Hip Parade: Scottish Music and Female Fans

Exclusive Interview with Glasweigan Orange Unsigned Act Runners Up

Jan 25, 2009

Suite 101 talks heart-throbs, Fangs, and waving a flag for Scottish music with Hip Parade's charming frontman Rob Shah, backstage at Orange Unsigned Act.

Glasweigan indie rocksters Hip Parade are without doubt the hardest working boys in this year’s Orange Unsigned Act Final. Holding down full time jobs whilst also jumping through every hoop required of them by the competition, they have consistently amazed fans with their smiley, fire fuelled rock ‘n’ roll.

Suite 101 sat down with the band’s charismatic frontman Rob Shah and talked ladies, getting ‘old’, great Scottish music, and the real Tommy Reilly, backstage at the live Orange Unsigned Act TV show.

Heartthrobs and the Music Industry

Suite 101: Lauren Laverne apparently fancies you. Female First who I know interviewed you recently are totally in love with you. Are you ready to be thrown into the whole heartthrob territory that might come if you win this competition?

Rob: No. we’re all getting too old. Grey hair and baldness is going to come about very soon, so that might put a stop to the heart-throb thing.

Rob: Yeh with the music industry there’s this window of about 22-27, then they go “£$%& off”. They said that with Fangs. Fangs are all about 29, and they were all “too old”.

Fangs, Luva Anna, and a Great Year for Scottish Music

Suite 101: Yeh the judges were pretty tough on Fangs. But still, between you, Fangs, Luva Anna and Tommy Reilly, you’re waving quite the flag for Scottish music aren’t you?

Rob: That first night of the tour was the best night of the tour because we were all together. They had two tour buses, all the Scottish people were on one, and all the English people on the other. They didn’t plan it like that, it’s just how it worked out. And it was a riot. Honestly the bus was rocking from side to side the whole way to the venue, it was insane. And then Luva Anna and Fangs got kicked out, and it wasn’t so good after that. Now it’s just us and Tommy. But there weren’t any Scottish acts last year.

Rob: Yeh, nearly half the finalists were Scottish. I think Scotland is just really good at producing music these days. There seems to be a good band that comes out of Scotland every year, or every couple of years now. Glasvegas, and before that it was The Fratellis and Travis.

Rob: Just now? Frightened Rabbit. They’re really good, quite like what Tommy does. Noone seems to have noticed that yet. He’s got away with it!

The Real Tommy Reilly?

Suite 101: He’s amazing to watch isn’t he, the way he twists and contorts himself on stage? You just have to think the man has passion!

Rob: Yeh either that or he’s uncomfortable and trying to squeeze his voice out! [laughs]

Blue Monday and Last Rolos

Suite 101: Perhaps, but I think mine is a bit kinder! Now time for a bit of an off the wall question. Alex James is running a cheese farm these days. I’d like to know if you were any kind of cheese what cheese would you be and why?

Rob: [grinning] Blue Monday. Because it’s a great song by New Order, and because Alex James has made a cheese called Blue Monday! Easy answer, it’s the most rock and roll cheese there is!

Suite 101: Well I haven’t got any Rolos, but I can offer you some lip gloss if you’d like?

Suite 101 will be better prepared next time. Orange Unsigned concluded today on Channel 4's T4, where Hip Parade came a highly respectable second to the lovable singer songwriter Tommy Reilly.