Interview Not Now Norman

So the name “Not Now Norman” where did that come from? So Zander and I had this pet cockerel called Norman, who was obviously a bit of a stereotypical cockerel. It was my sisters job to go and feed him every morning, but because cockerels are a bit protective and territorial of their hens, he kept attacking her or anyone else. So she would go down to the garden, armoured with Wellington boots that went past her knees, a broomstick handle and a dustbin lid to fend him off and every-time we heard her shout “NOT NOW NORMAN!”. It was too good to just let pass.

Who would you say the bands biggest influences are? I think the band is pretty intergenerational in terms of influence. Old school wise Led Zeppelin, Guns N Roses, Black Sabbath and Joan Jett are ones that really stand out in our minds. That doesn’t stop us drawing influences from more modern stuff though. The Pretty Reckless, Foo Fighters and Alter Bridge. Bring these music generations together and you get Not Now Norman

How would you describe you’re live performance for anyone who has yet to see you? Sassy, fun, energetic. All in all I think the just a great experience. We all connect really well so theirs a great sense of connection from us. I think if you, as a performer, show this ‘second family’ connection then the audience will feel part of that.

You recently released your debut EP “The End Of The Day” tell us a little about that and how the response how been for it. It’s been great. We’ve had a lot of fun with it. People seem to love the different vibes you get with each track. They’re all different but connected and it shows. The bluntness and sassiness of the tracks have also been noted which is great. It’s good to hear people responding to the tracks as they were intended. 

What have been some of your favourite shows so far? We’ve enjoyed them all but off the top of our heads, the ones that stand out the most are when we played at Trillians (Newcastle) with Ashes of Iron and when we played at Bannermans (Edinburgh) with Follow Deep. The energy we got from those gigs was immense. We also had a live-streamed gig after lockdown at The Globe (Newcastle). It felt great to be back together on the stage again. Even though it was only available online, we still enjoyed every second of it.

2020 has been a hard year for bands and the music scene. How have you found it and how have you kept busy creatively? Really, lockdown hasn’t stopped us from recording and writing new songs. It’s been tough but we’ve been pulling though. Myself and Zander co-isolate because he’s my Dad so we’ve live-streamed on our Facebook every night since the first day of lockdown, so we’ve got to connect with our fans. We’re lucky in a sense because before lockdown we recorded everything at home, the only exception was my vocals were recorded at our local theatre which has a disused radio studio. Now they’re taken in the airing cupboard at home. 

If you could recommend five other local act who would it be? There are loads of local acts we would recommend, but if we’re narrowing it down to 5 I would start with our good friends Patersun, a melodic rock band from the Borders. Scarred by Truths, a heavy metal band of the north east that has been supportive of us from the start. Fires of Freya, Cheryl’s voice just mesmerises me every time I hear them. Sapien Trace, their electronic rock style I find fun to listen to. Then there is The Last of the Fallen Angels for moments where you just want something atmospheric and relaxing but still moving.

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📷Paul Murray

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