#10 Tim Wheeler, Ash

Hi Tim!
Hi, The Fly.

You recently played your last gig of the year with Ash. How was it for you?
We played the Energy Sessions sponsored by Relentless Energy Drink at the Garage, it was amazing. It was our last gig of the year and it was a real buzz. It felt like a real treat to play to people for a fiver and it was a great way to wrap up the year. We hadn’t played the Garage since ‘94 when we supported Sultans Of Ping FC so it was really sweet to get to go back there as headliners. Even though we’ve played bigger places ever since it’s nice to go back to that venue. I used to live in Highbury too so it felt like a bit of a homecoming show for me in a little way.

What’s the best thing about being an international rock star?
You get to play gigs in places you didn’t think you’d get to in your life. Seeing the world.

What’s the best freebie you’ve ever received?
The best what?

Freebie.
Movie?

Freebie.
Oh! Probably a guitar. I got a Gibson Les Paul from Gibson once, a gold-top.

I thought you were more of a Flying-V man. What’s the most immoral thing you’ve ever done?
I can’t think… (long pause)

Err, what about the least immoral thing you’ve ever done? The nicest?
Nah, I’ve got one. I think probably stealing from people’s houses when I was a kid. I remember feeling really bad about it.

This is shocking! What did you steal?
I can’t really remember, a toy or something. An Action Man or a toy gun, something like that.

What’s your most embarrassing music-related memory?
Some of the early Ash b-sides are pretty bad. Or maybe the haircut I had around the time of our second album, ‘Nu-Clear Sounds’, which made me look sort-of like a lobotomised Hitler.

I remember those pictures, I thought you looked like Shirley Manson from Garbage.
I don’t remember those ones.

What would be your death row dinner?
Comfort food, probably seeing as you’re on death row. Something like a vegetarian shepherd’s pie.

Are you a vegetarian, or would the taste of meat put you in mind of your own mortality?
I’m a pescatarian.

What kind of job would you be doing if you weren’t in a band?
I think I’d be a producer or an engineer. I’d be doing something music-related, for sure. I don’t really have any other skills.

You could work in HMV? Be a postman?
Nah, I’d definitely be in a recording studio in some way.

Good good. Can you tell me a funny rhyme with your name in it?
Tim-Wheeler-drug-dealer pops up quite often.

Is there any truth in that rhyme?
No, I’ve never dealt drugs in my life!

Have you ever been in danger of death?
Our tour bus crashed once, and I’ve also been in plane that was hit by lightning.

What?!
Yeah, we were in Oregon or something, and some shredded tyre on the road got sucked up into the engine. We were all thrown out of our bunks. I think Rick cracked two ribs and Mark had a neck injury. Rick landed right on top of Charlotte. It was all a bit much. Mark played Reading with a neck-brace on. Oh God, the tour bus caught fire too!

You should think about changing bus companies.
It was late at night and I saw all this smoke coming out the back of the bus, and the engine was on fire! It was lucky I saw it; otherwise we would literally have been, well… Ash.

Goodness me, Tim. How often do you use that joke?
I think once every four years or so.

How should the government respond to Eurozone crisis?
Oh God. I don’t know. I think opting out is not helping. I don’t think David Cameron’s right on that one. I wish I knew more, a lot of it is gobbledygook to me.

You should read The Economist when you’re sitting about on flaming tour buses.
Ha! I think there are more important things, like Christmas.

Nice. So, your Christmas album (with Emmy The Great), is it one of those depressing kitchen sink ones, or is it quite jolly?
It’s very upbeat, it’s got a fun spirit.

Good! What’s your favourite Christmas album?
The Phil Spector one and the Beach Boys one as well. I like the glam-rock ones too, but I’m a bit sick of them.

There’s a song on that Beach Boys Christmas album (‘Santa’s Beard’) where a kid pulls a fake Santa’s Beard off. It’s pretty hard-hitting, the kid has to face up to a world where Santa doesn’t exist. What’s that all about?
Yeah, they really go for it.

On that note, have a nice Christmas Tim!
And you, I hope I answered the questions right!