Frightened Rabbit bandleader Scott Hutchison knew that he was sinking into an abyss—mentally, emotionally, even spiritually—after the 2013 release of Pedestrian Verse, the Scottish group’s breakthrough album. But he couldn’t gauge the true depth of his situation until he began seeing his followers in a dreary new light. But the singer finally got help, from some rather unusual sources. All of which led to the fifth Frightened Rabbit epistle—the aptly dubbed Painting Of A Panic Attack, produced by the National’s Aaron Dessner. Hutchison and his bandmates—Grant Hutchison, Billy Kennedy, Andy Monaghan and Simon Liddell—will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new feature.
Kennedy: Over the years, across many tours, we have inhabited a wide range of dressing rooms. From a silver bullet caravan out back in Birmingham, Ala., to what felt like a holding pen for sheep at a festival in Northern Ireland. What may seem like a minor point can be, to a touring band, slugging it across the country in a van or tour bus, a bit of respite from the stuffy testosterone-filled tour bus. The basics need to be right—a comfy seat and decent lighting, not a horrid strip light and a collapsed flea-ridden sofa—but some dressing rooms go beyond this and have a special place in my heart! They are, in no particular order:
Victoria Hall, Selkirk
This was our homecoming, and allowed us, never before experienced, access to the boys’ dressing room backstage! This was a place of legends, where pantomime dames donned their frocks, and we felt very grown up swanning about backstage with glasses of bubbly instead of smuggling in quarter bottles of vodka. There was also an incident with the Picking Night Chair, which I will not go into.
Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee
Coffee and FIFA were the highlights at the Pabst Theatre, with a barista on hand all day and an Xbox hooked up to a massive wide-screen TV. Not to mention the enormous collection of vinyl, vintage arcades and awesome three-course catering. Damn you, Oreo cheesecake!
9.30 Club, Washington D.C
This is always a favorite, and it’s mainly about the food. The iconic hand-made 9.30 Club chocolate cupcakes, delicious homemade hummus and pizza on arrival! It also has bunk beds around the top of the main dressing room where you can get your head down for a bit but still survey the goings-on below.
Rock Werchter, Belgium
We just played Rock Werchter, and the festival dressing room was enormous and super immaculate. “It’s bigger than my flat” (Simon). Even the rider was laid out beautifully. There were two separate shower cubicles and futuristic, pristine white sofas that looked liked they belonged in the matrix. You felt like you should take your shoes off at the front door.
Barrow Lands, Glasgow
This is another classic. Its old-school, dance-hall decor and super-basic toilets and furniture just add to the charm. But I suppose the real draw is when the usual suspects get rammed in after a show to drink our rider and get the after-party kicked off.
