Lovely little band. Very friendly, cheerful and they play uplifting stuff. Go see nao.
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in December 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
(c) mINtSOUTH
THE LITTLE PHILISTINES
BUS PASS / JUDITH CUT MY HEAD OFF
The Little Philistines are pop fans. That’s nice to see - or rather, hear. Pop is a dirty word for many nowadays. But there’s nothing dirty about the pop confection of Bus Pass, a fast and sparky tune of lust on public transport. It’s impossible not to be swept along in its warm charm and sweet energy. And it only lasts for two minutes, so you find yourself playing it over and over. The lyrics are quite amusing - “This must be love – or my name’s Margaret Thatcher,” being my particular favourite. Bus Pass is short, sharp and leaves you wanting more. A delightful gem.
Judith Cut My Head Off (then she put it on again) is a bit spikier and not as immediate, though again once it gets going has a sweet warmth to the melody. “Come on fathead,” isn’t my favourite insult of all time, though it gets better with “No-one likes to hang around / with someone whose head is upside down,” - a story to make Raggy Dolls fans bow theirs in sympathy. Judith... includes a slightly tortuous, strangulated cry, but it soon continues with a more innocent sounding tune. The Little Philistines’ cheerfulness will not be kept down for long.
Both songs are available now through iTunes.
The Little Philistines
Tuesday 19 January 2010
Interview - Band Of Skulls
Band Of Skulls have a wicked bluesy rock sounds - go and check them out now, dammit.
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in October 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH
BAND OF SKULLS - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Matt: “Me and Russell, when we were little children we were playing music. Same beards - we didn’t really look too much different - beards, sunglasses, hangover. We’ve been playing in various different bands and we met Emma a couple of years ago when Russell went to art college. We had a load of different line ups and this is the final one which we’ve stuck with.”
mINtSOUTH: Can you describe your music?
Band Of Skulls: “Bluesy rock and roll…Garage soul funk.”
Emma: “I suppose the easiest way would be to say that we are a loud rock and roll band, but then everyone thinks different things about what we do.”
Matt: “I think we’re committed. Commited to a mental institution.”
Russell: “In my mind we’re like this Sixties soul girl group.”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Matt: “Our home venue is the Talking Heads in Southampton. We used to run a club night there and we also needed to name our band. Because Talking Heads had already been taken, apparently, by some band in America, we chose Band of Skulls.”
Russell: “That didn’t really explain anything!”
Matt: “There’s a Hamlet-esque painting on the flappy board outside with a skull on it.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – have you played yet today?
Matt: “We did an acoustic set, but our show is later on tonight. We’re very excited to play. We’ve just come off a two month tour in the US and this is our first UK gig for a long, long time.”
Russell: “It’s the beginning of our UK tour. It’s just trying to stay off the beers until ten past ten…”
Matt: “Which we’ve already failed at.”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Russell: “Depending what you wanted, a healthy option would be me.”
Emma: “Matt is a nightclub inside.”
Matt: “If you wanted to get drunk, you’d eat me. You’d have more fun eating me. Russell you’d survive longer and Emma there’s nothing to her so you’d be wasting time.”
mINtSOUTH: Do you support any charities?
Emma: “My uncle once for my birthday present paid for an elephant to be fed and watered for one year. I got a little picture, and I felt good about it.”
Matt: “I understand today is a charitable affair. I guess the main stuff we do is where people ask us to play. When the charity people come up to you in the street, you’re like why are you coming to me man, do I look like I have any cash?”
Russell: “They look at me now - and they look down and walk away.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Russell: “That’s a tough one, I don’t know man. Bears would probably get their arms around the back and then snap the neck.”
Matt: “Gorillas are fierce and they’re agile.”
Russell: “And more intelligent – but bears are about three times bigger.”
Emma: “I reckon a bear. Have you seen the size of their claws?”
Russell: “Anyway, it’ll never happen, unless there was a terrible security lapse at a zoo. ‘Oh no, the fence is down!’”
Matt: “It’ll be like Jurassic Park all over again.”
Russell: “We’re going with bear.”
mINtSOUTH: Any onstage antics to get everyone going at the gig tonight?
Russell: “Yes, there’s going to be a fight between a bear and a gorilla.”
Shoutbox – Band of Skulls: “Our album ‘Baby Darling Doll Face Honey’ comes out 21st September in England and we are touring the entire county to support it. Then we’re back to the US after that.”
Band Of Skulls
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in October 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH
BAND OF SKULLS - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Matt: “Me and Russell, when we were little children we were playing music. Same beards - we didn’t really look too much different - beards, sunglasses, hangover. We’ve been playing in various different bands and we met Emma a couple of years ago when Russell went to art college. We had a load of different line ups and this is the final one which we’ve stuck with.”
mINtSOUTH: Can you describe your music?
Band Of Skulls: “Bluesy rock and roll…Garage soul funk.”
Emma: “I suppose the easiest way would be to say that we are a loud rock and roll band, but then everyone thinks different things about what we do.”
Matt: “I think we’re committed. Commited to a mental institution.”
Russell: “In my mind we’re like this Sixties soul girl group.”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Matt: “Our home venue is the Talking Heads in Southampton. We used to run a club night there and we also needed to name our band. Because Talking Heads had already been taken, apparently, by some band in America, we chose Band of Skulls.”
Russell: “That didn’t really explain anything!”
Matt: “There’s a Hamlet-esque painting on the flappy board outside with a skull on it.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – have you played yet today?
Matt: “We did an acoustic set, but our show is later on tonight. We’re very excited to play. We’ve just come off a two month tour in the US and this is our first UK gig for a long, long time.”
Russell: “It’s the beginning of our UK tour. It’s just trying to stay off the beers until ten past ten…”
Matt: “Which we’ve already failed at.”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Russell: “Depending what you wanted, a healthy option would be me.”
Emma: “Matt is a nightclub inside.”
Matt: “If you wanted to get drunk, you’d eat me. You’d have more fun eating me. Russell you’d survive longer and Emma there’s nothing to her so you’d be wasting time.”
mINtSOUTH: Do you support any charities?
Emma: “My uncle once for my birthday present paid for an elephant to be fed and watered for one year. I got a little picture, and I felt good about it.”
Matt: “I understand today is a charitable affair. I guess the main stuff we do is where people ask us to play. When the charity people come up to you in the street, you’re like why are you coming to me man, do I look like I have any cash?”
Russell: “They look at me now - and they look down and walk away.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Russell: “That’s a tough one, I don’t know man. Bears would probably get their arms around the back and then snap the neck.”
Matt: “Gorillas are fierce and they’re agile.”
Russell: “And more intelligent – but bears are about three times bigger.”
Emma: “I reckon a bear. Have you seen the size of their claws?”
Russell: “Anyway, it’ll never happen, unless there was a terrible security lapse at a zoo. ‘Oh no, the fence is down!’”
Matt: “It’ll be like Jurassic Park all over again.”
Russell: “We’re going with bear.”
mINtSOUTH: Any onstage antics to get everyone going at the gig tonight?
Russell: “Yes, there’s going to be a fight between a bear and a gorilla.”
Shoutbox – Band of Skulls: “Our album ‘Baby Darling Doll Face Honey’ comes out 21st September in England and we are touring the entire county to support it. Then we’re back to the US after that.”
Band Of Skulls
Interview - Fresh Legs
They're a good band, are Fresh Legs. We got them to sign a postcard proclaiming their love for Tom. It's currently on display in my car, alongside a random piece of sparkly jewellery and a Pigeon Detectives keyring. My car is indie as.
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in October 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
FRESH LEGS - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Carl: “We’ve been going for about three years. Myself, Thom and Karlos were in a band in school called Gravy Boat, it was good fun.”
Thom: “It was very awful.”
Carl: “We went to South Downs College. There was an enrichment course called Rock Band just to play music, and eventually form a band to play a showcase at the Wedge. Me and Thom wanted to start playing together in this Rock Band group and then we invited Karlos to come along and drum because the drummers were rubbish. Karlos knew Ella from PE class so he invited her to come to sing, and then we started practising in rehearsal rooms, started making our own songs, and then gradually got a gig, and we’ve been doing it ever since. Just having fun, making music with your friends.”
mINtSOUTH: Can you describe your music?
Thom: “We try to write pop songs because they’re what we enjoy to listen to and enjoy to play. There’s no need to stray from pop, if that’s what you like doing and it sounds good.”
Carl: “It’s pop but with some quirks in the song to make it a bit different.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – discuss.
Thom: “We’re playing at the Wedgewood Rooms.”
Carl: “We played last year and the first year as well. It was supposed to be a mini music festival, you know, a couple of venues along the street. We played at Havana Bar. And then the following year it was absolutely brilliant, absolutely loved it. It was nice to see Albert Road filled with people here to get drunk and listen to music, it just was a unity, we really liked it and we’re glad to be back.”
mINtSOUTH: Any onstage antics to get everyone going?
Carl: “We just played Bestival last weekend, and we all had gold suits on, like all-in-one suits.”
Thom: “Spandex. It looked all right on him but I looked horrible. I looked like a saggy elephant.”
Carl: “Our friend Gary made these pink legs with Fresh Legs written up them, so we’ve got them with us as well which is nice.”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Carl: “Our drummer Karlos. He has pain au chocolat for breakfast every day.”
Thom: “Definitely Karlos. He’d be lovely. We could all each eat a little bit of ourselves, like cut off our toes.”
Carl: “I would really like to eat my thigh.”
Thom: “I always think that. If you had your leg amputated, would you be allowed to keep it afterwards? And cook it up?”
mINtSOUTH: Do you support any charities?
Carl: “I work for charity. I’m the really annoying person that comes to your door – ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ – stupidly enthusiastic, may I add. I’ve done the Medical Foundation, which is for victims of torture, I’ve also done Scope, which is for disabled peoples, and I’m now doing CARE, which is the world’s largest development charity, working all over the world, in places of conflict, natural disasters and third world countries. Shall I do a pitch?”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Thom: “We didn’t know what to call our band and then me and Carl were sat in a car outside a school and then some girls walked past. You could tell they were going to grow into very attractive women and Carl just went, ‘Fresh legs!’ and we thought we could use that for a while. We didn’t realise it was a sporting term, like ‘Fresh legs on at half time’.”
Carl: “We were going to be called Wellington, which I still really like. But Fresh Legs sort of stuck - it’s a bit embarrassing.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Thom: [very excitedly] “I’ve been asking myself this for years! I was watching this video and it was basically gorilla versus bear and the bear was winning, but then the gorilla picked up a stick and just battered him with it. I think the gorilla would win because of its intellect. The bear would just lash out, whereas the gorilla would think ‘Wait, I can see its weak points…’”
Carl: “I agree with that. I think the gorilla would win hands-down.”
Shoutbox – Fresh Legs: “We have an EP – Julian - coming out October 4th. It’s a four track EP, all new songs. We’ve sent a copy to Rob da Bank who’s like a fan of ours. Every track we’ve sent him he’s played on his radio show on Radio 1 which is well nice, so hopefully he can do the same with some tracks from our EP.”
Fresh Legs - MySpace
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in October 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
FRESH LEGS - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Carl: “We’ve been going for about three years. Myself, Thom and Karlos were in a band in school called Gravy Boat, it was good fun.”
Thom: “It was very awful.”
Carl: “We went to South Downs College. There was an enrichment course called Rock Band just to play music, and eventually form a band to play a showcase at the Wedge. Me and Thom wanted to start playing together in this Rock Band group and then we invited Karlos to come along and drum because the drummers were rubbish. Karlos knew Ella from PE class so he invited her to come to sing, and then we started practising in rehearsal rooms, started making our own songs, and then gradually got a gig, and we’ve been doing it ever since. Just having fun, making music with your friends.”
mINtSOUTH: Can you describe your music?
Thom: “We try to write pop songs because they’re what we enjoy to listen to and enjoy to play. There’s no need to stray from pop, if that’s what you like doing and it sounds good.”
Carl: “It’s pop but with some quirks in the song to make it a bit different.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – discuss.
Thom: “We’re playing at the Wedgewood Rooms.”
Carl: “We played last year and the first year as well. It was supposed to be a mini music festival, you know, a couple of venues along the street. We played at Havana Bar. And then the following year it was absolutely brilliant, absolutely loved it. It was nice to see Albert Road filled with people here to get drunk and listen to music, it just was a unity, we really liked it and we’re glad to be back.”
mINtSOUTH: Any onstage antics to get everyone going?
Carl: “We just played Bestival last weekend, and we all had gold suits on, like all-in-one suits.”
Thom: “Spandex. It looked all right on him but I looked horrible. I looked like a saggy elephant.”
Carl: “Our friend Gary made these pink legs with Fresh Legs written up them, so we’ve got them with us as well which is nice.”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Carl: “Our drummer Karlos. He has pain au chocolat for breakfast every day.”
Thom: “Definitely Karlos. He’d be lovely. We could all each eat a little bit of ourselves, like cut off our toes.”
Carl: “I would really like to eat my thigh.”
Thom: “I always think that. If you had your leg amputated, would you be allowed to keep it afterwards? And cook it up?”
mINtSOUTH: Do you support any charities?
Carl: “I work for charity. I’m the really annoying person that comes to your door – ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ – stupidly enthusiastic, may I add. I’ve done the Medical Foundation, which is for victims of torture, I’ve also done Scope, which is for disabled peoples, and I’m now doing CARE, which is the world’s largest development charity, working all over the world, in places of conflict, natural disasters and third world countries. Shall I do a pitch?”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Thom: “We didn’t know what to call our band and then me and Carl were sat in a car outside a school and then some girls walked past. You could tell they were going to grow into very attractive women and Carl just went, ‘Fresh legs!’ and we thought we could use that for a while. We didn’t realise it was a sporting term, like ‘Fresh legs on at half time’.”
Carl: “We were going to be called Wellington, which I still really like. But Fresh Legs sort of stuck - it’s a bit embarrassing.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Thom: [very excitedly] “I’ve been asking myself this for years! I was watching this video and it was basically gorilla versus bear and the bear was winning, but then the gorilla picked up a stick and just battered him with it. I think the gorilla would win because of its intellect. The bear would just lash out, whereas the gorilla would think ‘Wait, I can see its weak points…’”
Carl: “I agree with that. I think the gorilla would win hands-down.”
Shoutbox – Fresh Legs: “We have an EP – Julian - coming out October 4th. It’s a four track EP, all new songs. We’ve sent a copy to Rob da Bank who’s like a fan of ours. Every track we’ve sent him he’s played on his radio show on Radio 1 which is well nice, so hopefully he can do the same with some tracks from our EP.”
Fresh Legs - MySpace
Interview - Max Raptor
I think this was one of the last interviews I did at Southsea Fest, so by that time I'd spent five hours indoors repeating the same questions. I kind of stopped paying attention to everyone and went a bit stir crazy. Max Raptor were jolly good fun to speak with though.
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in October 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
MAX RAPTOR - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Max Raptor: “We’ve been playing about three, four years. Two years seriously of gig gig gig and just getting it out there.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – have you played yet today?
Matt: “We’re playing Southsea Social Club later. It’s got a horrible amount of alliteration in the title, but I’m very much looking forward to it. It’s quite a small stage so I don’t know how crazy we can be.”
Tom: “We normally do the mile run, from one side of the stage to the other, but with it being 40 cm we’re just going to jump up and down.”
Matt: ”We cause a bit of chaos wherever we go anyway.”
mINtSOUTH: Any bands you’re looking forward to seeing?
Max Raptor: “Jumping Ships. Would like to see Blakfish actually. The Black & Reds. Anyone from Birmingham. Neighbours to us.”
Wil: “We’re from the Midlands. Birmingham and Derby, we’re sort of in the middle - the middle of nowhere.”
Max Raptor: “We play Brighton quite a bit, Portsmouth a few times, Southampton a few times, Winchester…”
Tom: “They’re all quite similar. You like your takeaway places, don’t you? There’s loads of that, kebabs and antiques. I’m going to get myself a kebab and a Louis XIV chair.”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Max Raptor: “It’s a character, and all the songs are pretty much based around that character. Max Raptor sounds nice and it looks good written down. It’s a strong word ‘raptor’. It’s quite fierce and stealthy and it kind of jumps up on you. Like our music. In a dark alley!”
mINtSOUTH: How would you describe your music?
Max Raptor: “Energetic, fast, punky, rocky, Buzzcocks, / Clash style with a bit of a modern twist.”
Matt: “It’s like a small hurricane put into a satin bag in your back pocket.”
Wil: “Vietnamese boxing rock.”
Matt: “Are you going to come down later?”
mINtSOUTH: Where are you playing?
Matt: “Ah, I did answer that earlier! Southsea Social Club. I don’t know what time.”
JB: “Before the bingo, probably.”
Matt: “Meat raffle! I passed the most dodgy butchers on the way here. I think it had a barber’s in the front as well. A bit like Sweeney Todd.”
Wil: “But it wasn’t a pie shop…”
[mINtSOUTH was in attendance at the gig, and thoroughly enjoyed it].
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Wil: “We’d have a roast of Matt. There’s loads of him.”
Matt: “There’s a lot of good quality meat on me. I think JB would be able to run away the quickest. He’s free-range.”
Tom: “There’s quite a lot of him so we’ll probably have to chop him into two.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Matt: “Neither because a raptor would come down and kill them all.”
Max Raptor: “What type of bear? Grizzly? And if it’s Silverback, Silverback versus grizzly – god only knows.”
JB: “Gorilla, definitely. It’s all about the guns with a gorilla.”
Matt: “But a Silverback is quite placid unless he’s in mating season.”
Tom: “Yeah but still if a bear wandered into his house…”
Matt: “Monkeys have got houses? Good.”
Shoutbox –
Max Raptor: “There is a tour being organised at the end of October, and so we’ll be no doubt here for that. But if that doesn’t happen, I’m sorry for lying. See you there. One two three – bye!”
Max Raptor on MySpace
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in October 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
MAX RAPTOR - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Max Raptor: “We’ve been playing about three, four years. Two years seriously of gig gig gig and just getting it out there.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – have you played yet today?
Matt: “We’re playing Southsea Social Club later. It’s got a horrible amount of alliteration in the title, but I’m very much looking forward to it. It’s quite a small stage so I don’t know how crazy we can be.”
Tom: “We normally do the mile run, from one side of the stage to the other, but with it being 40 cm we’re just going to jump up and down.”
Matt: ”We cause a bit of chaos wherever we go anyway.”
mINtSOUTH: Any bands you’re looking forward to seeing?
Max Raptor: “Jumping Ships. Would like to see Blakfish actually. The Black & Reds. Anyone from Birmingham. Neighbours to us.”
Wil: “We’re from the Midlands. Birmingham and Derby, we’re sort of in the middle - the middle of nowhere.”
Max Raptor: “We play Brighton quite a bit, Portsmouth a few times, Southampton a few times, Winchester…”
Tom: “They’re all quite similar. You like your takeaway places, don’t you? There’s loads of that, kebabs and antiques. I’m going to get myself a kebab and a Louis XIV chair.”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Max Raptor: “It’s a character, and all the songs are pretty much based around that character. Max Raptor sounds nice and it looks good written down. It’s a strong word ‘raptor’. It’s quite fierce and stealthy and it kind of jumps up on you. Like our music. In a dark alley!”
mINtSOUTH: How would you describe your music?
Max Raptor: “Energetic, fast, punky, rocky, Buzzcocks, / Clash style with a bit of a modern twist.”
Matt: “It’s like a small hurricane put into a satin bag in your back pocket.”
Wil: “Vietnamese boxing rock.”
Matt: “Are you going to come down later?”
mINtSOUTH: Where are you playing?
Matt: “Ah, I did answer that earlier! Southsea Social Club. I don’t know what time.”
JB: “Before the bingo, probably.”
Matt: “Meat raffle! I passed the most dodgy butchers on the way here. I think it had a barber’s in the front as well. A bit like Sweeney Todd.”
Wil: “But it wasn’t a pie shop…”
[mINtSOUTH was in attendance at the gig, and thoroughly enjoyed it].
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Wil: “We’d have a roast of Matt. There’s loads of him.”
Matt: “There’s a lot of good quality meat on me. I think JB would be able to run away the quickest. He’s free-range.”
Tom: “There’s quite a lot of him so we’ll probably have to chop him into two.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Matt: “Neither because a raptor would come down and kill them all.”
Max Raptor: “What type of bear? Grizzly? And if it’s Silverback, Silverback versus grizzly – god only knows.”
JB: “Gorilla, definitely. It’s all about the guns with a gorilla.”
Matt: “But a Silverback is quite placid unless he’s in mating season.”
Tom: “Yeah but still if a bear wandered into his house…”
Matt: “Monkeys have got houses? Good.”
Shoutbox –
Max Raptor: “There is a tour being organised at the end of October, and so we’ll be no doubt here for that. But if that doesn’t happen, I’m sorry for lying. See you there. One two three – bye!”
Max Raptor on MySpace
Interview - Jazica
Thats Jazz-Ikka. Not Jazz-Eeker as I keep calling them. Sorry kids.
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in October 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH
JAZICA - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Chris: “We’re Jazica, we’ve been together about three years. We started off sounding all seasidey but now we’ve started going a bit darker and poppier.”
Frankie: “And dancier, and more fun onstage. Our aim is to finish a show with sweat from head to toe.”
Nick: “And we don’t even care whose sweat it is.”
mINtSOUTH: The Road To V competition – has that helped in any way?
Frankie: “For that we had to cram a set into 15 minutes, so we had to jump around, we had to get to that sweaty point in 15 minutes.”
Nick: “It’s opened a lot of doors actually, hasn’t it? Having the name out there now.”
Chris: “Our drummer was recognised in a cinema the other day. That’s quite exciting. Exciting this fame thing isn’t it?”
Nick: “I want to be recognised in Waitrose in Sheffield. Then I’ll know I’ve made it. That’s the goal.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – discuss.
Frankie: “Really looking forward to [playing at Southsea Social Club]. It’s right next to the VIP lounge, so free booze all round. It’s a really cute little venue as well, it’s got a lost of space but it’s quite cosy still. The rest of the festival has been pretty good so far, seen a couple of random bands – the showcase winner (Ribbon) who was interesting, very theatrical. I can’t believe the weather, it’s amazing isn’t it?”
Chris: “To quote the guy we saw onstage earlier on, he said ‘The weather has come out.’ That was quote of the day so far.”
mINtSOUTH: Any bands you’re looking forward to seeing?
Jazica: “Blakfish and Tubelord. Joy Formidable. Thomas Tantrum, James Yuill, Band of Skulls, and Official Secrets Act, who are amazing.”
Frankie: “Fresh Legs I’d like to see, but I have seen them twice in the last week!”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Chris: “We could eat Kev and still do gigs, because we’ve got an electric drum machine.”
Frankie: “That’s a really a disturbing question!”
Nick: “I’m seriously thinking about which bit I’d eat first, which is really worrying me.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Nick: “I thought it said Godzilla versus bear! I thought that was a bit one-sided.”
Chris: “I recently saw a film called ‘Mega Shark versus Giant Octopus’. Not that you’ve asked me that question, but I’m going to tell you anyway. Really bad special effects, brilliant acting. A shark bites a plane from mid-flight. It’s definitely worth a watch… A gorilla would win I reckon.”
Nick: “It depends what sort of bear it is. Polar bears are quite tough.”
Chris: “I don’t know where we’re going with this.”
Frankie: “I think you should just say that sharks will win.”
Chris: “The shark was better. The octopus they hardly showed because you have to do more special effects with an octopus.”
Frankie: “Anyway…”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Frankie: “I went to India and played a gig in a beach bar, and the guys there called me Jessica. They put it on the poster but they spelt it wrong and I kept the stage name.”
Chris: “We need to make up a new story don’t we?”
Frankie: “There was this massive shark, and it tried to bite this plane, and they called it Jaws but that had already been done before so they called it Jaz, and the plane was called Atlantica…”
Chris: “…It had Jaz tattooed on the side of its head, so when it bit the plane, put together it said Jazica.”
Nick: “Music with a bite.”
Shoutbox –
Jazica: “We’re supporting Delphic at the Joiners at the end of October – they’re amazing, a sea of sounds and hypnotic beats that just get you moving. Keep checking our MySpace, we’ve got a lot of new songs that we’re recording at the moment and there are some good ‘uns.”
Jazica - MySpace
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in October 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH
JAZICA - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Chris: “We’re Jazica, we’ve been together about three years. We started off sounding all seasidey but now we’ve started going a bit darker and poppier.”
Frankie: “And dancier, and more fun onstage. Our aim is to finish a show with sweat from head to toe.”
Nick: “And we don’t even care whose sweat it is.”
mINtSOUTH: The Road To V competition – has that helped in any way?
Frankie: “For that we had to cram a set into 15 minutes, so we had to jump around, we had to get to that sweaty point in 15 minutes.”
Nick: “It’s opened a lot of doors actually, hasn’t it? Having the name out there now.”
Chris: “Our drummer was recognised in a cinema the other day. That’s quite exciting. Exciting this fame thing isn’t it?”
Nick: “I want to be recognised in Waitrose in Sheffield. Then I’ll know I’ve made it. That’s the goal.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – discuss.
Frankie: “Really looking forward to [playing at Southsea Social Club]. It’s right next to the VIP lounge, so free booze all round. It’s a really cute little venue as well, it’s got a lost of space but it’s quite cosy still. The rest of the festival has been pretty good so far, seen a couple of random bands – the showcase winner (Ribbon) who was interesting, very theatrical. I can’t believe the weather, it’s amazing isn’t it?”
Chris: “To quote the guy we saw onstage earlier on, he said ‘The weather has come out.’ That was quote of the day so far.”
mINtSOUTH: Any bands you’re looking forward to seeing?
Jazica: “Blakfish and Tubelord. Joy Formidable. Thomas Tantrum, James Yuill, Band of Skulls, and Official Secrets Act, who are amazing.”
Frankie: “Fresh Legs I’d like to see, but I have seen them twice in the last week!”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Chris: “We could eat Kev and still do gigs, because we’ve got an electric drum machine.”
Frankie: “That’s a really a disturbing question!”
Nick: “I’m seriously thinking about which bit I’d eat first, which is really worrying me.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Nick: “I thought it said Godzilla versus bear! I thought that was a bit one-sided.”
Chris: “I recently saw a film called ‘Mega Shark versus Giant Octopus’. Not that you’ve asked me that question, but I’m going to tell you anyway. Really bad special effects, brilliant acting. A shark bites a plane from mid-flight. It’s definitely worth a watch… A gorilla would win I reckon.”
Nick: “It depends what sort of bear it is. Polar bears are quite tough.”
Chris: “I don’t know where we’re going with this.”
Frankie: “I think you should just say that sharks will win.”
Chris: “The shark was better. The octopus they hardly showed because you have to do more special effects with an octopus.”
Frankie: “Anyway…”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Frankie: “I went to India and played a gig in a beach bar, and the guys there called me Jessica. They put it on the poster but they spelt it wrong and I kept the stage name.”
Chris: “We need to make up a new story don’t we?”
Frankie: “There was this massive shark, and it tried to bite this plane, and they called it Jaws but that had already been done before so they called it Jaz, and the plane was called Atlantica…”
Chris: “…It had Jaz tattooed on the side of its head, so when it bit the plane, put together it said Jazica.”
Nick: “Music with a bite.”
Shoutbox –
Jazica: “We’re supporting Delphic at the Joiners at the end of October – they’re amazing, a sea of sounds and hypnotic beats that just get you moving. Keep checking our MySpace, we’ve got a lot of new songs that we’re recording at the moment and there are some good ‘uns.”
Jazica - MySpace
Monday 11 January 2010
Interview - Haunted Stereo
Always a pleasant surprise to bump into a vague acquaintance (or to question them) - young Andy from Haunted Stereo was in my history class at college many moons ago.
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in October 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
HAUNTED STEREO - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Lewis: “I think we have been going about a year and a half. Me and Andy got together musically but it was all slow, we met at his stag do and then didn’t talk for about two months.”
Andy: “And then we said we were going to get together but we didn’t actually do it for three months.”
Ben: “It was a really long drawn out and boring affair!”
Andy: “Lewis had been in a couple of rock bands up to that point, I had been in more arty bands up in London before I met Anja. It just took a while to find exactly what we wanted to do. We pestered Anja for ages to be part of it – after our last band she was like ‘Oh, I don’t want to do a band again’ but then she started listening in and going ‘Oh, actually you know I’ll play a couple of songs,’ and before we knew it she took over! It’s a very typical phrase, but it was ‘an organic process’ of how it came together.”
Ben: “We keep losing members.”
Andy: “We’re like The Fall with our previous members list.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – have you played yet today?
Anja: “We have actually, yeah.”
Ben: “It was really early and really short but people turned up, I don’t know where from, but they came. They seemed to quite enjoy it. It was our violinist Joanna’s last gig today so it was quite nice that everyone came to watch.”
Anja: “I did a solo set at the Magic Bean Café. I got distracted.”
Ben: “…by The Little Philistines. They’re better than we are.”
mINtSOUTH: Any bands you’re looking forward to seeing?
