LAST GREAT DREAMERS

When we bumped into Slyder Smith and Tim Emery of Last Great Dreamers after their set supporting The Wildhearts last year, we had a little chat and discovered that both Slyder and Tim were vegan. If you haven't heard of Last Great Dreamers, they burst out of the underground rock scene in 1989, known originally as Silver Hearts. These guys definitely have hearts, and care about animals. They've just celebrated the 25th anniversary of their debut album 'Retrosexual', so we got in touch for a little reminisce, as well as looking to the future.

SBV: You've been celebrating your debut album 'Retrosexual''s 25th anniversary. Looking back 25 years, how were your eating habits back then!?
SS: I had just turned veggie that year, I think. I had become more aware of animal cruelty and exploitation for a few years, but not taken the plunge to stop eating meat. One Sunday I woke up in my flat, hungover and starving with very little food in my fridge except a pack of bacon, I cooked and ate all of it. During that meal, I realised I wasn’t enjoying it and I’m pretty sure that was the last time I ate meat.

SBV: Tell us about being vegan. What made you become vegan?
SS: I suppose, like when I became veggie, I was aware of the cruelty in the milk and dairy industry, but it took me a while to give up milk and cheese. All other non food products I'd found easy to ditch like body products, leather, feathers etc. I'd stopped wearing leather shoes and belts etc. many  years before. Foodwise, I  gave up eggs first about 2017, quite easily too. I always thought it was a bit dubious eating eggs anyway and often didn’t enjoy them. I switched to goat milk and cheese about ten years ago and sourced local products from small producers so I could justify to myself that it was produced without exploitation and cruelty. Eventually, I realised I should quit dairy altogether a few years ago.

SBV: Have you noticed any health benefits since going vegan?
SS: I’ve been veggie for almost 26 years now and I've certainly not noticed any adverse effects from a lack of nutrients. I think I may have lost a bit of weight since going vegan, but I am quite health conscious and have a reasonably healthy and nutritious diet.

SBV: Most of the band is now veggie or vegan. Tell us more. Who is vegan and who is veggie?
SS: Marc is veggie and has been for many years, Tim is vegan, but Rik is non-veggie. Many ex-members, crew and fans are veggie and vegan and a few non-veggies have been interested and have eaten veggie and vegan with us on tour etc.

SBV: With a song called 'Oblivion Kids', is there anything you were very oblivious to in relation to animal cruelty?
SS:  With social media I’ve learnt a lot but was always quite knowledgeable having read a lot on the subject. The production of leather goods like wallets and gloves from dog skin was something new I learned about. It is interesting seeing so called ‘animal lovers’ up in arms about this sort of thing whilst happily tucking into a lamb roast dinner or bacon sandwich and not making any connection between the two.

SBV: You played the album in its entirety to celebrate the anniversary. How was it playing it in its entirety? Were there any songs you'd never played live or had you played them all at some point?
SS: It’s something I've always wanted to do and I’m sure the fans wanted to hear. We’ve certainly had many requests for tracks from 'Retrosexual' that we’ve not played in years. We have a few regular songs in our set from that album like 'Last Great Dreamer', 'Only Crime' and 'Far From Home', 'Streets of Gold', 'Paper Crown' and 'TV Child' we haven’t played since the 90s though. The only song we’ve never played live would be 'Lovely'. It’s the last track on the album and only consists of piano, vocal and classical guitar. We decided to play the full album up to that point then leave the stage so a piano could be brought on. We then came back on to play that followed by a set of other fan favourites. It went really well. Better than I dreamt it would; a bit different from the record with electric guitar solo instead of the classical and then added drums and bass. Probably one of the most memorable songs of the gig for me.

SBV: Back when the band released 'Retrosexual', did you ever think you might still be involved in music 25 years later?
SS: I didn’t really think too far ahead. I don't now. I guess I believed it was the start of the band finally ‘making it’, so thought that it would go on, but I never thought about five or even ten years ahead, never mind 25!

