Latest News

25th May
Win tickets to Eastern Electrics
a pair of tickets up for grabs
25th May
four more for V Festival
The Twang, Dodgy, Jack Beats & Lawson
25th May
The Wickerman adds acts across the festival line-up
Main Stage,, Acoustic Village, Axis Reggae Tent, and more
25th May
Glade offer to Golden Down Festival ticket holders
anyone who had a ticket can now go to Glade for free
25th May
WOMAD add Femi Kuti, Khaled, Gurrumul, Hot Water, and Chet Nuneta
Toddla T, DJ Yoda, Balkan Beat Box, The Correspondents, and more
  rss | more news arrow
home » festivals » Offset » Offset 2010

Mystery Jets interview at Offset Festival

singer Blaine, and guitarist Will talk exclusively to eFestivals

Friday 1st October 2010


Mystery Jets have had an amazing whirlwind few years with chart topping hits and unforgettable anthems such as 'The Girl Next Door' and more recently, 'Dreaming of Another World'. eFestivals caught up with lead singer Blaine, and guitarist Will at Offset Festival in Hainault Forest, London.

Mystery Jets
How has the festival season been this year? I know it's been pretty busy with the likes of Glastonbury, and Reading and Leeds amongst others?
Will: It's been great. I feel like we're seeing the same people everywhere. Like here today, I feel like I've seen everyone before.
Blaine: ...Or like versions of everyone.
Will: Yeah, It's just been so cool- so much fun.

What's been your best festival experience this year?
Blaine: Reading was special for us. We've played it before but not on the main stage there. We've played main stages before too but never at Reading. They booked us before a lot of the other festivals too, which was nice. A lot of people think Reading is just for rock, and I mean RAWK! as in R A W K. But they came and approached us so it was really cool.
Will: We played in the middle of the day too, which can sometimes be hard but a good crowd turned up. Glastonbury was spectacular too. We were only playing in some little dusty tent somewhere but the whole Glasto experience this year was magical. I mean Glastonbury is always amazing but there was just something special in the air this year.

Mystery Jets

Mystery Jets
I know! Everyone's saying that. It was my favourite thing that I've experienced ever.
Will: Yeah, exactly! High-five!
(eFests hi-fives Will)
Blaine: Wow, fave experience ever. That's impressive!

Blaine's dad Henry has had a massive part to play with the Jets. Is he still actively involved with you guys?
Blaine: Yeah, he's here tonight...
Will: He comes for the women and the booze.
Blaine: Yep, he's here for the ladies and the wild life.
Will: He basically comes for a good time.
Blaine: Yeah, I'm not sure how I should feel about that!.. People always ask where my dad is and if he's still part of it, and it's sad because he is a really big part of us and where we are today – it all came from him.

You guys come from Eel Pie Island. For someone who's never been, sell it to me.
Blaine: Well it's in Twickenham, which is actually a great place for music. A lot of people forget that The Who and a lot of other great bands originated in West London and Eel Pie Island has been really good to us – we used it to get our band out there and it's a big part of where we are today.

You hosted illegal parties in your younger days. Tell us a bit more about that.
Will: We basically used to do it wherever we could – we started out with these caravans and it would be all soggy with underage 15 year olds smoking their first fag and drinking their first beers.
Blaine: Then we used to have a line-up of about 8 or 10 bands on the bill to play our parties.
Will: Then Henry built this garage we could all practise in and we realised that we could actually take what we were doing somewhere. We could take something that we enjoyed to the next level.

Kapil was the last to join the band. Did you make him work to gain his status?
Blaine: Yeah, we made Kaps go through an initiation period.
Will: He went through all sorts – we made him swim through shit in the Thames...
Blaine: He had to smoke a full pack of fags in 10 minutes... and we made him play Santeria by Sublime over and over...
Will: Pete was on holiday so we had him on the phone listening in.

Wow. Pretty hardcore initiation then?
Will: Yeah, but we all went through similar stuff.

What does the future hold for The Mystery Jets?
Will: It would be great to play at Wembley one day of course but if we could just carry on doing this... I mean the last few years have been incredible for us – every year in the last 5 has just got better for us so the commercial side of wanting to be successful comes second. Just being able to do what we're doing at the moment and having fun is first and it's great.



interview by Fiona Madden





the eFestivals Camping Store
Festival search Ticket search

search future festivals only   advanced search

Offset,
related articles:

2010 Line-ups & rumours

Forum

more on Offset 10

Offset home
Interviews:
Mystery Jets interview at Offset Festival
Offset 10
Reviews:
Offset offers a varied selection of performances, and vintage styles
Offset 10
Photos:
around the festival site (1)
Offset 10

around the festival site (2)
Offset 10

John and Jehn
Offset 10

La Shark
Offset 10

Monotonix
Offset 10

News:
3rd August 10
Caribou and Mount Kimbie for Offset Festival
Offset 10

14th July 10
Offset Festival unveils Hardcore Stage
Offset 10

11th June 10
Late Of The Pier Sound System for Offset Festival
Offset 10

1st June 10
more acts announced for Offset Festival
Offset 10

6th April 10
Liquid Liquid, These New Puritans, & more for Offset Festival
Offset 10

Listed Events:
Offset - CANCELLED 11

Offset 10

Offset 09

Offset 08

puddlezrainponchos.co.uk
Funky Rain Ponchos
If it is raining then you have come to the right place, our rainwear will keep the elements at bay
carbon neutral logoeFestivals is
carbon neutral
more »
WaterAid
eFestivals supports WaterAid, more »
sign up for the
festivals newsletter
more »
© Copyright 1998 - 2012 eFestivals.co.uk | disclaimer | Privacy Policy | site map