The Cosmic Phenomenon Taking Over The World - Event Horizon: A Interview
by Sarah Jane Smith, for Rolling Stone
No matter one's taste in music, one would have to have been living underneath a rock for the last year to not have at least heard the name Event Horizon at least once. Their new album, 'Black Hole Heart', has broken the Guinness World Record for the Fastest Selling Digital Album in the UK, with over 530,000 copies sold in the first week. Their tour is also looking to be one of the most prolific in musical history, with over 100 shows planned for the one year span and over 6 million tickets already sold - if you're looking to get tickets, get in quick! They're expected to sell out within the week.
Sitting down with the members of Event Horizon is always an experience - this is my second time, but the first for a professional encounter. Theodore Smith, known to some of us older timers as 'the Doctor' for reasons most of us can no longer remember, is an old friend of mine, and he greets me with a rare grin and an even rarer hug.
Most know Theodore Smith for his work with current bandmate Melissa Masters in the popular 90's rock band The Renegades. Their third member, Harry Saxon, has similarly seen a comeback recently, with a new solo career bringing him some favourable reviews and sales, and some spotlight after a long time out of it.
Smith (frontman, lead guitar and vocals) and Masters (keyboard and vocals) remain as thick as thieves as ever, sitting next to each other and sharing smirks and muttered inside jokes for the majority of the interview.
Nardole Dellora (drums) is a mystery to most, myself included. A part of River Song's tech crew until he surfaced as the third member of Smith's new band, he has taken to the spotlight with ease, but acts more like Smith's babysitter than his bandmate.
Last is Bill Potts (bass guitar and vocals), the baby of the group by a good twenty years, a woman unknown to all but a few lucky individuals in Bristol. She has become a global icon in the span of a year, partly due to her being openly gay, earning her a passionate LGBT+ following on social media who hail her as 'The Lesbian Pop Princess'. She's forever smiling, and incredibly approachable.
So, you four have almost literally got the entire world's foot tapping. How does it feel to have reached so many people with your music?
Bill: It's actually, like, impossible to get my head around. Even with all these people tweeting at me all the time, and all the fans I've met, it feels like a really weird dream I'm about to wake up from. [She laughs] But, you know, you don't, because somehow, it's totally mad, but it's real.
Nardole: I mostly enjoy people saying nice things about my various waistcoats. My collection is finally being appreciated as it deserves.
Missy: [nudges Theodore] Well, it means I get hang out with this idiot, so naturally, it's terrible and I've regretted every moment.
Theodore: [grins and offers no further comment]
How is 'Black Hole Heart' different to your debut album, 'Vaults'?
Missy: Well, it's a sequel of sorts, more than anything else.
Theodore: 'Vaults' was about the different ways people can feel trapped - that's why so many people could relate to it, we think. 'Black Hole Heart' is about people themselves - the people we've known, the people we are, the people we could be or want to be.
Bill: Again, it's relatable, I reckon, because we all have those 'what if' moments, you know? Or know someone who has a heart like a black hole, or seems to.
And who was it that you knew with such a heart?
ALL: Missy.
Missy: Me, obviously. [Laughs, looking rather proud] I'm the resident bitch of this group, darling, it isn't exactly news.
'Vaults' saw a fairly even split between your writing credits, Theo, Missy. Has that changed with the new album?
Missy: Oh, yeah, I let him do all the work this time. I think I wrote… three, for this album. He did the other eight, or however many it was. I literally can't remember which songs made the cut or not. Do I care? Not really, I'll sing whatever.
Bill: Your three are amazing, though.
Missy: Aw, thanks, Pottsie.
Nardole: [muttering] They're not bad - ow!
Theodore: I might have technically written the majority of the songs, but there was a lot more of sharing ideas among all four of us this time. So it might be my words, but it's all of us speaking, really.
Bill: That's true. He wrote one about how hard it is for him to help me try and pick up girls.
Missy: You're a lesbian disaster, it's true. But a cute one, thankfully.
Bill: [Grinning] Thanks, I guess.
Have they had any luck in that department? Anyone special your fans should know about?
Bill: [Still grinning] Come on, Sarah Jane, this isn't your first rodeo. You know our lips are sealed - Missy, get your hand off my leg, oh my god.
Anyone who has followed Event Horizon over the last year knows about their apparent policy of not talking about the specifics of their personal relationships. Similarly, The Renegades were not forthcoming about the member's relationships, with many left scratching their heads as to which out of Theodore and Harry had won Missy's affections, assuming one of them had.
Once again, it seems perfectly plausible that Theodore and Missy are involved and always have been, but nothing is concrete and Missy is equally flirtatious with Bill, and makes no secret of her attraction to people regardless of their gender, so the specifics are anyone's guess, and the group seem to relish it.
Their fans are passionate crusaders of whichever relationships, or 'ships' they believe to be the real ones, with the largest contenders being Missodore and Potsy, but smaller groups such as Theodole making themselves known as well. There are also 'Songsmith' shippers, a surprisingly large group who have read into pop icon River Song's frequent visits to Event Horizon concerts and afterparties in a certain way.
So, you have a collaboration with River Song on this album. What brought that about?
Theodore: River's an old friend of ours. And she happens to be extremely talented. It seemed like a natural step.
Missy: [coughing] Plus the song is about her -
'Hell In High Heels' is about her? So you got her to help you record it?
Nardole: Politer that way, isn't it?
Bill: She was stoked. We barely got anything done all day, because we were having so much fun. River is such a riot.
If 'Black Hole Heart' is supposed to be an expression of the group's feelings, the lyrics of 'Hell In High Heels' imply a fairly intimate relationship with River, then.
Missy: Do they? Fancy that.
