T’was the night before the tour, not a creature was stirring, not even a….(get on with it! Ed)
If you ever wondered what a gentleman in the rock industry is like, well look no further than Nathan James, frontman with UK hard rock band, Inglorious. Their tour kicks off in a matter of hours, yet Nathan took time out to talk to me when he should have been resting. We talked about their upcoming tour, the horrendous on-line abuse he was subjected to last year and finally, a little about the album due for release next year.
The tour starts tomorrow (18th October) in Northampton. Are you excited?
Yes, the tour starts tomorrow! We have been ready for weeks. We rehearsed last week and we are all very excited! Our WhatsApp message group has been very busy, people sharing pictures of new guitars and costumes – we are a bunch of tarts after all! We’re looking forward to it and can’t wait to get out there and play our songs for people on this tour!
Glad to hear about the new costumes Nathan! Ae we going to see anything nice and interesting in the line of sequins?
Not so many sequins this time round! Danny has just had a new jacket for him, which is very cool. Dan has some new trousers which are very, very sexy and I’m quite jealous of them to be honest. I’ve just been shopping about for some bits and pieces but I’m kind of wearing the same thing I wore at festivals this summer because I’m such a sweaty bloke so it’s nice to be sleeveless and get the tats out. Actually, I can’t wait and the more I talk about it, the more excited I am about the tour. I can’t wait to get out there!
You have added some new venues – what ones are you most looking forward to?
I’m most looking forward to are ones that we have been to before, The Robin in Bilston is always an amazing atmosphere. The Picturedrome in Holmefirth is an amazing venue and we’ve sold quite a lot of tickets so that’s going to be a lot of fun. Exeter is going to be great for me as my family are coming. All my new Devon friends are coming as well. They’ve never had the chance to see me do anything like this, so it is exciting that my new neighbours who don’t understand what I do, are going to see the band in action. We are all looking forward to different venues individually, but they are all going to be good and we are all going to give it our best. We’re really looking forward to getting out after Brighton and taking our tour to Europe.
You recently ran a competition to have a fan join with you on stage. Whose idea was that and what do you hope to get from it?
It’s going to be really entertaining for the fans! I actually came up with the idea for the singing competition. It’s no secret that I’ve been publically in a few (J) and I find they have been really good for me. They got me fans and got people interested in my voice and ultimately got me a record deal. So, I think some singing competitions can be good. This one is a particularly special song to us as a band and it’s a very hard song to sing. I wasn’t looking for a karaoke singer, I was looking for someone who really can pull this off and I think this guy we found really can. I’m really, really pleased that he won. His name is Peter, he’s a history teacher and is joining us on Saturday which is brilliant. It’s fun for the fans as well as they feel involved as they were the ones who picked him and voted him in. So yeah, I’m pretty proud of that idea!
Prior to this tour, you have been showcasing the support bands from the UK and Europe. In your opinion, what do you think makes a good support act?
For me, it’s someone who gets the crowd going and also understands that they are there not to play an hour of songs that people don’t know, but to showcase themselves and get people interested in their band while hyping the crowd at the same time for the main act. This is what we have done back in the day when we were a support band for Steel Panther, Winery Dogs and Dead Daisies. It’s a very hard thing to do because it’s usually people who don’t know you so if support band could do that it would be great. We have some really good supports, some pros, some real good people who will really know how to work the crowd up and showcase their talents as well.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAJ1pzQBEZA&w=560&h=315]Your music ranges from heavy rock like ‘Until I Die’, to beautiful ballads such as ‘Glory Days’ or ‘Wake’. Is that a natural thing for you?
I think the variety in our music comes from my vocal inspiration. I’m not just a straight ahead rock singer – I’m a soul singer, a theatre singer, a pop singer and quite versatile and that to me is where I find most fun is using all of my voice. To showcase that, you have to do a different style and it’s nice to show people another element to my vocal that brings a different kind of emotion. So I would say the majority of that influence comes from my vocals.
Reviews of your festival performances all over Europe this summer have been fantastic. What do you put that down to – is it band friendship and respect, fans, the venue, a combination of everything?
For me it’s just about the music and how great this line up is as a band. So again, it’s no secret that there were ups and downs over the last year or so but we really came out of it. We showed people that these guys are the real deal, and they individually have proven that they are deserving to be in this band, and they will do again when we write the next album together. I think it’s about that we have so much respect for each other; we do love each other dearly; our relationships are so strong and we’re actually just having a good time which I haven’t always been able to say and now I can. Everyday is so much fun and I’m looking forward to going on tour and that’s how it should be. We have the best job in the world!