Haunted Stereo: “We’ve been running around doing bits and bobs and we got a tiny bite to eat so we haven’t actually got to see a lot, but we’re going to go and see Hold Fast, the Strange Death of Liberal England, definitely going to go and see Thomas Tantrum, and Peggy Sue.”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Haunted Stereo: “Three of us are vegetarians… Dave! Dave’s not here. He eats the most beef and chicken. He looks rugged. I’m sure he’ll be a great burger.”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Andy: “It was a birthday a few years ago and I wanted the music I had on my stereo to be in the kitchen as well, so bought one of those things where you plug in and then you just tune in on the radio. I was listening to records and tuning it through to the right frequency and someone said ‘Wow, it’s a bit like a haunted stereo.’”
Ben: “’Your stereo’s haunted.’ Get it right.”
Andy: “All right! Someone came running in and said ‘You can call yourselves Haunted Stereo!’ and I was like [slightly worried] yeah, ok then…”
Ben: “We were a bit drunk at the time. It seemed like a great idea at the time.”
mINtSOUTH: Do you support any charities?
Anja: “We did a gig last month at the Amnesty bookshop in Brighton which went really well. They’ve started a new site called Tracks for Amnesty, http://amnestybrighton.bandcamp.com/ they upload tracks for bands and sell them and all proceeds go to Amnesty International. We released our EP ‘In Bars’ on Tracks for Amnesty just a few weeks ago. You can go there and download our track, it’s called ‘Across The Sea’.”
Ben: “There’s loads of other bands in there as well, I think there’s 10 songs to choice from. Any anyone who gets a chance to play the bookshop, should. Really good fun. There’s an off licence opposite so you can have a beer outside. And if you’re not into the bands, you can have a look at the bookshelves.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Andy: “I think bears have probably got slightly sharper teeth and generally a little bit more raw animal power.”
Ben: “I thought that bears, if you act like a bear at them, they get a bit scared and timid.”
Andy: “Would a gorilla know that though?”
Ben: “Gorillas are probably more intelligent than the bear.”
Andy: “Yeah, but I don’t think they would have read any National Geographic!”
Ben: “My vote is gorilla.”
Lewis: “I say bear. Bears are pretty cool.”
Shoutbox –
Haunted Stereo: “In November we’re releasing our new EP - we’re doing a big launch at the Joiners. We’ve got Thomas Tantrum supporting us, and the Moulettes. It’s going to be our first release on Sotones as well. Should be a riot!”
Haunted Stereo
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in October 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
HAUNTED STEREO - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Lewis: “I think we have been going about a year and a half. Me and Andy got together musically but it was all slow, we met at his stag do and then didn’t talk for about two months.”
Andy: “And then we said we were going to get together but we didn’t actually do it for three months.”
Ben: “It was a really long drawn out and boring affair!”
Andy: “Lewis had been in a couple of rock bands up to that point, I had been in more arty bands up in London before I met Anja. It just took a while to find exactly what we wanted to do. We pestered Anja for ages to be part of it – after our last band she was like ‘Oh, I don’t want to do a band again’ but then she started listening in and going ‘Oh, actually you know I’ll play a couple of songs,’ and before we knew it she took over! It’s a very typical phrase, but it was ‘an organic process’ of how it came together.”
Ben: “We keep losing members.”
Andy: “We’re like The Fall with our previous members list.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – have you played yet today?
Anja: “We have actually, yeah.”
Ben: “It was really early and really short but people turned up, I don’t know where from, but they came. They seemed to quite enjoy it. It was our violinist Joanna’s last gig today so it was quite nice that everyone came to watch.”
Anja: “I did a solo set at the Magic Bean Café. I got distracted.”
Ben: “…by The Little Philistines. They’re better than we are.”
mINtSOUTH: Any bands you’re looking forward to seeing?
Haunted Stereo: “We’ve been running around doing bits and bobs and we got a tiny bite to eat so we haven’t actually got to see a lot, but we’re going to go and see Hold Fast, the Strange Death of Liberal England, definitely going to go and see Thomas Tantrum, and Peggy Sue.”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Haunted Stereo: “Three of us are vegetarians… Dave! Dave’s not here. He eats the most beef and chicken. He looks rugged. I’m sure he’ll be a great burger.”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Andy: “It was a birthday a few years ago and I wanted the music I had on my stereo to be in the kitchen as well, so bought one of those things where you plug in and then you just tune in on the radio. I was listening to records and tuning it through to the right frequency and someone said ‘Wow, it’s a bit like a haunted stereo.’”
Ben: “’Your stereo’s haunted.’ Get it right.”
Andy: “All right! Someone came running in and said ‘You can call yourselves Haunted Stereo!’ and I was like [slightly worried] yeah, ok then…”
Ben: “We were a bit drunk at the time. It seemed like a great idea at the time.”
mINtSOUTH: Do you support any charities?
Anja: “We did a gig last month at the Amnesty bookshop in Brighton which went really well. They’ve started a new site called Tracks for Amnesty, http://amnestybrighton.bandcamp.com/ they upload tracks for bands and sell them and all proceeds go to Amnesty International. We released our EP ‘In Bars’ on Tracks for Amnesty just a few weeks ago. You can go there and download our track, it’s called ‘Across The Sea’.”
Ben: “There’s loads of other bands in there as well, I think there’s 10 songs to choice from. Any anyone who gets a chance to play the bookshop, should. Really good fun. There’s an off licence opposite so you can have a beer outside. And if you’re not into the bands, you can have a look at the bookshelves.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Andy: “I think bears have probably got slightly sharper teeth and generally a little bit more raw animal power.”
Ben: “I thought that bears, if you act like a bear at them, they get a bit scared and timid.”
Andy: “Would a gorilla know that though?”
Ben: “Gorillas are probably more intelligent than the bear.”
Andy: “Yeah, but I don’t think they would have read any National Geographic!”
Ben: “My vote is gorilla.”
Lewis: “I say bear. Bears are pretty cool.”
Shoutbox –
Haunted Stereo: “In November we’re releasing our new EP - we’re doing a big launch at the Joiners. We’ve got Thomas Tantrum supporting us, and the Moulettes. It’s going to be our first release on Sotones as well. Should be a riot!”
Haunted Stereo
Live Review - Neko Case + Black Gold
Neko Case isn't really my sort of music - it's a bit earthy and rootsy, but I gamely tried to get into the spirit by er, standing at the back and trying not to fall asleep. Damn gigs on a school night...
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
NEKO CASE + BLACK GOLD @ WEDGEWOOD ROOMS 16/09/09
Is it the credit crunch? Is it the day of the week? For whatever reason, when we arrive at the Wedgewood Rooms for Neko Case's gig, by half past eight it's only playing host to 40 people and half a seagull, judging by the feathers lying on the floor.
Brooklyn’s Black Gold are a nice band; there’s no doubt about that. They're pleasant, they're sweet and radio-friendly. They would be no different from your Keanes and your Gary Go's if it wasn't for their bassist. Swathed in scarves and a cap, he oozes coolness. He's like The Cat off Red Dwarf, only less flamboyant and far, far cooler, in an understated way.
Luckily by the time Black Gold is ready to come onstage, the crowd has picked up a bit, though they're all lurking in the shadows or the bar. “Come closer! We won't bite,” pleads singer Eric Ronick. “...Unless you ask nicely.”
Along with The Cat, the band's guitarist looks like one of The Cribs, so it's all minor lookalikes in here tonight. Black Gold's music is played in earnest, aiming for a powerful sound with an honest spring in everyone's step. The band is unashamedly pop, which is sadly often seen as a dirty word amongst scenesters, and they’re clearly having a good time onstage. Songs tonight include The Comedown and Shine, taken from album Rush which is due out over here in early October.