Theodore: Your words, not ours.
Bill: Why are you all suddenly looking at me? I'm a giant lesbian, of course I have it bad for River bloody Song. But that's, you know, my business. I'm not acting on it.
Nardole: Or is that just what you want us to think?
As tempting as it is to get caught up in the relationship mysteries of the group, Bill is right that I know better than to fall into that trap, and so it's time to move on.
How is the tour going, so far?
Theodore: Well, we keep turning up to big rooms and there's lots of people there who seem happy to see us, and cheer when we play music for them. So I'm counting that as a plus.
Missy: It's a delight, of course. We all love the rush of performing, and getting to meet the fans is lovely. I thrive on two things - dysfunction, and attention. The fans lavish me with the latter, so I'm as happy as larry, really.
Bill: It's mental, but in the best way possible. I think this is the longest break between shows we've got for at least a month, these three days. We're leaving for America in less than a week, and I'm really pumped to get to go to all the places we didn't have time to last time.
Nardole: I told you, I get to show off all my waistcoats. What more could I want?
You're finishing the tour with Madison Square Garden, which has already sold out. How does that feel?
Missy: I mean, the Renegades were big, but only big here really, we never quite broke into the international market. So even for me and Thete, it's utterly bonkers, it is. But as Pottsie says, in the best way.
Theodore: I'm just amazed that so many people in the world aren't sick of the sound of my voice yet, frankly.
Missy: Yeah, you do go on a bit.
Theodore: Shut up.
Missy: [fluttering eyelashes] Make me.
Nardole: [coughs pointedly]
You're touring with Ashildr, who has gained a small but passionate following of their own here in the UK, but doesn't seem to have reached many people outside of it yet. Do you think they're going to take America by storm?
Theodore: The kid's talented, no question. How many people have the guts to get up on a stage with nothing but their own voice?
Missy: They have a looping pedal. That's the entire point.
Nardole: Still, you have to admire their nerve.
Bill: I remember the first time I ever saw them perform. It just was the four of us, and Clara, who had sat us all down and dragged them onto our tour bus to make us listen to them. And Ashildr never even broke a sweat, wasn't nervous, they just did their thing, and I was… I don't even know the word.
Missy: Enraptured?
Bill: Yeah, let's go with that. Ashildr is like some kind of eerie elven princess - wait, is there a gender neutral version of princess? You know what I mean. Their music doesn't sound like it was designed to be heard by us mere mortals, you know? It's so weird and beautiful at the same time.
Ashildr's EP 'The Girl Who Died' has seen a huge boost in sales since they were announced as Event Horizon's opening act for the current tour, and since the tour has begun, nothing but overwhelming praise has been flooding in from fans and show reviewers about the solo performer's astounding live ability.
Ashildr has ended up dating Clara Oswald, isn't that correct? Who is both their manager and yours?
Missy: Oh yeah, but nothing happened until everything was all signed. It took a little while for their weird mutual pining and arguing to get anywhere.
Bill: They're one of the weirder couples I've encountered, but a really solid one. To be honest, I think the weirdness is just all Ashildr. They're just infectiously weird on principle. You think I'm kidding about the elven princess thing, but honestly, my other theory is vampire.
Nardole: I'm just relieved that the terrifying Clara Oswald has another client to shout at, now. Or, you know, a partner to calm her down. Whatever works.
Clara Oswald is terrifying?
Theodore: Completely.
Missy: Nothing scares me, but that woman commands my respect, and that's a near impossibility, so…
Bill: It's never me she's yelling at, but yeah, she's terrifying for someone so tiny, for sure.
Nardole: I'll be honest, I'm shit scared of her.
Theodore: Wouldn't trust my career to anyone else, at this point. No offense to Rani Goria intended - she did the best she could with the Renegades, but that was doomed, unfortunately.
Ah, yes, your old bandmate Harry Saxon has been making a comeback just as you two have, have you seen his new material?
Missy: No. Next question.
Nardole: It's not bad, actually. He's got a definite presence about him -
Theodore: We're not here to talk about the past, we're here to talk about what we're doing here and now. Do you have any more questions about this band?
Yes, actually. Everyone more or less knows the story - that you found Bill at an open mic night in Bristol, but you've never gone into much detail about it. What happened there?
Theodore: Well, I was just looking for a drink and maybe some half decent music. Open mic nights are hit and miss, usually, but I was feeling optimistic. And there she was, with a ukulele, singing her heart out and somehow having captivated an entire room.
A ukulele?
Bill: [blushing] Yeah it's… kind of my thing. Or my first instrument, anyway.
Theodore: I approached her afterwards and asked if she knew how to play bass guitar. She said no, but that she knew she could learn if she had a month and a half decent teacher. So I ensured she had two weeks, and an exceptional one.
Nardole: He means him.
Theodore: Yes, obviously. Turns out, she's a natural. And that's how we found our bassist.
Missy: She's a girl of many talents. And I'm glad that the entire internet seems to be as protective of her as we are.
Bill: Definitely didn't think I'd end up with a weird band, my weird band, as my family, but here I am. No complaints, to be honest.
Missy: Aw, Pottsie, we love you too.
Missy and Nardole wrap Bill in a hug while she giggles, in an endearing picture that has both Theo and I smiling at them. It doesn't feel that there is anything more to discuss after that, and so I thank them for their time and bid them farewell, getting another hug from Theo and also ones from Bill and Nardole. Missy gives me a nod and a smile, and leaves with her arm around Bill, while Nardole's arm has found its way around Theo's waist.
I am left slightly confused, but wholly enchanted. Perhaps I can enquire after the possibility of a backstage pass to one of their shows?
There's no question, Event Horizon are the real deal and just as tightly knit as they appear.