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
Showing posts with label southsea fest 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label southsea fest 2009. Show all posts
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
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 - 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
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Interview - Sam McCarthy - Southsea Fest
Can't say this was the chattiest interview I've ever done, and it didn't help that most of my questions were tailored towards bands so I had to discard half of them. I gave all my interviewees a pack of Smarties to liven their day up - Sam was the only person to leave his behind.
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
INTERVIEW - SAM MCCARTHY @ SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourself.
Sam: “I used to be in a band – Gilkicker - for a few years, started off in Portsmouth then moved to London, then it sort of split up so I’ve been on my own for nearly a year. Released my first single 'Cherrytree' a few months back and it did really well, and I’m doing my album.”
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
INTERVIEW - SAM MCCARTHY @ SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourself.
Sam: “I used to be in a band – Gilkicker - for a few years, started off in Portsmouth then moved to London, then it sort of split up so I’ve been on my own for nearly a year. Released my first single 'Cherrytree' a few months back and it did really well, and I’m doing my album.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – discuss.
Sam: “I think it’s great. It’s like Camden Crawl, but I’m glad that it’s down here. Last year I played. I got added late to the bill this time - I didn’t think I was going to be playing live anywhere, but then I asked Ally Wolf at the Fat Fox if I could play, so now I’m here. I think Southsea Fest is amazing.”
mINtSOUTH: Any exciting onstage antics planned?
Sam: “No not really, just playing acoustic on my own. Got some new songs, see how they go. Fingers crossed they go well.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Sam: (decisively) “Gorilla. Another question?"
mINtSOUTH: Do you support any charities?
Sam: “I do like to support Teenage Cancer Trust. I’ve done a few gigs for them in London, and things that are associated with it. I’ve actually had a member of my family had cancer when they were a teenager and they were told they wouldn’t ever have kids or anything like that – I think she’s got about four now. So yeah, it can be done.”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island
Sam: “I’ve got a new violin player called Helen Green, she looks the tastiest. I’d rather eat her than any of the boys.”
Shoutbox –
Sam: “I’ve just spent all summer recording my album so that’s nearly done. We’ll be launching it around Christmas or early next year. So watch out 2010, yeah? Gonna get the album finished, then get a live band ready - and then come back with a bang.”
Friday, 16 October 2009
Interview - The Little Philistines - Southsea Fest
Another of the interviews I carried out in the Kings Theatre's bar during Southsea Fest. Very cheery and charming band.
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
INTERVIEW - THE LITTLE PHILISTINES @ SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
INTERVIEW - THE LITTLE PHILISTINES @ SOUTHSEA FEST 2009
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Emily: “We all live in London. I’m from Southend which is a seaside town so I kind of have a kindred feeling with Southsea. John and Rob decided to have a new band. John said let’s have Adam, and I wanted to be in the band but they would only let me sing and play violin if I also agreed to play keyboards.”
John: “…And if she brought biscuits.”
Emily: “Then after that had all been sorted we didn’t have a drummer, then at my birthday party one year we did a little gig and Matt begged us to let him play.”
mINtSOUTH: Can you describe your music?
The Little Philistines: “Poppy, indie, guitary, violiny, quirky, banging drumming, harmonies, intelligent lyrics, a bit political. Music to have fun to basically - but also to make you think.”
mINtSOUTH: What do you like your listeners to be doing while they’re listening to you?
Emily: “Hopefully our listeners will be singing along with our music, or dancing, or both. We did an acoustic set for Recharged Radio and it was nice to get instant feedback in the chatroom.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – have you played yet today?
The Little Philistines: “We played at the Kings upstairs. It was great. Everyone’s just been really really friendly.” John: “But then I don’t imagine many people are drunk yet, so maybe later it will turn dark…”
Adam: “It’s a great set up having all these venues on the same road. It’s really cool.”
mINtSOUTH: Any bands you’re looking forward to seeing? The Little Philistines: “Tubelord, Anja McCloskey who’s from Haunted Stereo, Strange Death of Liberal England, Beans On Toast.”
mINtSOUTH: What are your plans for the rest of the weekend?
Rob: “That’s very forward of you.”
