PINS are a gang, a tight knit unit forged by days, weeks and months on the road.
Recording their second album 'Wild Nights' out by the Joshua Tree in the Californian desert, the Manchester group have taken their music across the globe.
Encountering all manner of wonderfully bizarre circumstances along the way, PINS are ideal candidates for Good Trip, Bad Trip.
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Best Trip…
Our last tour to the USA was special, it was in June, just as we had released our record 'Wild Nights', we had a month-long party to celebrate. There was a nice symmetry to the trip, we started and finished it with a show in New York but what happened between the two shows I will never forget! Motels, bondage clubs, hot springs, jacuzzis and more Fireball than I want to remember.
Worst Trip…
We toured with Drenge which was so much fun, but we had a little bit too much fun in Gateshead which lead to some very low points the next day on the way to Glasgow, I'll keep it anonymous BUT… there was a lot of vomiting, in plastic cups whilst the van was in motion, in a farmers field and at Hadrian's Wall – sorry, not sorry.
My favourite foreign venue…
Mississippi Studios in Portland is cool, its a good space to play, has a nice bar, trashy food and a big smoking area.
We are surprisingly popular in…
Gothenburg! We played in Sweden for the first time this Summer, it's a beautiful place, we played at 1am in this tiny bar and it was rammed, so many beautiful sweaty people!
Best or worst exotic foodstuff…
Our friends took us for a late post-show meal at Veselka in New York, delicious Ukrainian food. Its hard to be vegetarian on the road, sometimes our meals are biscuits and carrot sticks in the van.
The most interesting individual I've met on the road…
Dave Catching! We met him when we went out to Joshua Tree to record at Rancho De La Luna then we hung out with him again in Bratislava when both of our bands played a festival there, so I think it still counts as 'on the road' Yeah, he is one of the most interesting people I have ever met, full of wisdom and incredible stories.
Worst on-tour injury, accident or infection…
Anna broke her leg real bad last December and had to miss all of our shows for the first few months of the year. As for actually on tour, we've been lucky!
My essential travel item…
Toothbrush, knickers, sunglasses.
My essential travel tip…
Take pictures, you'll want to look at them when you are older.
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Catch PINS at the following shows:
September
17 Cambridge The Portland Arms
18 Manchester Deaf Institute
19 Edinburgh Sneaky Petes
22 Birmingham Hare & Hounds
23 London Oslo
Photo Credit: Shannon Kurlander
