Submitted to mINtSOUTH.com in June 2010 but currently unpublished
Interview and words - Suzy Sims
(c) Suzy Sims
INTERVIEW - THE MOMERATHS @ THE GREAT ESCAPE 2010
Paolo and Claire
mINtSOUTH: The Great Escape – we’re here now. Do you get a pass to see any other bands?
Claire: “Not that I’ve heard. We’ll see what we can wangle out of it. We did when we went to the Camden Crawl. We managed to get passes so we spent the rest of the day queuing, but hey.”
mINtSOUTH: How did it go today, did you enjoy it?
Claire: “I did enjoy it yeah. Despite being blamed for a mistake on stage which wasn’t my fault.”
mINtSOUTH: It’s on record now. It wasn’t your fault.
Claire: “It was Paolo actually.”
Paolo: “Sounds like a politician...”
mINtSOUTH: It was David Cameron’s fault it all went wrong today. Isn’t it quite hard doing the earlier ones in the day?
Claire: “Really hard to get people out of bed from the night before. And it’s a nice day too.”
mINtSOUTH: What do you associate with lovely Brighton?
Claire: “Seaside. I like the seaside. We know a couple of really good little bands from here.”
Paolo: “The Bobby McGees and The Half Sisters. When I think of Brighton, I always think of them.”
Claire: “Sunshine and the beach and Brighton rock.”
Paolo: “Oh, and that programme that was about that girl from Brighton. Sugar Rush.”
mINtSOUTH: What can people expect to see from The Momeraths’ live experience?
Claire: “A lot of red and white. We’re very well co-ordinated.”
Paolo: “Bar stools, ironing boards, banners.”
Claire: “Anything else beginning with b? Not bums. No bums on stage.”
mINtSOUTH: Did it take you ages to put your banner together? [The band has a series of little flags spelling out their name across the stage]
Paolo: “It took Claire years.”
Claire: “Literally, per letter was about 3 hours, maybe a bit more. It is worth it. Slave labour.”
mINtSOUTH: What if you got to the end and found you missed out one of the letters?
Paolo: “Or did it on the wrong colour, like it’s red / white / red / white - done two reds.”
Claire: “They’re good old ASDA pillowcases.”
mINtSOUTH: Have you got any releases out?
Paolo: “Yes we had an EP out this month, last month? Called A Single Cup of Tea. It’s got five songs on. We’re doing another EP in the summer and hopefully be doing an album next year, with loads of new songs.
Claire: “We’re getting there.”
Paolo: “Gradually. Slow movers.”
Claire: “Slow and steady wins the race, Paolo.”
mINtSOUTH: Tell me a fact about each other.
Claire: “A fact about Paolo... I don’t want to say any facts about you that I know! We’ve known each other for a long time, we live together so we know the deepest darkest secrets.”
mINtSOUTH: It’s not a Jeremy Kyle scandal type of question...
Claire: “But we will, by accident!”
Paolo: “I‘m not going to say something which I’m going to later regret.”
Claire: “Paolo is three-quarters Italian and a quarter Welsh.”
Paolo: “Claire is going to receive an NVQ at John Lewis for working there for three years, two days a week.”
Claire: "Four years, thank you very much!”
mINtSOUTH: I did five years at Somerfield and all I got was a badge. NVQs are much better.
Paolo: “Everyone’s got NVQs.”
mINtSOUTH: Plans for 2010?
Paolo: “We’ve got festivals in the summer. We’ve got Secret Garden Party and Lounge On The Farm.”
Claire: “They’re all the smaller nicer ones. We did Glastonbury last year, it’s great but it’s so big. I always wanted to go to Secret Garden Party, can’t wait.”
Paolo: “Couple of EPs and write an album I think. Enjoy the sunshine, for the next three weeks that we have of it. It’s always sunny down here.”
Claire: “ We live in Kingston, Surrey. I wish we had a beach. We’ve only got a massive river – the Thames. ‘That massive river’. Idiot!”
mINtSOUTH: Gorilla vs bear – who would win in a fight?
Claire: “Is that about me and Paolo? (laughs) I think I would! He’s the gorilla. Look at the hair.”