The drums are played with power ballad type breaks and the band are forthcoming with their praise for everyone. We're incredible, Pompey is incredible, Neko Case are incredible. Black Gold aren't incredible, but they are an enjoyably toe-tapping way to spend a half hour.
Neko Case has a supergroup, as we were informed by a keen fan in the front row. Perhaps he just meant a collection of experienced professionals. The band aren’t exactly a supergroup along the lines of Them Crooked Vultures, and unless you’re familiar with American folk or The New Pornographers, you may be unsure what to expect tonight. Yes, it’s that genre so derided by many: country. No, come back! It's not the sort of pop-lite country made sadly popular over here by Shania Twain et al but proper, neat and mature country music.
The music is very American folk, rootsy and with strong elements of bluegrass and sweet charm. They’ve got a double bass; beards and hats. They tell stories in between songs about running outside in their pyjamas to pet dogs. Everyone is nice and friendly. Neko Case has a strong, smooth voice. Her burnt copper hair is all over the place and she keeps trying to tie it out the way, but the band are less bothered about their appearance than they are about their music. Still, mINtSOUTH’s snapper is strictly forbidden from taking any pictures of the headlining act. Meanies.
Neko Case and pals have a dedicated fanbase, judging from the excitable man standing at the barrier who has travelled some way to be here and who keeps pointing out to us which other band members have recording deals. It didn’t seem like anyone was singing along but rather were quietly appreciating the music – though with six studio albums, including Fox Confessor Brings the Flood and latest long player Middle Cyclone, it would take some listening to learn all the lyrics. “I love your voice. You’re beautiful and I love your voice,” one woman shouts. Neko Case is a little embarrassed by this.
If you don’t know the songs, it can all blend slightly into one jangling, whimsical tangle of notes. It was just a slower pace of life than I’m used to and hard for me to relate to. Perched at the back of the Wedgewood Rooms, sitting on a ledge in the dark, Neko Case seemed a very long way off and the relaxing notes flowed over my head, sweeping past gently, and my mind drifted off into its own little world of calm. It was wholesome and warming, and made one a little sleepy by the end.
Black Gold
Neko Case
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
NEKO CASE + BLACK GOLD @ WEDGEWOOD ROOMS 16/09/09
Is it the credit crunch? Is it the day of the week? For whatever reason, when we arrive at the Wedgewood Rooms for Neko Case's gig, by half past eight it's only playing host to 40 people and half a seagull, judging by the feathers lying on the floor.
Brooklyn’s Black Gold are a nice band; there’s no doubt about that. They're pleasant, they're sweet and radio-friendly. They would be no different from your Keanes and your Gary Go's if it wasn't for their bassist. Swathed in scarves and a cap, he oozes coolness. He's like The Cat off Red Dwarf, only less flamboyant and far, far cooler, in an understated way.
Luckily by the time Black Gold is ready to come onstage, the crowd has picked up a bit, though they're all lurking in the shadows or the bar. “Come closer! We won't bite,” pleads singer Eric Ronick. “...Unless you ask nicely.”
Along with The Cat, the band's guitarist looks like one of The Cribs, so it's all minor lookalikes in here tonight. Black Gold's music is played in earnest, aiming for a powerful sound with an honest spring in everyone's step. The band is unashamedly pop, which is sadly often seen as a dirty word amongst scenesters, and they’re clearly having a good time onstage. Songs tonight include The Comedown and Shine, taken from album Rush which is due out over here in early October.
The drums are played with power ballad type breaks and the band are forthcoming with their praise for everyone. We're incredible, Pompey is incredible, Neko Case are incredible. Black Gold aren't incredible, but they are an enjoyably toe-tapping way to spend a half hour.
Neko Case has a supergroup, as we were informed by a keen fan in the front row. Perhaps he just meant a collection of experienced professionals. The band aren’t exactly a supergroup along the lines of Them Crooked Vultures, and unless you’re familiar with American folk or The New Pornographers, you may be unsure what to expect tonight. Yes, it’s that genre so derided by many: country. No, come back! It's not the sort of pop-lite country made sadly popular over here by Shania Twain et al but proper, neat and mature country music.
The music is very American folk, rootsy and with strong elements of bluegrass and sweet charm. They’ve got a double bass; beards and hats. They tell stories in between songs about running outside in their pyjamas to pet dogs. Everyone is nice and friendly. Neko Case has a strong, smooth voice. Her burnt copper hair is all over the place and she keeps trying to tie it out the way, but the band are less bothered about their appearance than they are about their music. Still, mINtSOUTH’s snapper is strictly forbidden from taking any pictures of the headlining act. Meanies.
Neko Case and pals have a dedicated fanbase, judging from the excitable man standing at the barrier who has travelled some way to be here and who keeps pointing out to us which other band members have recording deals. It didn’t seem like anyone was singing along but rather were quietly appreciating the music – though with six studio albums, including Fox Confessor Brings the Flood and latest long player Middle Cyclone, it would take some listening to learn all the lyrics. “I love your voice. You’re beautiful and I love your voice,” one woman shouts. Neko Case is a little embarrassed by this.
If you don’t know the songs, it can all blend slightly into one jangling, whimsical tangle of notes. It was just a slower pace of life than I’m used to and hard for me to relate to. Perched at the back of the Wedgewood Rooms, sitting on a ledge in the dark, Neko Case seemed a very long way off and the relaxing notes flowed over my head, sweeping past gently, and my mind drifted off into its own little world of calm. It was wholesome and warming, and made one a little sleepy by the end.
Black Gold
Neko Case
Interview - Tricorn - Southsea Fest 09
Tricorn seemed something special. Despite being a small band, they've recorded professionally (abroad), and were working extremely hard at gigging and spreading the word about their album. Maybe a bit too much - a large amount had to be edited out after 'What other bands are you looking forward to seeing? was answered with a ten minute spiel about their album...
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
INTERVIEW - TRICORN - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Constantine: “I came to the UK to study 11 years ago. I’ve always been into bands but as a student I was busy with uni so I kept it as a hobby. I decided to give it a shot with music and see where it’s going.”
Simon: “We met randomly, we started talking about music and thought let’s have a jam together and it just worked out from there.”
Constantine: “We always had a thing about changing bassists until we got the right one. When we had to record the album our bassist quit a week before we were going to Greece to record it, he had booked his flight and he just quit! We had to play gigs there that were booked and we had to get our guitarist Billy to play the bass, but now we’re sorted.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – are you looking forward to your gig?
Simon: "We’re really looking forward to playing Southsea Fest, especially now that we’re headlining as well, we’re going to be playing the Deco. It’s good as well that Southsea is doing something for the city. There wasn’t much going on before, and over the years it’s changed; they’re doing more festivals, more events, more bands playing, which is great.”
Constantine: “This year we saw the names of all the bands, and how many people are going and how well organised... it is really, really good.”
Simon: “Yeah it’s brilliant. We’re absolutely loving it.”
mINtSOUTH: Any bands you’re looking forward to seeing?
Constantine: “Dragon Eye Morrison are an amazing band, and Belligerence, they’re playing the Deco with us. We’re all into rock and bands from the early Nineties, so we would like even more when we meet cool people from bands that they also play cool music that we like.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Constantine: “The thing is both of them could chase you. They can climb trees so you can’t get away.”
Simon: “Gorillas are quicker though, and stronger.”
