Nathan Aspinall, known as one of the most open and entertaining players on the PDC circuit, let loose on the Happy Hour podcast, ranking fellow darts players in various categories and sharing a string of hilarious anecdotes. The former major winner admitted he barely knows the lyrics to his now-legendary walk-on song Mr. Brightside by The Killers, and even confessed: “I don’t like the song… I hate that song. I can’t stand it.” Despite his personal distaste, Aspinall acknowledged the atmosphere it creates in the arena, saying it’s no longer about his taste but about the fans’ enjoyment.
When asked to blindly rank famous darts walk-ons by how iconic they are, Aspinall placed his own only in fourth. He stated without hesitation that Michael van Gerwen’s Seven Nation Army is more iconic than his, and named Phil Taylor’s entrance as the number one. He ranked Raymond van Barneveld’s walk-on as his number two. On Stephen Bunting’s Titanium, Aspinall admitted it might create more atmosphere these days, saying, “When that song comes on, it’s unbelievably loud.” However, he maintained his own entrance is more iconic, adding, “It absolutely s***s on ‘Mr. Brightside’.” Luke Littler’s Greenlight also drew praise: “At first I hated it, but now I love it. It’s addictive.”
The conversation shifted to his colleagues on the PDC Tour. Aspinall named Joe Cullen as the funniest player on tour, but when asked who’s the best on a night out, he pointed straight at himself: “Everyone calls me the party animal — no one parties like me.” On James Wade, Aspinall nuanced the grumpy reputation: “Wadey’s just… Wadey. He’s a nightmare when you play him, but he’s a good lad.” He then burst out laughing about Ryan Joyce: “Not moody, but he’s always got a face on him.” For a pub quiz teammate, he surprisingly chose Dirk van Duijvenbode: “He’s a very, very clever man… Proper intelligent.”
Aspinall also revealed which darter he’d least like to face in a fight, choosing Irish darter William O’Connor: “He’s actually dangerous.” He named Boris Krcmar, jokingly called “Big Bad Boris,” and shared a story from the Covid period during a Players Championship. When Boris Koltsov sat in Andy Boulton’s chair, Boulton wanted it back, and Aspinall recalled the Croatian’s intimidating response: “He said: ‘If that’s not back there by this time next week, I’m coming after you.'” Chris Dobey was picked as the least social player, not because he’s boring but because he’s consumed by football: “You try and have a conversation with him and all he talks about is football.” Finally, for best dancer, Aspinall first named Michael van Gerwen — “I always see him by the DJ, going absolutely mad” — then changed his mind to Gerwyn Price: “He doesn’t come out often, but when he does, he loves a dance.”
