What were your food influences when you were growing up and what kind of food did you eat at home or with your family?
My Mum and Dad are Scottish so there was a lot of pies, baked stuff, mashed potato or potato heavy cuisine haha.. it was delicious, but yeah, nothing extravagant.
What dish or cuisine do you most like to eat on tour and why?
Whatever reasonably healthy stuff I can get my hands on. Post show, usually just settle for a large McChicken Meal and the accompanying self-loathing.
What type of food do you hate, and what is the most disgusting thing you’ve ever eaten?
I don’t really hate any kind of food, I reckon anything can be cooked well and taste great. I’m just taking the easy option cause I’m sure theres a million things that taste like shit however you prepare them, but I cant be fucked sititng here for ages trying to work it out. The most disgusting thing I’ve ever eaten? I have eaten fried bugs, spiders etc. in South East Asia, but the most disgusting thing I’ve consumed was probably peruvian tapwater in Lima. I was the most sick I have ever been. Lying on the floor in a steaming hot shower for 2 days straight. The worst thing was I had to fly, and the fact I didnt vomit or shit myself was an act of god… there is no other way to describe it.
What type of food do you make sure to avoid before a gig or going on stage?
I dont really eat with 4 hours of showtime. Try not to anyway, before that though, I’ll eat whatever, just not like to the point I cant move.
Imagine for a second you can request anything on your rider at a gig. What food do you put on it?
Steak.
What has been your biggest cooking disaster to date?
I had something cooking in the oven at my parent’s house, but turned the grill knob not the oven knob. I went back 20 minutes later and the food and oven was cold, and couldn’t figure it out. Then opened the grill which is meant to be open when you turn it on, and go blasted by flames, that rose up basically to the roof. The paint above the oven is still slgihtly charred, the microwave above the over is definitely still charred, and my parents still think I’m a fuckwit.
When you tour overseas, what food from home do you miss the most?
I don’t tour overseas for shows unfortunately, but when I travel, I actually do miss vegemite after maybe 2 weeks. I don’t even eat it here much, but just knowing if i want it I can go to pretty much any kitchen anywehre in this country and borrow some if I’m out. Also miss the fruit and veg, we have it SO good with fruit and veg compared to most of the rest of the world. You dont even realise til you go shopping overseas and see their fruit and veg section and instantly feel homesick.
This is your last day on earth, what is your final meal?
Probably a steak, but who knows. Maybe some ridiculously obscure thing. I dunno… something messy so people have to deal with it once I’m gone.
Catch Illy at Sprung Festival in November – sprunghiphop.com.au
