Fiona caught up with The Rapture for a little chat at the Academy in Bristol, before the band took to the stage.

Do you like playing gigs over in the UK?
(Mattie) I enjoy playing gigs in the UK. I like playing over here.

How do the British crowds compare to the American crowds?
(Gabriel) There’s not really much separating the two really. There’s not really much of an answer to it.

A lot of people have had a tough time trying to describe your genre of music; do you think it’s possible to give it a label?
(Gabriel) It’s not really my job to label it, it’s your job. If you were bad at your job that doesn’t mean that I’ve got to do it for you.

What is your opinion of the whole ‘new-rave’ genre of music which is making an explosion on the music scene at the moment?
(Gabriel) It doesn’t seem to be a music genre. It seems to be some sort of strange marketing tool as far as I can tell.
(Mattie) I think it has more to do with wearing neon clothes and glow sticks.

What bands would you say are your main influences or do you try to create a unique sound of your own?
Gabriel: Um, I wouldn’t say its bands as much as it is music personalities. Like Quincy Jones, for example.

What’s it been like touring with Shitdisco?
(Gabriel) They’re funny. It’s good touring with Shitdisco.

Shitdisco are renowned for playing free parties in various random places, including people’s houses. Is this anything you would ever consider?
(Gabriel) We’ve done that before.

You supported The Killers on their Brixton Academy dates towards the end of last year. What was it like playing before such a huge band?
(Gabriel) They were nice guys. It was a really different crowd from what we are used to. It was nice to be doing gigs where we weren’t the headlining band, it was a lot fresher, I guess.

Did you get a good reception from their crowd?
(Gabriel) Sure. It was different, I suppose. I mean, they have a crowd that just like, jumps up and down. I like to think our crowd are better dancers.

Are there any preparations or special rituals that you have before you go onto the stage?
(Gabriel) Yeah, we just get totally wasted before we go on stage.
(Mattie) We’ve got to this point where we’re just trying to figure out new ways to make it more difficult for us to perform.

What encouraged you to set up your own record label, ‘Throne of Blood Records’ last year?
(Mattie) We decided there was music that we wanted to put out. The Rapture needed a vinyl home and it seemed like the right time and the right situation.

Where do you see yourselves in five years time?
(Gabriel) Honestly, I don’t really think that far ahead. There’s probably a load of things that I wanted five years ago that I might have in five years time. That’s how it works for me. Like, I wanted to be in a touring rock band when I was 12 and to tour and see the world. I got that by the time I was 18.
(Mattie) I figure in five years we could all be living underwater.
(Gabriel) No, I don’t really believe in all that environmental stuff.
(Mattie) In five years we could all be dead.
(Gabriel) Well, we’re all gonna be dead because Mattie’s gonna kill everyone, then someone will kill him for revenge. Not even five years, but in five days, the band will be dead. We’ll be chilling in heaven and Mattie will be down in hell getting raped by Mussolini.

Have you always aspired to be in a rock band or did you have other career aspirations?
(Gabriel) I’ve been in bands since I was 12, but they were always small bands. Then I decided it’d be really good to be in a big rock band.

Are you playing at any festivals this summer?
(Gabriel) We’re doing Coachella in America. I don’t know about Europe and the UK. I have no idea. I mean, I expect we are.

Which festivals have you enjoyed playing in the past?
(Gabriel) We did a festival in Ireland and I really liked that. It was just really well put together, well organised and there was always a lot of good bands.

Was that Oxegen?
(Gabriel) No. Oxegen [in Ireland] seems a bit messier, a little bit more blown out.

Have you got any plans to go to any festivals yourself?
(Gabriel) No, I don’t really like big crowds. I freak out in big crowds.

So do you prefer playing smaller, more intimate venues to bigger ones?
(Gabriel) I’m fine being on stage with a load of people in the room; I just don’t wanna be in the crowd. I’ve got better; I used to get really freaked out.

Thanks for your time guys.
(Gabriel&Mattie) Thanks.

Interview by Fiona