99 miles from London sits the history-ridden, tourst-laden Bath. Unrivaled in its beauty, the city is home to a Royal Theatre, centuries-old Roman Baths, and The Heavy. Having released their debut LP, Great Vengeance and Furious Fire, back in March, the funk and soul-infused punk rock act has since made a splash in the music industry thanks to a recent North American tour and support from Playboy.

In addition to designing a T-shirt for Playboy’s Rock the Rabbit series, which will be on sale at Colette come June (proceeds benefit Rock the Vote), the mag played host to a few of the band’s stateside shows.

psychoPEDIA spoke with guitarist Dan T. following The Heavy’s return to their hometown. We talked Sally Lunn buns, how to spot a Chav, and Bath’s best-kept secret:

What did you think of the States?
It was absolutely everything I expected and more. In a way it was really hard because it’s such a big place. Nobody told us how big it was. It was really good fun - the hardest thing we’ve done so far as a band purely in terms of crossing that much distance.

What’s Bath like?
A massive museum safari park. It’s a very old town– beautiful place, a Roman city. But there are lots of tourists here. Every summer, that’s the problem, because it’s purely focused on tourists. There’s not a lot career-wise or opportunity-wise, but it’s a beautiful place to die.

How is it to be a musician there?
We probably spend too much time in our bedrooms, because there’s nothing else to do. It’s actually great for us. Because there isn’t a lot to do, you can focus on what you do do. You may get to a certain age and want to move away from London, but being from a place like this allows you to focus on something. We focus on our music. You can move to any big city and get caught up in those things and get a little lost. It’s easy to be who you are in a place like this.

What's better, the Great Bath at the Roman Baths or Thermae Bath Spa?
Well, [Thermae] is a new spa thing that I’ve not visited but I’ve heard it’s very good. I’ve been to the Roman Baths and checked those out. It’s worth visiting. If you come here, you have to go to both, but maybe not in the same day. You’d get a little bathed out and start to wrinkle surely after a while.

Is Bath a big college town?
There’s a university right on the outskirts of Bath-- a lot of students stick to the campus there. It is a great place to come and study; it’s one of the most beautiful places in this part of England. And there’s definitely a slower pace-- that’s generally a Southwest thing. Southwest England is an easier place.

Are the locals pretty laid-back?
No, you’ve got a real mix of complete idiots… it’s a weird place. You’ve got the original Chavs-- the real idiots. There’s a lot of trouble here. A lot of hooliganism, and I’m not referring to football necessarily. But there’s a real drinking culture. There are a lot of old people. If you ever come, check out Oldfield Park. It’s like the Brooklyn of Bath. If you ever see it, you’ll laugh. It’s the combination of the elderly and the young. It’s a huge housing estate with simple red brick cottages.

What’s a Chav typically look like?
Check for the sportswear, and I’ll say no more.

Where do you go drinking in Bath?
Anywhere that’s pretty quiet. It’s nice to chill out a bit when you come back home. I feel like I spend a lot of my time in really loud, hectic environments. There’s a place called The Porter. It’s an English pub in the center of Bath, opposite a studio that we use. There’s a pub that we go to in Midford called The Hope and Anchor. It’s outside of Bath. Things are really expensive in Bath.

What about food?
There’s a chain all across England of noodle bars called Wagamama. It’s noodles and rice, a kind of Thai or Vietnamese; it’s just done really well.

What’s the most picturesque place in Bath?
There’s amazing architecture and astounding streets. The Circus is an incredible circular building. There are the most beautiful townhouses. Nicholas Cage bought a place on The Circus. There’s the Landsdown Crescent and Royal Crescent as well, which overlooks Royal Victoria Park and has stunning views. Nearby there’s also Glastonbury. One of the things I wanted to do when I got back was to get out to the countryside. Glastonbury is pretty incredible. It’s not just a [music] festival.

Have you been to the Theatre Royal?
My girlfriend worked there on the costumes for a bit. They say it’s haunted. There’s quite an angry ghost down there. I don’t think I’ve ever actually been there, but it’s probably worth a visit.

Are Sally Lunn’s buns really that good?
[Laughs] I worked there! Where did you get that? That was one of my first jobs. They serve these buns that are like a brioche. It’s pretty good. That’s one of the really touristy things to do. I ate my fair share. Eating it with jam and cream is just ridiculous. The Welsh rarebit, which is like a really beautiful cheese… you’ve got to eat one of those.

What is Bath's best-kept secret?
Blimey... The Heavy, probably.

~Alisa Gould-Simon


Go There:
The Porter, 2 Miless Buildings, +44 1225 424104
The Hope and Anchor, 38 Jacobs Wells Rd, +44 117 929 2987
Oldfields Hotel
Lansdown Grove Hotel


First & third photos courtesy of The Heavy
Second photo by canongirl1 via Flickr
Fourth photo by John~C via Flickr
Fifth photo by bekra via Flickr
Sixth photo by mjclarkesfvia Flickr
Eighth photo by Phil Romans via Flickr
Ninth photo by Sacred Destinations via Flickr