When rock stars go in search of a high, they don’t usually get it from coffee.
But espresso is what will be giving indie favourites Teenage Fanclub a buzz when they begin their latest tour.
Lynchpin Norman Blake, 56, laughed: “Our days of raising hell are well behind us. I’ve been talking to Raymond (McGinley, the band’s other main writer) about buying an espresso machine for backstage. We will need a coffee before we go on. But the only thing we’ll be looking for are coffee pods.”
While they did a handful of shows last year to play songs from their latest album, Endless Arcade, Covid stopped a full tour. Until next week.
They kick off at Glasgow’s SWG3 on Wednesday for a run around the UK and Ireland and then Europe before returning home in July to headline Doune the Rabbit Hole festival in Stirlingshire.
When he gets back Norman will start looking for his own home after spending the pandemic living with his parents back in his old childhood home in Bellshill. The singer had split with his Canadian wife Krista but with their daughter Rowan in Glasgow, he returned home.
He said: “I’m still at my parents but it’s more through circumstances. Once I’m back off tour I will be looking for some new digs.
“I’m just about to go out with my daughter to look for a flat for her in Glasgow south side.”
Maybe father and daughter could flatshare?
He laughed: “I could keep a sleeping bag there. If I ever find myself still in town after a few pints and the last train has gone I’ll give her a call.”
Time has been a healer for Norman. You only need to listen to Home and The Sun Won’t Shine On Me from Endless Arcade to know how sad he was at the end of his marriage. But from next week he’ll happily bare his soul to strangers by singing those lyrics.
He said: “I wasn’t having the best time in my life when I wrote those songs but that was two-and-a-half years ago and I’m in a much better place.
“You can detach yourself from them.
“That was then and this is now and I’m happy to sing them. It’s a little snapshot where I was at that time.
“But of course feelings will change over time and situations change.”
Norman won’t dwell on the past.
He added: “When I sing the songs, I’m not going back to what I was feeling emotionally at the time.
“It just becomes a song. In some ways it was good as it helped me to get through what I was feeling. It was somewhat cathartic to be able to express that without having to go to therapy.”
The Fannies, as they are affectionately known, were formed in 1989 and became mainstays in the 90s, signed to Creation alongside Oasis and releasing a succession of top-notch albums, Bandwagonesque, Thirteen, Grand Prix and Songs from Northern Britain which reached No3 in 1997.
Liam Gallagher went as far as calling the Fannies the second best band in the world, “second only to Oasis”.
Their Byrds-like harmonies and jangly guitars were created around Norman, Raymond and Gerard Love, who all wrote and sang.
But Gerard shocked fans when he decided to quit in 2018. The band have continued and even flourished with Francis Macdonald on drums and new recruits Euros Childs on keyboards and Dave McGowan on bass.
It’s not the first time the group have lost members, including original drummer Brendan O’Hare and his replacement Paul Quinn.
Norman told how he was saddened, like so many, at the death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. The Scots group’s connection with the band goes back to Nirvana.
They’ve known Dave for a long time – from the Seattle band’s Bleach period in the late 80s to their dominance when they supported the Americans on the European leg of Nirvana’s Nevermind tour in 1992.
Since then they have stayed in touch with Dave who invited them to support the Foos when they played Old Trafford in Manchester in 2015.
Norman wondered if the Foos will be able to carry on and said of Taylor’s death: “It’s really tragic. An awful thing – firstly for his family and also as a musician you feel for his bandmates too. That’s what they do and I think it will be difficult for them to continue without him. He was such an integral part of the band.”
Like the Foos are to Dave so are Teenage Fanclub to Norman and his bandmates. The legacy of the band stretches for 33 years and what they could lose came into sharp focus in the last couple of years because of the pandemic.
While they released an album, they couldn’t do what they’ve done for over 30 years and go and play it.
“It’ what we do,” Norman pointed out.
“We played a handful of shows last year but couldn’t put on a run of dates. We are excited and really keen get going again.”
The tour opens on Wednesday at SWG3 – the first time the band has played the venue – which for a group who have played everywhere in the city is a novelty and something fresh. While Norman bumped into Gerard before Christmas and had a good old chat, the band have moved on and seem and sound invigorated with the new line-up. And more songs will be coming. The group have been writing and promise new music “very soon”.
Norman said: “We see ourselves as a contemporary band and not one that’s just playing the oldies.
“There are a lot of bands who were around when we were around, who made a couple of albums, broke up and are now back together and doing the nostalgia circuit.
“But we always like to have a new record out when we tour. Although this tour is for the last album that’s because the tour was delayed.
“We are lucky to still be doing this after all this time. And we enjoy it. The idea of sitting around resting on your laurels isn’t something we want to do”
● Teenage Fanclub play Glasgow SWG3 on Wednesday. Tickets: www.teenagefanclub.com/live
