Interview: Against Me! @ Leeds Festival

Against Me!'s founding member and front man Tom Gabel is a busy man; he's about to tour Canada, Japan, Australia and then the UK this October. But for today, he's having a quick chat with Skiddle backstage at Leeds Festival before his band plays the Lock Up stage later on. Sipping coffee and wearing a giant smile, the Florida resident tells us what's going on for one of America's busiest politically-charged punk rock bands...   

Is playing Reading and Leeds festivals still a big deal?

It's our third time playing at Reading at Leeds, usually we have some kind of technical difficulties but yesterday was fantastic at Reading, it was perfect. And I'm really looking forward to playing Leeds tonight.

Are there any particular bands you want to check out from the line up?

Billy Talent just played, they were awesome. Alkaline Trio last night were great and we watched a bit of Gun N' Roses... they were shit! Just so terrible, so cheesy! The whole band looked like they'd dressed in a costume shop from the mall. And the graphics on the video screen behind them looked like computer screen savers from the 1990's. It wasn't good!

Which audiences react to Against Me! better, festivals or clubs?

A variety is nice, I don't think any band is going to tell you that a festival, outside in the open air is there ideal place to play. But the Lock Up stage still has a club-type atmosphere. It's nice to see bands playing too because I don't really go to festivals unless we're playing at them.

Is there a clear difference between American and European festivals?

The States have started to try and emulate the European style of festival, but not so much with the camping. Festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza definitely have the same kind of spirit to them. And drunk people, you get that at any music show!

And Japan?

We've only ever played festivals there, so this will be our first time doing headline shows. It's so regimented, you have to arrive at the festivals a day early, set up your gear and people come and take pictures. Then when you arrive to play the next day, all your stuff is laid out exactly as you had it in sound check. I had a friend that even left a cigarette on his guitar amp, and when he came back the next day, there was a cigarette waiting for him!

What are your love/hates about touring in the UK?

I find it pretty easy touting here. There's no language barriers, it's always easy to find a vegan restaurant, wherever I'm at. The people are always friendly and the crowds are good. I don't mind the rainy weather or anything! The only thing I'd say is that I wish it wasn't as expensive!

Now that you're a family man, do you feel more pressure to succeed with the band, or do you value anything differently at all?

I don't think having a kid changes anything like that, I think it just makes you focus on other aspects a lot more. It makes me more driven. I'm out here on the road, playing music, doing what I want to do but the sacrifice is that I don't get to see my wife and kid all that often.

It's 13 years since you formed the band, are you constantly progressing?

As far as progressing goes, if you look at it from a geeky side, technically we know more and more about what all the buttons do! But as as band, we just want to get tighter and tighter. 

Your latest album, White Crosses was produced by Butch Vig again – what was the experience like for a second time?

Vig is a master, so watching him work is kind of like going to college in some ways. He's working at the top of the line and we're leaning from him.

Can you put your new single, 'I Was A Teenage Anarchist' into context for us?

It's not about me. I got stuck on the line 'I was a teenage anarchist' for  a while, I'd written it down in journals and I liked the sensationalism of it. Like Michael Landon's 'I Was A Teenage Werewolf'. I was seeing it as 'confessions of a teenage anarchist' on old movie posters in my head. It's not autobiographical, it's not a renouncement or a political statement.

What's your favourite song from the album and can you remember where you were when you wrote it?

If I had to chose one, it would be 'High Pressure Low', it was the last song I wrote for the record. We recorded in LA but we live in Florida, so I took a couple of days on my own to drive from Florida to LA, with no pressure, just bumming around in hotels and I wrote that song on my trip.

Buy Against Me! Tickets for the following dates:

October 22 – Southampton Mo'live
October 24 – Cardiff Solus
October 25 – Bristol Academy
October 26 – Coventry Kasbah
October 27 – Glasgow QMU
October 28 – Nottingham Rock City
October 29 – Leeds Met University
October 31 – Plymouth University
November 01 – Cambridge Junction
November 02 – Oxford Academy
November 03 – London Electric Ballroom
Various support comes from Fucked Up, Japanese Voyeurs and Crazy Arm

Interview by: Kelly Murray

Photo by: Jade Danielle Martin