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We caught up with Rome this week, the lead singer of legendary ska punk band Sublime. The band are touring the UK at the moment for the first time in their illustrious career. This is what Rome had to say:
Purple Revolver: Hi Rome, how’s it going?
Rome: Awesome man, just been sound checking so feeling good.
Purple Revolver: So Sublime are back touring after 14 years away from the spot light. What is it like to be on the road again?
Rome: It feels like where we should be. I mean I was not here in the early days so I can’t really judge if it is better than it was. But the crowds have been going crazy everywhere, I mean the response has been really unbelievable. So we are just rolling with it.
Purple Revolver: Have you had to adjust to the huge amount of travelling involved?
Rome: Travelling kicks your ass man, but you just have to deal with it. You kind of get in a rhythm on the road so living like this just seems like normality now.
Purple Revolver: What is the one thing you can not go on tour without?
Rome: I would have to say my laptop, that is the one thing I couldn’t live without. We have got a lot of time to kill getting from place to place so I like to watch YouTube for old performances by the likes of Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. That keeps me entertained.
Purple Revolver: So you have just started your UK leg of your worldwide tour. What have the crowds been like?
Rome: Fucking unbelievable man. I mean the gig we did in Manchester last night, I would put it in the top three shows we have ever played. There was so much energy, everyone was singing and having a great time.
Purple Revolver: You hoping to get out to Liverpool at some point?
Rome: Definitely, the crowds up North are crazy. We love it.
Purple Revolver: So you have been working in the studio recently. How is that progressing?
Rome: It is going great, we have wrote a bunch of fresh songs. We are just working hard, being productive and trying to push the boundaries. We played two new songs last night actually and they went down well. So I am feeling positive.
Purple Revolver: Of all the Sublime albums, which one is your favourite?
Rome: I really couldn’t give you a definitive answer, because I really do love all of the Sublime albums. I mention this a lot but one of the first songs I ever learnt on the guitar was a Sublime song, this was when I was 11 years old- so I grew up with these albums.
Purple Revolver: If you could add one musician, dead or alive, to the Sublime line-up for a super group who would it be?
Rome: That’s a good question. I would have to say Jimi Hendrix. I mean who wouldn’t say Jimi, he was the greatest guitarist ever. Period.
Purple Revolver: Quentin Tarantino has been in the news recently, after his editor Sally Menke passed away tragically in the LA heatwave. You a fan of their work?
Rome: Oh definitely, there are a bunch of Tarantino movies lying about on the tour bus. It was really saddening to hear what happened to Sally Menke back home, but yeah I love their movies. Reservoir Dogs is one of my all time favourites.
For more information about Sublime’s tour go to:
http://sublimespot.com/sublime/