issue 004 apr 2012
Vintage Scratch ?
GR E AT A DV ENTURE GETS REVI EW ED
THE GREAT ALT ESCAPE PREVIEW... IS THE GIG SCENE BROKEN?
AgEing: The Great Youth Destructor! and the
Perfect Pop Co-Op
Welcome TO THIS, THE FOURTH ISSUE OF OUR NEW INTERACTIVE MAG ‘ THE PERFECT POPZINE’ - BROUGHT TO YOU IN CONJUNCTION WITH RECHARGEDRADIO.COM AND THE PERFECT POP CO-OP
Hello and welcome to another edition of Sound Of The Suburbs. This issue, we showcase our yearly trip to the Seaside ... aka our stage at The Alternative Escape. This is a major event in the RR calendar, as not only does it give us a chance to showcase the best musical acts of the year to the industry and public alike, it also allows us to get out from behind our microphones and show our faces! We’d love to see you at The Queen’s Hotel on the 10th of May, so come along if you can. In other news ... well ... read through the mag. It’s all there. Music needs to be driven not controlled! Jord and the RR crew (but not Jamie as he refuses to say ‘aural’ properly).
APRICULOUS If you have any suggestions for bands to feature at Perfect Pop Co-Op nights please drop us a mail at: studio@rechargedradio.com
So with two successful nights under our belts we now turn to the 3rd one at the The White Hart Tap in St.Albans. April sees two Recharged regulars in the shape of 50ft Woman and The Scratch warming up for the Alt Great Escape. Those who have seen either or both of the bands before can be sure they will be more than entertained, so don’t be late, as it could get very busy! It’s been great to see the response so far to our ‘loyalty stamps scheme’. People are now starting to fill their cards up already, not only by gaining stamps just for turning up, but also for supporting the artists by purchases from our mobile merch stand too! Don’t forget that each stamp you collect counts towards your Best Of ‘Bootleg’, of tracks from our shows, that will be available at the end of the year. Remember, attendance is FREE, so there’s no reason not to just pop in and check us out! For more info on the last and next TAP session, tune into Sound of the Suburbs’ show on Tuesday evenings at 10pm.
Saturday 28th April: 50Ft Woman and The Scratch - White Hart Tap, St.Albans FREE ENTRY from 8pm.
Contents
Brighton here we come!
Cover star: The Scratch
Welcome 2-3 From Recharged Radio
SOTS on?
4
My Favourite Toy
4
Is the gig scene boken?
5
Ageing: The Great Youth Destructor
5
Great Escape Special
6-9
The Scratch new album
10-11
Audio Justice
12-13
J-Rod, The Tuesday Club By Jamie Tayler
By Jamie Tayler
All the runners and riders! Great Adventure review The Interview
Thanks to: Design @8ecreative, JV Photography: courtesy of steveteague.com Words: Dave T, Minki, Pete Robbins, Jamie Tayler
Adam Ant changed my life 14 Minki
Night of the Artisans Who, what, why
15
facebook.com/rechargedradio @rechargedradio rechargedradio.com studio@rechargedradio.com
rechargedradio.com
THE RADIO SHOW TUES 10-12pm Dear SOTS fans, this month, I ponder ‘noise’ and why it still seems to have the mainstream running scared! We once had a conversation with font of all knowledge of media and music, the mighty John Robb at Manchester’s In the City festival, where John had been speaking about how hard it still was for ‘noisy, spikey, imperfect’ bands to get played on the radio, despite obviously having good followings. There are niche exceptions obviously and our own Recharged Radio is a notable one, but it seems sadly, that not a lot’s changed with the mainstream over 35 years on from Punk. Only last week, Rock band of the moment, The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney was on a not dissimilar tip. When interviewed by a big online music paper, he claimed people had “lost an ear” for rougher music and claimed that too many artists were writing songs that sounded like they should be played in an elevator. “When you turn on the radio it’s all kind of perfectly sequenced, perfectly written, perfectly performed by machines.” Having been doing battle with the playlisters for many years in many different guises, we on Sound of the Suburbs can certainly concur. Which is why it’s really refreshing to be able to play such relatively undiscovered ‘noise’ on our show on a Tuesday night. We hope you all agree? Tune in this month to hear tracks from The Bleeed, New Kick, The Toys, Illegal 15, IC7, Diana Ashmore, Dave Doll, Metatrons and loads more!!! facebook.com/soundofthesuburbs Demo of the month
MY FAVOURITE TOY BY
J-Rod from The Tuesday Club
My favourite piece of kit that I currently own has to be a little amplifier called an ANT by a company called SJB Audio. I came across it one Saturday at Hackney Road Studios (Steve Honest’s place, well known for its fascinating gear!) where it used to live; I played it on a recording and fell in love. A few months later, Steve mentioned to me he was selling it and without hesitation I grabbed it and ran out of the door (of course, leaving a fistful of fifties in Steve’s hand first). Having bought it, I did some research on where it came from and for a while, I didn’t turn up much. When I did find a few things out, I learnt that they used to be made in a shed somewhere in Poole, Dorset in the mid-90s. The (hand written) serial number on the back is ‘139’, so it’s hardly a mass produced item! Under the hood, it’s a 22W all valve combo with very little in the way of control. It boasts a Fane speaker (which is somewhat of a retro item these days) and size-wise, is no bigger than say, a Fender Champ practice amp. Soundwise, it’s very similar to The Fender Blackface sound, with a very strong bottom end, and sounds very sweet when naturally overdriven (which it will do after some persuasion; it’s a pretty clean sounding amp for most of its range). When gigged, most sound engineers can’t get their heads around the fact it doesn’t need micing up as it’s SO loud - appearances can be very deceptive! If you’re a guitarist and come across one of these little beauties for sale (they’re very rare) buy one and worry about the fallout (financial/spousal/parental) later... you’ll only regret it if you don’t!
