Foals at Truck 2019: Band hail festival before homecoming gig

The rock band’s guitarist Jimmy Smith recalled his time as a steward at the festival, where he was sick from nerves before a performance 17 years ago.

Now global superstars, the four-piece band's latest album has just been nominated for the 2019 Mercury Prize, ahead of their Saturday night set near Didcot.

It will be the band’s first homecoming show in more than five years and the first time they have played Truck since being an up-and-coming Oxford band in 2007.

Mr Smith said: "It feels amazing to be coming back. Some of the very foundations of our band were laid at Truck.

"We recorded our first demo there so that’s where it all started."

He added: "Back in the day, Truck used to be the platform for pretty much every Oxford band.

"I'm so glad it’s still alive."

Foals play Truck in 2007. Picture: Ed Nix

The band - which last year saw bassist Walter Gervers depart - have since headlined Reading and Bestival, played close to the top of the bill at Glastonbury, and won various awards.

But Mr Smith explained: "In my heart Truck is most special, then Glastonbury – it is home so it has to be the most special."

He says the band have been trying to arrange an Oxford gig 'for years' but have been foiled by venue issues, adding that the group has not changed since they were young Oxford musicians.

Previously a member of Face Meets Grill, Mr Smith remembers playing his first gig in 2002 and being sick with nerves – but blaming food poisoning, before coming back with Foals a few years later.

He continued: "I used to work there as a steward checking in bands.

"When we were coming up there was a fantastic local music scene - we always used to hang out at the Star pub off Cowley Road. We would all go play the Cellar and it was a really exciting, vibrant time to be a young band.

"The first time we played Cellar once we were a bit more established was an eye opener – it was absolutely raucous.”

This year’s event, at Steventon's Hill Farm, sees Wolf Alice and Two Door Cinema Club join them as headliners.

Foals are flying back from a Benidorm gig overnight before watching a few artists at Truck and then playing the Main Stage - with 'loads' of friends and family set to watch on.

And after this year’s Truck, Foals are set to release the second part of their new album Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost.

Part 1 has been nominated for the Mercury Prize - with the second portion due to come out in October.

And Mr Smith says the band 'might' play one of the new tracks on Saturday.

Festival organiser Matt Harrap said he was 'over the moon' with having Foals play, labelling it 'the icing on the cake' at this year's festival.