DRASTIC TIMES CALL FOR…

Banging down a pub door ahead of opening time wasn’t quite how we envisaged our meeting with Sheffield three-piece Drastic Automatic, but, as The Closed Shop in Commonside, had err… closed up shop, we hastily relocated round the corner to the Springvale pub, where thankfully there were (faint) signs of life.

In a way it was a fitting start to a meeting with a band who describe their output as “music for people who are always running late” and, once the landlady had begrudgingly let us and the local early boozers in, we settled in the beer garden to catch a glimpse into the world of the dystopian tune merchants.

While they might be fresh on our radar, the current incarnation of the band – Sean Hession (Vocals), Benji Wilson (Drums) and Sissy Green (Bass) – has actually been knocking around since 2020, with Sissy telling us they “had more line-up changes than the Sugababes!” before he joined.

Ever-presents Sean and Benji met while studying at the University of Sheffield, striking up a musical kinship through the uni’s Music Society. The pair then began jamming and eventually writing songs together under various interestingly named guises in 2016.

“It’s the first band I’ve ever had,” says Sean. “It’s not only been me learning how to play live though. Benji didn’t even play drums when we first started jamming; he was a bassist.”

Sissy started uni the year before and wound up living with Sean in halls in 2016. In his possession was the cultural capital of a fully functioning guitar amp and after borrowing it for a few years Sean and Benji finally asked Sissy to join in 2020, cementing the current line-up.

“I used to be into DJing and clubbing, and I still am,” explains Sissy, “but I had this amp that I didn’t play, and they knew that, so they’d come round and be like, ‘Can I borrow it please? Promise to bring it back.’”

“They were called the Gareth Barry’s at that time and were making the ‘Whale Milk Demos’, and I was like, ‘Please let me be in this band.’ And, eventually, they did.”

Sissy duly borrowed his brother’s bass guitar, started lending pedals, and then “smacked it and whacked it” until he had some riffs and thus, Drastic Automatic was born.

Sissy admits: “I’m not the most technically gifted, but I’ve got the rhythm in me. I like to play bass like a guitar and turn up the high-end.”

Sean expands: “That’s kind of our ethos when it comes to making music together. I don’t know anything about music theory. The only instrument lessons I’ve ever had were on drums when I was a little kid, but I lived in terraced housing in London, so the neighbours got really pissed off.

Their unique sound was cultivated during lockdown, in the abandoned former home of a Sheffield nightlife landmark, The Night Kitchen.

Benji said: “It’d been left to rot. There were holes in the floor and we were risking bronchitis from the mould. It was eerie and creepy, lots of silence –basically, it was just right for us to make music.”

Sean says: “At the time, it was fundamental to how the music sounded. Everyone was struggling mentally because of the lockdowns, and it became a place we could go once a week and be really fucking loud. It was a release.”

For Sean in particular, it provided some much-needed stability and focus at time when his life had been thrown into chaos.

Sean explains: “I had loads of crazy stuff happening in my life at the time. I was in a fire at my old student house in Broomhill. The equipment was really old, and it just caught fire one day. After that, I had this year of chaos and was living a little bit homeless.

“In a way it kind of incentivised me. I’d never played a gig live and me and Benji had been playing together for years. I was like, I need to actually do this now. I want to make tunes and play them to people.”

Following the lockdowns, they finally got their chance to get up on stage. However, in keeping with Drastic Automatic’s chaotic style, it wasn’t always plain sailing.

“We genuinely thought we were cursed for a while.” Says Sissy.

Sean explains: “We’ve played nearly 20 shows now, but in a good proportion of the early ones something unexpected always happened. My very first show was at The Washington and my guitar just broke on the second to last tune.”

Now, with more gigs under their belt, they’ve begun to hone their stagecraft, displaying this newfound confidence at a recent Get Together performance. For us, they were the unexpected highlight of the day, setting the festival alight (thankfully, not literally) to a packed-out audience, who, by the second half of their set, were moshing amongst the dartboards of Neepsend Social Club to their almost unrecognisable cover of ‘Where’s Your Head At’ and original stompers like ‘The Cup Final’.

Get Together was easily their biggest show to date in their adopted hometown of Sheffield, a city they fell in love with in the years through uni and beyond.

Sean tells us why: “Sheffield is a great place to be in a band if you just want to make music.”

“It’s always had that spirit,” says Sissy. “The whole DIY scene and everyone helping each other – it’s got a collaborative spirit.”

