1. On growing up in Burtonwood

I’ve always loved Burtonwood. Maybe it’s to do with it being in the countryside. There’s a lot of history in the village that dates back to the times of the airbase that was situated there during the Second World War. I’m always fascinated by the stories the old guys in the working men’s pubs tell about times gone by. There’s a deep connection with the Irish in Burtonwood and I was brought up on all the old Irish music from the Dubliners and all those great rebel songs.

2. On learning an instrument

I remember being really young and my dad was in a Irish band. He brought home an acoustic guitar but he couldn’t play it and it was left handed. I just thought what on earth am I suppose to do with that? But the desire to play started from there. I remember my brother starting at university in Cardiff and I went to visit him. While I was there I mithered my mum to lend me the money to buy an acoustic guitar. I’ve still not paid her back.

3. On finding my voice

At the beginning I couldn’t really sing or was too shy to even attempt to. All these heroes of mine like Howlin’ Wolf, Jagger, Lennon, McCartney and James Brown had these magnificent voices. I just thought I could never come close. So in the early stages of the band Louis and I auditioned someone to sing and he was quite good. But after a while I realised I needed to push myself. The more songs I learnt, the better I became at singing until I started noticing people’s positive reactions when I sang. After that I just improved over a six-month period. It was literally a case of locking ourselves in our bedrooms for hours on end.

4. On falling in love with rock and roll

My relationship with Louis (Menguy, lead guitarist) was based on our obsession with the Beatles. We only started hanging around together in the last year of school but when we did we would just swap Walkman tapes of all the bands we loved. My mum and dad always listen to great music so that had a lot to do with it. My aunty was into great music too and she always remembers when I was about four or five going mad for that New Order song Blue Monday. She recently sent me an old CD of it framed for my birthday. Once you become an obsessive, the journey never ends. Still to this day I need a fix of bands or songs I’ve never heard of .

5. On Warrington’s music scene

Thinking back to the time in the early 2000s when the national music scene was thriving, Warrington was great. We were always the outsiders then. We just never really pushed ourselves to be involved with all the bands that had surfaced in Warrington but I was aware that there was some great musicians coming through. I think with the decline in guitar bands in the charts has directly affected the scene but it’s certainly not dead. You only have to go to the Warrington Music Festival to see all the talent. It’s certainly an exciting time.

6. On Slydigs’ first gig

This has been discussed and argued at some length. My memories a little hazy but as I remember it was in Wigan’s Nirvana upstairs in a small room and I’m sure a fight broke out and some glasses went flying. I think the electric had gone off as well. But it was the start of something...

7. On the notorious town centre ban

Our ex-drummer was jumping about on the toilets in the old WA1 club for some reason and the whole thing just exploded and flooded the building. Then I think something happened at the Music Festival with some guy getting rowdy in the audience. Once we got off the stage, he kept mithering us and ending up throwing a glass at some girls we were talking to so then he got taught a lesson and kicked out but it was sort of blamed on us. They had a poster of the band at the door in WA1 so the bouncers knew what we looked like and not to let us in. We turned up one night in fancy dress, big wigs and stupid glasses and got in and all our mates got turned away thinking they were in the band. We spent a good hour in there before being recognised and turfed out.

8. Rugby

Warrington and the north west is just a breeding ground for the great sport that is Rugby League. I played a bit for the young age groups at Warrington Wolves just before high school. Although I loved the sport and playing it I just lost interest. This was before knowing Louis. When we met in high school he was starting at St Helens but also playing at Leigh East. We had a spell of playing together there but I needed something else to spend my time. Louis ended up getting signed by Saints and was, I think, one out of only two 16 year olds to be signed that year. At the same time the idea of the band was growing within our group and Louis made the decision to quit Saints and focus on the band. There was some great rumours about what Louis said to former St Helens coach Ian Millward at the time. Apparently Louis was heard shouting: “I’m going to be a rockstar Ian, no time for egg chasing now.” In my mind, that definitely happened.

9. On recording in London

Working with Brendan Lynch from Lynchmob Studios has been enlightening. We’ve been big fans of Brendan for a long time and to have the chance to work with him has injected a huge sense of excitement into the band. He’s everything you want from a producer. I’d also like to give engineer Max Hayes a shout out. Both of them together have a great ability of shedding light on certain parts of songs that you wouldn’t necessarily think is a hook. It’s just great to work with people that have an in-depth understand of song structure and sonic manipulation. We spent six days in a room playing together and I have no qualms in saying this is by far the best thing we have ever done. There’s elements of The Clash, The Stooges and also Howlin wolf and The Beatles in there. We need to put the finishing touches to it but I’m proud of what we have accomplished with it so far. I think there’s talks of it coming out in May.

10. On Parr Hall

This gig’s going to be the start of another chapter for us and the fact it’s nearly sold out is simply amazing. It’s been great working with Warrington Music [WAM] again. We’re lucky to have it at the forefront of the town’s music scene.

11. On what they learnt from The Who

We learnt a great deal about how things truly are at that level – and you can only get there by grafting. Obviously luck comes into some scenarios but you have to be the best you can be before any of that comes into play. Seeing The Who’s involvement with the likes of Teenage Cancer trust and the money and awareness they raise is incredible. We aspire to do that. Because what’s the point of having that amount of success and not helping people in need? We have a great management team on our side in the form of Robert Rosenberg and Bill Curbishley and they have taught us a great deal. Since then the people around us has grown and the help we have has strengthened. Adrian Burns in particular has been vital in recent months.

12. On their upcoming gig with Def Leppard at the Royal Albert Hall

To be apart of the Teenage Cancer Trust is what’s most important to us. But to play at a venue like that is certainly a sign of things to come. Def Leppard are colossal and have a huge fanbase that I’m sure will warm to us when we show them what we can do.

13. On their dreams for the future

We make no bones about wanting to be the biggest band in the world. I know a lot of bands want that and say it but in my mind I can’t see a reason why not. I think the road we have taken – good and bad – has shaped us into what we are now and we can only get stronger. With a bit of luck I know we can be as big as we want to be. Regardless of anything I know this record we are working on is the best we have done so far and for me and the band we’re ready to fight for every tooth and nail to get the recognition we think we deserve.

14. On essential tour items

A tour manager who’s got his head screwed on is a must. He also has to deal with our sorry selves so he needs some patience. Speakers to play music on, before and after gigs and Dioralyte for the hangovers.