Here are the questions for my double page spread with Hippys on the hill:

How hard it is to make it big!

1. How long have you all been together?

2. How did you all meet?

3. What do you enjoy about performing?

4. What influences your music?

5. Who are your idols/who do you aspire to be like?

6. Do you see this as a good way of making money?

7. How hard is it to make it big?

8. Would you like to be as big as?

9. Has anything embarrassing ever happened to you on stage?

10. How hard is it get gigs?

11. How close have you got to making it big so far?

12. Is this something you want to do for a career?

Thank you for taking the time to answering my questions.

And here is my article

What have we got to lose what have we got to win” is one the Hippy’s on the hill favourite songs and seems highly appropriate for what I’m about to talk about. They are four unique, talented friends and band members who met and grew up in the small town of Wallasey, however being a mere twenty minutes from the buzzing atmosphere of Liverpool opportunities are bound to come their way.
They are just one of the many new up and coming bands. However with so much competition in the modern day music industry, we decided to ask them how hard it actually is to make it big.
I met up with the lads after their latest performance at the 02 arena were they totally rocked the crowd and took control of the stage. Their fans were obviously under their spell singing along to every word and screaming for an encore at the end. The atmosphere was immense, even the rain outside couldn’t dampen the mood. I thought it was about time to get the inside scoop from the boys for all of you who wonder how people make it to the top.
Let’s start with the basics shall we. Hippy’s on the hill have been together for three and a half years, since they were only thirteen, a tender age to be exposed to all that attention and stress. They all met in Mosslands High school apart from Mikey, the drummer who was recommended to the three lads by friends. “He fitted in straight away” Hendo laughed the rhythm guitarist “Unfortunately” Mikey said smiling, getting evils looks off the others. They are all now inseparable and wise as well because they now all are doing their a level’s at Weatherhead media arts college, knowing everyone should have a plan B
I personally have always wondered what it would be like to be standing in front a microphone with a screaming crowd below me but the closest I can get to knowing is by asking. It is clear to me the lads can’t get enough of the rush, because as soon as I asked a smirk consumed the four faces starring back at me. They say they love “Having a lively crowd bouncing around, singing along to the music we’ve written. It gives us such a rush and makes us feel alive, like nothing we’ve felt before, now we’ve experienced it once we couldn’t live without it”.
I’ve often wondered were artists find inspiration to write new material for a catchy meaningful album, The Hippy’s were bound to know. Brad, the lead singer looked and me and replied “Were influenced by our everyday life, other bands and all of our friends really”. This intrigued me, so I delved further, curious about who their idols were and who made them want to go in to their profession.
Aspiration is a huge part of the music industry; everybody has an idol and somebody to try to match up to, the lads let me in on who they aspired to be like “We have loads of idols but AC/DC and The Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s are both immense and after watching them live many times when we were younger it was clear this was our ultimate dream to aspire to be as big as them. You could say we even aspire to be like my dad, Pete who in the Band Insanity because when I was younger he was my hero, I thought he was­­­­ amazing, and still do” said Brad, the lead singer and lead guitarist.
Who doesn’t need extra cash? , I can’t think of anybody who wouldn’t say yes “We do it for cash and anything else of top of this is a bonus” answered the bass guitarist Sean the lads obviously aren’t any exception, but doing something they love and getting paid for it, cant be a bad life. I know I wouldn’t turn it down.
But money isn’t all they need, luck plays a big part in getting anywhere “Its all about luck, most success we’ve had now is down to luck and being in the right place at the right time. You can’t just wait for the record label to come to you, you’ve gotta be in it to win it”.
Luck is all well and good but a huge thing that helps them along the way is social networking sites like facebook, myspce, twitter and bebo. Everyone who is anyone has one. Advertising on there has really helped them. They can sell tickets for gigs or even advertise their new album and pick up new fans along the way, its astonishing what the Internet can achieve. But it’s not only the Hippy’s that use this way of advertisement nearly every celebrity does. People as big Lilly Allen and Robbie Williams have twitter. The lads are now playing alongside with the big boys. The good stuff is obviously great. But along with the good comes the bad, the embarrassing moments and the let downs. Brad went bright red as soon as I said “Any embarrassing moments”, “I’ve fallen off the stage , I went to jump in to the crowd and slipped , I was devastated” I tried not to laugh but I now understood the red face. Another downside is the frequency of work “It’s normally not that hard to get gigs, but sometimes we have dry patches , and man they can drag , it seems like were never going to get anywhere. You’ve just got to have faith and without doubt something good with come along”.
They may be a long way off seeing their faces on Kerrang and TMF but for their age their certainly not doing bad. All of them seem adamant that they will one day be a household name and after meeting them I don’t have any doubts either. They are four stand up guys and very bit of success they get.