Paolo: “I think bears win in fights to be honest.”
Claire: “Oh I dunno. A gorilla’s got the arms. I think the gorilla could take it out with one quick swing. The bear would just go meehhh and fall over. (giggles) That was a really terrible impression of a bear.”
Paolo: “Now can we read these out to you? Tell me about that bag.”
mINtSOUTH: My friend gave it to me as a present. It’s from Primark.
Claire: “Are you releasing an album this year?”
mINtSOUTH: No.
Paolo: “Why not? Everyone’s releasing an album this year.”
Claire: “What do you associate with Brighton?”
mINtSOUTH: Deckchairs and beach.
Paolo: “How long have you lived in Brighton?”
mINtSOUTH: I don’t!
Claire: “Portsmouth? We’ve been there before. Live?”
mINtSOUTH: Yes I am.
Claire: “What can we expect live from you?”
mINtSOUTH: Probably a bit of talking and muttering.
Claire: “Plans for 2010?”
mINtSOUTH: To get a new job...
Paolo: “How much do you make a year?”
Claire: “Let’s get out the personal questions! Great Escape. I see you’ve got a pass.”
Paolo: “Is that a delegates pass? Have you got any spare ones?”
mINtSOUTH: “Yes, and unfortunately not.”
Claire: “I’m going to have to take that one then! Gorilla or bear?”
mINtSOUTH: Bear. I have a friend who calls himself The Bear and he seems to think he would win any fight.
[Tour manager walks over looking confused.] Claire: “We span it round, we’re messing things up a bit. [Start firing questions at tour manager]. Go on, answer them all at once!”
Tour Manager: “...No!”
The Momeraths
Showing posts with label the momeraths. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the momeraths. Show all posts
Saturday, 3 July 2010
Diary - The Great Escape, Brighton 2010 - Part 2
Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in May 2010
Words - Suzy Sims
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
DIARY - THE GREAT ESCAPE, BIGHTON 2010 - PART 2
FRI 13th MAY
Good morning, Day Two. We ease ourselves into the day with some Coco Pops and a bit of Alternative Escape at The Latest Music Bar. Tim and Sam’s Tim and the Sam Band With Tim and Sam are first onstage, looking nervous beneath the lights in their matching blue shirts. It’s a gentle start to the day with delicately crafted, looping tunes.
Next on are The Momeraths, a band created from tea and gingham and possibly knitted by someone’s aunt. They’re jaunty and poppy and have some charming flags across the stage announcing who they are. The Momeraths are definitely one of the most cheerful-sounding bands of the weekend.
mINtSOUTH stops off for a quick chat with the two bands before legging it upstairs to the Fortune of War, where Everything Everything are playing a stripped down, three song surprise set. It’s not really a surprise judging from the number of people crammed upstairs, casting resentful looks at each other as the simmering tunes play on. I’m a fan of Everything Everything’s unexpected key changes, and everything has a nice beachy sound to it.
The evening starts with a few beers and a march along the pier, past the sweet smell of doughnuts and waffles hanging in the air, past the seagulls and the tarot readers, to join everyone piling into Horatio’s for the hotly anticipated NME night. Best Coast kick off first. My friend told me they are amazing. Tim and Sam’s tour manager told me they were rubbish. I kind of sided with him. The general sound was good but there wasn’t much variation in the songs they played – it could have been the same one over and over; sort of garage, surf rock. Best Coast are a little afraid of playing a show out on the end of the pier. “It’s pretty scary. It fucking moves!”
Meanwhile the young ‘uns in the crowd are obviously busy trying to be hip in case they end up with a vox pop in NME. “iPhone knows what’s up. I trust iPhone,” blathered someone as I passed.
Warpaint are cool, mysterious, memorable, with many instrumental breaks, with an arty, psychedelic swagger to boot. Although their recorded stuff sounds effortless, they are more strident live and create some sort of a sonic labyrinth. I also very much enjoyed the revitalising Egyptian Hip Hop, with their hot punchy basslines and plinky synths. On coming back from the toilet I suddenly realised I was in the Eighties, in a very stylish way, but in the Eighties nevertheless.