Constantine: “I would say bear.”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Constantine: “We chose a name that means Portsmouth but in a different way, and we chose Tricorn, the concrete building which was in the way of the Brutalist movement. I still disagree that they brought it down. They could have done so much stuff with it.”
Simon: “It would have been good to record a clip in there… the Tricorn in the Tricorn.”
Constantine: “So many people have fond memories about it. They really enjoyed it while it was still up there.”
Shoutbox –
Simon: “We have just released our debut album. It’s a self titled album, we are really looking forward for people to have a listen to it. Hopefully we will try to book some dates for touring in February to go round Europe again and play a few dates in Greece, maybe Spain, Germany and a few other places as well, but we’re working out on that at the moment.”
Tricorn
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
INTERVIEW - TRICORN - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Constantine: “I came to the UK to study 11 years ago. I’ve always been into bands but as a student I was busy with uni so I kept it as a hobby. I decided to give it a shot with music and see where it’s going.”
Simon: “We met randomly, we started talking about music and thought let’s have a jam together and it just worked out from there.”
Constantine: “We always had a thing about changing bassists until we got the right one. When we had to record the album our bassist quit a week before we were going to Greece to record it, he had booked his flight and he just quit! We had to play gigs there that were booked and we had to get our guitarist Billy to play the bass, but now we’re sorted.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – are you looking forward to your gig?
Simon: "We’re really looking forward to playing Southsea Fest, especially now that we’re headlining as well, we’re going to be playing the Deco. It’s good as well that Southsea is doing something for the city. There wasn’t much going on before, and over the years it’s changed; they’re doing more festivals, more events, more bands playing, which is great.”
Constantine: “This year we saw the names of all the bands, and how many people are going and how well organised... it is really, really good.”
Simon: “Yeah it’s brilliant. We’re absolutely loving it.”
mINtSOUTH: Any bands you’re looking forward to seeing?
Constantine: “Dragon Eye Morrison are an amazing band, and Belligerence, they’re playing the Deco with us. We’re all into rock and bands from the early Nineties, so we would like even more when we meet cool people from bands that they also play cool music that we like.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Constantine: “The thing is both of them could chase you. They can climb trees so you can’t get away.”
Simon: “Gorillas are quicker though, and stronger.”
Constantine: “I would say bear.”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Constantine: “We chose a name that means Portsmouth but in a different way, and we chose Tricorn, the concrete building which was in the way of the Brutalist movement. I still disagree that they brought it down. They could have done so much stuff with it.”
Simon: “It would have been good to record a clip in there… the Tricorn in the Tricorn.”
Constantine: “So many people have fond memories about it. They really enjoyed it while it was still up there.”
Shoutbox –
Simon: “We have just released our debut album. It’s a self titled album, we are really looking forward for people to have a listen to it. Hopefully we will try to book some dates for touring in February to go round Europe again and play a few dates in Greece, maybe Spain, Germany and a few other places as well, but we’re working out on that at the moment.”
Tricorn
Interview - The Deads - Southsea Fest 09
With this interview, I was just sitting in the bar of the Kings Theatre, minding my own business and quite possibly surreptitiously picking my nose behind the laptop, when a random man came and sat down next to me. "Suzy?" he said. "I've been sent to see you." And a minute later a handful of noisy bandmates turned up. mINtSOUTH's photographers were telling every band they saw that mINtSOUTH were carrying out interviews so we had quite a queue. Well, I think everyone was actually trying to get to the bar - !free beer!
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH
THE DEADS - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
The Deads: “We’ve been going six years? Longer than that? I can’t remember. It’s got to be quite a while.”
Rich: “We split up for a while, a couple of years. We signed a record deal, done an album and that all fell through, and we’ve just recently got back together. It’s a couple of months at the moment.”
mINtSOUTH: Back and better than before?
Andy: “We’re enjoying it a lot more. We’re doing it for different reasons now.”
Rich: “I think we’re going to be better than before but it’s just going to take longer to get to that point, because it’s not as serious. It’s more for fun.”
Andy: “If anything happens it’s a bonus but at the moment it’s just doing it for the enjoyment of playing.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – have you played yet today?
Luke: “We have already played, we really enjoyed it. It’s good to watch all the other bands.”
Andy: “There’s a lot of bands playing in 12 venues, all putting bands on now. It’s impressive really, seems like a lot of work and organisation.”
Luke: “There’s really a scene down here at the moment.”
mINtSOUTH: Any bands you’re looking forward to seeing?
The Deads: “The Ramblings, The Black & Reds. We’ve played with quite a few of the bands so it’s quite good to go to their slot when they’re playing and then they’ll come over to ours. It’s bands all supporting each other.”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Andy: (laughs evilly) “It’d have to be Clym because to be fair he’s the biggest out of the lot of us. He’s the one with the most amount of meat on him.”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Gary: “Clym had a song called Dead Stars. Then we kind of got together, got a couple of songs, I think we did one or two gigs called the Dead Stars. Then we saw a couple of other bands called that and we thought ‘oh, let’s change it’.”
Andy: “But we didn’t want to give it a whole new name because we’d started to get a bit of a following. To be fair the name doesn’t really go with us because we’re this Seventies kind of influenced rock band, and The Deads sounds a bit like a metal band.”
Gary: “We were going to have Johnny Valentine and the Stabbed To Deaths but when you narrow it down it’ll be Johnny Valentine and the STDs. We don’t want to get disease involved!”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
The Deads: “Never really thought of that question before. It depends what bear it is. Rupert Bear? Grizzly bear? Gorilla, definitely.”
Shoutbox –
The Deads: “4th December we’re headlining down at the Cellars, and 19th November we’re playing at Hamptons. And we’re getting Clym to sort out our MySpace because it’s annoying, we’ve only got one song and we’ve got about fifty recordings!”
The Deads
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH
THE DEADS - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
The Deads: “We’ve been going six years? Longer than that? I can’t remember. It’s got to be quite a while.”
Rich: “We split up for a while, a couple of years. We signed a record deal, done an album and that all fell through, and we’ve just recently got back together. It’s a couple of months at the moment.”
mINtSOUTH: Back and better than before?
Andy: “We’re enjoying it a lot more. We’re doing it for different reasons now.”
Rich: “I think we’re going to be better than before but it’s just going to take longer to get to that point, because it’s not as serious. It’s more for fun.”
Andy: “If anything happens it’s a bonus but at the moment it’s just doing it for the enjoyment of playing.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – have you played yet today?
Luke: “We have already played, we really enjoyed it. It’s good to watch all the other bands.”
Andy: “There’s a lot of bands playing in 12 venues, all putting bands on now. It’s impressive really, seems like a lot of work and organisation.”
Luke: “There’s really a scene down here at the moment.”
mINtSOUTH: Any bands you’re looking forward to seeing?
The Deads: “The Ramblings, The Black & Reds. We’ve played with quite a few of the bands so it’s quite good to go to their slot when they’re playing and then they’ll come over to ours. It’s bands all supporting each other.”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Andy: (laughs evilly) “It’d have to be Clym because to be fair he’s the biggest out of the lot of us. He’s the one with the most amount of meat on him.”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Gary: “Clym had a song called Dead Stars. Then we kind of got together, got a couple of songs, I think we did one or two gigs called the Dead Stars. Then we saw a couple of other bands called that and we thought ‘oh, let’s change it’.”
Andy: “But we didn’t want to give it a whole new name because we’d started to get a bit of a following. To be fair the name doesn’t really go with us because we’re this Seventies kind of influenced rock band, and The Deads sounds a bit like a metal band.”
