I walk out of Highbury Islington Tube Station into the blazing hot sunlight and squint over to my left where across the road is located ‘The Garage’. Garage indeed. It looks like the sort of place that wouldn’t be at all out of place along a strip of repair shops that find more problems than what actually needs fixing. I will try not to be hasty to judge though as some of the best venues are held at places that appear (from the outside) best avoidable, right? So I’m ushered into the big, black, vast, square room that is the club and through to the backstage which is kind-of like going out the back doors and into, well, the street. I realise The Garage is not one of those ‘special’ places after all, but it serves its purpose.

Standing aside the mini tour bus, the band is discussing going for dinner somewhere (it’s just 5:30pm) and the entourage is arranging the sort of stuff entourages do. I’m introduced to Sam Roberts who is in the middle of saying goodbye to some relatives. “Sorry to keep you waiting, shall we go over to that park there?” He points to what the British would call a “green” across the other side of the street. So we mosey on over. Roberts is clearly not engrossed in arrogance as a lot of rockers are. He asks me how I’m doing, what I’m doing in London, how I like it and, Christ! Who’s doing what here?! No, I don’t mind really, his cool politeness is making me miss (sniff, sniff) home all too much…

(From here on, Cord Magazine's questions are in blue. Artist responses are in grey.)

How is the tour going so far?

So far it’s going great. It’s different over here, obviously, than back home – and that’s a good thing… that’s what we want and expect. Every night you’ve got to convince people that you’re worth listening to.

Yeah, because in comparison to the size of the crowds you’ve been playing back home imagine it’s like going back a few years?

Yeah, well no…it’s not really because we go down to the States a lot and I gotta be honest with you in a lot of parts of the States things are exactly the same. So, you know, you go out there and, it’s like, we played in a band for ten years before anyone actually listened to a note that we played or a word that we had to sing, and, you know, when I say that I mean really listen and put themselves on the line by getting behind us and this is no different than that. So, we’re comfortable in this role and it’s easier now because we’re just a better band. The music’s better, the performances are better, so we can come out here because we’ve been touring for three years non-stop. So we can get up on stage and really flip into the zone right off the bat and I think people have been responding to that. And that’s not to say we don’t have our bad nights as well, you know, when people just look at you with a blank stare and it makes you feel like you just want to cringe and hide in the corner…

Do the dreaded ‘U’ shape?

Yeah. Exactly. For the most part people are really good to us here.

How do you find the crowds here?

Again, I don’t know if they’re fundamentally ‘different’ then, you know, the crowds in Canada or the States…uh, they like good music as much as anyone else, but maybe because we’re further from home [to the English crowds] they seem a little tougher to get through to. But if you do manage to break the ice then they’re as welcoming and appreciative as anyone else, you know.

What about your band Northstar?

Yes.

Were you a bit of a modster back in the day?

Yeah man! We were fully into it. That’s why it’s kind of cool when we come over here. So much of the music we used to listen to from 1989 – 1995, or whatever. You had a choice between two things: most Canadians went down the grunge route and followed the sort of, uh, Seattle pack. And then if you were kind of into digging and finding, because it wasn’t readily available to people, if you were into finding good music from other parts of the world, we were into The Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses, The Verve, Spiritualized, and The Charlatans – all these bands that were coming from over here rather than getting into The Screaming Trees or Soundgarden, you know, that’s just the kind of tradition we come from. And in high school, yeah, we used to listen to the mod classics.

Paul Weller.

Yeah. Absolutely. The Jam and everybody… (long pause) we, uh, suppose its part of who we are as a band, who I am as a songwriter as well in respect to that.

You’ve just got to London now right?

Yeah.

But in you’ve been here before. In your bio I read it said you travelled around a lot, did you come here before?

