Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

20335

news

British indie stars in near-death plane drama
TheBoyDeadly by TheBoyDeadly January 18th, 2007

The Automatic come close to death over Paris

Drum-banger for the The Automatic Iwan Griffiths has revealed that the band were involved in a near-death experience on a flight to Paris recently.

After missing their train, the band took a jet from Heathrow to the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. As they were due to land, however, they encountered severe turbulence and were prevented from touching down.

"I've got a thing about planes as a high ratio of musicians die in planes - including Glen Miller and Buddy Holly... then we had this dodgy flight," said Griffiths.

"We were meant to get the train to Paris but missed it, so we had to fly even though the weather was horrific.

"Our guitarist, Frost, was throwing up in a sick bag then there was weightlessness in the cabin. My drink hovered above me long enough for me to gasp, 'Oh My God,' and then it went over my lap.

"It was boiling hot."

Griffiths revealed that the band were genuinely fearful for their lives.

"It was so windy the plane couldn't even land. Everyone went silent. I thought that was it."

Photograph by Peter Hill, taken from the band's MySpace page



LATEST


  • Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »




LATEST

    news


    Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025

  • 106149
  • news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145

    news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143
  • news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141

    news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139
  • Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138

    Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137
  • Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
MORE


    Interview


    "I wouldn't want to go on tour just playing old...

  • 95814
  • Albums of the Year


    Drowned in Sound's Favourite Albums of the Year...

  • 102034

    Artist-generated


    Grizzly Bear Week: Grizzly Bear Gumbo

  • 49018
  • news


    DiS Launches New Radio Show

  • 104154

    Discography Reassessed


    A decade of Drukqs: Aphex Twin’s opus, ten year...

  • 80144
  • Artist 'n' Artist


    In conversation: Liars and Deerhunter

  • 40700

    Takeover


    No Age: Randy's Vegan Guide to Touring + Dean o...

  • 63579
  • DiScover


    ReDiScover: Isis

  • 14643
MORE
Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND