The hot ticket

THE Maccabees are headlining this year’s Shockwaves NME Awards Tour, which opens at Newcastle’s O2 Academy, next Thursday, as one of the four bands hotly-tipped for great things in 2010.

The Brighton-based indie five-piece are joined by Bombay Bicycle Club, The Big Pink and The Drums.

So the first question has to be: How does it feel to be headlining the NME Awards Tour?

Orlando (Weeks, vocals): It feels like quite a responsibility, when we’re rehearsing, because it’s such a good lineup, so you have to play well, But it’s going to be a good way to round off the Wall Of Arms album release and make sense of that. But yeah, it’s just kind of important that we don’t let the night down.

NME called you the best new band in Britain a few years ago. How have things changed for you since then?

Felix (White, guitar): Well... We’re still good... it’s a difficult thing to answer.

I’m not sure we were the best band in Britain at that time.

Orlando: Well, we’re not that new anymore. The hot tips have gone cold, but apart from that we’re pretty much exactly the same. We still rehearse in the same place for the same amount of time, we still get frustrated by the same things.

What’s the most extravagant thing you’ve ever requested on your rider?

Felix: Actually, we got asked that question the other day and Hugo sent a list of 150 things, the most blunt email. I got really into mangoes a couple of years ago. So that was important. And we get avocados, because apparently it’s the vegetable or fruit or whatever, that you can live for the longest on. On solely avocados.

I don’t know if that’s 100 per cent fact, but I think it is.

Orlando: I don’t think we’ve ever asked for anything expensive on our rider. This time around we’ve asked the people at the venues to make us a mix CD of obscure party songs from across the world. And we’ve got to not know at least a couple of the songs.

But that’s the kind of thing you put on your rider and people go ‘Oh, sorry, we left it at home...’. But maybe if I put it in the magazine they’ll be more inclined to get obscure.

If you could tour with any band from past or present who would it be?

Felix: It would be fun touring with The Jimi Hendrix Experience, but as a band, you’d just get the **** kicked out of you every night. He’d be like, setting his guitar on fire and wailing away and stuff, and we’d be like ‘Hello! Plink, plink, plink’. So probably not them.

Orlando: We’d get shown up ridiculously, but going on tour with The Band would be pretty amazing.

Everyone in the band would probably say that, I think.

Tickets: All tickets are £15.50. Price includes a 50p charity donation. On sale through nme.com/tickets or 0871- 230-1094 Further info on the Shockwaves NME Awards can be found at nme.com/awards

■ TWO lucky readers have the chance to win a pair of tickets to the Newcastle tour night thanks to NME and sponsors Shockwaves.

To stand a chance of being one of the lucky two, tell us which famous book provided the name Maccabees.

Send your entry with name, address and phone number to: Shockwaves NME Competition, 7DAYS, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, DL3 8ER.

Closing date is noon on Monday.

Winners will be contacted by the Shockwaves NME event organisers.

■ THE Shockwaves NME Awards Shows have also teamed up with Barfly, to bring performances to Stockton and York. Boasting acts such as Little Comets, Frankie and The Heartstrings and The Chapman Family, this exclusive set of gigs kicks off at Stockton’s Georgian Theatre on February 15.

Four-piece Geordie boys Little Comets are riding high from the release of their first indie single, Adultery. Following a recent stint supporting Florence and The Machine on tour, Sunderland’s Frankie and The Heartstrings have been making waves with their edgy and stylish sound.

Post-punk Teessiders, The Chapman Family, round off the bill as one of the ten bands to watch.

Doors 8pm, tickets, £6.50.

The tour moves on to York Fibbers on February 17 and also takes in Leeds, Liverpool, Cardiff and Birmingham.