Steven Wilson has described how he has to always be on his toes when meeting fans while on tour.
Wilson stars in the latest episode of FreqsTV’s Ghosts Of The Road series. And while he loves the ‘meet and greet’ sessions that are a part of modern touring, he says it’s easy to ruin your reputation if you’re not at your best all the time.
He says: “I don’t want anyone to go away with this idea that I’m an asshole. With the age of the internet, bad news travels fast. You can be nice as pie to 99 fans. And if you’re a little bit short with that 100th fan, you’ve had a bad show or you’ve got a cold, he or she is the one that will go on the internet and say, ‘Steve Wilson’s such as asshole.’
“Suddenly that goes viral. I’m aware of that and I’ve been a victim of that so I try to be what I need to be.”
He also discusses how the “chaotic” nature of touring messes with his meticulously organised lifestyle.
He adds: “It’s a very nomadic lifestyle. You’re living out of a suitcase, you cannot put roots down. And I’m someone that really needs that.
“When I’m at home I’m like Mr Nerd. I’ve got my CD and my vinyl and DVD collection and they’re all alphabeticised and all beautifully filed. My studio is immaculate, I can’t have mess and cables… I can’t work in that situation.
“Going on the road is almost like having to embrace a more chaotic lifestyle and context to working, where you can never hang your clothes up and you can never settle down anywhere.”
Wilson last month released new album Hand. Cannot. Erase.
