Back in December, we hosted an unforgettable event at New Century Hall in Manchester to wrap up our adidas Originals ‘Anniversary City Series’. As part of the celebrations, we handpicked Manchester’s own Antony Szmierek to act as the event’s compère.
A former teacher, Antony’s music career has been a whirlwind, from becoming synonymous with the Stockport Pyramid to performing on the likes of Later… with Jools Holland and Glastonbury. We caught up with Antony to find out more. Here’s what happened…
You did a great job at hosting our adidas City Series event in December, how did that compare to your usual role on stage as a performer?
“I was more nervous actually doing that than I was doing my own show or poems. But it was good, I thought all of the acts were sick, and I got to meet Silverwing Killer, who are doing well at the moment. We went out after with VLURE, the Scottish lot, too so that was fun. Also met Mike Skinner, which felt like it should have happened before. I mean, he was very kind about the music and everything.
The best bit of the whole job is meeting other artists and people who are like you. It does lead to really great stuff, you know, collaborations and that, but also a good pint.”
It’s all about like-minded people. Such events sit somewhere between music, fashion and community, is that overlap important to your work?
“Yeah, community is the reason I feel I can still do this and not completely lose it. You realise it’s for other people, although the lyrics are really personal, and I obviously get a lot out of it. If you’re doing 60 shows in a row, you’ve got to go into every show and think it’s for them, you know, these people have bought tickets, and they want to be here, and they need this, maybe they’ve had a bad week and that sort of stuff. That’s what I see as the community.
And then the fashion thing is always something. I always look to the likes of Damon Albarn in the 90s – he’s what I want to look like on stage. I’ve done a lot of football tops, and I’m not a football fan either, which is really funny…”
… There’s no team you have an alliance to?
“I mean, I’m currently the face of Stockport County Football Club – up the Hatters!”
Let’s talk about the trainers, do you have any favourite silhouettes to wear on stage? Do you think there is a particular pair you find yourself reaching for that makes you feel like yourself most on stage or more confident?
“I’m talking pre-first album, it was always TNs. I would always have TNs on, it was a thing I did on purpose, I’d wear trousers and then TNs underneath. I just got some Shox. I think for me, I’m buying the trainers that I could never afford when I was at school.
It’s the juxtaposition of wearing them and then a smart, pleated trouser. Shoes and trainers are so important on stage in terms of the feeling. It’s armour, isn’t it, you’re putting your costume on. When it was a tracksuit I was wearing, it would be Docs on, you know, ‘cause I don’t want it to be a through line, or I don’t want to look like a PE teacher. It’s never all at the same time.”
You’re pretty established on the festival circuit, which is your favourite one to play and why?
“It’s Glastonbury, right?”
It’s the big one.
“Festivals are important for our act because the show is flexible. I change the set nearly every show, depending on the line-up and the time of day. Sometimes it’s full-on dance like WHP, sometimes it leans more indie. I take that quite seriously, responding to where you are and who you’re playing to.”
What was the best show you played? Is there a particular one that meant the most to you?
“Albert Hall on this last tour in Manchester, at home, just how that felt. Yeah, it was just so special. When we went out on stage, we couldn’t start the show because everyone was so loud and we were just, wow… It was overwhelming, and the feeling of it was mad. I was so emotional all the way through. I kept crying and had to keep turning round and being like fuck, I don’t know if I can carry on.”
Your journey has been an inspirational one, you started a solid career as a teacher and decided to take your life in a totally different direction – what would you say to someone who is thinking about knocking it down and starting again but might not have the bravery yet?
“I think with anything, I do just honestly think you should go for it – I’m a bit reckless with this attitude – What’s that quote? I think Kim Cattrall said, “I don’t want to be in a situation for even an hour where I’m not enjoying myself”. I just think get out, quit your job if you don’t want to do it… I understand people have children and dependents and rent and stuff. But yeah, we’re not here long.”
Okay, let’s take it back now, what music did you grow up listening to?
“Arctic Monkeys were my band, that was my big thing when I was a teenager. Me and my mate were on the forums and stuff, we’d listen to leaks of new albums, we were obsessed with them, you know? But I do think that’s where a lot of writing lyrics down came from. The music I make is so funny because it’s just a distillation of my personality. It’s half dance music, half indie music. I discovered dance music when I went to uni, so that all got smushed in with the heavy lyricism.”
So we’ve had the first album, Service Station at the End of the Universe – is Hyde, the Universe and Everything… So Long, and Thanks for All the Pints… going to follow, or what’s the next project for you?
“Yeah, the next album is done. It’s getting mixed and mastered now, which is exciting. You start to think on the second one, what are the points of difference? How is it different from the first? So there’s no Douglas Adam references on this one, I’m afraid.
The first record was so heavily conceptualised, the sci-fi of it all. There is a concept, and it all links together… But I can’t talk about it yet.”
Sounds like we’re going to have to wait and see… Can you tell us when we can expect the next tour?
“This year. We’re doing a big UK tour towards the end of the year – that’s the first time I’ve said that, so there is an exclusive for you.”
You might say it’s a size? exclusive…
You seem to wear your heart on your sleeve with your fan base. How important is the transparency and connection to you, and do you think it’s helped or hindered you at times?
“I think it might have hindered me as a human man to an extent. It’s a lot to carry, I think. The nature of what it is that I’ve made, the lyrics in the songs and the way I present them, the songs are there for when people have lost somebody, or someone’s passed away, or breakups. The show has to feel honest. It has to feel like I’m there with everybody and going through the same emotions, and that’s why I’ve cried on stage. That’s the point of it all and I’m proud of it being that.”
You performed on Jools Holland back in 2023, having such a great start must have been such a confidence booster, right?
“Yeah, we felt like once we’d done that, we could do anything once we’d done Jools. I still don’t like doing “live on radio” though, when you’re doing a session and you’re live on. I’ve had two panic attacks in my life, and one was live on Radio 2 from Maida Vale, just as we started The Great Pyramid of Stockport, I thought I was going to faint. But no one could tell.”
Speaking of live radio, you covered Robbie on BBC Sounds Sofa Sessions, but what’s your go-to karaoke song?
“It was that, it was Feel for ages. I’ve actually got a list on my phone, let me check… I started doing Laura – Scissor Sisters recently. Get What You Give – New Radicals. That one goes off big time. They’ve got to be a real crowdpleaser. We did the Robbie Williams cover, he did text me… Let me find it. It says, “Best cover of one of my songs ever.” So that probably needs framing.”
You can’t beat a bit of Robbie. Would you be open to doing more covers on stage?
“We still do all the time, now people request the old covers that we used to do. We used to Overload by Sugababes. It was before everyone was back saying it was a good song, may I add, I think we brought back the Sugababes.”
We’ll leave it on that bold claim then, thanks Antony!
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