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but it is mainly older people that buy the CDs and the LPs and they come to the gigs, you know
    what I mean?

    BiTS:  Any idea how many albums you've made in total?

    JO:  Two studio albums, three live albums and one EP with the James Oliver band.


    BiTS:  Okay. And that's the name of the band that you're going with now, is it, you’ve got your
    self-named band?
                                                                            JO:  Yes, JOB, James Oliver Band —

                                                                            J-O-B, I refer to it as JOB.

                                                                            BiTS:  Right. Are you still working
                                                                            or are you a professional now?

                                                                            JO:    I've  been  professional  since
                                                                            2012. I've always just played.

                                                                            BiTS:    And  has  that  proved
                                                                            worthwhile?  Has  it  been  difficult
                                                                            for you? You must have been hit
                                                                            badly by COVID.

    JO:  Well, luckily, because we're self-employed and we've always, you know, been above board
    and paid the tax and all that, we had plenty of grants and plenty of help, so it was okay, you know.

    BiTS:  Where's the next gig coming up from? Where are you going to next?

    JO:  I'm playing in Pontypridd tonight. Tenby tomorrow, Bristol Saturday. Neath on Sunday, I
    was in Gloucester last night. I was in Cardiff on Monday night.

    BiTS:  Okay, you seem to be keeping pretty busy, James.

    JO:  Extremely busy, yes.

    BiTS:  Do you get tired?

    JO:  Oh, you know we get a bit tired, but you know, who doesn't?

    BiTS:  And tell me, have you got a family. Are you married with kids or what?


    JO:  No, I'm not married. No God, no I’m only 30. I'm not getting married, Jesus Christ. [Chuckles]
    That's the last thing I want.

    BiTS:  So you don't have any kind of restraints on what you do, you can go wherever you want
    to whenever you want to.

    JO:  Exactly. Correct.

    BiTS:   Tell me something about the band that you play with. Are they all regular musicians?

    JO:  Well, there's five drummers and five bass players. Mark Kemlo is the regular drummer.
    Patrick Farrell is the bass player, and then there's others. Tony Biggs double bass player, Chris
    Bywater bass player, Mike Hoddinott, drummer Sean McNicholas, drummer.

    BiTS:  Do you have rehearsals, or do you just play live?

    JO:  We just do it live. I just tell them, you know, we're going to play a song and then we learn it.
    We just do it live then.
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