Ryan, Tom, Jake and Mike, all aged 20, make up Essex heavy metal band CB6 (short for Carried by Six) and they're making a big impression, doing loads of gigs and releasing singles on iTunes. So how do Ryan and Tom keep their Type 1 diabetes under control? We catch up with frontman and bass player Ryan Monteith to find out more
It's a busy time for you – you've got loads of gigs lined up.
Yes, we generally gig most weekends and rehearse at least once a week, twice if possible. And most evenings are spent editing music videos, writing, recording, looking for promoters as well as constantly promoting our own work. Two of us also have full-time jobs. Tom is a window fitter and I work in marketing for Hi-Tec Sports, while Jake and Mike are both studying music at The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London.
How did you form?
We all met at primary school. Our guitarists, Mike and Jake, used to have guitar lessons at school when they were about 8. And Tom and Jake were good friends – Jake's dad had a drum kit, which Tom enjoyed playing when he went over his house, so it was natural for them to try and put together a band. I was chosen to do vocals and, of course, Mike could play guitar. As we were all friends it seemed obvious at the time.
So what's your music style?
It's always been straight up hard riff-based metal but over the last 10 years our style and influences have changed - not dramatically, but every day we discover something new
with music, which keeps our sound fresh.
How does being so busy affect your Type 1 diabetes?
Neither of us has ever suffered from a serious hyper [hyperglycaemia – high blood glucose levels]. But there have been some quite serious hypos [hypoglycaemia – low blood glucose levels] for both of us. My first serious low was caused by doing too much exercise and not eating enough carbohydrate to replenish the energy I'd used. My levels were fine before I went to sleep but dropped overnight. When I woke, I found my legs were failing to work as they should and fell over. I was confused and passed out. My family had to use HypoStop gel to bring me back round. It was a strong reminder not to be so lackadaisical with my diabetes and to plan an eating schedule before doing exercise.
I think Tom and I can each tell if the other is feeling high or low by our moods. If we are low, we might not be as responsive within the group or just be quieter than normal. If our levels are a little high, we might generally have a bad attitude. We can both empathise with that.
We have never been embarrassed by diabetes. As it's lifelong, you should try your best to teach others who don't suffer from it and at least give them a basic understanding of diabetes and how to treat a hypo without panicking.
So when were you both diagnosed with Type 1?
I was diagnosed back in February 1999. We were on a family holiday in France when I suffered severe weight loss and was exceptionally thirsty and tired. When we got back I was rushed straight to hospital, where I was diagnosed. Tom was 10 and had similar symptoms but was fortunate to get medical help before anything serious happened. We were both friends at school at this point but I guess we understood each other better due to having diabetes – it made things easier!
How do you treat your diabetes?
Both of us use the Novo Rapid Flex Pen and Lantus, doing on average six injections a day. For many years I was using the Mixtard pens and having two injections a day, so moving to five or six seemed intimidating. But now I couldn't recommend it enough; once you get to grips with the carb counting system you find yourself in such greater control. It's definitely more flexible; sometimes you might not know what you're going to eat, how much or even what time, especially when you're playing a town you have never been before. Tom transferred to the rapid pen before me, so it was great being able to ask him how he felt about it and how well it was helping keep control of his levels.
What's been the highlight for the band?
I'd say the tour we did back in 2008 – we played some amazing shows with another band (The Failing). The weather was great and it was exciting playing our songs to people who never seen or heard of us before. We have recently released a single called 'Consider this Severance' – it's had a great response online and we'd like people to watch it on YouTube!
So what would you say to readers who want to get into a band?
Place an advert in a local music shop with a little explanation of yourself, what type of music you are influenced by and why you want to play; go to local band nights where like-minded people will be. Or start your own – use Facebook and other social media outlets and just have fun with it!
Find out more about CB6!
Find CB6 on Facebook and visit their website.