As the band hit the stage for the first time since September 2019 and with new members Tim Geer and Chris Pike now onboard we speak with bassist Tim ahead of the Crows' appearances on Castle Main Stage and City Wall Wine Bar Stage at Rochester Sweeps Festival on Monday 2nd May 2022: -
Crows website (CW): -
Although the announcement for you joining the band was not made until February 2021 you had actually been working with Gary between lockdowns in 2020. How much are you looking forward to your first appearance with the band at Rochester Sweeps after all of this time ?
Tim: - I absolutely love playing live so after such a long lay off due to the pandemic I am champing at the bit to get up on stage.
(CW) Another major factor within the last year was Chris coming onboard. How have you found that transition in recent weeks within the rehearsal room ?
Chris is obviously an experienced musician and has stamped his own style on the music in general which for me is a positive. He is playing some really good licks and I feel that his soloing along with his vocal talent is bringing something extra into the mix.
(CW) What does it feel like to not being the 'new boy' despite not yet having performed live with the band ? I haven’t really felt like the ‘new boy’ for some time really as I was made to feel at home in the band pretty quickly.
(CW) Have you been involved with any bands in the past playing primarily their own songs ? I have indeed been involved with a couple of bands playing primarily their own material and have added my own bass lines. Something I enjoy doing as it brings a bit more of a challenge rather than just copying existing stuff.
(CW) Has playing original songs evolved your playing style at all ? Yes playing original songs has very much evolved my playing as it encourages you to really think about what you are playing as the bass line can sometimes change the feel of the song quite considerably. I have found that each time I have a spell working on original material I learn something new. Everyday is a school day!
(CW) What do you hope to bring to the band on stage in the upcoming shows ? Well I usually like to wear something a little quirky or different to give a bit more of a visual aspect, just a hat or a loud shirt for example. ( Don’t worry I gave up wearing Spandex a long time ago) Apart from that, playing all the right notes hopefully.
(CW) The Crows have several festival appearances upcoming this year - do you have experience playing festivals or is this something new to you ? I have had quite a lot of experience playing festivals actually, at large, small, indoor and outdoor venues both in this country and on the continent, very different to playing with your own set up. A plus point is that you don’t have to hump so much equipment around, set it up and break it down again. However you have to trust that the engineers know their stuff and that the equipment is suitable as you are pretty much in their hands. Its largely a question of being versatile and being able to adapt with whatever set up you are presented with.
(CW) The band is hoping to return to the studio in 2023 - what would you be hoping to achieve as a musician and for the band ? I would very much enjoy doing some studio work again and would relish the challenge of coming up with some original lines. I will look forward to it.
(CW) Thanks Tim and the best of luck with the upcoming shows.
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