Percy - Ask 6

HOW DID YOUR NAME ORIGINATE?

That goes back to 1996, we were a rough 4 piece band with a gig lined up and had the classic scene of being all round the table in the pub running flags up the poles and seeing which one got the most salutes. One guy (who we later sacked for theft) was insistent on the awful ‘Sunshine Supertan’ so we were getting desperate. Brit Pop was still a thing and all bands seemed to have short names Blur, Oasis etc and some locally had people’s names like Cedric and Jocasta. Someone blurted the name ‘Percy’ and Colin Howard (Guitars/Vocals and lyricist) thought it sounded smutty and naughty (Percy Filth is a North East term) and I thought it was cool Led Zeppelin reference. Don’t know what the others thought but it just survived the votes and stuck.

-

WHERE WAS YOUR FIRST GIG AND HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE?

That goes back to 1996, a band had cancelled last minute on a summer Saturday night at the famous Fibbers venue in York. We had been badgering Tim Hornsby there for a gig and he gave us the night. Exciting and a shock all at the same time. None of us had ever promoted a gig and for me I had never played an instrument in public – we just turned up to play a 35 minute set.

Turns out when you do a gig you are supposed to tell people it is on. You can kind of guess how many were there!!

-

WHEN WAS YOUR LAST DAY OFF AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH IT?

Days of work and days not at work are becoming a mesmerizing blur at the moment. Jason Wilson our Drummer is working flat out in the NHS and I think got the Easter weekend off, I think he spent it listening to the Vinyl copy of the “Seaside Donkeys” that landed the Thursday before. I think the last day that Paula Duck (Synths) and I took completely off from the normal we tried to concoct from scratch a of an early 90s style Detroit house choon in Logic. Sounded great through the fog of Gin that accompanied it.

-

WHAT IS SOMETHING - APART FROM YOUR PHONE OR WALLET - THAT HAS TO BE IN YOUR VICINITY AT ALL TIMES?

I was going to say “more Gin” but in reality Reading Glasses!!… it comes to all of us…

-

WHICH SONG BY ANOTHER ARTIST DO YOU WISH YOU'D WRITTEN?

I never get tired of listening to “Wardance” by Killing Joke

-

WHAT'S BEEN THE MOST SURREAL FAN MOMENT?

Me im the crazy wired bass player … people generally stay away from me, I’m a sweetie though really.

The other year we supported the Primitives and Paula was mistaken for vocalist Tracy Tracy a couple of times. Should have charged for a meet and greet ..

There was also a time a few years back when we met a long term fan for the first time at a gig but didn’t know he was coming. He rushed enthusiasticly for Colin but he thought he was going to get punched and went white as a sheet and into duck and cover mode. A bit embarrassing for all involved!

Probably the most bizarre situation was a real long time ago when we met someone who said they wanted to be a manager, over drinks she produced this plectrum which she swore belonged to Elvis Costello and handed to Colin to use at the next gig – almost as if she was handing over Excalibur. Yep, strange encounter that one (we dodnt take her up on the offer of management)…