Errors are coming to the end of their UK and Ireland tour this week with a show tonight in Dublin and tomorrow in Belfast. Their new album was released on March 1 to universal acclaim. Steev Livingstone spoke with us recently ahead of the Dublin show and new European tour dates in April and May.
European tour dates are listed below. Any additional gigs will be added as and when they are confirmed.
Interview with Steev Livingston of Errors
Dear Scotland: Where are you now and what did you do last night?
Steev Livingstone, Errors: It’s 2 o’clock in the morning and I’m sitting in my living room eating a curry and watching news 24. Last night we had a practice in our studio in Bridgeton.
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DS: Paul McCartney said he got into music to avoid a job – and get lots of girls. What made you get into music?
Steev Livingstone, Errors: Probably going to see local bands play in local church and scout halls around where I grew up and thinking they were really cool because they used to smash up their guitars. There was a particular band around in 1996/1997 (I was about 12 or 13) called “Idium” whose singer once did a gig bare-chested with “Kill Your Parents” written on his chest. When my dad picked me up after that gig I told him about this and he said: “Yeah thats right, Kill your parents who probably paid for all your instruments and who pick you up after gigs”. The illusion was slightly shattered at that point.
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Errors – Pump
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezq1iN-w9Tw
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DS: What is your favourite song of yours to play right now?
Steev Livingstone, Errors: I’d say ‘Beards’ from our new album is my favourite. I get to play the bass guitar in it which means a break from twiddling knobs. It has been sounding really good in our recent practices. Particularly the end section which features the closest Errors have ever come to a guitar solo.
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DS: You’ve got a show in Dublin coming up and a few other European shows in the pipeline. Are there other places you’d like to visit?
Steev Livingstone, Errors: I think we’d all really like to go to Japan. This may become a reality this year. We will have to wait and see. I’d like to go to Machu Picchu in Peru where some of the Incas used to live, I don’t think we would be allowed to play there though as it’s probably protected.
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Errors – A Rumour in Africa
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv1JLMbq6OQ
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DS: Do you feel more Scottish when you are abroad, or do you adapt well to new places? Anything you miss about Scotland?
Steev Livingstone, Errors: I think we fit in quite well up until the point where we start drinking. Then suddenly we become more Scottish than ever and start singing Scottish songs really loudly and getting in fights with taxi drivers. After a few dates on tour abroad your brain starts to mutate into something else, usually for the worse. we miss the Irn-bru and haggis. We’ll probably take a case of bru on the next tour.
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DS: What will be your first words on stage at the Academy 2 in Dublin, the penultimate date of this tour?
Steev Livingstone, Errors: “I thought we were meant to be playing academy 1, this is bullshit.” Then i’ll knock over the mic stand and keyboards and storm off stage shaking my head.
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DS: How do people react when they discover that Errors are Scottish?
Steev Livingstone, Errors: “Och Aye! Is this troo?” I don’t think it’s that surprising anymore that bands are from Scotland. There are quite a lot of them now.
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Errors – Salut France! (live)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3SR-WAlq9M
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DS: Has the band dynamic changed at all now that you have Scotland’s 2nd Greatest Ever Drummer in the line-up?
Steev Livingstone, Errors: He wasn’t Scotland’s 2nd best drummer until he joined our band. We set him up for that! In my heart he’ll always be Scotland’s BEST drummer anyway. He is so great. He’s just brilliant. Every day I think about how fantastic he is. However, he told me the other day that there is a drummer who will one day be better than him, whom he was giving his first lesson to (apparently his paradiddles were already almost as good as James’ ).
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DS: Other than James obviously, are there any other Scottish musicians, past or present, that have influenced you?
Steev Livingstone, Errors: Ivor Cutler, his humour and use of the drone has had an affect on me. The Jesus and Mary Chain, Arab Strap. There are so many really. I guess probably Mogwai, they’re ok.
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Ivor Cutler – Shoplifters
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gacGge-_cQo
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DS: The new album is out March 1. What are Errors plans for 2010 after that?
Steev Livingstone, Errors: We plan to be as busy as possible. We’ve already started working on album number 3. We are also currently working on a tour 7″ of brand new music. It will hopefully be ready for this upcoming UK tour. Lots of festivals in the summer then back into the studio in autumn to start recording new stuff. Hopefully a trip to Japan. Maybe a couple of collaborative things too. Perhaps we’ll open a cafe in the west end.
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DS: What should the Scottish national anthem be?
Steev Livingstone, Errors: “Oh Ye Cannae Shove Yer Granny off the bus” Trad.
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O’ Ye Cannie Shove Yer Grannie aff the Bus
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td1XuS-FAgI
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DS: What is the best after-show experience you’ve had?
Steev Livingstone, Errors: Once, when we got back to the travelodge they had minstrels in the machine at reception, that was pretty sweet.
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DS: And finally, many many years from now, when you finish your farewell world tour, is there one place to where you would like to retire?
Steev Livingstone, Errors: Machu Picchu in Peru.
New album available on Rock Action Records here.
Photo Credit: LiveandLoud