This is your second tour this year. Do you think it will be different to the previous one last winter/spring?
I think it will be different. We are going to a lot of places where we haven’t been, taking it to people that probably have never see us before which is pretty interesting. In Europe it’s going to be different because we’ve played these festivals in all those places this summer and now we get to go there and show them the whole show, not just 40 minutes or half an hour. So yeah it will be different, but I can’t wait. I’m really excited about the set list as well because that’s different. There’s quite a lot but I’ll still be screaming at the front of stage, flicking my hair and everyone will be playing great and we have a good time so that remains the same!
You and your family were subjected to some horrific abuse on social media last year, including death threats. How did that impact on you all as a family?
I’ve tried not to talk about this a lot. It was horrible at the time. I couldn’t believe it with all that’s going on in the world – looming Brexit and all this other stuff that we were going through, you know. The fact that people was so up in arms about the fact that band was having a line-up change because not everyone got on, I found ridiculous. That it inspired such hatred and such pathetic, immature and illegal behaviour. I am in shock still that it ever happened. I don’t think about it a lot but it has affected me. I find myself more closed off with people and way less trusting than I was before. It is a real shame that people can make you feel like that. But this is my life and it’s my family’s life and people around me. I don’t want anyone to make me feel like that ever again. They don’t deserve to do that to me. They don’t know me and especially for my parents to read messages, is so awful and nobody would want that for their child. I hope they are proud of themselves. I’m just about to play an awesome tour so I hope those people have a fun time at their keyboards in their bedrooms.
Did you ever think of throwing in the towel because of it?
I would never let anyone win like that. I’m a Leo, I’m very stubborn and I haven’t worked my whole life to throw the towel in, haven’t written all the songs that people enjoy and having put in all this time and effort. I’m made of stronger stuff than that and I was brought up better than that. So yeah, I will keep my towel, mostly because I needed some to mop up my sweaty brow!
Did seeing so many familiar friendly faces and fans in the crowds make it easier for you all?
I can honestly say yes, it did make it much easier having so many wonderful people around me, and the new band were incredible. It’s great to have Phil here with me as well! He has been there since the beginning when they all auditioned to be in this project that has become this band. To see all the fans out there at the London show especially, was really special – something I will never ever forget and it’s amazing that they stuck with us and I’m really, really, happy to be going out on tour and doing this for them again.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EIXos7j4eQ&w=560&h=315]You are currently working on album number four. This will be the first album Danny, Dan and Vinnie will work on with you and Phil. Are they bringing their own style or influence to it?
Yes, we are writing album number four, and writing as we speak. It’s going really well. It’s got a lot of new influences thanks to the additions that we now have in the band, Vinnie, Danny and Dan. What I’m most excited about is that Danny and Dan have so many riffs being turned into songs and put on this album.
It’s an exciting time and we look forward to that tour as well which will be happening when the album is out. I can’t tell you when it’s out but we are very much looking forward to getting into the studio early next year, putting an album down and also getting out on this tour which starts tomorrow in Northampton and then end in Paris next month. We’re going absolutely everywhere, so please do come and see us and check out this band because we are having the time of our lives and we are on fire right now!
It’s great to hear Phil on backing vocals – can we expect to hear more from him?
Yes, there will be a lot of backing vocals on the tour and also on the next album. What I think is really cool on this next tour is that we’re bringing in songs like High Class Woman, Girl Got a Gun, Unaware and Time to Go, which all have very heavily featured backing vocals and these guys really know how to pull them off. I think people are going to be mind-blown when they actually hear the six of us because we have our keyboard, player with us as well, Rob. I think people going to be really impressed at how great it all sounds. I actually can’t wait to hear it tomorrow it’s going to be an awesome tour!
Nathan, thanks so much for your time, especially the night before your tour starts. I really appreciate it.
Thank you! Thank you so much for speaking to me and for your nice wishes.. Have a wonderful night!
Nathan knew I had loads more questions and we could have talked for hours, but I had to let the man rest and prepare himself for the kick-off gig tomorrow night. Our very own Lindsay Smith, will be reviewing and shooting the gig in The Robin next Wednesday, so check back in then!
Interview by Fiona D
Photography by Lindsay Smith
Tickets are available here – http://inglorious.com/#tourdates
Useful Links
Website: www.inglorious.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/weareinglorious
Twitter: www.twitter.com/weareinglorious
Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareinglorious
Gig Review: INGLORIOUS Live at the Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Gig Review: INGLORIOUS Live at the Shepherds Bush Empire, London
