Interviews & Media Articles

Source: The Good News
Author: Howard Dobson
Date: 30 May 2004

If you were shut in a VW with three members of Delirious? at The Ultimate Event, what would you ask?

Here are a few questions and answers to get you started.

The Good News: Do you get used to playing big gigs like this?

Stew: It's definitely a big thrill every time. You do get to a point where you're not quite so kinda... your knees aren't knocking quite so much. But we can go out there and play to 500 people or 300 people like we do in clubs in London sometimes or to the bigger crowds and it's a thrill every time.

TGN: What's the biggest gig you've ever done then?

Jon: I think our biggest gig to date was a festival in America that we headlined called Creation in Pennsylvania - and that was probably to about 80,000. That was quite big. Just last month we played a stadium to about 60,000. That's a great experience.

TGN: When you started the band, what was your original vision? Did you think it was going to be that size?

Stew: Definitely for us it was one step at a time. We started in a band and at the time it was just for our local youth group - doing a bit of worship really and somewhere where they could bring their friends and no idea bigger than that. A year later once a month there was over 1,000 kids and things have grown from there. But I think we all had big dreams and I think that's what's kept us going. Not trying to put God in a box or ourselves or anything. Ten or 11 years on it still doesn't feel like we've arrived - which is kind of a good thing I think because God's still got more for us and we're still searching and pushing.

TGN: Would you have stayed together as a band if you hadn't made it that big?

Stu: That would have been an interesting one.

Stew: I think it becomes the size of a small business and on a practical basis you get to a level where you can make it work.

TGN: Has it helped having your own record label and distribution company?

Stew: For us it's been important because we've been able to do the mainstream without losing control. We meet a lot of bands who are really Spirit-filled guys but you get involved with a mainstream label and they definitely want to run it the way they want it run. You either have to adhere to those rules or there's another band around the corner that are just as good. So for us it has definitely helped us.

TGN: A lot of Christian bands do well but they don't impact the pop charts. How have you managed to do that?

Jon: I think the thing for us is that we've got many Christian fans in England and they basically went out and bought our record and put it in the pop charts; and it wasn't your regular guy off the street it was definitely our fans and that gave us more exposure in that arena.

Stew: We don't have to be in the charts to feel like we're doing what we're supposed to be doing. We're called to make the best music we possibly can and give God an opportunity but at the same time if there's an opportunity to have our music heard on mainstream radio or released into the highstreet shops we'll take that every time cos we're also here to have an effect on the community and get out there in the business and hopefully bring something a little bit different to the industry.

TGN: Do you find that other countries are more responsive to Christian music?

Jon: Where there are lots more Christian radio stations it is easier.

Stew: In America though you can be in a Christian family and college and then Bible college and get a job at a Christian job in a Christian company - and you can be very successful as a Christian band without impacting anyone outside of the Church at all. I think as Christians we're called to impact the world.

TGN: What have been the highlights so far? A lot of musicians say doing Top of the Pops.

Stu: We haven't actually done that.

Stew: That would have been a highlight. I think there's been a lot of highlights throughout ranging from playing at Wembley Stadium with Noel Richards to playing tiny showcases at LA in clubs and getting industry people out; seeing a girl getting out of a wheelchair. So it does really range from miracles to big gigs to industry showcases. That's what keeps it so exciting for us because it's so varied. It's not the best thing that we've made it into the charts. It's much broader than that.

TGN: And what have you still left to achieve?

Stew: I've always wanted to be the first to lead worship on the moon.

Stu: That would be quite cool actually.

Stew: It just feels like we haven't finished our journey...

Jon: There wouldn't be a lot of atmosphere at that gig!

Stu: It would be a big step though.

Stew: We did a gig in New Zealand once. There were 20,000 people there. We were two days getting there, got there in the afternoon, played the gig and came home. A five-day trip and we played for an hour.

TGN: Are there any songs that define you as a band that you'd want to be remembered for?

Jon: For me, Glorious.

Stu: For me, a song called Investigate. We often end the set with that.

Stew: I would have said Investigate as well actually.