Yep, I’ve been here a few times. Um, yeah, I used to come here a lot back in the day. London is the gateway to the world, as they say…so any time we’re going anywhere we always had to come here. I’ve always had a few cousins and family members who lived here. I’ve spent quite a bit of time here, but you come here as a band and it’s a different story all together. The city looks different, the pints taste different, you know. If there’s one place on earth you want to leave your mark on - it’s here. Not as a pressure that sort of weighs you down but more as something that makes you feel alive.

What about the venues when you were here before, were there any particular places you liked to go?

I don’t think I’d ever been to see a live show in London. I was poor.

Mmm! (I know that all too well!)

Never actually had any money.

That’s the worst!

Yeah, being poor in this town is pretty though, but I never had any dough at all. I was always trying to save it for something. Food. So, I went to the BBC Proms once (classical music on-going festival type thing) at The Royal Albert Hall. That was the only venue I went to and I don’t think we’re quite ready for that, you know. I went to see some sixteenth century magical, no, classical concert and the people I was with and myself were asleep within 35 minutes and that’s the only show I went to over here.

Sleeping?

I know, it’s not cool! Not respectful, but it’s boring, man.

So how are the pints flowing here?

Pretty good. (big beaming smile)

Pretty good?

Really good actually.

And the Whiskey?

Pretty good too, nice ‘digestive’, goes down nicely with the bangers and mash.

Bangers and Mash?

Yeah, we have a problem, well, I wouldn’t say ‘problem’ but it’s impossible to say no. The beer tastes so good here, the bitter or lager or whatever they call it. They don’t like calling it beer here. It’s bitter and ale and this and that. Whatever you want to call it, it’s something. Something else; a gift from heaven.

So the touring atmosphere… is it more like Homeward Bound, or Paradise City for Sam Roberts Band?

Uh…it’s probably a bit more like Paradise City I gotta say. We have a tough time saying no to good times. (laughing) Which again, we wouldn’t be the first band that happened to, uh, nothing that we can’t control! Nothing that we can’t control. (chuckling)

So then, you’ve travelled the world. How are the English girls? How are they treating you?

They look right through us, man! (laughing) I gotta say, like, they don’t even acknowledge our existence for the most part.

No!

I swear to God! And, like maybe in northern England where the guys with really, really short hair and track suits seem to go, you know, a long way into the hearts of London females, but not a bunch of, uh, us ‘Chais’ as we call them in Canada.

But the girls are falling over for you back home.

Yeah, but we have more of a lumberjack mentality back home, right?

Is that what girls find attractive back home?

Frontiers men. It’s still ingrained into the psyche of all Canadians. You’re allowed to be a kind-of panhandler, gold handler type guy and girls will still find you mildly attractive. Over here, clean cut and serious seems to go a long way. I don’t know, man. Just disappointed through and through really.

Hmm. Are there any other bands who use ‘puck’ in their lyrics?

Ha! Probably not. (laughs). That’s our stamp of originality right there. (pipes up) There might be! I wouldn’t be surprised. Stompin' Tom Connors Probably uses ‘puck’.

Have you ever had a Sam Roberts Cocktail?

No, what the hell is that?

You don’t know?

No.

But your parents named you after it surely…

No, they didn’t and don’t call me Shirley.

Ahh, it’s, um, Amaretto, Rum and Coke and a dash of Lemon.

That’s not a Sam Roberts Cocktail!

Yeah!

No it’s not, that’s bullshit, man!

No it’s not!

What is it then? Where would you buy such a drink? It’s not a Canadian thing, that’s for sure.

Well, um, you know, if you’re bored and making things up on the Tube…

Oh! So that’s your invention then?! You could have started…No, I haven’t had a ‘Sam Roberts’, but I’m going to try one as soon as I get to the pub! (Laughs)

So what are some particular British bands that influenced you?

