Gruff Rhys discusses Super Furry Animals selling their army tank to Don Henley
Super Furry Animals singer Gruff Rhys has revealed the band sold their iconic tank to the Eagles vocalist Don Henley.
While the Super Furry Animals were on the promotional trail for their fourth album Fuzzy Logic in 1996, they spent a sizeable chunk of their budget on the army tank, which became part of their image. It was used as the cover art for their single ‘If You Don’t Want Me to Destroy You’, and the Welsh group also notably turned it into a sound system at Reading Festival.
However, during a new Q&A with readers of The Guardian, Rhys revealed that the tank is now under the ownership of Henley, who collects military memorabilia.
The singer told the publication: “They were confiscating sound systems after the criminal justice bill [became law], so we put ours in a tank. Tanks are illegal on highways, so we had to pull in favours to park it in fields. When we took it to the [1996] Reading Festival on a lorry, we got all these complaints, because it was louder than the second stage.”
“In the end, we sold it to Don Henley from the Eagles, who collects military vehicles. He had no interest in the band and I think had the SFA logo repainted in military colours,” he continued.
“We were hoping to have a festival on an aircraft carrier and such, but to do that, we needed a platinum-selling album,” Rhys added.
Rhys is gearing up to release his new album, Sadness Sets Me Free, on January 26th through Rough Trade, marking the 25th full-length studio release of his eclectic career.
Currently, his solo career remains his focus. Speaking to Far Out last year, Rhys discussed the possibility of a potential Super Furry Animals reunion and explained there are currently no plans in place, but noted how that could change.
The musician said: “We’ve spent so much time together making music, and in that sense, it feels the most natural thing in the world. We all know each other musically and personally extremely well. It’s not something that’s far-fetched, but time flies, especially when you have kids and are doing stuff. It all feels extremely recent.”
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.