Their original hip-hop sound fuses crisp guitar rhythms, deep melodic bass lines, head cracking beats, and conscious lyrics to create a sound that is truly their own. If anyone would know about schooldays, it’d be the Gym Class Heroes, right? So BBC’s TOTP put Travis to the test - no cheating
TOTP: What did they make you do at your school if you turned up without your gym clothes?
Travis: That’s the funny thing - I always did, I always showed up to gym class without my gym clothes. Sometimes they make you write out of this book - you’d have to copy, like, paragraphs or pages out of this stupid health book or whatever. Or other times they’d make you come after class, or other times they’d make you go to summer school, which I had to do once too.
TOTP: Summer school? That’s harsh!
Travis: Yeah. Phys Ed is so important nowadays. [Chuckles.]
TOTP: So what was the worst thing you ever got detention for?
Travis: Hmmm. I can’t think. I used to get in detention all the time. I remember actually I got detention for something I didn’t do once, and trying to explain to the principal that I’d had nothing to do with it, that was awesome, because I’d always be in trouble and I’d always be in his office, and this was actually the first time I didn’t do something. It was a whole boy-who-cried-wolf scenario.
TOTP: Did you get away with it in the end?
Travis: I did not, but whatever. You win some, you lose some.
TOTP: Did you have to wear a school uniform?
Travis: Nah, no uniforms.
TOTP: Where did you hang out after school?
Travis: Actually, me and my friends would go to a restaurant called Hooters [for those of you who don’t know, it’s a chain famous for its large-breasted waitresses. - Culture Ed] That was always fun. Somehow my dad found out years and years later, and to this day I still don’t know how he found out.
TOTP: If you did have to wear one, what sort of uniform would you want to wear?
Travis: Something traditional, like something Prince would wear. Like, assless pants.
TOTP: Where do you stand on the whole concept of school uniform - is it good or bad?
Travis: It’s bogus. It’s cute, I mean it’s cute to look at, but at the same time I think it forces kids to be individual - I guess they can do their hair differently. But other than that, it kind of kills the whole point of going to school and showing off who you are.
TOTP: What was your best excuse when you hadn’t done your homework?
Travis: I didn’t have a dog, so I couldn’t use that one, but I think... [asks the rest of the band] what’s some ‘I don’t have my homework excuses?’ I’d just be like, “I didn’t do it”, because I was just that lazy.
TOTP: What was the worst thing you had to dissect in science class?
Travis: Dude, we had to dissect a foetal pig! It was the most disgusting thing ever, and I had to do it with the worst kid ever, this kid named Tyler Verlard. He’s a friend of mine, but he’s definitely not the kid you wanna dissect a pig with. It was probably the grossest thing I’ve ever done in my life. First we did a worm...
TOTP: Did you have a crush on any of your teachers?
Travis: Oh, of course! I feel that, in essence, schoolteachers are your first - for me, at least - it was the first time I got to see a female on a regular basis, like, all the time. You’re, like, “man, something’s gotta come out of this!” I had a crush on a bunch of my teachers. The one that stands out was Miss McDougall, I think - oh, I’m going to go to jail for this - Miss McDougall was my favourite. She was a sight for sore eyes.
TOTP: Hey, maybe she’ll read this!
Travis: I hope so! And maybe she’ll give me a call. Shout me a holla.
Printed courtesy of bbc.co.uk |
