“Frantic, explosive, engaging, classy, mint, brilliant, not to be missed, once in a lifetime.”
If The Slates‘ description of their live show is anything to go by, Truck Festival is in for a treat.
Backstage at the This Feeling tent on Thursday evening, the four-piece are already buzzing ahead of their set, having waited all year to return to one of their favourite festivals.
“Buzzing,” says lead guitarist Joe Briggs. “We’re always ready for Truck, it’s the best one. We’ve waited all year for this, and it’s finally here.”
Bass guitarist Jude Wales is equally enthusiastic. “I’m twitching already,” he laughs. “I’m so excited. I love this festival and the crowds are great, so I can’t wait.”
So, what exactly should Truck-goers expect when The Slates take to the stage? The answer, according to the entire band, is a combination of “frantic, explosive, engaging, classy, mint, brilliant, not to be missed, once in a lifetime.”
“I don’t need to go on,” Jude adds, as the rest of the band agree.
Behind the scenes, The Slates have their own tried-and-tested pre-show routine, with vocal warm-ups followed by a little Freed from Desire to get everyone in the mood. What happens afterwards, however, depends very much on the day.
“It depends on the day; we either go home or go large,” Jude explains. “As for today, we’ll have to see. We’ve got to keep things professional… at times.”
Judging by the band’s excitement, “professional” may be a flexible concept come the end of the night. Truck Festival is also providing The Slates with the opportunity to catch some of the other artists on the lineup, with Bleech 9:3 and The Cases among the acts they’re particularly looking forward to.
But it wouldn’t be a proper festival experience without a few unusual encounters with fans. For frontman and guitarist Louis Barnes, one interaction stands above the rest. “I signed someone’s bum once, not long ago actually,” he reveals. “All the fan interactions are just funny to me.”
Jude has a slightly different take on the band’s interactions with supporters, particularly when a conversation refuses to reach its natural conclusion. “Sometimes they can drag on a bit,” he admits. “You’ve said hello and had a chat, but when the conversation doesn’t end naturally, and it’s being held on life support, it just needs to end sometimes…”
The band erupt into laughter.
When it comes to surviving festival season, The Slates’ approach is considerably simpler. Forget elaborate camping equipment or expensive festival food, Louis has his essentials firmly sorted. “Jam sandwiches, and drink water…”
And the jam sandwich isn’t simply a joke. There is a genuine economic philosophy behind it. “I just love them,” Louis explains. “I’m not gonna pay for all the overpriced festival food; I’d rather just get a loaf of bread and a pot of jam.” A man with his priorities in order.
As an indie-rock band, The Slates naturally have plenty of songs they wish they’d written themselves. Their choices range from classic anthems to some of the genre’s most recognisable modern tracks. “Bittersweet Symphony,” the band agree, before adding Happy Mondays’ Step On. “Any Bon Jovi tunes are pretty fire, to be fair.” And then comes another indie classic: “Fluorescent Adolescent, that’d be sick.”
For now, though, the band’s attention is on their own music and what promises to be an exciting few months after the festival season. While they’re keeping some details under wraps, they reveal that European shows are on the horizon in September, followed by a major hometown-area show at Leeds Beckett in November.
“I don’t know if we’re allowed to say,” Jude and Joe tease. “We’ve got a few European shows in September, a big gig at Leeds Beckett in November, and then new tunes!”
With more live dates and new music on the horizon, The Slates’ Truck Festival appearance looks like another step forward for a band who are clearly having far too much fun along the way. Just remember: if you’re heading to see them, don’t expect the jam sandwiches to be shared.