SBV: You said the band's demise in the late 90s came after you had been due to sign a new record deal, but it was called off. In hindsight, do you think the band should have continued regardless? Or was the split something that really needed to happen?
SS: The split was instigated by Marc, but we were all getting jaded by the music business, the desperation to get resigned and back where we thought we should be, but that seemed to be slipping further and further away. I think we made some mistakes at that point. We were writing our strongest material to date and probably at our best live, but we were floundering a bit, trying to be whatever the music business wanted and not ourselves. We changed the name of the band again almost disowning our past associations to try and reinvent ourselves as a Britpop band. That was confusing for our fans and the business; we’d lost belief in the band, I guess, and felt that we could all do better on our own in the end. If we’d have been stronger and more united, sticking to our guns and being true to ourselves, then maybe we could have carried on.

SBV You have a song called 'Chasing Heroes'. Who do you think are heroes for animals? Who's inspired you for what they've done for animals?
SS:  I think anyone who has made a conscious ethical decision to stop eating meat and dairy and stop using animal products is a hero for animals. Firstly, my becoming vegetarian may not have happened if I had not met my wife who was a veggie animal lover, activist, campaigner etc. I learnt why she chose not to eat meat and about her love of animals and that certainly opened my eyes on the subject. Animal activist and VIVA founder Juliet Gellatley is also a hero of mine. I first read her book Silent Ark, an expose on the meat industry about 20 years ago. She campaigns tirelessly to expose animal cruelty and exploitation in the meat and dairy industry. I also attended one of her seminars at VegFest Bristol about dairy, which was a real eye-opener and was probably what pushed me to take the road to becoming fully vegan.

SBV: You actually have a song called 'Save You' on 'Retrosexual' which includes the lyric 'I will set you free'. Which animals do you wish you could save and set free?
SS: I think it should be illegal to breed dogs and other animals for pets as there are too many that need homes in rescue centres. Certainly animals in laboratories and farmed for their skins, but the most normalised and accepted are standard farm animals like cows, pigs and sheep. I do support decent conservation zoos where animals are kept in excellent conditions.

SBV: You also have a song called 'Only Crime'. What animal cruelty crimes do you think should have a tougher penalty?
SS: Neglect and cruelty to domestic pets seems to be something that people get off quite lightly for and the ease of owning pets maybe should be vetted in some way as it is when adopting an animal as a pet.

SBV: It's Veganuary now (although almost over for this year). Nearly 400,000 people vowed to go vegan for the month of January. What do you think about how so many people are trying veganism this year and how veganism is becoming more mainstream?
SS:  I think it’s a great thing, there is a real revolution happening at the moment. The amount of vegan options in restaurants and takeaways is vastly improving, along with the availability of veggie and vegan food in all the leading supermarkets. I know their motivation mostly is keeping up with the competition and ultimately a commercial decision, but it is still creating awareness for non-vegans who may want to try a plant-based diet, making it easier and more mainstream to be vegan. Long may it continue.

SBV: What tips would you give to people going vegan?
SS: I would say that even what you think will be the hardest things like milk in your tea or a replacement for cheese on your pizza are not actually that hard. Your tastes change and it becomes completely normal to not eat these foods. You can get all the nutrition you need with a good balanced vegan diet, so don’t be put off by scaremongering meat eaters, you’ll be healthier and probably lose weight too and all with a clear conscience.

SBV: What vegan food were you most excited to try when it was first announced?
SS: Getting good food on the road in service stations is always hard, but recently the release of Greggs vegan sausage roll and steak bake make a fantastic low-priced snack. Also, Costa have just introduced a vegan ham and cheese toastie which is lovely!

SBV: Is there anything you typically eat on a gig day?
SS:Probably something of the above ...usually diet and nutrition is pretty poor on the road; eating at the wrong times, not getting proper meals, struggling to get nutritious vegan food. I always carry supplements and try to eat some fruit and veg every day.

SBV: What are some (last) great dreams you still have - for you personally, the band, the world and for animals?
SS: Since touring more over the last six years and since having lost my last dog my life’s been a bit too all over the place to have one, that’s something I miss and would like to have in my life again. Musically, I would like to have more time to dedicate to playing and writing, less financial constraints to allow Last Great Dreamers to start work on the fifth album and continue to reach new people. I don’t think the whole world would ever become completely vegan because just in my own circles there are people that I know would never ever change but there is definitely a sea of change in people's attitudes in general towards animals and the environment so I hope that continues for the good.

Visit www.lastgreatdreamers.com for more info on Last Great Dreamers.