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Ben Flanagan (The Trophy Fire, vocals/guitar/keys)

SPB: What is your favorite Simpsons episode (the name is a reference, right?)?

Flanagan: My favorite Simpsons episode is "Trilogy of Error" season 18, episode 12. Not only does the episode satirize Run Lola Run but has maybe my favorite Simpsons line of all time:

Lisa, to her new crush at school named Thelonious: "Your name is Thelonious? As in Monk"

Thelonious: "Yes, the esoteric appeal is well worth the beatings!"

Roo Pescod (Bangers, solo)

SPB: What is the secret to a successful tour?

Pescod: If there is one golden secret to a successful tour I don't know what it is. However I have been on some excellent ones, and I'll tell you about something which has saved my sanity through some seriously bad times. My “realm” started out as a joke about the backseat in the van which I always sat in. It was great for me because I can't navigate and everyone squirms when I drive. So I had various little spaces around it which I would fill with useful things for the journey. I had a few books tucked into the seats, a spare pair of shoes underneath, coins from different currencies, water bottles, and my Gameboy Advance. It meant that I never had to ask anyone to pass me my bag (which annoys EVERYBODY) and I could basically zone out and amuse myself for those long journeys. I generally play Pokemon on tour because it's fairly mindless and repetitive and soaks up time like you wouldn't believe. It's also something you can focus on when you have a raging hangover, and you don't get much worse at it when you're drunk. The point of all of this is that when I get into a van for another 6-hour spine-crushing drive, more than anything I want something to take my mind off it. My realm has evolved now to be a little bag which I keep tucked under the seat. Now when I sit elsewhere I take it with me and I know I'll have little things like headphones, mints, and various kinds of entertainment on hand without disturbing anybody else.

The rest of my band thinks it's stupid that I have a van bag, but I never lose anything and I never have to ask anyone to sift through my dirty pants to grab my iPhone charger. I think it's beneficial to everyone and I would heartily recommend it.

Steve Brodsky (Cave In)

SPB: Can you like a musician whose politics you disagree with?

Brodsky: Well, ZZ Top did play at George W. Bush's inaugural ceremony and it hasn't stopped me from listening to "Tejas" at least once a month.

Rob Huddleston (Ann Beretta, solo, Foundation)

SPB: Do you still get nervous before you play a show?

Huddleston: I do, depending on the show. I think I've surprised people in the past with this answer but when it comes to playing in front of large audiences I don't get nervous at all but, when it’s a small crowd, I absolutely do. It's a bit backwards I guess, but in front of larger audiences it all just becomes a blur past the first 10 feet or so. You have to work harder to make a connection to a larger room full of people or a festival crowd which for me makes the show more fun. Or a small room that's packed to the gills and sweaty and the energy level is high—for me that's the best kind of show—the best of both worlds. For me it's more intimidating when the crowd is small and there's more of an intimate and face to face connection being made. It's rewarding, don't get me wrong, when as a performer you can make a personal connection with someone in the audience but when you can look in the face of everyone in the room and make that connection it's a scary thing. I mean, the last thing you want to do is to look into the eyes of someone who's not enjoying what you’re doing or to read the lips of someone who I would swear is telling their friend that they think you suck or they hate this song or whatever. I think for me that's the part that makes me nervous: the doubt that maybe it’s just not good enough. At the same time that fear is what, in those instances, makes you want to do the best that you can and to make sure that doesn't happen.