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BiTS: I’ve asked this of guitar players before and I’ve never really had a satisfactory answer. You
play standing up, but do you practice standing up?
RK: I’ve just put the guitar down, five minutes ago. I was practising standing up, but not always.
When I play duo gigs with Zoe, of course I do sit down generally. So I’m happy either way, but
obviously, with a band, you get more flow, I think, standing up.
BiTS: I just wonder whether it makes any difference playing-wise, whether you have more
control over the guitar and that sort of thing?
RK: It feels right to stand up and play
when you play louder and you’re
playing with a band. It feels right, and
in some sort of strange way, I think you
do have more control over what you’re
doing. You’re sort of more able to flow
with the music and lean into the drum
kit and all these weird sort of semi-
superstitious traits that we have. Not
superstitious, but habits that we have
that make us feel comfortable.
BiTS: Yes, I know exactly what you
mean. When I was preparing for this
interview, actually intending to speak
to Zoe, I saw that there was a gig that was done, I think during lockdown, or maybe I’m wrong
about that, but where the intention was to sing for an enormous length of time, 21 hours or
something or other. Did that happen?
RK: Yes, not during lockdown. What it was, it was a charity event and the object was for Zoe to
sing non-stop for 12 hours. Give a one 12-hour set performance. I mean, how crazy is that? We
did it. We did that about two or three times for a charity. So my contribution was seven hours in
one stretch.
BiTS: Gosh!
RK: [Chuckling] Playing guitar.
BiTS: That sounds like a Guinness Book of Records thing.
RK: Yes, well Zoe did 12 hours in one go. I mean, can you imagine that? Yes, it must be, surely. I
didn’t think about that. I missed a trick.
BiTS: Your fingers must have been sore by the end of it, surely?
RK: Probably tired hands. I don’t get sore fingers, but yes, I know what you mean. I know what
you mean. Yes, my brain was fried, that’s for sure. I remember at one point having to accompany
a trumpet player and a saxophone player during that stretch and they played chorus after chorus
at high tempo, and I’ve never forgotten that, and I said, help, guys. It’s only me here.
BiTS: Sounds like a form of torture.
RK: It was an endurance test for sure [laughs].
BiTS: Tell me what your plans are for the future. Have you got any plans to go into the studio
and do a new album?