As I've said on
PotterCast, I spent the past week touring with Harry and the Potters to research my book about the Harry Potter fandom. While tearing across middle America and Canada in their tan Ford van, and while squished between suitcases, computers, amps, guitars and bags of prunes, we've been talking about the history of wizard rock, their beginnings/influences/history and everything else we can think of. We've done, so far, more than nine hours of interview; it's the longest interview in my life and almost four times their previous longest interview. (
Update: We left it off at 12. TWELVE HOURS OF INTERVIEW. The JKR one was two and spanned 50 pages; this is going to be a 300 page document! TWELVE HOURS! And you know what? If the trip weren't ending we could have gone on longer. Half a day, just talking. Insanity.)
I think I can say, and the guys would agree, that I probably know more about them now than anyone else with whom they don't share blood. (At least, about their wizard rocker selves.) And I've learned a few things.
-These guys work their wizard asses off. It goes like this: Set up, sound check, play, forage for a place to stay, eat, talk a little, sleep, eat, play some music if the mood strikes, check email and MySpace, shower (perhaps), pack up, eat, get on the road, drive (sleep/read if you're not driving), find the venue, eat, set up at the venue, start the cycle all over again. I've noticed that a lot of fans on the boys' MySpace ask if they've "seen a lot of [insert latest city here]?" The answer is no. There is no seeing of any city; there is seeing the inside of the venue and the parking spot for the van, then there is seeing a place to eat, a place to sleep, and if you're lucky some Internet to see your email. Then you see the van again, for as short an amount of time as it takes to get to the next venue.
-You should bring shower shoes on the road. We've lucked out with nice showers and good water pressure, but the guys tell tales of mucky stalls and dirty, backwashing tubs. They didn't tell me this rule until they picked me up in St. Louis. (Thanks, pals.)
-Music is covered. The tape deck (yes, tape deck) in the van is constantly fed with tracks that span the history of rock 'n' roll, including Springsteen, Violent Femmes, The Cars and even Meatloaf. There is little-to-no pop. (Though, Paul saw that sentence and spurted out, "What are you talking about?" So, I guess there IS pop. Heh.)
-They write to amuse themselves; the first night I joined them they played me a teeny ditty they'd written in the car with Garage Band about Harry's hair, which featured one verse, a one-line chorus, and when I heard it that night, a simple melody. It's now become their sound-check song, with more complicated vocals and a fuller-bodied sound. In other words, it quickly became a real song, and will probably feature on some future release (you'll have to ask them if/when).
-No venue is off limits. This week I've seen a college group room, a church, a club, an underground art gallery and, tonight, the association room for the Ukranian Federation in Montreal, which features a stage that looks like a cardboard shoebox cutout for a diorama. It has sent the guys into spasms of joy. Apparently they are only the second band to play on this stage, and the first was The Arcade Fire (whom we had just talked about in the car). TAF had, after their packed show, sneaked down here and done an encore while everyone was screaming for them to do one upstairs. After a small acoustic set they walked upstairs and played in the middle of the crowd. This seems to have given the HatP boys a sense of awe and inspiration about the place.
-The fans will always show up, and are pretty much the same everywhere. Scarves, costumes, HatP T-Shirts, screaming girls. One booker said to HP7 (Paul), "So, is your audience always completely female?" He looked around, pondered, and said, "That sounds about right." He was partly joking; the female concentration of their fans is not a myth, but the shows have also been full of kids, parents, and even late-teens with hard faces who wear their "Save Ginny" shirts with as much attitude as if they had bought them at a Killers concert.
-There are no airs. Leave them at the door. No one cares about dressing rooms, weird lighting, getting mobbed, not getting mobbed, signing things, not signing things. Tonight there's a strobe light, disco ball and cookies. People are excited.
-The most impassioned conversations are about music, politics, and all the different forms that "The Man" may be sticking it to people. The Man isn't exactly mentioned, but a hint of his appearance sends the guys into rants and raves. For instance, there was talk this weekend about a potential library closing that spurred the guys onto action without there actually being an action they could take from Detroit. Instead they exhorted loudly about how they had to DO something about it NOW!, in a way that makes you sure that as soon as they can, they will. Libraries just should not close, ever, and certainly not to become parking lots or condos. There are few bigger affronts.
-Here's a sample conversation from tonight's post-show trip to get Montreal bagels:
-Paul: These bagels are amazing.
-Joe: These bagels own the world. Let's get more.
-Paul: Here's $2.40, they're 80 cents each, get three.
-Joe: We should get more. We should bring them home to our parents.
-Paul: They're only good warm.
-Joe: [pause.] You hate our family.
(Joe then took that money and went inside, told to get just three. Unbeknownst to him I sneaked in and listened to/watched him order. He said, "Can I have - [pause. Looks down and ferrets through coins, clearly carefully counting] - four?" I ran outside hysterically laughing at Joe's complete disregard for the put-upon budget; between that time and Joe's purchase he managed to get a full half-dozen and some cream cheese, too. He came outside completely triumphant. "The guy said I had enough for six!" He gave Paul back a penny. We were all rolling on the floor, and even Paul was laughing much too hard to care about the money. That's the feeling after the show - the giddiness takes awhile to wear off.)
-It's cold. The bubbles in the bubble machine just froze.
-It's fun. It's a party, with wizards and muggles and Dumbledore (and Draco, booo). Those who are confused or skeptical at the start of the show - usually the people who run the venues - are jamming by the end.
-And you should really have shower shoes.
Here are a few pictures; I've taken about 700 (so far), most of which will probably appear online at some point, probably on
the TLC gallery. I have some fun video too, which obviously I'm not using for my book. All'll be up here eventually, but I've poached enough random Wi-Fi for one tour stop and it's time to sleep. Then get in the van.