It’s then time to trek across the city with aching feet, but it’s worth it for a nice sit down and a bottled lemonade at the Duke of York’s Picturehouse. We time this well enough to catch Alessi’s Ark and Peggy Sue without having to cram into the aisles, like most of the watchers. Young Alessi has a beautifully rounded and quirky voice full of kindness but she looks absolutely petrified of being up on stage. Everyone loves Peggy Sue, though I think they’ve been hyped up a bit too much. Rose and Katy are cooler than cool, with their lipstick and tousled hair and funky hat. Both acts bring out the alt-folk love; delicately constructed tunes with real heart.
And so ends Day Two of the Great Escape for mINtSOUTH. The danger with putting on late night gigs in a cinema is that those people who didn’t go to sleep until 5am (us) tend to start nodding off in the chairs, so alas we had to leave slightly early. Plenty of time to refresh for Day Three...
Words - Suzy Sims
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
DIARY - THE GREAT ESCAPE, BIGHTON 2010 - PART 2
FRI 13th MAY
Good morning, Day Two. We ease ourselves into the day with some Coco Pops and a bit of Alternative Escape at The Latest Music Bar. Tim and Sam’s Tim and the Sam Band With Tim and Sam are first onstage, looking nervous beneath the lights in their matching blue shirts. It’s a gentle start to the day with delicately crafted, looping tunes.
Next on are The Momeraths, a band created from tea and gingham and possibly knitted by someone’s aunt. They’re jaunty and poppy and have some charming flags across the stage announcing who they are. The Momeraths are definitely one of the most cheerful-sounding bands of the weekend.
mINtSOUTH stops off for a quick chat with the two bands before legging it upstairs to the Fortune of War, where Everything Everything are playing a stripped down, three song surprise set. It’s not really a surprise judging from the number of people crammed upstairs, casting resentful looks at each other as the simmering tunes play on. I’m a fan of Everything Everything’s unexpected key changes, and everything has a nice beachy sound to it.
The evening starts with a few beers and a march along the pier, past the sweet smell of doughnuts and waffles hanging in the air, past the seagulls and the tarot readers, to join everyone piling into Horatio’s for the hotly anticipated NME night. Best Coast kick off first. My friend told me they are amazing. Tim and Sam’s tour manager told me they were rubbish. I kind of sided with him. The general sound was good but there wasn’t much variation in the songs they played – it could have been the same one over and over; sort of garage, surf rock. Best Coast are a little afraid of playing a show out on the end of the pier. “It’s pretty scary. It fucking moves!”
Meanwhile the young ‘uns in the crowd are obviously busy trying to be hip in case they end up with a vox pop in NME. “iPhone knows what’s up. I trust iPhone,” blathered someone as I passed.
Warpaint are cool, mysterious, memorable, with many instrumental breaks, with an arty, psychedelic swagger to boot. Although their recorded stuff sounds effortless, they are more strident live and create some sort of a sonic labyrinth. I also very much enjoyed the revitalising Egyptian Hip Hop, with their hot punchy basslines and plinky synths. On coming back from the toilet I suddenly realised I was in the Eighties, in a very stylish way, but in the Eighties nevertheless.
It’s then time to trek across the city with aching feet, but it’s worth it for a nice sit down and a bottled lemonade at the Duke of York’s Picturehouse. We time this well enough to catch Alessi’s Ark and Peggy Sue without having to cram into the aisles, like most of the watchers. Young Alessi has a beautifully rounded and quirky voice full of kindness but she looks absolutely petrified of being up on stage. Everyone loves Peggy Sue, though I think they’ve been hyped up a bit too much. Rose and Katy are cooler than cool, with their lipstick and tousled hair and funky hat. Both acts bring out the alt-folk love; delicately constructed tunes with real heart.
And so ends Day Two of the Great Escape for mINtSOUTH. The danger with putting on late night gigs in a cinema is that those people who didn’t go to sleep until 5am (us) tend to start nodding off in the chairs, so alas we had to leave slightly early. Plenty of time to refresh for Day Three...
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