Touts

Name?
Matthew Crossan

Where are you from?
I’m from Derry in Ireland the same as the rest of the band.

What do you do?
I play guitar and I sing in a band called TOUTS.

Describe your style in three words?
Not too bad.

If you could make a record with anyone from history?
Probably The Dubliners because it would be lethal craic and it would last for a good while.

What’s the best gig/show you’ve ever been to and why?
Probably I would say maybe U2; I'm not really a massive fan of them, I used to really not like them, but last summer we had a gig in Dublin and then the next day we were lying about not feeling the best for obvious reasons and U2 was playing Croke Park that night. We were skint, and it looked like we were going to have to get the bus back home to Derry, but instead, I asked on Twitter if anyone wanted to give us a few tickets in exchange for a few guestlist passes into some of our bigger shows. Sure enough, someone on Twitter sorted us out, we went to to the concert and just the atmosphere of a sold-out Croke Park gig alone was mental but then just the songs and even the walk on / walk off songs were perfect that night. It's just because it wasn't planned I think that's why I'd say it's one of the best gigs I've ever been to. It's more the circumstances of it that you couldn't get if you planned it.

Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
Probably Castlefield bowl along with Blossoms in Manchester, partly because of the sheer scale of the venue and crowd that was there and partly because we f*cking love Manchester, however, Joiners in Southampton is a close second because of the really sound staff. Good people!

What British music icons inspire your sound today?
The Clash, The Buzzcocks, The Rolling Stones, The Specials, Madness, The Jam and a few others but we'd be here for literally days.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
There's a lot of people I could say but thinking about it now I'd say David Bowie just to see how his head worked and I can imagine he would give good advice.

Which sub-cultures have had an enduring effect on you?
I would definitely say that subcultures in the '50s, '60s and '70s like Teddy boy and mod etc. have had a lasting impact on me just because of the care they took in their appearance which I think is very important. I'd also take a lot from skins, casuals and punks - all very interesting movements and mindsets in some cases.

If you could share the bill with any band in history?
Probably The Clash just because of f*cking mental the gig would be.

What music did you listen to growing up?
I listened to a lot of the stones and a lot of Simon and Garfunkel growing up. I've very vivid memories of driving to the seaside with those artists playing in the car.

Touts are a three-piece hailing from Derry in Ireland drawing on the influence of mod revival and punk greats. The band are due to release their second EP 'Lit' on 10th November, heralded by its politically charged lead single 'Bomb Scare'.