Six On The Brain

They’re an unassuming bunch are Six Star Hotel – there’s little in the way of brash braggadocio, or high-volume chest-beating attached to the four-piece – but scratch below the surface and you’ll find a band with plenty to shout about.

A close-knit bunch of childhood pals, since upping sticks to Glasgow four years ago, they have toured the UK and Europe, set up their own label (We Collect Records), and released an album (A Kind Of Crusade), produced by Rocky O’Reilly from Oppenheimer.
An indication of how their softly-softly approach has thus far yielded plentiful success, here we are chatting to vocalist, David Clements and bassist, Matt Minford, the day after they’ve headlined at Belfast’s Limelight.
And, as you’d imagine, the pair are buzzing.
“It was great,” says the fuzz-haired Matt, “because over the years we’ve played all sorts of small shows around Northern Ireland – in toilets and on the back of lorries, then you play Belfast, and it’s like rallying the troops and you suddenly realise you’re filling up The Limelight.”
This reference to plugging in at weird, low-key locales is more than a glib aside. A quick run-down of previous hitching posts reveals this crowd to have a blatant peccadillo for out-of-the-ordinary venues.
“We’re pretty much up for anything,” says Matt. “We played a show one night and this guy collared us afterwards telling us how brilliant we were and then invited us to play at his sister’s birthday party. We thought why not, and ended up playing a set in her kitchen. It was a great gig and he’s one of our best mates now.”
According to the pair, however, the band’s most memorable gig took place in an even more unusual venue – an open prison in Denmark.
“That was one of the most surreal but rewarding shows we’ve ever played,” says Dave. “We played a set in the prison church and then I went off to play a few acoustic numbers which turned into a mass sing-along. It was amazing. The government over there sponsors shows in prisons, and we were touring and thought it would be a good idea. There was one bloke who came up and told me he hadn’t heard live music in ten years. I’d definitely do it again.”
This have-a-go mentality explains why the decision to move to Glasgow was made without much agonising. But as far as David is concerned, it’s worked out brilliantly for Six Star Hotel.
“It seemed like a logical thing to do,” he says. “We thought it would be a good spot to make music and break into the mainland. We love the scene in Belfast, always have done, and every time we come back it seems to have got better, but for us it was important just to move away and experience another place. Even just to force us to grow up and mature a bit. And it’s done that.”
2008 promises to be a big year for the boys. Not only are they planning to record their next album and make inroads in the South, Matt is due to be married in the summer.
An event, you’d imagine, that will force them to reappraise their progress so far, and to wonder if the demands of day-to-day life might start impacting on their musical ambitions.
“It’s definitely something that requires more thought these days,” admits Dave. “It makes you appreciate things more I reckon. When you go out on tour, you want to make it worthwhile and memorable. We’re not really worried about going to London, getting a deal. We’re genuinely happy enough to improve as songwriters and keep on enjoying it.”
Which is an entirely sensible attitude that, while not guaranteed to bring them global success, will certainly go a long way to maintaining their collective sanity.
“The ones who make the most headway are those that stick at it,” says Dave. “I think every musician reaches a point where they wonder if their life would be any easier if they were to knock it on the head. There’s a temptation to give up when things aren’t going well. But you need to hold your nerve and keep doing it because you love it. I mean, you only have to look at Snow Patrol and Duke Special to see how important it is to keep persevering.”