20 Questions with… Errors

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Errors; the missing link between Clinic and Mogwai… well, maybe. They’re signed to Mogwai’s Rock Action records though and release their quite marvellous new album, It’s Not Something But It Is Like Whatever, next Monday. Go out and buy it, you’ll be a better person. Honest. Anyway, we caught up with James Hamilton to find out the answer to the most revealing questions on the internet…

1. Describe your sound in 3 words.
Maths Art Science.

2. What was the first record you ever bought? And where did you buy it?
The 7″ of Duran Duran’s “A view to a kill” (the b-side was an orchestral instrumental version which was really sweet). I bought it from a wee record shop in Paisley called Stereo 1, which is now sadly closed. But I like to think I was supportive of independent music from an early age.

3. What’s the best cure for a hangover?
Sleeping. Having tried almost everything I’ve discovered that nothing else works.

4. What’s on your rider?
Beer, snacks, food, newspaper, Sailor Jerry rum, cigarettes and four pairs of red socks. The red socks are the only non-negotionable item on the rider, because nothing beats the sensation of feeling like a complete twat when a promoter asks why you want red socks (so please don’t ask).

5. How do you get ready for a live show?
We usually get drunk – not completely bladdered, just enough to kill any excess pre-show nerves and/or make us a bit cocky.

6. What’s your favourite song to play live?
My personal favourite is ‘Songos ya mongos’, ‘cos it’s a total kraut-o-rama noise-fest and the drums are all over the place.

7. What’s your guilty pleasure?
It’s a toss-up between being a Rush fan or an addiction to Kit Kat Chunky’s.

8. Who would win in a fight, a stoat or a goat and why?
A goat, clearly, because as wily and bitey as a stoat can be, a goat would ultimately probably just eat the stoat and think nothing of it.

9. Who’s your favourite new band at the moment? Tell us a bit about them.
I’ve been listening to Grammatics a fair bit recently (off of their myspace, I should probably think about buying something…) They’re an awesome band from Leeds, kind of art-rocky and soundscapey. We played a few shows with them on the Forward Russia tour and they were great. Good people too. I don’t know if Health count as a new band but since they’ve just released their first album I’m gonna throw them in there too, and I’m also absolutely loving the Santogold record.

10. Who would play you in a film based upon your life?
According to differing opinions either a young Hugo Weaving, Tim Curry or Steve Buscemi.

11. Dead or alive, what 5 acts would you have play with you at a festival?
A-Ha, MIA, Buddy Rich, Nirvana, David Bowie

12. If push comes to shove, what is your all-time favourite album?
Fuck, don’t do this to me! This question has taken me about an hour to answer, incidentally. I’m at a toss-up between ‘Hunky Dory’ by David Bowie, ‘Vitalogy’ by Pearl Jam and ‘Berlinette’ by Ellen Allien, if you want to maybe randomly print one of those three I’ll be happy, or I’ll think of another one and be like “NOOOO”.

13. What’s your most memorable on the road story?
At White Heat last year Jarvis Cocker was DJing the night we were playing. Greg really wanted to give him an Errors CD but was too nervous, so he asked me If I’d do it. I was a little nervous as well having kicked Jarvis Cocker (really softly and with his permission I might add) in the arse at the first ATP, but I figured he wouldn’t remember anyways so I said I’d do it. I went up to the DJ booth and was being really humble and polite and giving Jarvis the CD and he was like “thanks man” and being dead nice, then Greg, who had been uber-starstruck merely seconds earlier, leaned over my shoulder and said “Aye, you’d better fuckin’ listen to that”. At which point I sort of shrugged apologetically and ran away before I died laughing.

14. If your life flashed before your eyes, what would be the highlights?
Playing with Underworld. Playing in Austin. Playing in Finland. Seeing Fiona Apple live.

15. What’s the best piece of advice someone has ever given you and did you take notice?
I almost never listen to advice. I give plenty though, and if anybody is stupid enough to listen to it then on their own head be it.

16. If you had to leave a body part to science, what would it be?
My right leg, so that they could study the tendons in my calf muscle and my ankle and create a robot which can play a single kick-drum pedal as fast as I can. That’s a really fucking lame and boring drummer answer, sorry. But I’m a really fucking lame boring drummer, so you have to make do with what you’ve got.

17. What’s the best book you’ve read and film you’ve seen in the last 6 months?
The best book I’ve read in the last 6 months is a collection of Dashiell Hammet short stories, I’m a sucker for Hard Boiled detective books. Best film I saw was Mister Lonely, it’s totally amazing.

18. What three things could you not live without?
Caffiene. Drums. And, em, oxygen? (or is that too literal an answer?).

19. Tell us a fact about yourself we probably don’t already know.
One of my old jobs was playing drums in a Wet Wet Wet tribute band. It paid quite well, but not enough to compensate for the skin-crawling embarassment.

20. And finally, we’d like you to make us a mix-tape. Pick five tracks with a theme of your choice.
Okay…
Errors – Mr Milk
Massive Attack – Black Milk
Nirvana – Milk It
Deerhoof – Milkman
Garbage – Milk
It’s quite a tricky theme to decipher, but I’ll let you figure it out for yourself.

Links
Errors [official site] [myspace]