Snow Patrol's Sith Obsession

When Snow Patrol guitarist Nathan Connolly first laid eyes on the lightsaber duel in Return of the Jedi, he knew he was in for an unusual experience that would mark him as a lifelong fan. "I was born around the time The Empire Strikes Back came out, but my first Star Wars memory was when I was about 3 or 4 years old and I went to the cinema in Belfast with my dad to see Return of the Jedi. I was simply fascinated by the lightsabers. The first toy I ever got as a kid was a Boba Fett action figure. And later my granddad bought me an AT-AT. I'm still obsessed with Star Wars!"

Even though his fandom began with visions of lightsabers, Ewoks and Jabba the Hutt, it was The Empire Strikes Back that resonated with Connolly the most. "Because I'm kind of a Star Wars purist I'd say Empire made the biggest impact on me as a fan," Connolly says. "It's so dark, and it's hands down the best out of all six films. Darth Vader isn't in A New Hope all that much, but in Empire he was such a sinister character. And at the time there were no real twists at the end of most films like Empire. Overall, it was an impeccably shot, directed and written film."

The characters of Empire, especially the Dark Lord of the Sith, not only jump-started Connolly's young imagination but also triggered a hobby that has continued long into his adulthood. "I collect a lot of Star Wars stuff that I keep partly at my house and some at my parents' house," Connolly says. "I collect things like Star Wars lollipops, the original cards, and PEZ. But I obsess over Darth Vader, so I collect primarily anything to do with him. Not that I identify with him, mind you. But I also have a four-foot tall limited-edition die-cast statue of Darth Vader that I bought in Edinburgh. He sits proudly on my mantle piece."

Collecting isn't Connelly's only connection to the saga. He also enjoys playing the video game Star Wars Battlefront, and quizzing his friends with enough Star Wars information to impress the likes of Jocasta Nu. "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."

When Connolly isn't testing his fellow rockers on their Star Wars trivia, he's playing on stage with them in his band Snow Patrol. Originally forming under the name Polar Bear, the band began when vocalist and guitarist Gary Lightbody met bassist Mark McClelland while studying at Dundee University in Scotland in 1994. The band later changed names when they discovered the existence of another Polar Bear band fronted by former Jane's Addiction bassist, Eric Avery. With the new name of Snow Patrol, the band teamed up with drummer Jonny Quinn to release their aptly-titled debut -- Songs For Polar Bears released on Scotland's Jeepster label (home of indie darlings Belle & Sebastian) in 1998. Their sophomore release When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up followed shortly after in 2001.

It wasn't until Snow Patrol was working on their third release Final Straw in 2003, that guitarist Connolly joined the lineup, ushering in a new record label partnership with Polydor Records. In 2005, McClelland left the band and was replaced by bassist Paul Wilson, while their touring keyboardist Tom Simpson became an official member of the band. With the lineup complete, Snow Patrol recorded their upcoming release, Eyes Open in December 2005, set to be released in April 2006 on A&M Records. Touring with the likes of indie hit-makers Grandaddy and legendary rockers U2, the swooping sounds of Snow Patrol's distorted guitars and infectious drum beats have been impressing critics and audiences alike.

Last year, during the band's tour through Canada, Connolly made sure he was in line the day Revenge of the Sith hit theaters. "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."

Once the opening crawl hit the big screen, Connolly found himself understandably moved. "The thing about The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith that always got me was the yellow writing -- it just makes me just weep. In fact, the first time I went to see The Phantom Menace I sat there and bawled like a big child. I had to go and see Sith three times that week because the first time I saw it I was just so excited and didn't take any of the story in."

"Seeing the manipulation from Palpatine and how it affects the friendship between Anakin and Obi-Wan on the big screen was amazing, but the most important part of Revenge of the Sith for me was really understanding the friendship between Obi-Wan and Anakin," Connolly continues. "We got to see them as friends at the start of the film, which was fascinating because you know Anakin's going to become Vader and you know how with the big fight, but it was the build up to that moment that made it interesting."

Another particularly moving moment for Connolly was seeing Anakin's struggle to choose sides when the line between good and evil is painfully blurred. "Some fans have said they thought he turned to the dark side too easily, but I don't think it's really fair to say that," Connolly says. "With the build up from the other two prequels you get the feeling that this is something inherent inside him. He could have spent another 40 minutes deciding what he should do, but the whole thing about the dark side is that it can overwhelm him and just took him over straight away. I think that's a point that a lot of people have missed -- the undeniable lure of the dark side."

As he sat in the theater watching the epic story of Darth Vader unfold, Connolly remembers being equally impressed by the musical score composed by the iconic John Williams. "I'm glad he brought the theme songs back for each character in Revenge of the Sith," Connolly says. "To change the musical score too much would have been a disaster. John Williams' music is as big a part of the film as George Lucas. The music is part of the mystique and magic of the films."

"Fans are very precious about the music, as well as the visuals of Star Wars, and that must be hard about making the prequels," Connolly continues. "Lucas is making these films not only for the old fans, but also for the next generation of kids who have never seen the classic trilogy. I don't understand the fans who complain that the films should have been kept the way they were. If he used the same old style of special effects for the prequels he would have been slagged off just as much. Lucas knows these films better than anyone. So as far as I'm concerned, whatever he does, it's worth it. You have to suspend disbelief for awhile. People whining about the quality of the dialog in the prequels should watch the original trilogy again and they'll see that the dialog isn't much better. There are things said in the original films that are daft as well, but that's part of the charm of Star Wars."

Even though fans may have trouble agreeing which films best encapsulate the magic of a galaxy far, far away, Connolly believes that the films should be enjoyed without all the critiques. "I love Star Wars and I just take it for what it is," Connolly says. "I just don't think you should read into it too much. At the end of the day it's a fantasy film. These films have this whole escapism thing going on. Lucas developed this amazing fairy tale that kids and adults alike can go watch and take something from it to make it their own. Of all the films that are made over the years, some just become classics and that's what the Star Wars saga is -- a classic."

To learn more about the upcoming album, or to find out when Snow Patrol will be playing in your area, visit the official Snow Patrol site here.

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