Next in our series of interviews with bands who played at HRH Prog XV. Candacraig join me to answer the questions nobody usually asks…
DB: Please introduce your band and band members (as performed at HRH PROG 15)
Sharon Cannings (vocals and keys). Martin Nicholls (guitars) *not the same Martin Nicholls that plays guitar for Mother Black Cap- just a bizarre proggy co-incidence!
DB: Did you enjoy the festival? Any highlights/ mishaps/ disasters?
Martin: Loved the festival, really pleased with our performance, crew were fantastic, also loved the jam at the end of Friday. The prog crowd are so friendly and generous. Only low point was leaving my phone on top of a bass bin at the end of the jam. Sharon had to come back from Lincolnshire to pick it up (I was gigging with the bill paying band) Very grateful to Malcolm Galloway from HOGIA for looking after it for me. Sadly we got a flat tyre on our drive back at 4am, didn’t get in til 5am.
Sharon: We felt very loved, both onstage and also once we finished and were enjoying the rest of the evening, so many people took the time to chat to us and tell us how much they enjoyed the show. I’m also the tech person in the band so I have the added stress of making sure our timed videos are behaving themselves and mostly they did, apart from right at the end, so it was only a small mishap. I also got to enjoy a lot of the Saturday too, after having to drive back to collect Martin’s phone, so although it was knackering having to drive all the way back again, it wasn’t all bad!
DB: If you had to change your band name what would it be?
Martin: Pig Rectum
Sharon: (rolls eyes at Martin) Something less folky. Extreme AirFryer Death.
DB: What is your favourite item of clothing? (Doesn’t have to be a stage outfit)
Martin: My ghillie shirt, purely because it’s the last thing that my precious mum bought for me before she passed.
Sharon: My Joe Browns blue coat. I can never go more than five feet without someone complimenting me on it! Martin bought it for me. He has excellent taste.
DB: What is your favourite trash TV programme? (Can be Netflix etc)
Martin: Strictly. Sharon: Traitors.
DB: Books or computer games? And which ones?
Martin: Tragically I now have to wear glasses to read but I can’t wear glasses for long without getting a headache so I don’t read much now. Previously I loved historical novels, particularly the C S Sansom series of Matthew Shardlake books.
Sharon: I’ve never read a great deal, but loved the Phillip Pullman His Dark Materials series. I’m looking forward to starting the last one soon.
DB: If you had to be an animal which one would you be and why?
Martin: A pampered puss whose human lets him eat from his plate
Sharon: A crow. They can fly and are both extremely cool and comical.
DB: Pick one superpower
Martin: Invisibility….I’d rob a bank
Sharon: Super strength so I could fight crime and beat up the bank robbers.
DB: Describe your music to an alien who has just landed on Earth
Martin: Slabby table shlackin tackily waglithin, bactula berava tandiculanitar
Sharon: We’re not folk!
DB: What is the most annoying thing in life?
Martin: Bigots
Sharon: The tiny bit of a chocolate wrapper that tears off when you open it and sticks to your thumb when trying to put it in the bin
DB: What’s on the cards for the band over the next year?
Martin: We’re going to make an EP with one or two original songs which weren’t finished in time for the last album and don’t work for the next, it will be accompanied by a few choice covers. We have also started writing our next album, a concept album with the working title “Jack Frost’s Wedding Day”.
Sharon: Probably the EP will be available sometime next year, and we might do something very unexpected with the concept album. We have a few live dates already in the calendar and there will be quite a few more to announce too.
DB: Anything else you want to share or plug with the HRH readers
Martin: My dog’s got no nose.
Sharon: On a more useful note, our forthcoming vinyl release of remixed and remastered songs “Whisper to the Lightning” is officially out on Feb 6th but those that have preordered will get it very soon. And thanks for listening!
LINKS: https://candacraig.net/https://candacraig.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candacraigband
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/candacraigband/
Author: Doris Brendel