By Jamie Tayler
AgEing: The Great Youth Destructor
I’ve been longing for the days of yesteryear recently. Not sure if this is due to a recent realisation that I’m hurtling dangerously towards middle age and nobody felt obliged to warn or even remind me of this. I’m sure a few of you remember a time before the interweb. A time when we’d get into the dinghy and have adventures on the lakes – or maybe I’m confusing my childhood with fiction – damn that 1980’s TV serialisation of Swallows and Amazons – which incidentally never included Swallows or Amazons – man, that was one boring summer! I digress… What I’m really getting at is those “Friday night pilgrimages“. Bet you all had one – my particular little group, my elite team of awesome would congregate on a large roundabout in Letchworth which boasts “The UK’s First Roundabout” (that used to read “The World’s First Roundabout” but that cocky statement was soon disproved – probably in no part by the wonders of the global village…!) whilst consuming copious amounts of MD20/20 or some concoction smuggled out of Justin’s house in a shampoo bottle - I still can‘t taste Advocaat these days without adding a nostalgic drop of Head & Shoulders. If, however, we wanted a REAL night out, we’d hop on the train to Hatfield and go to The Forum. I’ve not been able to find any pictures from those nights, and started to think that this place only existed in my imagination. I did, however, happen upon some of the old flyers in a box of memories - still gives me pins and needles. I don’t know if any of you have tried to venture into Hatfield by train but, believe me, the station is miles away from the town. In fact, only a couple of years back, I thought I would try and walk from the station to the town relying on the memory of the Friday groove my friends and I would follow to The Forum – big mistake – got lost, had to rely on Google Maps, got more lost, then had to suffer the humiliation of calling a friend to come and find me and pick me up. That place was our Mecca – we loved it. Funnily enough, I was reminded of it this week after a song was sent into Recharged Radio by The Metatrons. It was a rather cool little track that appeared to fuse a couple of my musical memories and made me write this in response: “This song reminds me of an ill-spent youth snogging girls under tables at the original Forum in Hatfield while the giant faces of Strawberry Switchblade frowned upon me from the walls and jumping around to The Breeders in a room my mother foolishly let me decorate myself….!” I really wish there were some photos of The Undertaker Disco nights at The (proper) Forum – if anybody does have some, please do share. Maybe it’s right that there aren’t any photos though – we now live in a world where every moment is documented over the Internet. Yes, I know I just have to get with it, but sometimes isn’t a memory of an event better than a physical document of it? I mean, I’m pretty sure that my memories are often romanticised, but I quite like keeping them that way. If I had a physical record of them, I’d probably be horribly disappointed. I prefer how my memory destructs these things – I do so wish, however, that I could once more stare upon the giant effigy of Strawberry Switchblade and apologise for my “Snakebite & Black-infused” behaviour. The walls CAN talk these days – I quite liked it when we could only contemplate if they could….! Remember any venues that are no more? studio@rechargedradio.com
Share your stories by emailing:
Is The Gig Scene Broken? We started talking about this on The Forum over on Recharged Radio last month. It’s easy to blame poor promoters and “pay to play” for the disappointing attendance at some venues – eg. sticking 8 mismatched bands on a Monday night in early January and charging £8 on the door – but the opposing argument is that they need to make money and we all know of venues that are no more as a result of poor attendance. Equally, creating a “music scene” at a venue can be fraught with petty band politics, especially outside of London. Somebody sent in details recently of a new website that looks to try and fit bands and artists with spaces on promoter’s shows – now it doesn’t really sit comfortably with me that an indie band should pay a premium to know of any paid gigs, but am I just an old romantic? Is it the case of speculate to accumulate? Let’s give the two dimensional promoters a break and see if you can come up with a definitive way that under the radar/emerging/underground/ up & coming/alternative bands can have fun playing music to an appreciative audience. What are the answers? What is the best way to inject some life into such an important social institution? Gig-swaps? The annihilation of Simon Cowell? All feedback gratefully received
What can the UK do to change its broken, outdated gig-culture? By Jamie Tayler
RECHARGED RA GREAT ESCAPE B Meet the runners and riders for this years great event to be held on Thursday May 12th at the Queen’s Hotel on Brighton’s world famous seafront!!!!! THE DASH: 3PM
Notching up a series of chaotic gigs including The O2, Scala, Bull & Gate, Barfly, Koko and The Garage; lowkey unannounced fans-only sets at Urban Bar, Powers and every flea-infested squat; support slots with Babyshambles and Biffy Clyro as well as winning Supajam’s latest Fast Track To Hop Farm competition, as well as selfreleasing limited edition vinyls and an Amazon top 10 download.
