After landing a record contract in 2005, the lead singer the tender age of 16, One Night Only stormed into the indie charts, with their debut album ‘Started a Fire’ which managed to secure the number 1 spot for 5 weeks. The 5 piece indie rock band reign from Helmsley in North Yorkshire, and following a few member changes over the years, the line-up is now comprised of charismatic front man George Craig, brother James Craig the second drummer the band has acquired and former member of indie band Joe Lean and The Jing Jang Jong, Mark Hayton, the energetic and down to earth not to mention mouth wateringly gorgeous guitarist, Dan Parkin the very calm and cool bassist, and Jack Sails the introvert keyboard player.
Arriving at the Cockpit in Leeds, an intimate live music venue situated under a railway bridge, the underground urban laidback vibe of the club is apparent. Going to the interview 2 hours before the doors even opened for ticket holders; there was already a vast array of young 14 year old girls with back-combed hair all excitable with the prospect of seeing the band.
It is clear to see on first meetings with the band, they are a good looking bunch of guys and all about having fun, even during sound-check they were constantly joking around with each other and speaking into the microphones with accents aplenty. Aged between 20 and 22, it’s good to notice that even in the mist of their hectic schedules they are still very much about having fun and it’s refreshing to see they haven’t let the fame go to their head just yet.
Speaking with them I wasn’t disappointed, they were all so down to earth and accommodating. Deciding to opt out of the interview were George due to being struck down with tonsillitis and Sam due to his ‘argumentative’ ex girlfriend being on the other end of the phone, we all know how difficult some girls can be. Sitting down and chatting with Dan, Mark and James, I felt comfortable throughout the interview, and periodically actually forgot that it was being recorded as the atmosphere and chatter was very informal, friendly and fun. It was easy to forget that these guys are in fact members of a very successful band, but that was in essence the real beauty of them and their work ethic. They didn’t let their tiredness or illnesses affect their attitudes and haven’t thus far allowed the fame to lift their feet off the ground.
Nattering with them about their current tour, new album and how their lives have changed, it was clear that despite the few negatives and numerous knock backs that come with fame and the music industry, they still relish the opportunity they have been given to make music. Despite the utter madness that surrounds them on a daily basis, their ability to remain best friends, just as they were when they started the band back in 2003, is commendable. It is however easy to see how they have managed to remain this way, keeping their feet on the ground and taking the music industry with a pinch of salt have kept them as fun loving young guys you would expect to bump into any given night at Asylum. Periodically throughout the interview I almost forgot that it was a recorded interview and just drifted into my normal pattern of chat that I have with friends. The fun aspect came through particularly when discussing what they themselves get up to when feeling a little mischievous on tour. They even quoted an unlikely Snoop Dogg as someone they would love to collaborate with in the future, so watch this space, can you see it now?….’One Night Only featuring Snoop Dogg(izzle)’ and If I had to guess what the song would be titled I would say ‘bait’ as this seems like a popular activity with the boys whilst on tour. It involves winding one of the other band members up about something that aggravates them, such as Jack’s argumentative ex girlfriend for example, and continuing to wind them up until they are reeled in by the ‘bait’ and get annoyed. All in good fun, of course. The band were very secretive about which single they are due to release early next year but we were told it would either be ‘forget my name’ or ‘chemistry’ both of which were played at their gig.
The Helmsley boys shared their stage with two other indie warm up bands, ‘Drive like I do’, who had a tattooed front man teamed with beautiful lyrics and unique melodies, are definitely a band to watch out for in the future and ‘The Cheek’, a band too much reminiscent of blur both lyrically and melodically, rather than something new and unique. One Night Only entered the stage to an electronic version of their first single ‘you and me’ with a huge flood of screaming girls which went almost ultrasonic high pitch when captivating front man George Craig took his shirt off part way through the gig. However this was short lived as the sound took a drastic turn for the worst which meant that the band had to leave stage for 20 minutes whilst the problem was solved. The impatient young ladies of the crowd were chanting for ‘George’ to come onto the stage. They played as well as they could with the sound system and their illnesses against them, and thanked the crowd for their immense enthusiasm. Playing popular songs ‘It’s alright’ and ‘It’s about time’ from their debut album ‘Started a Fire’ and songs from their new self titled album, the crowd were singing along word for word and it was clear that although a very undersized venue, it was filled with the most devoted of their fans.
With their young fans firmly behind them, they say their second album was intended to be ‘full of great songs’. Their charismatic and energetic on stage antics, down to earth and lovable personalities, and pop inspired indie-rock hit records, clearly illustrate that this band were never meant to be on our stereos and stages for just one night only.
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