Arena Rehearsals

Silhobbit.com went to Windsor to catch up with top band Arena who were rehearsing for their tour, at the plush Running Frog studios.

"The rehearsing is going really well" explained drummer Mick Pointer. Silhobbit can confirm Mick's stance, although angry Clive twice gave Mick a bollocking, once for talking during the start of Mea Culpa and afterwards Mick was shown the yellow card for ignoring the part in Salamander.

"The environment is important for rehearsing, we've invested in hair- conditioning, clean carpets and art on the wall - this puts us in the correct frame of mind because there is no point in rehearsing in a cramped dirty room that stinks of sweat" explained Mick.

Clive adds "After an organic lunch we all cold-shower together, this helps us bond as a unit and also refresh our souls so that in the afternoon we are productive - long gone are the days when the band would sit around at lunch drinking coffee and eating crap, it is about getting the best from average musicians."

Arena certainly sounded good at this early stage of rehearsals and Silhobbit were impressed with their big sound.

John Mitchell took the time to explain the direction the band is moving in "There is a war on, so it is hard to play your heart out whilst brothers are dying. But Mick realised this problem, so we've got a TV on the wall so that we can enjoy the action whilst playing” states the talented boy.

Bed wetting bassist Ian Salmon is probably the most talented musician in the band and puts his good playing down to eating bananas, "I believe that human's evolved not from apes but from bananas - if you put a foetus under a microscope it is not unsimilar to a banana, plus a banana has skin just like people. This theory explains how black people and Chinese people exist- the Adam and Eve theory is bullshit" he adds.

Outspoken vocalist Rob Sowdon avoided speaking to Silhobbit after being curbed by Clive who knows that his hot temper has put the band in hot-water in the past.

Silhobbit.com would like to thank the band for allowing us to spend an hour enjoying their hospitality and getting a sneak preview of perhaps Britain's greatest band.

You can catch the band live at the following dates:

Friday March 28 Substage, Karlsruhe, Germany Support : Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon unplugged)
Saturday March 29 Sarlat Festival, Sarlat, France Support : Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon unplugged)
Sunday March 30 Spirit of 66, Verviers, Belgium
Monday March 31 Capitol Musiktheater, Paderborn, Germany with Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon) and ALIAS EYE

Tuesday April 1 Musik Palette, Essen, Germany Support : Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon unplugged)
Wednesday April 2 Markthalle/MarX, Hamburg, Germany Support : Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon unplugged)
Thursday April 3 Rohre, Stuttgart, Germany Support : Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon unplugged)
Friday April 4 De Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Holland Support : Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon unplugged)
Saturday April 5 Lucky & Co, Rijssen, Holland Support : Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon unplugged)
Monday April 7 Z7, Pratteln, Switzerland Support : Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon unplugged)
Wednesday April 9 Mega Pub Club, Budapest, Hungary support act Philadelfia
Thursday April 10 Club WZ, Wroclaw, Poland
Friday April 11 TVP Studio Krzemionki, Krakow, Poland Support: Jadis and John Wetton
Saturday April 12 Proxima, Warszawa, Poland Support: Jadis and John Wetton
Sunday April 13 Kinoteatr, Bydgoszcz, Poland Support: Jadis and John Wetton
Monday April 14 Teatr Wyspianskiego, Kotowice, Poland Support: Jadis and John Wetton
Tuesday April 15 Stara Pekaren, Nitra, Slovakia
Wednesday April 16 Komma, Worgl, Austria
Friday April 18 Camden Underworld, Camden, London Support : Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon unplugged)
Saturday April 19 Rio's, Bradford
Sunday April 20 Refrew Ferry, Glasgow, Scotland
Monday April 21 JB's Dudley
Thursday April 24 Caracol, Madrid, Spain Support : Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon unplugged)
Friday April 25 Razzamatazz 2, Barcelona, Spain Support : Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon unplugged)
Sunday April 27 Paradiso, Amsterdam, Holland Support : Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon unplugged)
Monday April 28 Secret Gig!!! Delft, Holland Support : Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon unplugged)
Tuesday April 29 Trabendo, Paris, France Support : Nick Barrett & Peter Gee (Pendragon unplugged)