The Northern Irish frontman talks embarrassing love stories, legal run-ins and meeting royalty – both musical and literal

What’s the first rule of patrolling the snow? Is it: don’t eat yellow snow?

The first rule is don’t talk about patrolling the snow. We were originally called Polar Bear. I was at Dundee university and saw a friend of mine on the street who said, “How’s your band going? How’s Snow Patrol?” I was like: “Man, we’re called Polar Bear. I don’t know where you got that from.” A week later, we had to change the name of the band because one of the guys in Jane’s Addiction had just started a band called Polar Bear and his lawyers said we had to choose a new name. I’ve never met a polar bear, but I think I would love to, up until the point where it ripped my head off.