Gary: “We were going to have Johnny Valentine and the Stabbed To Deaths but when you narrow it down it’ll be Johnny Valentine and the STDs. We don’t want to get disease involved!”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
The Deads: “Never really thought of that question before. It depends what bear it is. Rupert Bear? Grizzly bear? Gorilla, definitely.”
Shoutbox –
The Deads: “4th December we’re headlining down at the Cellars, and 19th November we’re playing at Hamptons. And we’re getting Clym to sort out our MySpace because it’s annoying, we’ve only got one song and we’ve got about fifty recordings!”
The Deads
Interview - Ribbon - Southsea Fest
If I'd done any research before this interview (not that I'm highly unprofessional; there were 150 + artists performing, and I didn't know who I would be interviewing), I'd have known well in advance that Ribbon won a competition to open the whole festival, so I wouldn't have been surprised halfway though when they mentioned it. Well done to them.
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.cm in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
INTERVIEW - RIBBON @ SOUTHSEA FEST 09 - MICHAELA CORINNE AND LUKE ALEXANDER
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Michaela: “We met towards the end of last year.”
Luke: “I saw her onstage playing a few songs down a local mic night and I just thought ‘She's quite good’. I went up to her at the end and said: ‘Got to do something with you. Got no idea what it is.’”
Michaela: “I was thinking at this point ‘Not really sure what you mean!’ We've both been in bands before doing various things, and just sort of came together and gelled together.”
Luke: “We were coming from the same angle so it didn't take long to get things started. We were just on the same wavelength right from the beginning.”
mINtSOUTH: Can you describe your music?
Michaela: “It's a little bit like this theatre [Kings] - chandelier-y, and mirrory.”
Luke: “Yes, it's exactly like this theatre. I think a lot of our inspiration comes from theatre pieces and I've got a background in doing stage production. It is fairly dramatic, I suppose.”
Michaela: “I'm loving listening to soundtracks at the moment, I've got the Oliver! soundtrack, it's brilliant. But we really like the Dresden Dolls, it's got a similar sort of set up to us.”
Luke: “A big inspiration. Amanda Palmer - she's crazy, we love her.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – have you played yet today?
Luke: “Yes we have, at the Wedgewood Rooms. It went pretty well. We had a bit of a different set and were starting off the whole festival, so yeah it was a pretty good feeling really. Just before we came on there was literally no-one in the room at all, and then halfway through the first song suddenly a cluster of people came in and it went well from there.”
Ribbon: “We won the Showcase 09 competition this week at the Wedgewood Rooms [the prize package included a slot at Southsea Fest] which was quite nice.”
Michaela: “I didn't think we were going to win the final but quite pleased that we did. There were the Watermelons in the final as well, I really liked them.”
Luke: “We were a bit annoyed that we missed The Downing Street Years. I'm a big fan so it's a shame that we didn't actually get to meet them in the competition.”
Michaela: “There's a band called Puresist as well, they were brilliant. They were clearly just enjoying what they're doing.”
mINtSOUTH: Any bands you’re looking forward to seeing at Southsea Fest?
Luke: “It’s going to be good, especially at the Wedge. That's probably where we'll be hanging out.”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Luke: “I would eat Michaela first on a desert island. I haven't really got much choice, and I don't really like hot, cold or pain, so I wouldn't eat myself.”
mINtSOUTH: A lot of people go for the drummer.
Michaela: “I'd go for the drummer as well actually.”
Luke: “That's a bad idea, because I'm the drummer!”
Michaela: “The options are kind of limited.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Michaela: “I reckon gorilla.”
Luke: “I don't know, a bear's just made to rip things apart. It's a really difficult one. I've had shark discussions, crocodiles, but gorilla vs bear - I mean, that's gonna take some thought.”
Michaela: “I'm pretty sure we'll be discussing this this evening.”
Luke: “We'll answer in song form at some point.”
Shoutbox -
Ribbon: “We've got a few gigs coming up. Other than that, we're just focused on recording at the moment, we're going to hopefully go in and do a nice single recording so it's all ready for radio play. That's our immediate plan really, just sorting things out and getting it all up what we want to do. Showcase 09 has given us a lot of confidence, and we want to be bigger and bolder.”
Ribbon on Facebook
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.cm in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
INTERVIEW - RIBBON @ SOUTHSEA FEST 09 - MICHAELA CORINNE AND LUKE ALEXANDER
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Michaela: “We met towards the end of last year.”
Luke: “I saw her onstage playing a few songs down a local mic night and I just thought ‘She's quite good’. I went up to her at the end and said: ‘Got to do something with you. Got no idea what it is.’”
Michaela: “I was thinking at this point ‘Not really sure what you mean!’ We've both been in bands before doing various things, and just sort of came together and gelled together.”
Luke: “We were coming from the same angle so it didn't take long to get things started. We were just on the same wavelength right from the beginning.”
mINtSOUTH: Can you describe your music?
Michaela: “It's a little bit like this theatre [Kings] - chandelier-y, and mirrory.”
Luke: “Yes, it's exactly like this theatre. I think a lot of our inspiration comes from theatre pieces and I've got a background in doing stage production. It is fairly dramatic, I suppose.”
Michaela: “I'm loving listening to soundtracks at the moment, I've got the Oliver! soundtrack, it's brilliant. But we really like the Dresden Dolls, it's got a similar sort of set up to us.”
Luke: “A big inspiration. Amanda Palmer - she's crazy, we love her.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – have you played yet today?
Luke: “Yes we have, at the Wedgewood Rooms. It went pretty well. We had a bit of a different set and were starting off the whole festival, so yeah it was a pretty good feeling really. Just before we came on there was literally no-one in the room at all, and then halfway through the first song suddenly a cluster of people came in and it went well from there.”
Ribbon: “We won the Showcase 09 competition this week at the Wedgewood Rooms [the prize package included a slot at Southsea Fest] which was quite nice.”
Michaela: “I didn't think we were going to win the final but quite pleased that we did. There were the Watermelons in the final as well, I really liked them.”
Luke: “We were a bit annoyed that we missed The Downing Street Years. I'm a big fan so it's a shame that we didn't actually get to meet them in the competition.”
Michaela: “There's a band called Puresist as well, they were brilliant. They were clearly just enjoying what they're doing.”
mINtSOUTH: Any bands you’re looking forward to seeing at Southsea Fest?
Luke: “It’s going to be good, especially at the Wedge. That's probably where we'll be hanging out.”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Luke: “I would eat Michaela first on a desert island. I haven't really got much choice, and I don't really like hot, cold or pain, so I wouldn't eat myself.”
mINtSOUTH: A lot of people go for the drummer.
Michaela: “I'd go for the drummer as well actually.”
Luke: “That's a bad idea, because I'm the drummer!”
Michaela: “The options are kind of limited.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Michaela: “I reckon gorilla.”
Luke: “I don't know, a bear's just made to rip things apart. It's a really difficult one. I've had shark discussions, crocodiles, but gorilla vs bear - I mean, that's gonna take some thought.”
Michaela: “I'm pretty sure we'll be discussing this this evening.”
Luke: “We'll answer in song form at some point.”
Shoutbox -
Ribbon: “We've got a few gigs coming up. Other than that, we're just focused on recording at the moment, we're going to hopefully go in and do a nice single recording so it's all ready for radio play. That's our immediate plan really, just sorting things out and getting it all up what we want to do. Showcase 09 has given us a lot of confidence, and we want to be bigger and bolder.”
Ribbon on Facebook
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