What were your food influences when you were growing up and what kind of food did you eat at home or with your family?
[Aled Phillips from Kids In Glass Houses] I was pretty closed off to the idea of food when I was young. I’d sniff everything before daring to eat it. That limited me to childish food like pizza, chicken, burgers, fish fingers and all that oven food. Then one day, my parents took me to this incredible tapas restaurant in Northern Spain – expecting me not to try any of it – and I went gung-ho. Octopus, squid, the works. I became a lot more adventurous after that and tried everything. I am quite passionate about food nowadays. I’m constantly watching cooking shows.
What dish or cuisine do you most like to eat on tour and why?
Sushi, if we can get it. Over the last few years we’ve built up a nice little list of places we like to go when we’re on the road. Sushi is at least a bit more healthy than pizza or anything too stodgy. When we first started touring, the easiest thing in the world was to just grab a pizza from some hell-hole kebab shop at 1am. We at least try to eat healthily on tour. We drink quite a lot, so it makes us feel like we’re at least attempting to maintain some kind of balance. Touring Japan is always incredible for the food.
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 don’t really enjoy going for curries, but everyone else in the band loves it. I always feel bloated and horrible after eating it. I’ve never eaten anything too shitty. I guess I’m not into pate. I was feeling flush one day and opted for some foie gras. It is not for me. I also, foolishly, ordered shrimp in Hooters, Cardiff once. Don’t let boobs cook your seafood.
What type of food do you make sure to avoid before a gig or going on stage?
I generally avoid any dairy foods or salty foods. They generate a lot of mucus and are generally not recommended for vocalists. I don’t really like eating before I play, so on tour I generally don’t eat that much. There’s nothing worse than eating too near stage time and spending the entire show fighting the vomit. I drink a lot of water and lemon, ginger and honey tea.
Imagine for a second you can request anything on your rider at a gig. What food do you put on it?
Endless Spider Maki Rolls. Softshell crab is towards the pricier end of the sushi spectrum, so getting a load every day for free would be grand.
What has been your biggest cooking disaster to date?
It wasn’t really a recipe, more of a collection of ingredients I have liked in other things during my life. My parents were on holiday so I got a little creative in the kitchen trying to make some thai inspired squid, lemon grassy, kinda thing. It was totally inedible and pretty disgusting. I don’t think it even counted for food. I just threw everything in a pan and expected it to be amazing. It was not.
When you tour overseas, what food from home do you miss the most?
If it’s anything, it’s probably my mother’s roast dinner or shepherd’s pie. You don’t get much of that anywhere else in the world. But, to be honest, one of the things I enjoy most about visiting other countries and places, is trying the food. I loved Lord of the Fries in Melbourne. I wanted to try Oysters in Sydney harbour but I’m cursed with a band full of tight fisted vegetarians.
This is your last day on earth, what is your final meal?
A pepperoni pizza from Lombardi’s in New York with a vanilla milkshake. It is ridiculously good.
Kids In Glass Houses are in the country for the national Soundwave Festival 2012, as well as Sidewaves with Lostprohets in Sydney and Melbourne. Their third album ‘In Gold Blood’ is out now through Roadrunner Records.
