No Getting Away from It

1S Friday, April 11, 2014 59 HOTSHOTS EofE’s biggest crowd so far has only been 500 — but now they’ll rock CHRIS 385,000 in six weeks. By SWEENEY They’re the support act on the mega McBusted Tour. But the lads aren’t ready to stop at that. They want to be selling out 60,000 capacity stadi- ums EVERY night. Frontman Tom Harris snarled: “All of us want to be known as astadium selling-out band, a touring band. “Obviously the commercial success would be great but we all love playing live and that’s AMANDA OWEN is a children he’d have run amile. what we get the buzz from. shepherdess on the But it seems right, filling this “Not many bands really sell place with people and chatter, out tours all over the world — highest farm in Yorkshire’s like it was centuries ago. One Direction do it. We want to rolling Dales. Because of the life we lead, the get on that level of success.” children just fit in: One more She has written ariveting by never makes any difference. ‘We’ve got a book telling of her life in this “I keep my babies strapped to remote outpost, with husband me until they are toddlers and sweet mash-up’ Clive, their seven children, 1,000 they’re out in the fresh air all sheep, eight horses, cows, pigs, HARDING day, so they sleep well at night. Proving they’re willing to put Edited chickens and dogs. their necks on the line, it was “The only job Ican’t do with Many will recognise the ababy on my back is to clip a the Black Country group who Owens, who featured in ITV’s sorted out the McBusted gigs — The Dales. NICKFRANCIS caught sheep —then Iput them on top of the clipping machine, which which includes four nights at up with Amanda. The Hydro in Glasgow, this lulls them to sleep.” She says: “I wasn’t born into It’s 50 miles to the nearest month and next. NATASHA afarming life. Igrew up in a Tom, 17, said: “We sent our hospital, and with Amanda in built-up area of Huddersfield, the habit of giving birth tracks off to McBusted. and my dad was an engineer “And in afew days they got quickly, only TWO of her babies and my mum amodel. arrived in hospital. back to us and asked us to go “As achild Iwatched the on tour with them. James Herriot programmes and “Our manager recorded our Iwas inspired.” Stormy night reaction when we told us, we “I knew it was what Iwanted Three were born in the ambu- couldn’t believe it. to do, but being ashepherdess lance at the roadside, one at “We look up to bands from or afarmer weren’t options that Catterick Army garrison, on the around our area like Led Zeppe- came up at comprehensive. way to the hospital, and one lin or Black Sabbath, they did “But Iwas determined, and was born, ten weeks premature, it from scratch, worked hard — cycled roundfarms in the area, on aviciously stormy night and got rewarded. offering to work for nothing.” before the ambulance could get “We’ve been going around the Once she had learned her to the farm. countryplaying gigs to two peo- trade, Amanda, now 39, became Her oldest daughter was born ple sometimes and we always on filling time, while McBusted over the years that stuck by nothing better than seeing alive ONE2SEE afreelance farm labourer. while the farm was locked give ahundred percent. punters hit the merch stall and them. band. She would dip and clip sheep, down in the foot-and-mouth cri- “It feels like now it’s paying snack bars. Tom said: “If people “If we can pick up fans like “We want to get that back in AGUY’S proposal to his husband milk cows and repair dry stone sis —and the story of how her off and we need to prove that come in halfway, they’ll see us that, we’ll be sorted.” the mainstream charts. launched Aussie star Betty Who’s walls. She met her husband healthy sheep were slaughtered we belong on the tour.” giving it everything —our stage And while the band are fresh pop career, after the flashmob flick when afarmer sent her to his will bring tears to your eyes. And the “We’reyoung enough to get presence is engaging. faced, they’re not wet behind on the bedroom walls of the shot her single Somebody Loves You remote farm to borrow aram. The farm is so remote that lads aren’t “We think our songs are up the ears. into the US charts. She’s at King Amanda recalls: “I didn’t real- every winter the electricity is planning girls and we’ve got that slight SEXY soprano Nicola here with the standard. They have got their heads Tut’s in Glasgow on May 28. Get