With momentum steadily building, last year they released the first of four singles, ‘A Smash Hit for the People’, a cheery reminder of the ever-present threat of nuclear war.

Sean tells us: “The first version of that tune was written when there was a lot of tension between Iran and America, and potential nuclear fallout. I was trying to write lyrics based on the headlines and the media sensationalism around it.

“When we eventually released it, Vladimir Putin was arming up Belarus and it was around the time of the war in Ukraine, so it still seemed depressingly relevant.”

Benji added: “We’d always written songs about dystopia and apocalypse, and then COVID happened. We’d walk to the studio and there was just no one anywhere. Like full-on apocalypse Sheffield. The songs made even more sense.”

Between the band members, musical tastes vary wildly, with everything from trap and early noughties rap, to psyche rock and hardcore represented. Some of these influences are overtly reflected in the sound, and they often get compared to Gang of Four, but as a collective, the band they most wanted to emulate was Modest Mouse.

Sean said: “The thing about the bands we get mentioned alongside is that their rhythmically-driven punk bands. We wanted to make music, not necessarily that you can dance to, but that you can move to. You can get lost in it. It’s quite hypnotising at times.”

@drasticautomatic

With a new single and an Exposed Awards nomination recently in the bag, we grabbed five with Nick Hibbert and Liam Sparkes, lead singer and drummer respectively of reverb-soaked, dreamy indie-pop purveyors Beachcomber.

Hello Beachcomber! First of all, for any Exposed readers out there who are as of yet unacquainted, could you tell us what you’re all about?

NH: Hello! We’re a band born out of Sheffield’s very own Kelham Island, combining a mixture of styles to create driving rhythms with dreamy intertwining guitar lines. We’re just doing our thing and hoping people like it!

More importantly, why should they catch a Beachcomber live show at the next possible opportunity?

NH: The combination of our influences makes for a captivating show; we’ve had such a vast array of comparisons, such as The Smiths, DIIV and Sam Fender, to name a few. Our shows oscillate through stages of high energy into floaty dreaminess with plenty of audience participation and interaction throughout. Plus, we’re always writing and recording new music, so a live show is often the first chance to catch an earworm early. Most recently, we’ve been invited to play gigs around the country – London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool etc. – but we’re looking forward to booking in a hometown gig again soon!

As mentioned, you’re based in Kelham Island, which is of course teeming with musical heritage from the bands who’ve practiced and recorded there over the years. Does that influence/inspire you at all?

NH: Well, until recently we were practising in a certain Arctic Monkeys’ first practice space, the one from the cover of the ‘When The Sun Goes Down’ EP. Maybe we’ve been passed some inspiration by some of the old posters they left up. There are some Richard Hawley guitar tones which make their way in every now and again!

Even today, Kelham is a fantastic spot for creatives of all creeds. Being based there, it definitely feels like we’re a part of a vibrant community, and it’s great to feel inspired by all the artwork on display while walking through its postindustrial backdrop. The area’s scenery featured heavily in the music video we released last year to support our track ‘Deep Blue’ from our first EP A Sea Above.

Your new single ‘Flowers’ is out now. What can you tell us about the track?

NH: ‘Flowers’ was released in early June (go listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, etc…). Recorded at Tesla Studios by the incredible David Glover. The track uses vibrant, dizzying colour, haunting synth sounds and expressive, brooding vocal delivery to paint a futile attempt to persuade somebody who already has contradicting preconceived ideas. It focuses on the emotional position it creates because of the resistance to having your voice heard.

We’ve also got a music video coming out for it, which we worked with James Ayliff from Jayliff Design to shoot across various locations in Sheffield including Parkwood Springs, Grenoside Woods and Kelham Island Museum.

Finally, tell us an interesting fact about the band or one of its members….

NH: I guess an interesting music related fact is that our drummer Liam’s uncle was the original bassist in Dr. Feelgood (John B. Sparkes).

LS: My uncle’s music career had a big influence on me getting into music. As a child, I would always hear stories of the band from my dad who was a roadie for Dr.Feelgood at their peak. I was once given a brass plaque from their original practice room door and still have it to this day.

It’s currently hung up above my drum kit at home as a momento.

@beachcomberband

LISTEN TO THE LATEST SINGLE ‘FLOWERS’

Music

Ahead of an upcoming performance at Tramlines Festival, Iago Castro Charlón catches up with up-and-coming Sheffield rapper and hip-hop artist Kid Blu3.

It’s been a big year for you on the Sheffield music scene. How are you finding things at the moment?

