Interview - The Ramblings - Southsea Fest 2009

One of the 13 interviews I carried out during Southsea Fest 2009.

Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in September 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH.com

THE RAMBLINGS @ SOUTHSEA FEST 2009

mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Robin: “We’ve been going about two-and-a-half years now. We all went to uni together in Southampton and me and Kooksy just used to get drunk and mess around, he had a little electronic drum-kit, I had my guitar and we were just jamming. Then Johnny got involved, started doing a bit of singing, and then slowly but surely building up to getting everybody in the band. We were together for about a month and we played our first gig, and we’ve just been going ever since really.”

mINtSOUTH: Can you describe your music?
Robin: “I’d say it was like progressive indie. It’s got lots of hidden melodies and lots of structure to it, very floaty vocals over some really harsh vocals, nice piano. Bits and pieces all jammed together.”

mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – looking forward to your gig this evening?
Robin: “Yeah, big time. It’s going to be really good.
mINtSOUTH: Have you got any onstage antics to get everyone going?
Robin: “Johnny, our singer, is pretty animated, he always gets the crowd going. Lots of feet stomping, lots of hand clapping, lots of audience participation. We’ve played [in Albert Road] quite a lot. As a street, with all the pubs and everything like that, to put something on like this is great. Proper carnival atmosphere. You couldn’t pull it off in Southampton basically.”

mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Robin: “That was down to Kooksy. He had to come up with a name and he just said The Ramblings because it gives us the license to say pretty much what we like, to ramble on!”

mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Robin: “I reckon a bear’s going to do it. Bears have got big paws and they’re very tall. It would be very close.”

Shoutbox – “We’re launching our single at the Dublin Castle on the 17th October. Everybody’s invited!”

http://www.myspace.com/theramblingslive

Live Review - Little Fish + LoLo

I quite enjoyed this gig. I was out by myself but managed to bump into a bunch of lovely people from the Hong Kong Gardeners' Club and new DJs with old Native.tv shipmates Express FM. Also my sister made me a cup of tea beforehand. Decent evening. Juju? Superb.

Previously published on mintsouth.com in May 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mintsouth

LITTLE FISH + LOLO @ LITTLE JOHNNY RUSSELL'S 30/04/2009

Tonight is one of the warm up events for Southsea Fest. We’re a band down tonight as Fresh Legs were sadly forced to pull out over illness. Little Johnny Russell’s is still chocka with music lovers, and Little Fish are about to unleash their power on the unsuspecting South.

The opening act is LoLo, aka petite singer Lora Kirk on guitar with another band member lurking on the floor out of sight. Lora has a gentle, haunting voice which weaves its magic over the noisy crowd. Looking everywhere around the venue but at her audience, the acoustic pixie plays pleasant laidback music.

Unfortunately the full effect is lost as the tracks are delicate and not ideally suited to a pub crowd, and LoLo don’t look entirely at home in their surroundings. The songs are charming but the tempo is the same and the tunes blend into one, although it is still thoughtful and sweet to listen to.

Oxford rockers Little Fish headlined the event. They recently signed to Custard/Universal, and there are already people in the crowd tonight who have seen them several times and are very much looking forward to this performance.

Vocalist Juju gleefully fixes various crowd members with a wild-eyed stare and asks plenty of questions about the local area, wondering what the traditional Pompey greeting for ‘Hello and thanks’ is, and how one gets about offshore. “What happens if you want to put a piano on your boat?” she muses at one point, prompting the answer “You don’t.”

Little Fish have a more classic punk rock sound with drums and guitar only; reminding me slightly of The Kills but with elements of the Rolling Stones to their loops and hooks. Juju is a fantastic frontwoman with a pure rock voice, occasionally launching into a fiendish scream. She’s very animated, energetic and grinning. No offence to drummer Nez who is doing a sterling job, but it’s all about Juju and all eyes are focusing on her kohl-rimmed ones.

Little Fish won’t be playing small venues for long – this isn’t speculation, it’s definitely the case as they will soon be warming up the crowds for Placebo. They might be called Little Fish, but they’re bigger than they make out.

http://www.myspace.com/littlefishmusic
http://www.myspace.com/lolosouthsea