Remember the days of the old schoolyard? Remember when Myspace was a thing? Remember those time-wasting, laborious quizzes that everyone used to love so much? Birthday Cake For Breakfast is bringing them back!
Every couple of weeks, an unsuspecting band will be subject to the same old questions about dead bodies, Hitler, crying and crushes.
This week: Greg Counsell of The Maple State!
a/s/l?
31/M/Chester.
Have you ever seen a dead body?
No, but I spent some time hanging out in the amazon rain forest and there was a girl with us who got sick – we had to keep her hydrated and sheltered until we could get her to a hospital, but one day I noticed a vulture sat in a tree right above her bed and over the next few days more and more vultures kept showing up and just waiting… I guess they can sense death or something? But then we got the girl to hospital and she’s fine and happy and healthy now… but that was pretty weird.
Who is your favourite Simpsons character?
Chief Wiggum!
“See ya in court, Simpson. Oh, and bring that evidence with you. Otherwise, I got no case and you go scot-free”
What T-Shirt are you wearing?
Athletic grey American Apparel Large T-shirt. This baby has seen some action.
What did your last text message say?
“Make sure you bring lots of warm stuff too though, as we will be outside all day so don’t want you getting cold and miserable”
(we’re shooting a music video on Sunday, so I was telling my friend Kerri what to wear).
What’s the last song you listened to?
Cast – ‘Fine Time‘
How did you meet the people in your band?
My brother and I met a few hours after I was born; my grandma was looking after him at home while I was getting squeezed out. My mum brought me home from hospital and my brother said, “he’s great, but you can take him back now”. No such luck brother. I met Richard at college in 2002. We bonded over a shared love of the band Hey, Mercedes.
What’s the first record you bought?
It was either Nirvana – ‘Nevermind’, or No Doubt – ‘Tragic Kingdom’. I was a pretty cool kid.
What was your favourite VHS growing up?
I had a tape with the second half of The Terminator and Total Recall on it, recorded from TV. I must’ve watched the second half of The Terminator more than any other film, I actually only saw the beginning of that film for the first time last Christmas! Oh, and Starship Troopers, I had a lot of time for Denise Richards.
When was the last time you cried?
I cry all the time, songs, films, tv, empty wine/beer bottles, they all set me off. Dunkirk made me cry in the cinema. The other day I walked in on my friends watching that film, it was the ending when the old fella passes the boys beer through the train window. I walked in at that exact point feeling great…. immediately started welling up. I’m a wreck
Have you ever kissed someone & regretted it?
I’m sure I have, but I can’t think of one particular instance right now, so I guess, no!
Best Physical Feature?
Calves. I don’t have a car, so these bad boys power me everywhere
Worst physical feature?
General doughy post-Christmas, spare-tyre, muffin-top, love-handle etc. You get the point
Reasonably ok/not bad feature that you’re not fussed about?
What a weird question…hands I guess… they’re all right… they spend a lot of time in my line of sight and I rarely think about them, so yeah, not fussed about my hands.
Do you have any pets?
No, but I work at a zoo… so technically I guess I could say I have… nah, I can’t say that. I have no pets. Lots of plants though, I’m a plants man.
Ever picked up any injuries on tour?
Sliced my finger open on a bottle of Modelo. Gave my liver and kidneys and mind a hammering too. Christian would be a better answer for this; he fell through a hole in the stage (MID-SET!!) at the Barfly in Birmingham and broke his foot, being a punk though he just styled it out and carried on playing.
What did you do for your last birthday?
I spent it with my ex-girlfriend, jeez… thanks for bringing that up again, guys.
Name something you CANNOT wait for?
I have tickets to see ELO in September (I think?) and that will be the best thing. Since Tom Petty died I’ve felt like a little patch of light has gone from the universe. Jeff Lynne is the only person qualified to switch that light back on.
Do you have a crush on someone?
How long you got? I have many crushes on many people, but one in particular…I can’t say that I do. Actually, yeah I do haha, but she just got married, should I tell her anyway?!
What’s the shittest experience you’ve had as a musician?
Being let down by people you thought were on your side. That’s never a nice feeling. Also, having a camera stolen from our van in Southend-on-Sea in 2006, it had a whole tour’s worth of photos on it, I would like to see those pictures now.
If you could go back in time, how far would you go?
I would like to go back to the 70’s, I’d like to party with Warren Zevon and get high and jam with Tom Petty
How do you want to die?
Peacefully, no fuss, just switching off the big light.
What’s your favourite thing about pizza?
Getting proper thin Italian pizza and folding a slice lengthways so all the topping gets squished into the middle like a sandwich then just going to town on that thing.
What are you craving right now?
Wine, I just finished my wine and now I want more wine, but I have no more wine, not in the house anyway, I could go get some wine?
Have you ever been on a horse?
Define on?
What did you dream about last night?
I don’t remember. I only remember my dreams for a few minutes in the morning. A girl at work dreamt that I slept with her mum and then she was real world angry at me about it for a week.
If you could go back in time and kill the baby Hitler, would you?
Kill a baby? Nah mate. I think I’d watch over him throughout his life and try to steer him on to a path of peace and love and teach him respect for all people. Maybe I’d teach him to play the guitar, get him listening to Debussy or playing football, but if he still grew up to be a genocidal wanker I’d knock him on the head before it got really out of hand.
Do you like Chinese food?
Yes. Yes I do.
Have you ever been on TV?
Yes, back in 2008 when my band was “the next big thing” we were on TV a few times
Ever meet someone famous?
I have met so many famous people in bizarre circumstances, but the best one? I watched Aeon Flux at a cinema in Minneapolis on a Tuesday night in December 2005… with Steven Tyler. Yes, actually THAT Steven Tyler.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Happy in my life choices and surrounded by buzzin’ human beings.
The Maple State have a new record out on March 23rd! ‘The Things I Heard At The Party’, out on Far Out Records, can be pre-ordered here!
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