I feel good about my career so far. I’d say it’s a very hungry scene. I guess it’s very, very hard to try and get to the top, but there are those who do succeed, so it’s just really a challenge. It’s like a competition type of thing.

Does being from Sheffield influence your music at all, and could we be expecting a debut album any time soon?

I suppose just hearing the sounds of different upcoming artists and trying to blend different sounds together. I’m very, very excited for people to hear my upcoming Tramlines set. In terms of a debut album, that’s to come!

You’ve had some interesting shows recently, including performing for a TEDx event based in Doncaster. That’s an interesting gig! Can you tell us a bit about that experience?

TEDx was a very interesting event because I met different people from all over the world. And I enjoyed how different it was to perform on a different type of stage because you have to stay within the carpeted area, and the crowd was obviously a bit different as well. But it was very interesting experience and I enjoyed it.

Obviously, Tramlines is the biggie coming up in July, but what else is on the agenda this year?

I’m planning more gigs. I also run my own events as well, which are like a showcase for

LISTEN TO KID upcoming artists from the ages of 14 to 25, so I’ve working on those recently. I’ve recently been working on an indoor festival for Tramlines; we got given some money, and I worked on that that with some other people, the Element Society here in Sheffield. In terms of gigs, I’m performing in Manchester on 27th June as part of a young artist showcase, and then I’ll be performing in Sheffield on 1st July. There’s another Sheffield show on 15th July at Riverside Sheffield, and then there’s the Library Stage at Tramlines on 22nd July.

Nice and busy! As a last question, feel free leave a message of your choosing for our readers.

If you’re an upcoming artist, or you’re trying to get into the music scene, make sure you keep your circle small and think logically. Think smarter, not harder. And if you want to follow my Instagram, it’s @kid_blu3e.

Catch Kid Blu3 playing The Library Stage at Tramlines Festival on Saturday 22nd July, where the artist will be joined by a plethora of local talent across the weekend.

312 shalesmoor, sky sports & BT SPorts live entertainment burgers & sides beers, wines and spirits cocktails & cask weekly pub quiz

@shipinnkelham

The global clubbing brand Gatecrasher, made famous by legendary dance music events in Sheffield during the 90s, will return to its spiritual home for a one-off day of iconic classic dance music for this year’s Rock N Roll Circus at Don Valley Bowl.

Building on previous classical events, plans for this allday event on Sunday 3rd September will see legendary Gatecrasher DJs performing alongside a full orchestra, featuring some of the most iconic dance tracks as you’ve never heard them before.

Last month, it was officially announced that globally acclaimed DJ and audio architect Ferry Corsten will join a string of high-profile artists including Ilan Bluestone, Ruben de Ronde, Mark V, Sander van Doorn and the Gatecrasher Classical orchestra.

Speaking ahead of the announcement, a spokesperson for Rock N Roll Circus told Exposed: “Gatecrasher was at the zenith of clubbing culture in this country for so many years and we’re proud to be able to bring it back for this one-off all-day spectacular in its spiritual home of Sheffield.

“The millennium party it hosted 23 years ago is the stuff of legend, and we couldn’t think of a better way to conclude our first Rock N Roll Circus in the city with an all-out Gatecrasher party featuring all of the DJs that helped propel its brand onto the international stage.

“We’re proud to be bringing our event to South Yorkshire. Sheffield has such a strong tradition for live music, we’re delighted to be able to host our touring concept there.”

The Rock N Roll Circus event combines the best in musical talent with the weird and wonderful world of the circus. Alongside a varied live music bill, guests will also be treated to performances from resident aerialists, stilt walkers, fortune tellers and all manner of circus-themed entertainment.

There will also be a distinct family-friendly element to this event complete with circus workshops, family activities and fun for the kids – details of which will all be announced soon.

Rock N Roll Circus 2023 is scheduled to take place at the Don Valley Bowl across three days, 1st-3rd September.

The Friday will see Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds headline the big top, joined by performances from Happy Mondays, The Cribs, The Joy Formidable and Somebody’s Child.

Saturday will be headlined by South Yorkshire’s finest Self Esteem, preceded by live slots by Confidence Man, Bimini, Arctic Numpties and more.

On Sunday, the party will be signed off in style by the likes of Ferry Corsten, Sander Van Doorn, Ian Bluestone, Marco V, Ruben de Ronde and the Gatecrasher Classical orchestra. All ticket options available at rocknrollcircus.co.uk.