Once just a small coffee shop, The Hotel Café has quickly blossomed into not only one of the premier singer/songwriter venues in the United States, but also been labelled “the place that breaks artists.” For the past 4 years, The Hotel Café has been presenting a tour that has ventured around the United States and through the UK. The concept of the tour was to share the same community vibe with music fans all over the globe. Artists performed solo and would then share the stage with fellow tour mates. As the Europe leg of the 2008 tour gets ready to hit the UK we caught up with Brian Wright of Brian Wright and the Waco Tragedies fame; one of the six talented artists taking part in this year’s tour.

R13: For those who don't know who is Brian Wright?
BW: Songwriter, band leader, ring master, double jointed, no tattoos or piercings, a man of average height, a surprisingly good diver, a mediocre dancer. I've had a lot of dogs with weird names.

R13: You're just about to embark on the 2008 Hotel Café tour. You've certainly worked hard to get to this point; do you feel this tour is the culmination of all that hard work for you?
BW: I try not to culminate.

R13: What on this tour are you the most excited about?
BW: Driving the bus. I always ask, they never let me, but I'm going to keep trying. Actually the music is really my roundabout way of getting into bus driving.

R13: If you could rename this Hotel Café tour to anything you want, what would you name it?
BW: Cordelia

R13: The tour line up is pretty hectic- how much do you think you'll get to explore? Are there any places in particular you'd like to get the chance to look around?
BW: I've been lucky enough to visit some of these places before, so I think it'll be nice to know where I am a bit more, can't wait to try out my Norwegian, I've learned to say "I really like your red cowboy boots." I think that's an important phrase to know in any language.

Also, Tom McRae is an avid fly fisherman, I had started a documentary film about him and his passion for casting, I'm looking forward to finding some nice locations to film him fishing. I hope to finish the film sometime in the fall.

R13: Who of those on the line up do you already know?
BW: I know all of them very well. Greg Laswell still owes me eighty six dollars for teaching his dog to play harmonica, but I'm sure he's good for it. As for the rest, they are all good people, great artists, and good friends. Jim Bianco and I ride bicycles through the Hollywood Forever cemetery. Cary and I are thinking of taking a rafting trip soon. Tom has his fishing, but that's his time, I'm just lucky enough to be a fly on the line. Catherine makes wonderful soy meatballs for rehearsal snacks.

R13: 5 guys and 1 girl• that seems like a pretty uneven ratio (read: unfair advantage) to me! What do you think?
BW: I've known Catherine probably longer than I've known anyone else on the tour. She's one of my favourite singers and writers and will undoubtedly steal the show nightly. I'm looking forward to a few second and third place finishes. None of them sings as well, except Tom. (He makes me say that)

R13: In such a busy tour setup, it seems unavoidable that you'll all be living and working on top of each other. How do you think you'll keep your sanity?
BW: If you love something, set it free.

R13: What can anyone coming to see you play expect?
BW: There will probably be a line at some point, but I trust the venues will have capable people on hand to make sure it moves quickly. Oh and music, lots of that, all shapes, sizes, and colours. Someone will mention that I have a beard, or that Cary Brothers wears a hat or that Jim Bianco is lot of fun to watch, or that Catherine Feeny does a spot on version of "the Pusher" by Steppenwolf.

R13: What's the best reaction you're hoping for from the audiences on the tour?
BW: Obviously, every performer would like a positive reaction from the audience, and I am no different I guess, but I would like it if just once someone threw a tomato, not at me, maybe Jim, but I've just never seen that happen. It's a weird thing to do, throwing tomatoes.

R13: What fan gifts/donations/sympathy votes are you secretly wishing for this tour?
BW: I can not stress enough how much I want a suit of armour, with a broadsword or a crossbow and a shield with my family crest on it. Please. Also, if anyone has a copy of Johnny Cash reading the Old Testament, I have him reading the New Testament, but the stories are better in the Old. Someone gave me a cookie once in my likeness, but to be fair, it didn't really look like me and I was afraid to eat it, which is strange because animal crackers don't look much like animals they're supposed to be and I think they're delicious.

R13: A year of touring; travelling and getting exposure is every artists dream. How does the reality compare?
BW: Has it been a year already? The reality is that it’s the best job I've ever had, and I hope I don't get fired.

R13: Frank Zappa said: "Most rock journalism is people who can't write, interviewing people who can't talk, for people who can't read." • How true do you think this is?
BW: You know that trick when people appear to have removed and then reattached their thumb? It looks cool when it's done well, but everyone knows it's a trick.