James caught up with The Treatment in Wolverhampton to talk about how they came together, their music, plans for the future and much more.

Can you first please give us a brief history of your band; how you got together, came up with the name?
Dhani: Well I decided to form a band under my bands help because he had previous experience with managing and stuff. We had an idea of how we wanted the band to sound and everything so we looked around for members, first we came across Ben. His personality fit in with what we wanted to do and his playing.

Swoggle: His playing was alright. Ha ha

Dhani: Then it was a bit of a domino effect because he knew swoggle

Ben: Unfortunatly.

Dhani: Then he knew Tag.

Swoggle: Unfortunatly.

Dhani: Then we found Matt through myspace.

Tag: Unfortunatly.

Dhani: And the name was just one of those things, we kept coming back to. We’re all “Dr. Feelgood” fans and we thought the name The Treatment fitted with that so we stuck with it.

Swoggle: It was either The Treatment or The Sticky Bandits. [Everyone Laughs]

Ben: Sticky Toffee Pudding as well! [Everyone Laughs]

Swoggle: We decided against it.

So you’ve been kicking around for a few years now, what would you say your favourite moment as a band?
Matt: I think that’s to be the Alice Cooper tour.

Dhani: Yeah it was one of his recent European tours so it was all 3,000 seat theatres.

Matt: And Sonisphere.

Dhani: Yeah all the festivals we did last year.

Swoggle: Yeah we were fortunate last year everything was just going from 1 thing to the next so everything has become more of a highlight.

Alright then what’s been the worst moment you’ve experienced?

Ben: Meeting Matt Jones [Everyone Laughs]

Dhani: Got to be the dog tail in the van thing.

Ben: When we found out that Matt was signed up for a DateACrossdresser.com [Everyone Laughs]

Swoggle: We said we found him on MySpace but we actually didn’t, we found him through this site

Matt: I was going under the name Shirley [Everyone Laughs]

Ben: Shirley Jones!

Matt: Have I not told you that one yet?

Swoggle: Everything begins to make sense...

Dhani: I can’t think of one moment that’s been really, really bad.

Ben: Even if something’s been bad we’ve laughed about it later “Oh for fucks sake, actually its alright”. If you can’t laugh at yourself who can you laugh at?

You Re-released your album recently how’s that working out for you?

Dhani: When we first released it, it was really unknown on our old label Powerage. Since we’ve got signed to Spinefarm who are a really well established label who really pushed it and we’ve had nothing but good reviews from the big magazines from Classic Rock, Kerrang, Metal Hammer all of them so we just want to tour it now.

Lyrically what was the inspiration for the album?
Matt: Everything that was going on at the time really, just being a kid and having a good time with that.

Swoggle: It’s not exactly political

But I don’t see a song about having a wank in the shower which is what most kids do.
Ben: It’s subliminal! Rewind it really slowly and play it double.

Swoggle: It’s not actually about it it’s just a recording of one of us. [Everyone Laughs]

Ben: I won’t say who.

Swoggle: Shirley. [Everyone Laughs]

Matt: That names going to stick now.

Ben: It started off as Tara but now it’s moved on to Shirley. He’s got a few skeletons in his closet. [Everyone Laughs]

These dates are rescheduled from the last tour where Matt had vocal problems, how are you now?
Matt: I had a chest infection and got laryngitis from that so I had no voice, at all. It’s all back now so I’m ready to make up the shows.

Dhani: We played a few hardcore shows.

Matt: Yeah sounded a bit like Oli Sykes [Everyone Laughs]

That would make anyone want to kill themselves
Swoggle: Oh believe me we thought about it, and that was on a good day. [Everyone Laughs]

Any plans for future releases or is nothing confirmed yet?
Dhani: We’re always coming up with new stuff and if we get any ideas we’ll get them down, nothing concrete yet though. Always working on new ideas for future EP’s or album number 2.

Matt: The album only came out in September so the plan is to just tour throughout the year then maybe next year.

Any festivals confirmed yet then?
Tag: We’re on Grasspop

Dhani: Yeah Grasspop in Belgium.

Ben: Gringle [Everyone Laughs]

Swoggle: Gringlestock, it’s an up and coming festival [Everyone Laughs]

Dhani: Only we know about it.

Swoggle: They haven’t announced themselves yet so keep an eye out [Everyone Laughs]

Ben: Sticky Toffee Pudding are headlining that aren’t they? We’ll be under that haha.

Swoggle: billed as The Sticky Bandits. [Everyone Laughs] But nah I think the plan is to just do as many as we can so fingers crossed.

Dhani: We did Sonisphere last year so there’s a good chance we’ll get at least one this year.

What other tours do you have confirmed for the year so far?
Matt: Steel Panther in March and then Thin Lizzy in May.

Dhani: Thin Lizzy’s just UK and Steel Panther is Europe and UK.

I shall see you again at Steel Panther then; look out for the blue hoody.
[Everyone Laughs]

Swoggle: Might get one! [Everyone Laughs]

Where would you like to see yourselves in a year’s time?
Swoggle: I’d like to be able to grow a really great moustache.

Ben: Barbados, couple of tarts, Few drinks. [Everyone Laughs]

Swoggle: BARBADOS. TARTS. MOUSTACHES. DRINKS. [Everyone Laughs]

You really take this bandit thing seriously don’t you?

Swoggle: YES! The Sticky Bandits! I can’t even grow a serious Musketeerian moustache.

Matt & Tag: Musketeerian? [Everyone Laughs]

Dhani: We’re gunna go for the Anchorman look. [Everyone Laughs]

Ben: All in suits and taches.

Dhani: Shirley Burgundy [Everyone Laughs]

I don’t look well in a blue suit.
Swoggle: You’re rocking the blue hoody though! [Everyone Laughs]

Ben: Like the dressed down Friday version. [Everyone Laughs]

One last random question that we ask every band, if you could be an animal out of a zebra or Giraffe which one would you be and why?
Swoggle: Giraffe because they have a really long neck. You’d be above everyone!

Tag: How would you possible know what that feels like?! You’re a really short man!

Swoggle: Thinking about it how do they sleep? Do they sleep standing up?

Everyone: Yeah.

Ben: Now can I ask the question, why would you ask that question? [Everyone Laughs]

Our editor insists we ask it.
Everyone: YEAH YEAH YEAH.

Ben: Course it’s your editors question. [Winks] [Everyone Laughs]

Ben: Zebra’s just seem to get hunted by everything

Swoggle: If you watch a nature program it’s like “A zebra, oh wait its dead.”

Dhani: It’s just a pimped up horse really.

Ben: It’s a politically correct horse[Everyone Laughs]

Swoggle: You could say that about a giraffe though just a horse with a really long neck.

Matt: Bit bigger though ain’t they?

Tag: It’s a completely different design!

Swoggle: Throw the blueprints away we’re starting fresh! I like what you’ve done here but let me tell you something, what you need here is a diabolically long neck! [Everyone Laughs]

Ben: G-dog you’ve dropped the ball of this one.

Swoggle: See these guys? They’re in the shrubs. We’re in the trees. Thats where the good grub is, HOW’S THE GRASS DOWN THERE? CHECK OUT THESE PLUMS.

Thanks for your time, is there a message for your fans reading the interview?
Swoggle: Stay Frosty [Everyone Laughs]

Interview by James Webb