bonniegrrl | Feb. 27th, 2006

Next up in my ongoing Star Wars Rocks series of interviews on starwars.com with bands and celebs who adore the saga is one of the best new bands to come out of the UK in a long, long time: Snow Patrol.

While I was chatting with uber-Star Wars fan Mark Hamilton from the band Ash, he kept telling me that if I wanted to interview another major fan I should contact his good friend, Snow Patrol guitarist Nathan Connolly. So I did.

Months ago, we had a long phone conversation about Darth Vader, The Empire Strikes Back, Anakin's fall and his collection of Star Wars toys. Plus I got to hear an endearing story about how he got up early one morning after a long night while playing on tour in Canada, just to stand in line with other fans anxious to see Revenge of the Sith.

"I was on tour in Montreal," Connolly recalls. "I went to see it at 8 a.m. even though I had quite a heavy night beforehand. That morning I jumped off the tour bus in search of the closest cinema and I stood in line with all the other fans. It was so great to talk with other people who share the same passion, and to be part of it all. It's interesting to me to see so many people who have never met just chatting away about Star Wars. The saga has touched people's lives from so many generations that there doesn't seem to be just one type of fan. My father's a fan, and I'm a 25-year-old fan, and I know fans of all ages and backgrounds."

And just like many other fans, Nathan also likes to challenge his friends to a competitive game of "Who Knows the Most about Star Wars."

"My friend Mark Hamilton from the band Ash and I would often spend hours in his flat playing the Star Wars Trivial Pursuit game, not even playing properly but just sitting around and asking each other the questions off the cards," Connolly smiles. "I kind of pride myself on my Star Wars knowledge."

Here's the full interview:
Snow Patrol's Sith Obsession