In Clane In The Membrane

“We’re friends for life,” begins guitar and vox man Michael Hopkins. “We’ve played with each other for years. It’s that we’ve only recently gotten big instruments!”

A modest lot, Phoenix-esque trio Planet Parade say a shift in their line-up changed everything – as well as giving a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘musical chairs’!
“I used to play drums, Andrew used to play bass and the bass player used to play guitar!” Hopkins explains. “I’ve been playing guitar longer than I’ve been playing drums. But if I was writing songs on the guitar, when I’d go to show it to the guitar player, it wouldn’t translate as well. I think we realised that me singing while playing the drums was fine and it all sounded good. However, it was very hard to make a show of it. And [the shift in line-up] turned out to be the absolute right thing to do! We should have done it ages ago!”
Presumably their shapeshifting antics made for a difficult couple of months as the threesome transitioned to their new roles?
“Not really,” Michael shrugs. “We always kind of did that during our breaks from practice anyway. We’d swap around instruments and really enjoy it. It works better visually to have your frontman at the front, especially in a three-piece rocky kind of band. Otherwise it looks like your drummer is in a wheelchair!”
When I first encountered these baby-faced Kildare natives, they had a muso-heavy crowd on their hands playing support to Hot Press Album Of The Year-makers Wild Beasts in the Academy. But they delivered exactly the right shade of off-kilter rock to the ravenous audience, the impassioned ‘Cut The Chord’ and majestic ‘Play Fair’ in particular going down an absolute storm.
“I’ve been playing music for about 10 years now,” Hopkins tells me. “It’s in my family. My Dad was a musician, as were my cousin and uncles. I was reared on it.”
Ah, yes. Michael’s cousin happens to be legendary Therapy? man Graham Hopkins, who currently drums for The Swell Season.
“He’s kind of managing us at the moment,” Michael grins, “well, he’s doing the job of a manager until we get one. He’s getting us work and talking to people. He has endless contacts. It took him a while before he got fully interested though. He wanted to wait until we were of a certain standard!
“He’s definitely one of my biggest influences. Him and my Uncle and my Da have all been big helps. It’s been kind of easy for me, actually, being surrounded by it. I spent all my time as a kid roadying for my Da and uncle and Graham, setting up gear and learning my trade.”
Hopkins junior has done good. PP are currently to be found pulling out raucous live show after raucous live show.
“Every two days somebody comes to us with another cool thing or gig. Things seem to be going really well. We can’t wait to get back into the studio. We’re sick of the last EP!”
Surely not the feverishly good Ghosts To People?
“Ah, it’s got some good things going for it, but we’ve played the songs so much now they’ve become a bit annoying. It’s better to be like that than to be stuck in your thing, love everything you do and not want to change.”
At the same time, the Planet Parade mantra is very much if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it; “We want to maintain what we are. We have a good thing going and we don’t want to change it while people are liking it. We want to make better songs and a better recording and keep it dancey.”
Speaking of the boogying game, which of the Kildare boys’ contemporaries do they rate highly at the moment?
“The Redneck Manifesto are my favourite band ever!” Hopkins enthuses. “I’ve spent the last year or two years travelling to all their gigs around the country. They put on such a cool show. Easily the most enjoyable shows I’ve been to are Redneck gigs. We also really like Delorentos. One of the best live bands around.”
Speaking of our favourite Dublin alt. rockers, are Planet Parade looking forward to their slot alongside Delorentos and Jape at the infamous Trinity Ball next month?
“The line-up’s a bit mad to be honest with you!” he laughs, referring to a bill that mixes Mr. Hudson and Mystery Jets. “I really don’t know what to expect! People keep telling me there’s going to be loads of people in tuxes getting sick all over the place!”
That may be slightly true, but if you ask me, no better boys to focus 6,000 revellers’ attention.