ise it when Iarrived on adark, cut off and the water supply edge to us that’s going to help rainy night after adifficult Cassells will be singing for “And we’ve got apretty sweet screwed on and know where us stand out from the crowd. tickets at: bettywhomusic.com. freezes, so that they have to mash-up at the start of our they’re going. drive but meeting Clive, and his carry buckets of water from the her supper next month as “We have plenty of people farm, Ravenseat, was avery big she launches the Opera And set but Iwon’t want to Tom added: “Because we’re so river for themselves and all the who believe in us, have seen ONE2HEAR moment in my life.” animals. When the snow Musicals Supper Club at the give too much away. young, people don’t expect us to our potential and helped us. “Our sound is very gui- be where we are now. THE pride of Motherwell The Banter When they married, neither is deep they are com- BadaBing restaurant in “We’ve got better with their Clive nor Amanda expected to WATCH Wishaw, Lanarkshire, on May tar driven, catchy melo- “We’ve done afew gigs where Thiefs are back with yet another pletely isolated, cook- dies, hard beats and we’ve showed up and the pro- support. banger. New single Pretty Boys is a have abig family. She says: ing over an open 4. Foodies will enjoy a “And of course we’re ayoung “If I’d told Clive we 2 pumping bass line. moter is abit like whatever. cracker —proper melody and a range. selection of classics from band and we can only get bet- were having seven Amanda says: “We Opera, Broadway and West “It’s anice crossover “Then after it, they come up foot-stomping beat. It’s out for between rock and pop. to us and praise us. ter.” download on Thursday of next week. like it, as long as it End musicals from the sassy doesn’t last too long. Scot, right.It’ll leave “McFly and Busted “We hope to bring back that Q Download free single Kiss Me Check out the video from Monday have picked up fans live aspect of music, there’s Like You Mean It at: eofe.com. at: facebook.com/thebanterthiefs “But it’s hard work opera fans wanting looking after the access all arias. animals.” ONE l The Yorkshire Shepherd- ess (Sidgwick &Jackson, NO GETTING AWAY FROM IT £16.99) is out now. JIM BOOKS By CALL TO MIND explained: “We recorded it in Strathaven, at WHO: Martin Ross (piano/vocals), Jamie aplace called the Old Mill. We recorded GELLATLY together, separately, two at atime, acousti- Ross (guitar/vocals), Andrew Masson (bass/ cally together, we added loops and field vocals), Joe Smillie (drums/percussion/ recordings (one birdsong in particular is vocals), Stevie Gribbin (guitar/vocals) WHERE: Glasgow from the Lower Carse Wood, up near Ard- ersier where Jamie and Martin are from), FOR FANS OF: Elbow, Sigur Rós, The Nat- and generally experimented.” ional The results are spectacular. It’s further JIM SAYS: Hotly-tipped Highlanders Call enhanced with some wonderful string To Mind released their debut album, The arrangements played by the Cairn String Winter Is White, on Monday. The Glasgow- Quartet. Joe said: “To work with such tal- based band make music that perfectly DANCE music has moved out of the woods and ware- ented musicians was ajoy. Breathe in partic- houses. It feels more like abusiness that requires an reflects their northern roots —beautifully ular takes off when the strings come in.” constructedmusical landscapes that drift up by bloggers Lloyd Meredith and Halina office and even Pete Tong has moved to LA. Call To Mind launch thealbum tomorrow The biggest issue we face is arguably what the along effortlessly. Rifai (Peenko and Glasgow PodcART at TheGlad Café in Glasgow. They are also respectively), the label’s built an impressive digital age brings for the DJ community. Martin said:“Our earlier songs were writ- confirmed festivals, including Brew At The As veterans still cling on to vinyl, the mode of deliv- ten thinking aboutescapism, getting out of roster. Call To Mind join Randolph’s Leap, Bog near Inverness on May 3. as well as Jo Mango and Woodenbox on the label. ering music has changed. Now, you don’t need the the small town and into the city. More Solas, Wickerman and Belladrum. weightlifting skills of PreciousMcKenzie to carry a recently it’s the opposite. Songs about jour- Joe said: “Halina and Lloyd have always MORE: calltomind.co.uk MUSIC box of records to aclub.

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