Interviews: Dan Bibby & The Aesthetic Knobs

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Rock band, Dan Bibby & The Aesthetic Knobs from the UK. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you plan it, or did it came out just like that? 

It happened pretty organically. The guys all originally joined me to help me play an album I’d written. During the first rehearsal session, Jay, our bassist was wrestling with the amp. He couldn’t get it to work, and the knobs and dials weren’t doing anything to help. We said they were just aesthetic knobs, as in they were just for show. We all laughed and said it sounded like a band name so we went with it and it stuck.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Rock music is just the best, man. Me and Pete (drums) will often get drunk together and just blast some music. We always just turn to each other and ask why rock has fallen by the wayside so much in recent years. Why would you want to play any other genre? It’s just so loud, freeing, chaotic. I love it.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

I was already in a cover band with Pete and Hagrid, so it was easy to ask them to get involved with the project I was working on. I knew Jay through friends of friends for years, but we’d never really hung out just us. I put a post out on Facebook and said I was looking for a bass player and he replied. Pete and Hagrid had never met him before that, but now it’s like all 4 of us have never been apart. 

4. Each band member's favorite band?

I’m gonna take a huge gamble here and guess at the other guys’ answers. But I’m pretty sure I’ll be right.

Me – Green Day

Hagrid – Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls

Jay – My Chemical Romance

Pete – Taking Back Sunday

Guys, if I got any of those wrong, then I give you permission to forgive me.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs? 

I find it very easy to write whenever I’m going through a difficult period mentally. I feel like for each severe panic attack I’ve had, there’s a song that’s come out of it. I suppose that’s the silver lining of those situations. Broadly, mental health and how fast life goes by tend to be some of my favorite subjects to dwell on from a lyrical standpoint.

6. Where was your last gig? 

The Jacaranda Club in Liverpool. It’s a famous venue as the Beatles played there in their early days. It was an amazing show – the first one we’ve managed to sell out! It’s downstairs in the club’s basement, and the atmosphere was amazing. It felt like we were hidden away in our own corner of the world, just partying hard. 

7. Where would you like to perform?

We’d like to head down south and play some shows in London. It’s tricky because we only have limited contacts down there, so plans tend to fall apart pretty quickly into the process. Any London-based rock promoters reading this – hit us up!

8. Whom would you like to perform with?

To be honest, pretty much anyone who’ll have us. We’ve played with some amazing bands in the last few months, and we’re already itching to reunite with them all.

9. Whom not? 

Let’s just say there have also been some bands we’ve played with who have been a little..difficult. That’s all I say. It really helps you appreciate the good ones.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

I definitely used to get it much more than I do now. I still go through a brief patch of it before a show but it’s nowhere near as bad as it used to be. It all depends on context. For example, I knew for sure that a lot of people were coming to our last show so my nerves were jangling a little more than usual. The only bit of advice I can really give is to not surrender to it. Nerves are your brain telling you that you’re ready. If you’ve done the work and got your practice hours in then you’ll be fine. As soon as you start playing, then you’ll forget what the hell you were so worried about.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Other than the bands I mentioned earlier, we have a lot of overlap as a band in terms of taste. But we have a bunch of bands that maybe we don’t all see eye-to-eye on. Some other shared influences would probably be bands like Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, Sum 41, Alkaline Trio, etc.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for? 

To dedicate a song in our set to their dog who had just died. He asked very politely, and we are a band of dog lovers anyway, so, of course, we did it. If I remember correctly, I believe we played a cover of The Adventure by Angels & Airwaves for him.

13. What do you think of your fans? 

We have started to see new faces at shows, as well as those who are Knobs veterans. The mix in the crowd is amazing, and the support they all show us does not go unappreciated.

14. What do you think of our site? 

It’s always great to see a passionate rock music website that gives bands a platform they may not find anywhere else. I hope the site continues to thrive!

15. Something to add?

Check us out on social, and please follow us on Spotify! Our new single is out in the middle of March. It’s gonna slap.