www.wearethedash.com ALICEBAND: 3.40
“Aliceband, like any decent original band are not easy to describe; their music is essentially an upbeat folk/pop hybrid with intelligent, thought provoking lyrics. But to put a label on their multifarious musical escapades would be a severe injustice. Led by superb songstress Alice Walker the band ooze talent and are sure to get your brain thinking, your mouth smiling, and your foot tapping.”.
www.facebook.com/alice.aliceband
CANVAS WALL: 4.10
Canvas Wall are a fresh mix of many genres, from blistering stadium rock to head bopping indie pop, layering sharp interweaving melodies over banging riffs from a vacuum-packed rhythm section. Their songs sing of soul-searching visions fuelled by passion
for life. Think Foo Fighters beating up the Kings of Leon while Panic at the Disco try to break it up! Their debut album is released later in 2012 so keep an ear out. www.canvas-wall.com
CINEMAWAVE: 4.50
After three years of 120 plus gigs, stolen guitars, awards, lost weekends, a new bass player, a name change and the finest collection of rock ‘n’ roll songs to have been written this decade, Cinemawave are ready to unleash their debut album ‘Can You Hear the Silence?’ on 11 June 2012 through It’s All Happening Records.
http://cinemawave.tumblr.com/
50FT WOMAN: 5.30
50ft Woman, described as ‘Blondie’s forgotten love child’, a ‘cross between AC/DC and The Bangles’ and ‘reminiscent of Garbage at their finest, with hints of The Ramones, and The New York Dolls’. Every song is a story, about such diverse subjects as goldfish, fashion and swinging in the suburbs. The rockpunkpop quintet, fronted by glamazon Minki are as bold, big and in your face as the iconic film poster of the same name.
www.50ftwoman.com
ADIO AT BRIGHTON 2012 MODEL SOCIETY: 6.10
With 2 Label Fandango singles under their belt, airplay from Steve Lamacq and a host of summer festivals lined up, including Bestival, Model Society continue their charge with a performance at this year’s Alt Escape. Lyrically they offer an insight into the social commentary and satire of contemporary suburban British life. They put on a captivating live show and are often described as a musical blend of Blur, Bloc Party and Wire. A juggernaut of a sound!
www.modelsociety.co.uk
BEN DRAKE: 6.50
After Leaving The66Kicks in 2009 Ben began working on his solo material and performing acoustically at local venues. In early 2010 he began recording his debut album at SoundARC Studios, at the same time forming a band around the new material in preparation for the live shows following the album’s release. The album, ‘Repercussions’ was finished late 2011, and after a few pre-release shows to kick start the new line up, it was made available for download on 31st Jan 2012. The Album is a mixture of blues/rock/pop and has had positive reviews in the industry, and currently Ben and his band are gigging to promote the Album.
myspace.com/bennyboydrake
PEPPER & SHEPHERD: 7.30 Pepper and Shepherd play intense, soulful lo-fi pop folk. Their debut album ‘Wreck and Reel’ is released on May 21. “An outstanding folk-pop duo with energy, conviction and a whole bunch of memorable tunes! The
chemistry between them is electric” - Icarus Radio (2011) “unbearably catchy while simultaneously tugging on your heartstrings.” The 405.
www.pepperandshepherd.co.uk
LIMOZINE: 8.10
Limozine are a Rock ‘n’ Roll band from London inspired by The Cramps, The Stooges and The Ramones. The band have released two albums, both to rave reviews - Car Crash Casino in 2007 and Evil Love in 2010. Their third album ‘Full Service’ is released May 2012. “Primitive to the point of retardation, but in a good way” - Classic Rock. “Spritual descendants of The Cramps, Stooges and Ramones” - Tom Robinson BBC6
www.facebook.com/limozineband
THE SCRATCH: 8.40
2012 is big a celebratory year for the St.Albans based ‘new wavers’, not only is it their 10th year of D.I.Y. existence, it’s also about to see the arrival of their 4th studio album. Great Adventure hits the download stores on MAY 12th. There will also be a very limited amount of CD’s on sale at the launch party at St.Albans Pioneer club on the same day. Tickets are on sale now from www.musicglue.com They sound like a bee kissing a baboon..
www.thescratch.co.uk
Continued...
