich makes sure we’re stocked up. Without it we’re like bananaman without bananas…” says Dan B. “Or Popeye without spinach… yeah, we have addictive personalities!” laughs Rich K.
7) Now this is the big one: There’s a distinct change in direction coming after Staxtonbury…
Stuart reveals that after the Festival, they are going to work on some original material. Rich K adds, “Funky goodness! We will have a quiet autumn gig-wise and get stuck into some writing.” I ask what they think their process will be for this. Stuart’s reply is that they will jam things out, and work on the outcomes of that. He regrets not recording a riff they came up with earlier that week at rehearsal – it seems the creative element is already seeping through.
Watch this space… if they all survive Staxtonbury in one piece, that is.
