Indie rock favourites Razorlight appeared on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X Breakfast to discuss their forthcoming 20th anniversary tour and revisit some of the most outrageous rock and roll stories from their time together.
Lead singer Johnny Borrell remembered a particularly messy experience in North America after being unable to order a drink at a hotel bar. "I definitely smashed up a few hotel rooms in my time," Borrell confessed before revealing, "I tried to flood one." Describing what happened, he continued, "It was in Seattle. You're not allowed to get a drink anywhere after 11 o'clock... I don't even drink, I just wanted a beer, you know, and that wasn't happening. And then the guys in the lobby were annoying me. So it was a kind of, it was a silent protest, you know. When I left the room, there was an inch of water everywhere."
Andy Burrows recalled pulling off a similar stunt more recently, saying, "Last year I did a photo shoot where I got a television, and the local pub let me throw the television out the window." Host Chris Moyles then remembered an early morning appearance in Germany 20 years ago, when Borrell missed several flights before the band’s live radio slot. Borrell responded playfully, "I'm so rock and roll... Calm down, everyone! I’ll be there."
Borrell also answered a long standing question about the origins of the group’s name, revealing that Razorlight came from something he mistakenly said. "I was trying to say, 'yeah, it's all right', but I was a little bit messed up, and it sounded like Razorlight," he explained. "On stage, I was singing it... and I watched the gig back, and my friend and manager Roger turned around to me, and he said, 'Sounds like you're saying Razorlight.' And I looked at him and I said, 'That's a good band name.'"
Razorlight will mark the 20th anniversary of their self titled record with a celebratory tour scheduled for later this year.
