Early next month Ireland’s most well known group (well, behind U2 that is), Bell X1, will make their Australian debut.
Bassist for Bell X1, Dominic Phillips sat down to answer our questions.
Given the stature of the band in your homeland, how private are you private lives?
Very. We’re not really of interest to tabloids and glossy mags and I think Irish people tend not to pay much attention to celebrity anyway, particulary Irish ones. If you don’t court attention, you can be as private as you like here, it seems.
Where is the band at with a follow-up album to last year’s ‘Chop Chop’?
Early days. We’ve started to make plans, but nothing concrete as yet.
‘Chop Chop’ hit number one on the Irish charts; was this a surprise for the band?
Yes. A very pleasant one. There’s a nervousness when releasing a new record. You never know what to expect.
The band have toured the United States 11 times in the last 4-5 years; you must have picked up some pretty interesting stories along the way?
Indeed... like the time our bus was burnt out. It was late at night and the the generator caught fire. Luckily most of us were in a hotel at the time, and the few who were on the bus were awake and up. (The generator was beneath the bunks). We managed to get the gear out of the cargo hold, but the bus and everything on it was destroyed. Everything smelt of smoke for months.
You’re seasoned touring veterans, but next month will be the first time Bell X1 tour Australia... Why the delay (and you can’t say the distance!!) getting down under?
There’s a lot involved in arranging a tour, and the unknown of whether people will show up. This is the first time it’s really felt like a viable optipn.
When your first band Juniper ended and Damien Rice went solo, was there any talk about continuing under the same moniker?
Not really. Damien was the singer in Juniper, so it really was a new band from an outside perspective without him. For us too it was a new beginning and definitely required a new name.
So who’s the aeroplane nut in the band, given the group’s name?
That’d be me I guess; I've wanted to be a pilot since I was a kid.
Bell X1 Tour Dates
Thu Jul 3 - The Hi-Fi (Melbourne)Fri Jul 4 - The Zoo (Brisbane)
Sat Jul 5 - The Hi-Fi (Sydney)
Sun Jul 6 - Capitol (Perth)
