SEVEN UP
Gary Fitzpatrick • Published 22 Jun 2012 09:30
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SHED Seven singer Rick Witter is getting ready for the main stage at T in the Park with a DJ spot next week in Dunfermline.
The Balado festival has been a favourite for the group over the years and this one looks like being another special occasion as they get the party going on Saturday ahead of Noel Gallagher and the Stone Roses.
"Yeah we're getting ready for T in the Park now," said Rick this week. "I don't want to curse it but I don't think we've had a bad one yet.
"It's always ace when we come to T in the Park. It's just full of drunk people having a great time. You can't go wrong with that, can you?"
At the peak of their success during the heyday of Britpop in the late 1990s, Shed Seven had 15 Top 40 singles, four Top 20 albums and 10 appearances on Top of the Pops.
Hits included 'Chasing Rainbows', 'Going for Gold, 'Getting Better', 'She Left Me on Friday' and 'Disco Down'.
Before coming to T, Rick will be special guest DJ at the thriving 'Fools Good' indie night at PJ Molloys next Friday.
"It's always a real pleasure to go around indie clubs, pick the music I like, play it and people just go mental so it's always a good night out.
"I don't usually play Shed stuff, unless I'm asked for it of course. But we've got a really strong support in Scotland and if I've had a few drinks I might put some of our stuff on near the end."
Shed Seven played a classic sell-out gig at the Glen Pavilion two Christmases ago. "It was an absolutely ace night. That particular gig was for no other reason than it being like our work's Christmas do to be honest.
"It's always absolutely great when you can just play a gig and there's no reason for it other than you going there to play your music.
"We weren't promoting anything, it was just done totally for a laugh and it was just one of those really good nights. There was a good atmosphere in there so I'm looking forward to coming back to Dunfermline because of that gig.
"I don't know what route we'll go down after this T in the Park which is why we're making this one a bit more special. We're bringing out the brass section which we've never done before at a festival.
"We've been going a long time with Shed Seven and I don't know how many times people would be interested in coming to hear us playing 'Going for Gold'. We're doing it a bit different this time and giving people a bit extra."
The band are from York and one of their mates from there former Seahorses front-man Chris Helme was in Dunfermline last week saying he'd like to move to Scotland one day.
Rick likes the idea, laughing, "We'll maybe all get a big Britpop house and set up camp in Scotland."
At T in the Park, Rick will be sticking around to see all the action.
"I think we're on the main stage first that day so we can get our set out the way, get a***-holed and have a great time watching the rest of them.
"I always enjoy going out and watching the other bands. The last time we were there I remember seeing the Brian Jonestown Massacre which was really good.
"I think they were a secret band that day, hadn't been advertised but I found out they were playing and went to see them in one of the tents. In the past, I remember watching Ian Brown up there and The Pogues as well.
"So yeah I'll definitely be out watching Stone Roses without a doubt. I had the opportunity to get a ticket for Heaton Park but as we're going to playing on the same stage as them on the same day I decided to wait until T in the Park."
The success of the band's recent tours playing their '90s hits has given them a tough decision to make with Rick itching to write new material.
"We're doing three or four festivals this summer then we'll sit down and decide what we're doing next.
"We're stuck in a bit of a rut really. We've re-formed three times now and done a month long tour at Christmas.
"Every time we've sold out the venues, people have come along and are loving it. It just depends how much you want to push that nostalgia route really.
"There's quite clearly a demand for it. There's people our age bringing their kids along now so we're hitting the next generation of kids.
"I think a lot of people just like coming to hear what we did in the '90s while there's a lot of other people who would perhaps like to hear new stuff.
"I've always got melodies running about in my head so I'd quite happily give it a go. But as a band we'd need to be 100 per cent behind doing it otherwise
there's no point.
"We wouldn't want to write some half-a***d thing and ruin our legacy, so to speak. It may be that later this year or early next we can hunker down and see what we can do."
***
Rick Witter is at PJ Molloys on Friday 29th June. Shed Seven are at T in the Park on 8th July.
This article appeared in Dunfermline Press 22 Jun 12
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