The old stuff, like The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks, Pink Floyd. The good bands, they influence us. And the Smiths a bit, Definitely The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays. Got right into that. And, uh, guys like Nick Drake and Hawkwind – good psychadelic band from the 70’s. They’re still kicking around somewhere. Lemmy from Motörhead used to be the, uh, singer, or one of the singers. Yeah, I mean, British music, American music, I try not to think in terms of where it’s coming from. You know, it’s just, like, good or bad, and, uh, again there’s too many great Canadian bands out right now. American music has made a resurgence to ever say where the sort-of hotbed is and we’re the driving force behind good music. And yeah, British bands have made a great contribution towards rock’n’roll music, but it’s not an exclusive thing.

Would you say Canadians are dull?

No man! Yes we are dull. Dull as butter knifes. Ah, you know what? It depends. Depends where you go. There’s dull people everywhere, man. People in general don’t know how to live life to the fullest, that’s a problem that I think plagues many a nation, not just our own. But, uh, I think for the most part Canadians can drink anybody under the table. We’re sort-of the unsung heroes at the bar stool.

Yeah?

Yeah. (defiantly)

Maybe in the Sam Roberts Band.

Maybe, but, uh, I think Canadians can drink as well as anyone, but I think they’re not…maybe (pondering) …I don’t even think we’re as dull as the Americans, you know? The big loud neighbour to the south makes us seem quiet and soft-spoken. But I think we have a lust for life that rivals even, maybe, the Aussies.

No.

I’m just throwing that out as a challenge! Laughs.

If your label forced you to do a collaboration with another Canadian artist (already laughing at question) and you had to chose between Avril [Lavigne] and Sum 41 who would it be?

Fuck, man. Um, I mean, a sensitive duet with Avril would always be a nice thing as far as reaching the hearts and minds of young teenage girls…uh, sort-of, influencing another generation, but Sum 41, I think they’re good at playing their guitar and shit too. Ahhh (long pause) those are two evils. I’m not sure, you know? Those are two evils and I’m trying to find the lesser and I might sit here all day and ponder that one. I’d probably go with, uh, well, Avril’s just prettier than the Sum 41 guys, you know, and at the end of the day that’s gonna be the tie breaker.

If you had to exchange places with a band of the last ten years who would it be?

(Long silence)

Seriously? A band that I respect and, uh, think that live like the kind of lifestyle I’d wanna live as well? Probably The Verve. They went out on top of their game and everyone would love to hear another album from them. They kicked ass on stage every night and that would probably be the band.

What’s the best rock n roll pose you’ve ever witnessed?

Pose?!

Yeah.

Jesus, man. Um, I mean, a nice crotch grab never killed anyone.

Have you been tutored on how to give a good interview?

(Laughs) Yes! I went to Ms. Edgar’s and Ms. Cramp’s school of, uh, rock n roll, what do you call it? What did they call those girls schools back in the day?

Etiquette?

Yeah, that’s the one. Yeah, I have actually, I went to…No! Of course not, man! It’s just questions. People ask you questions and you answer them.

Well they do do that.

What?

Labels and stuff, teach performers how to do interviews.

Well, maybe if they can’t speak English!

MANAGER – What?

They tutor bands how to give interviews.

MANAGER – Who do? (asking in a challenging way as if doubting my great knowledge! It’s true!)

MANAGER – Maybe labels hire out professionals to to teach kids how to do interviews.

Maybe I should go!

No! I don’t think so. You’re an interview killer! Thank you for your time.

Thank you very much.

Sam Roberts sounds ten times better live than any album can do him justice. Not only because "three years of non-stop touring" had paid off to serge a perfectly spun web of old-skool, 60's inspired rock n roll, but because of his sheer stage presence that even his openers can't help but feel completely impressed by and not bitter. It was nearly packed out at the Garage and, naturally, there was an abundance of Canadian travellers who were at the feet of their home grown hero. "Sing louder!" Roberts encourages - they do. "Put your hands together!"... they do... even all those miles from home. It's hard to imagine him ever disappointing and I would encourage anyone to see him live. However, will he be the underdog outside of Canada? That remains to be answered. His album is released at the end of August in the UK.

Elsewhere

By Amy Hanson
Photos : Andy Scheffler
Published : August 8, 2004.