This lot invited us back stage at their recent Brixton Academy show to regale us with details of their less than refined pre-gig regime. Bass player Patrick talks us through the finer points of getting ‘in the zone’.

How do you prepare for a gig? 

Hamish stretches by touching his head with his knees. Sometimes I try and touch my toes. Craig has a few bongs. He carries it in a hubcap but wants a drum skin like Willie Nelson. Ryan has ‘settlers’ - that’s about six beers.

What about mental preparation? 

Sometimes we're asleep until two minutes before we go on stage because of jet lag. Craig is never out of stage persona. He's always trying to be the centre of attention. He does that jumping from the kick drum routine in hotel foyers from the desk, and on airplanes from the seats.

Does Craig pull faces offstage too? 

No, just when he’s singing. I never see him because I'm looking at my hand trying to get my fingers to work.

Who throws up the most?

Hamish and Ryan never do. I throw up because I’m drunk. Craig throws up because he’s nervous.

Any on stage disasters that you can tell us about?

Obviously, Hamish's drums get smashed up all the time. He had a really expensive Brady snare drum made from a solid piece of West Australian timber. It snapped in half and they're sending him another one for free because they're meant to last forever.

Does the backstage area get more luxurious as venues get bigger?

They all look like classrooms with couches in them. American dressing rooms are generally full of stupid graffiti that American bands write - pictures of dicks that say “this band can suck it”. English bands are more refined - enough not to think it’s funny to graffiti everywhere.

Does Craig still hate touring?

He said that once, but what he meant was that it was a priority to record. If you want to get played on radio you need to write a record that sounds good. Being on the road is fun but you're always drinking and waking up with a hangover. You do something that lasts in a studio. lan McCulloch once said the best thing about being in a band is recording.

Do you get plagued by groupies? 

We're getting to the point now where we aren't, because in small venues people can just slip into the dressing room. I never really minded. If someone's quite young - too young to be preyed upon - they’re more interesting than older people who are still chasing bands.

The Music told us you hung out with porn stars on tour in America.

How long ago was this? Porn stars? That's not true. I love The Music.

What's on your rider?

Socks. We did this tour in America and it was really cold and no one took their clothes off - Ryan has very smelly feet. Plus bananas, grapes and chips - which I never eat because they get in your teeth and ruin the taste of beer. Craig eats garbage - he'll have a KFC then a McDonalds later because he doesn't want to eat the same fast food twice in one day. Grapefruit and vodka are always the first to go.