What are the band's main influences?

Phil Spector, Pink Floyd, Lee Hazelwood, Julian Cope, The Band, Dylan, My Bloody Valentine, Spacemen 3, The Beatles, Beck, King Curtis, Van Der Graaf Generator, Black Sabbath, Eleventh Dream Day, American Music Club, Jane's Addiction. What, you just wanted a couple?

Are Simon and Rob also in A Perfect Circle?

No, they're not. But it's an easy mistake to make. Simon and Rob were in a band with Justin Chancellor, Tool's bass player and have toured with Tool in the past. Tool cover songs in their live set which Simon and Rob wrote. On Napster certain recordings of the songs in question have been mistakenly attributed to A Perfect Circle given that Maynard, Tool's singer, also fronts A Perfect Circle. So there is certainly a strong link there but don't draw the wrong conclusions.

What gear do the band use when they play live?

Rob plays three drums and Adam uses a Gibson Grabber Bass through a Sound City PA head. Simon plays a Yamaha SG through a Marshall JCM800 with Corndell cab. Jane takes a Dr Rhythm sampler out for live work. For acoustic sets the band use old Hacker record players as their amplifiers.

Is it true that Kirsten has had a 'problem' with the cast of Hollyoaks?

Yes.

Were Grand Western really the best act on the Carling Stage at Reading last year?

Probably. Although At The Drive-In and the North Mississippi All-stars were also very good.

Why are they called Grand Western?

Rock pundits are divided over this one. According to the 'Southern' hypothesis, Adam, Rob and Jane, who are all from the South of England, were walking along Grand Western Parade in Brighton and thought that, in a shortened form, it would make a pukka band name. However, proponents of the 'Northern' hypothesis have noted that Kirsten and Simon are from Southport in Merseyside and suggest that Grand Western could simply be a bastardisation of 'Grand North Western'. Review the evidence for yourselves and decide.

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