Music
17 Sep 08

Combat Rock

While other bands sip Fair Trade skinny lattes in Primrose Hill, Feeder have been championing the War Child cause in the conflict-ravaged Congo.

Some bands dream of making the world a better place by sporting Fair Trade t-shirts or giving mid-set shout-outs to Al Gore. Spiky haired Britrockers Feeder have gone one better: the Welsh threesome spent a week dodging bullets in the poverty-wracked Congo, where more than two million people have died in a long running internecine war.

“It was pretty ropey out there,” grimaces frontman Grant Nicholas. “Apparently another band [Canadian emo moppets Sum 41] had been out a week before we got there and had to be airlifted to safety. Of course we only found that out when we actually flew to Africa!”
As it happens,
Congo was eerily becalmed – elections had been called and local warlords were waiting to see if the uneasy peace would last.
“It was still incredibly dangerous. We were told that under no circumstance should we leave the compound,” Nicholas resumes. “We couldn’t go anywhere without an escort. And they weren’t even armed. If it had all kicked off, we’d have been in real trouble.”
Feeder’s experiences in central Africa informed the band’s latest album, a heartfelt salvo of power-punk entitled Silent Cry.
“All these things affect your songwriting,” says Nicholas. “They all go into the pot. I don’t think it’s a situation that’s ever going to be better, unfortunately but it’s something that you feel you have to address in some shape or form. We met some former boy-soldiers who were really really traumatised by what they’d been through. Stuff like that stays with you.”
Some of us were surprised Feeder actually got around to recording a new album at all. When they released a 24-track greatest hits LP in 2007 it was widely assumed to be a final sign-off (speculation that the band were on the brink of implosion went into overdrive when a rookie interviewer reported wrongly that Nicholas had decided to call it quits).
“Everyone was saying ‘That’s it, Feeder are going to call it a day," he recalls. "You know, that was absolutely the last thing on our minds. Two of the songs on the new album were written before the singles collection even came out. We knew there would be a lot of talk about us splitting up if we did a singles record. But our management and the label were very keen on it.”
Feeder were marked by tragedy early in their career after drummer Jon Lee committed suicide. Nicholas has reflected on Lee’s death on previous records, in particular 2004’s keening Comfort In Sound. On Silent Cry, however, he’s inspired by happier events such as the recent birth of a baby daughter.
“I’m not really sure it’s such a big deal having kids if you’re in a band,” he reflects. “So many bands have kids now. Sure, it’s difficult being away and stuff. But you get used to it. As far as going away on tour – it’s like any job where you have to go away. The other side of that is that I get a lot of quality time which I wouldn’t have with a nine to five job. You can’t deny that it does make you think differently: you worry about issues and what’s going to happen You worry about what sort of world your kids will grow up in. I wouldn’t be human if it didn’t affect my songwriting in some way.”
One band Feeder got to swap parenting tips with were U2, whom they supported on several Continental dates during the Vertigo tour. Not that the lessons of fatherhood can have been foremost in Nicholas’ mind when he finally met Bono and The Edge backstage in Paris. Feeder had just performed through a deluge and were soaked to the bone.
“Ash were on the bill too, though it only seemed to rain for us. Obviously most of the people were there for U2 but I think the fact that we just went out there and played and tried to ignore the weather worked in our favour. They respected that we were determined to put on a show, although it was raining so heavily we had to cover up all our pedals so they wouldn’t get damaged. Afterwards, U2 came past and we stopped for a brief chat. Bono was really sweet. We’re huge fans of theirs. I don’t think there would be a Coldplay today if it wasn’t for U2. There are so many bands that have been influenced by U2, although they may not even be aware of it.”