Matt: “I’ve got to drive to Sheffield tomorrow for my mum’s birthday, so I’m missing all the bands I want to see today. This Town Needs Guns, I wish I were seeing. This City I wish I were seeing, The Xcerts I wish I were seeing.”
John: “Emily, can you go and get the violins?”
Adam: “I’m going to find out where the free drink is. The rest of the weekend may do as it will.”
mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Emily: "There was a bit of a band name war, it went on for several decades. We ended up with a shortlist and The Little Philistines was on the shortlist because that’s what my dad used to call me and my sister when we were little and we didn’t appreciate culture. It kind of won by default because it was the least unpopular. But actually we’ve quite grown into it now. My dad’s reaction has been fairly non-committal - he just raised his eyebrows.”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Matt: “I’m the meatiest.”
John: “I think I would go for Emily because I suspect that Emily eats the best out of all of us. We should get the nutrients from what she’s eating.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Matt: “Bear. I’ve seen Grizzly Man.”
John: “A Gorilla could knock your head off with one swipe.”
Adam: “If we’re talking a polar bear, they’re huge.”
Matt: “How many bands split up over this question?”
Shoutbox – Single ‘Bus Pass / Judith Cut My Head Off’ is out now on iTunes.
Interview - Hold Fast @ Southsea Fest 2009
Right, here we go... Southsea Fest is a wristbanded event which lets you into multiple gigs all round Albert Road. I missed the majority of it because I was sat in the Kings Theatre interviewing bands. 13 bands in under five hours... I never want to do that much transcription ever again! Anyway, Hold Fast are a top band.
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
HOLD FAST
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
HOLD FAST
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Hold Fast: “We’ve been going a couple of years. Had a few change arounds and Adam is the newest member, came in just about a year ago. Used to play reggae fusion, kind of reggae-dance… actually, that wasn’t entirely serious.”
mINtSOUTH: Can you describe your music?
Hold Fast: “It’s post-punk really. Lots of influences thrown in - too long to list. Atmospheric, quite driven, synths, female vocals; call it death pop.”
mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – have you played yet today?
Hold Fast: “Yep, we literally just came off stage.”
Mintsouth: How did that go?
Hold Fast: “Really great atmosphere generally today in there, it’s great. Hot and sticky, the way it should be – Little Johnny Sauna!”
Ben Hold Fast: “Amazing. Massive crowd and everyone went nuts.”
Roberta Hold Fast: “A massive thank you to any one who came in and just packed that place out for twenty minutes. It was insane.”
mINtSOUTH: Any onstage antics to get everyone going?
Hold Fast: “We played a bit of Scrabble to warm up. We’re a granddad band.” “We’ve laid off the drinking so far, but now we’re going to get on it.”
mINtSOUTH: Any bands you’re looking forward to seeing?
Hold Fast: “Munroe Effect, we played with them yesterday. Strange Death Of Liberal England are playing in a minute. Fresh Legs, Official Secrets Act, Love Like Fire, B Of The Bang in a sec as well, Kill Em Dead Cowboy. It’s an amazing line up this year. It’s just frustrating having to choose between two bands who are on at the same time. Just run around trying to catch whoever you can.”
mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Hold Fast: “Well it’s always got to be the biggest person hasn’t it? Toby, you’ve got the most muscles so you’re it mate. All that drumming… You know Bowling For Soup? They’ve got quite a big guy on guitar. He would be the first. We’d get Bowling For Soup’s guitarist shipped in on a plane.”
mINtSOUTH: What do you like your listeners to be doing while they’re listening to you?
Hold Fast: “Having sex. Ironing – not hoovering, because you can’t hear the music properly. Dancing about, just enjoying it and getting involved.”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Hold Fast: “Gorillas are probably good at punching but the bear has those big claws and big gnashers. Bear definitely, it would tear your face off. It depends what sort of bear really. If it’s a teddy bear…The panda on the advert, the Knorr Panda might [win], but that’s not real.”
Shoutbox - Hold Fast: “We are playing in 93 Feet East on 26th September. That’s going to be cool, it’s got burlesque, loads of bands, DJs, VJs, trapeze artists, so it’s a crazy event.”
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