The Lantern got the chance to sit and talk with Bob Schmidt of Flogging Molly last Wednesday the 25th just before their performance. The band had just returned from a meet and greet (where, as the name suggests, fans get to meet and talk with the band) at Skully’s Music Diner in downtown Columbus, and after chuckling about “30 years of Magnolia Thunderpussy” and assuring us that the event went well, Schmidt regaled us with a few other tales – life on the road, practical jokes between bands, their future plans and previous meet and greets that didn’t go quite so well.

The Lantern: So this meet and greet in Scotland didn’t go very well?

Bob Schmidt: Yeah, there were like four people who showed up. Which in a way it’s kind of cool because then you’re just in a record store and you can shop. The four kids that came were really cool. They thought it was a very intimate thing. I remember when I was a kid, I went to a meet and greet for X, in L.A. …and it was like, three of my friends went down, and over the course of three hours maybe six people showed up, twelve people showed up. So we just hung out there all day and talked to them, and it was memorable in my mind. So whenever that happens (to us), I don’t get too bummed out about it, because I remember – some kid’s very happy with that. We’ve got nice fans though. They’re very respectable and very nice. Most people just wanna have a chat and get maybe something signed and they’re usually pretty interesting and fairly well educated and usually pretty sweet. So it always goes well. And we generally have a great time doing them (meet and greets).

TL: Do you notice a big difference between your American fans and your European fans?

BS: I can’t understand anything those European fans are saying. (laughs) But other than that, no. When any kid comes to us and says, “Oh, I’m going to college, but I wanna take a year off,” we always tell ’em to take a year off. I know parents will kill me for this, but you can’t get a better education than going to Europe and actually seeing the rest of the world and meeting people. I really think the problem with American politics is none of these people have gotten to see the rest of the world. …However, I would be surprised to find that people aren’t the same. They speak different languages, they have like different things that they do on Christmas, or whatever December 25th is in that country, or Mother’s Day, or they don’t have Thanksgiving. But everybody’s the same. And that has been the greatest thing about being able to go everywhere we can go and realize every show is pretty much gonna be the same vibe.

TL: So what is a day touring like for you guys?

BS: It just depends. This college tour’s been funny because a lot of the colleges are way the hell out of town and so sometimes you’re just stuck in the middle of nowhere. So y’know, you spend a lot of time wandering around Wal-Mart. And I don’t really like shopping at Wal-Mart in any way, shape or form, so there’s a level of “not much to do” that Wal-Mart speaks to. Mostly the challenge is just getting clean and comfortable and taking enough care of yourself before the show that you’re not gonna drink too much and fall down or not drink too much, and fall asleep.

TL: Is there a city that stands out in your mind, in terms of touring?

BS: Minneapolis. Don’t ask me why. And Denver. There’s a couple (of cities), like Denver and Minneapolis, that for no good reason, from the very first time we ever played there, just honed right in on what we do and got it and went nuts, just like – and there’s no explanation for it.

TL: What are you guys planning on doing after this tour is done?

BS: We’re gonna take a break for awhile. We’re gonna go home and we’re gonna write music, and then hopefully get into the studio in the spring some time.

TL: Do you guys play practical jokes on the bands you tour with?

BS: We’ve done it in the past. You have to have a special relationship with a band to be able to pull that off. I think the first tour we did was with the (Mighty Mighty) Bosstones, and I don’t remember where it was – there were a bunch of tricycles backstage for some reason. So me and Nate (FM’s bassist) went out on stage during one of Dickie’s things (Dickie Barrett is the lead singer for MMB) and we just rode tricycles all around the stage.

TL: Do you guys have any special rituals or quirks you do before performing? Any superstitions?

BS: Yeah, you can’t let Nate smoke pot before a show. Other than that, no. (laughs)