Catching up with the Young Aviators

A couple of years ago I was an eager little fan of the Subways, I still am in a huge way. But one night at the Brudenell Social Club I was blown away by the support act. they were so full of energy, and the way that the crowd reacted to this support band was phenomenal. Everyone was so engrossed it even felt like it was their gig at one point. The band I am talking about are Young Aviators

I interviewed them a few years ago just as they were still supporting the Subways, but as they have got bigger so has the support. You can view the old interview here on the Vibrations website to get to know them more.

They now have a full album out, which is outstanding. You can buy it on iTunes, or here which is their Band Camp profile. So with this I felt it was only right to have a little catch up with these Irish beauties.

Here is the new interview with the band enjoy it.

The last time we spoke was 2 years ago, just after your storming set at Leeds Brudenell Social Club supporting the Subways. Have you had anymore crowd member dancing on stage like the guy from that gig?

Unfortunately, no we haven’t. That was a special moment for us and that poor fella I suspect. I never thought for a moment he would actually get up on stage and dance for us. He proved me wrong.

So what has been going off in Young Aviators world?

We’re just back from our first tour of Europe, which was incredible. We did an eight-date stint of Austria and Germany supporting ‘Shporte Freunde Stiller’, a massive German band. The shows were in front of two to three thousand people each night! We also have a Scottish tour with Travis coming up!

Your debut album is outstanding; it has been one of my favourite albums of the year. How did the writing process go for it?

Why thank you! We’re glad you like it. The writing process was fine I guess, most of the songs were already there waiting to be recorded. They were all written around the same time, when I felt I had a lot to write about.

What made you not put a few of the songs from the E.Ps on there like the awesome Hunting for Heaven and the Question Is?

We just wanted to make something fresh and interesting. All those songs are still out there on the Internet so people can access them no problem. We wanted our debut album to feel like a debut.

Do you still keep them in your set?

We wheel them out now and again for the hardcore fans. 

Are there any plans of you doing your own tour again? It seems like ages ago since you played in Leeds.

It’s been too long!! We miss Leeds! We’re planning a UK tour for February 2014, so hopefully that will include Leeds and some more onstage dancing people.

You have been playing a lot of gigs overseas recently, what has the crowd reception been like compared to crowds over here?

Crowds in Europe are very polite and receptive. The audiences we played in front of seemed really attentive from the start of the set right up to the end, I would never say audiences in the UK aren’t like this (because that would be a pretty big statement to make) but we found the European scene a surprising treat.

If you could throw a come dine with me dinner party who would you invite? (They can be dead or alive) Also what would you cook?

Marilyn Monroe and cast the of Downton Abbey.

Full English breakfast.

I have been doing a lot of research recently on bands and artists who charge a substantial fee so that their fans can meet them and have a photo taken with them. What do you guys think about this?

Seems a bit wanky to me...but then again musicians have to eat.

If you could be any superhero who would you be?

Superman. Obviously.

Finally what does 2014 have in store for you guys?

Lots more gigs and hopefully another record, and of course, another show in Leeds.

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Rochelle Massey

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The demise of festivals

It has been announced today that one of the major shareholders of Spanish festival Benicàssim has sold his share of the festival.

Vince Power’s festival company suffered financial difficulty in September, which resulted in the Hop Farm festival to cease. A statement has been released today stating that Benicàssim will still go ahead despite being in financial difficulty.

In 2005 Power sold his first festival company Mean Fiddler for £38 million. Mean Fiddler was the name behind Reading and Leeds festivals.

So how has this festival become to be in this situation whilst pulling in big named bands such as the Killers, Queens of the Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys and Primal scream?

Rising ticket prices have put off festival-goers off, leaving many festivals with tickets remaining when the event is actually happening. Festival organisers have tried to accommodate for this and implemented deposit schemes. This allows the buyer to place a deposit when the ticket goes on sale, then breaks down the rest of the ticket price to be paid in easy manageable installments.

Sometimes this is still not enough to sell a festival out. Reading and Leeds festivals tend not to sell out until at least two weeks before the festival starts.

Many people think that the amount we are expected to pay for festivals is too much for what we are getting. But when you look at the headliners of the festivals you pay around £70 to see each of them, and then a maximum of £30 for some of the other artists. So when you look at it like that and breakdown the bands you are going to see and how much you would pay for it does not seem that bad.

So when you are looking at paying for a festival look at who you are going to see and where you are going to get value for your money at. Or even if you just enjoy going to them for a social feeling and seeing new bands do that. But do not let some of the great festivals die out.

So here is to many more years of festivals, and hoping that Benicàssim will be going for many more years to come.