Sloan

(clockwise from top left)

Patrick Pentland (vocals, guitar), Jay Ferguson (vocals, guitar, bass), Gregory (the Goose) Macdonald (keyboards, percussion, vocals), Ryan (Testie) Grant (front of house sound), Chris Murphy (vocals, bass, drums), Kevin (Lamps) Hilliard (lights), Jay Coyle (merch), Andrew Scott (vocals, drums, guitar), Om Nom Nom (treasurer), Matt Clark (bus driver), Ryan (Half Moon) Haslett (guitars), Mike Nelson (tour manager)

We have had the amazing Kevin Hilliard out with us before playing the part of MRCH commercial radio DJ Skip Lowe and polarizing fans and critics alike - Repugnant or biting comment on the state of commercial radio? This time Kevin is working lights. Whatever he does, he brings heaps of my favourite quality: joie de vivre. This time Kevin has called for the crew to wear head to toe yellow and purple at the shows to go with the SLOAN XX CREW satin jackets he had made. The rest of the crew have been really good sports about it. They all seem to love the jackets. At least one guy is not thrilled to be wearing yellow pants but he shall remain nameless.

Keeping things fun on the road is important and one thing we are doing in an effort to keep everyday a non-stop laugh fest is a little game where we are forbidden to say the term sound check (I’m reluctant to even write it) and instead we are to say sound test. Every time someone mistakenly says sound check they are obligated to pay $1. The receptacle for this money is a Styrofoam bowl with a face drawn on it called Om Nom Nom. Om Nom Nom’s mouth is a cut out hole and whenever someone puts money in it, whoever is around makes an om nom nom eating sound. Om Nom Nom has had to be upgraded due to being overstuffed with money and because angry people having to feed him have treated him poorly.

Chris Murphy, May 2011.