Name: Gareth Hughes
Year: 2nd
Major: Spanish and French
Hometown: Liverpool
Gareth opened the door to his South Street flat dressed in his trademark attire—a band t-shirt, jeans and a flannel—(though he jokes that he can do formal, “and sometimes I like to spice it up with a blazer.”)—and after a quick hug, we headed into the kitchen for some tea. As I watched him putter about turning on the kettle, getting the mugs, and doing all the things necessary for tea, it struck me how gentle Gareth is. Even his eyes radiate a soft kindness, which I found amusing when I realized what a striking figure he is: well over six feet, with a well-groomed beard and curly ponytail, he is certainly hard to miss. In fact, he’s one of those people that you seem to run into everywhere once you’ve met: balls, ceildihs, pubs, sidewalks, etc. Thankfully, he is less awkward than I am, and claims to not think I am stalking him. This may or may not be true.
Most people will recognize Gareth as the tall bass singer in the contemporary acapella band, The Alleycats. While Gareth sang before joining the group, this is his first foray into the acapella world, after having the torch passed on to him by his academic father, the previous bass singer of the group. Unfortunately for the Alleycats, this is where the academic legacy stops—for now— as Gareth is going to France for his third year abroad, leaving behind no heirs. The Alleycats are not the only group in our fair kingdom who will feel the absence of the great Hughes. Four-piece blues rock band, The Retrophobes (https://www.facebook.com/Retrophobes) , will also mourn the temporary loss of their bass player. I went to go see their final gig of the year at the Blue Stane, and while the band as a unit was impressive, with a high quality of playing and a good sense of humour, Gareth really stood out. This is most likely because he is the only member of the band I know, but also partially due to his unconventional performance in a duet in which he used a bow on the strings of his bass, like a giant horizontal viola. Two words: Mind. Blown.
When asked how he balances the demands of two bands and his course work, Gareth humbly replies, “It’s not impossible to do both…music and language are an important part of who I am.” As we discuss other societies he participates in, mainly Quaich Soc and Celtic Soc, Gareth goes on, “there’s so much to do at Uni, the actual degree is just a tiny part of why we’re here.” One of the reasons Gareth chose to come to St Andrews, as opposed to a university closer to his home near Liverpool, is the “allure of Scotland…it’s unique in it’s own aspect.”
Gareth has certainly embraced this new Scottish culture. No where is this more evident than his living room, where band posters hang in harmony next to a map of Scotland’s whiskey distilleries, and the bookshelf is more of a display case for the various whiskeys Gareth and his flat mate James have acquired. When I jokingly remark that all whiskey tastes vaguely like nail polish remover to me, Gareth seizes an opportunity to showcase his knowledge. He remarks on the various flavors, and craftsmanship of different blends and malts, before discussing the differences between Highland whiskeys such as Talisker and Isla and those distilled in other areas of the country. Though he hasn’t yet settled on a favorite, Abelour whiskey, a single malt from Speyside, is certainly on the list (just in case anyone wanted to buy him a goodbye present…)
The conversation soon turned towards Gareth himself, and his personal style. As mentioned earlier, Gareth has a laid back style that suits his personality well. Band t-shirts (preferably black) and jeans are his staple, though I can personally attest to the fact that he can seriously rock a tuxedo. When I ask about his long hair, the conversation flits back to music momentarily, “I wouldn’t be long haired were it not for the long haired musicians I admire” (I’m sure he mentioned some examples, but I accidentally deleted the transcript from my phone as I was leaving the flat, and didn’t write them down. My journalistic integrity is really showing, I know). “For now,” he continues, “I’ll keep it, I can’t imagine myself differently. Who knows, in a few months, I could decide to cut it all off.”
As far as personality goes, Gareth is easygoing, and incredibly welcoming. A true testament to his character is managing to neutralize all of my awkwardness. He’s just nice. Though there’s an edge to his niceness, “anything that is a bit maudline, and dark, I’m inclined to like”, he says in reference to his black humor. He cites Black Books and Peep Show as some of his favorite shows, and I choose to believe him, as we were sitting beneath an “Everything I Learned in Life I Learned from Peep Show” poster. Gareth smiles and says he relates to all the characters in their own ways, especially Mark, with his slight anxieties and rants on society. Not surprisingly, Gareth has taken a liking to Game of Thrones (though to be honest, I would be more surprised if he hadn’t—it’s just a quality show) and describes it as being, “Like Tolkien, but with a touch of moral ambiguity”. Basically the perfect show then.
And now for the ladies, Gareth prefers a more mature and traditional relationship, “I like to be able to talk about things freely—feelings, ideas, interests.” This extends to the chase as well, “There is something to be said if I like a girl enough to approach her, not to say I don’t want to be asked out—there’s no hard and fast rule—but there’s just something to be said for me starting it off.” For right now, however, Gareth is taking a break from the hunt, and focusing on a girl who he is incredibly cagey about discussing, for fear of ruining anything. Who ever this mystery girl is though, she is certainly very lucky, and I hope things work out!
After spending almost two hours on Gareth’s couch for this article, it struck me as odd that the charming and kind man next to me would have had reservations about being featured for this article. None-the-less, reservations he had. They weren’t even due to spending an unspecified amount of time with me either, which would be understandable (and possibly advisable). Rather, they were more fueled by his concerns regarding the other interviewees, who are, “well-groomed pretty boys with chiseled features”, a stark contrast to Gareth’s own opinion of himself as a, “bearded, ponytailed oddball.”
Gareth seems to be acutely suffering from a yet unnamed syndrome all too common in St Andrews. Symptoms include, but are not limited to: feeling unworthy, inferiority complex when surrounded by models, aversion to red trousers, cold sweats and hypertension when faced with wellies, etc… And while Gareth was surprised to be asked to be a ‘Campus Cutie’, I was more surprised by his hesitation. Being a ‘Campus Cutie’ isn’t about a strong jaw line, or a closet full of tweed, it’s about the individual—the myriad of tiny little things that combined make us who we are: our idiosyncrasies, quirks, likes, dislikes, even our beards and our ponytails that make us our oddball selves. Gareth has so much to offer besides the face fur and Metallica shirts.
One of the very strange parts of writing these articles, is developing an odd connection to the people you’re interviewing. Even though it’s usually only an hour so of face-to-face time, you get to ask really personal questions, and I’ve found that most people are happy to answer them honestly and openly. I mention this now, because after spending probably 4 hours in total of my life with Gareth, including the interview, random chats on the pavement, and some extra time for good measure, I can honestly say I will miss having him in St Andrews for next year. Having every reason to brag, and all the ability to be the focus of attention, Gareth remains humble and unassuming. He has a quiet strength undercut at times by acute vulnerability, only adding to his accessibility, and he has a rare sense of maturity and sincerity that combines to help create this charming, oddball guy. If you are still here in 2013, I highly recommend bumping into Gareth (trust me, it’s not hard), he is definitely someone who should not be missed. I wish you the best of luck for your upcoming year teaching in Bordeaux!
Good night in: Watching a film with some free flowing wine and whiskey, and lots of music and good conversation.
Good night out: Probably going to a pub (Whey Pat and Aikmans make the top of the list). I like house parties, it’s a good environment, and you can drink in a safe place.
Favorite time wasters: Facebook, YouTube, DrownedinSound.com, making tea, going to Janetta’s or Bibi’s and looking up Memes.
Fears: Definitely not failure, probably losing touch with the people I care about. It’s going to be hard, and sad, to be missing out on a year in the life of my friends here, especially as we are all just hitting our strides.