Photo: Courtesy fo Oleg March
As the saying goes, if you want to get something done, give it to a busy person. Rob Ackroyd, lead guitarist for Florence & The Machine and partner in The Late Late, clearly abides by that ideology as he’ll be all around the New York City area this weekend.
Tomorrow, after playing a set with Florence at Governors Ball (on the GovBallNYC Stage before Drake), he will be DJ’ing at The Late Late. And those aren’t the only things he will be doing.
Thankfully, the multi-talented Rob somehow found time to do a little Q&A with Downtown about his June 5th festivities and beyond.
On a day when you’ll be playing a headline set at Governors Ball and then DJ’ing afterwards, how does one find the energy for such a long, loud and people-centric day?
Rob Ackroyd: Well, we actually film Good Morning America tomorrow too, so it’s a 6 a.m. start on top of everything else. But our roadies start even earlier than us, they’re always the first at the gig and last to leave, all I have to do is play guitar so I can’t complain.
How did you get involved with The Late Late?
R: James Morrissey and I met years ago when he booked me to DJ one of his nights in Dublin. We’ve been pals ever since. He always aspired to start a business on this side of the Atlantic, and that was a common ground we shared.
Are there any similarities between your role as lead guitarist for Florence & The Machine and a partner in The Late Late?
R: Not really no. I mean both responsibilities are musical, but that’s about it. James doesn’t ask me to play guitar much.
What makes The Late Late stand out from other spots on the Lower East Side?
R: We like to make bold decisions, whether it be with musical programming, or food and drink offerings. We won’t clamber for universal appeal, we just trust our instincts and hope that will be enough to set us aside from everybody else.
What’s to be expected from your post-festival DJ set?
R: I don’t really plan the sets too much, it initially depends on the mood of the room. Having said that, I’m still on this Paradise Garage tip so New York disco, Inner Life, Larry Levan, Donald Byrd, Raw Silk, all that good stuff.
Finally, Rob, any last words for the kids?
R: Yes, read the book before you watch the film.
-by Darren Paltrowitz