“A few words about our manager, Le Shark. You’ve probably seen him fleetingly in our videos – or even caught him hanging around with a free pint in his hands at one of our shows, but in the Thrill Collins onstage thanks, he never gets a mention.

He is, of course, critical to the Thrill and we love him to death. When he was initially approached, we did so by asking him if he knew someone who would be happy handling the Thrill Collins’ bookings and enquiries as the band simply didn’t have time. Immediately a pound sign lit up one ocular cavity, shortly followed by confusing Euro sign in the other…

Up to this point Thrill had been playing gigs for friends and performing fortnightly in local club squalor “The Place” in Cheltenham, learning their trade.

Fast forward 18 months and we’re about to head out on our second European tour, fourth trip abroad, almost 200 shows later with an entire fully-formed mini-business taking care of everything from mic stands to spending money.

How does he earn his chips then? Firstly, if you’ve not looked after Thrill for an evening – you might not know what is involved. Putting the man (and booze) management of the actual night aside, there are things like travel, accommodation, food, spare strings, towels, Kinder surprises, stage plans, kit reqs and fee negotiation amongst numerous other variables that have to be considered for every gig…

Multiply that by 100 shows a year and that’s a lot of work – for anyone. Don’t worry yourself though as Le Shark gets one of the most generous percentages a manager has ever been afforded – not that we begrudge him a single penny! He also likes to get into the ‘band mindset’ as well and is normally as boozy as we are at any given point of a show. Like the documentary maker who can’t help but become involved with his subject (see “Man Bites Dog”) these grey areas and lines are crossed with hilarious regularity.

Telling you he gets a good percentage (and a better helping of booze) is probably not the most seemingly obvious thanks, but he very much feels like part of the band to us – and always will. We hope it’s the same for him! After all, if you’re too drunk to get into a taxi to your accommodation, he’s always there. If you need someone to collect monies from Hartford CT gangster men, he’s always there. If you need someone to drive a 30ft Roadbear like a mini-Metro, he’s always there. If you wake up in Germany in a flat you don’t recognise… well – you get the point don’t you?

We’re just glad he’s our manager, and not yours.”

- Thrill Collins