TOM COPSON: 9.20
Influenced by the likes of Bon Iver and Jeff Buckley, Tom Copson‘s beautiful vocals, personality, and deft songwriting hoist him way above the norm. May 2012 will see the release of his debut album ‘Woven’ which will precede a summer of extensive festival performances and busking throughout the UK. With Tom Robinson and BBC Introducing already well behind him, this year looks to be his time to breakthrough. www.tomcopson.com
MODEL STAGGS: 11.20
Model Staggs take their DIY ethic seriously. Their first ep is self-released, selfrecorded, self-produced. In fact, self-everything. During the last year the duo from Cambridge have been working things through, developing a sound that goes further than stripped down blues rock. They make songs that are layered with warped bass tones, sophisticated melodies and rhythms. http://www.myspace.com/modelstaggs
FAKE TEAK: 10.00
Fake Teak is the brainchild of singer and bassist Andrew Wyld, but has evolved into a collective of musicians whose ideas feed into the band’s distinctive sound. Drawing on diverse styles such as Krautrock, Afrobeat, funk, rock and electronica, Fake Teak has produced some of the most exciting and memorable songs enjoyed by gig audiences in recent years. As of 2012 Andrew is joined by Alastair Nicholls on guitar, Tadas Petrikas on drums and Joanna Wyld on synths.
http://faketeak.com/
THE OCTOBER GAME: 10.40
The October Game are a 5 piece alt.rock band from London and the Home Counties. For fans of The Cure, Massive Attack and Radiohead, the band fuse elements of atmospheric rock and brooding indie pop with touches of electronica and folk occasionally weaving their way into the frame. Critically acclaimed, both on record and for their passionate live performances, The October Game are a band not to be missed. www.theoctobergame.com
QUEEN’S HOTEL ☞
HOW TO GET HERE Follow the M23 onto the A23 and follow signs for the town centre and sea-front. At the roundabout opposite the Brighton Pier turn right onto the seafront. The Queens Hotel is located 400m down on the corner (the same building as No.1 Bar and Bistro). The nearest car park is The Lanes and is charged at £23.00 per 24 hours. There are alternative car parks charging between £13 - £40 per 24 hours. The nearest train station is Brighton Station which is served by Southern (from London Victoria) and First Capital Connect (from London St Pancras International) and Gatwick Airport. Pool Valley Coach Station is just to the back of the hotel and is served by National Express with direct services to central London, Gatwick Airport and Heathrow Airport.
GOIN’ ON A GREAT
ADVENTURE?
TH E R E T U R N O F
...THE INTERVIEW !
It’s been a quiet few months for The Scratch, certainly by their usual standards anyway. However that’s all about to change with the release of their 4th studio album Great Adventure. Long term friend, fan and associate Dave T, caught up with Andy Scratch and John ‘Vintage’ Viney, to see what’s been going on in the close season and what to expect from the new release!
“...it felt like it could go both ways, the perfect epitaph OR we’re we about to embark on the main event!?”
So guys, before we get to the album, why the uncharacteristic ‘time off ’? Well, since our Wag Potential single launch in November last year, we’ve been keeping really busy, but not necessarily on The Scratch. We’ve started our own radio show on Recharged Radio, Sound of the Suburbs, we’ve launched the ‘Perfect Pop Co-op’ nights at the White Hart Tap in St. Albans and we’ve also devised the new SOTS mag too, whilst still managing to find time to chop, fold and assemble all of the CDs for the new album! So though we’ve been quiet on the outside, inside’s been a bit like a crazy Doug McClure adventure to the centre of the earth! We’re actually thinking it’s now that we need the rest! The radio show. 5 episodes in? It’s quite unlike most other RR shows, which is obviously deliberate? Yeah 5 shows, so we’re over quarter of the way into achieving the year! Gotta say we’re loving it. The original remit was try and keep it very ‘suburban’ with a mix of RR faves and ours, but as it’s evolved, the main bits; the ‘Vintage Viney Vinyl’ and the ‘demos feature’, have kind of taken over. We’re from the John Peel era so the amateur DIY-ness of the wrong speed vinyl and the crappily converted cassette demos to MP3 are nostalgia for us as much as anything. That said, it’s also nice to be able to have a vehicle to air a few ‘works in progress’ to see how they stand up with classic finds like The Innocent Vicars. We’re really on a bit of Richard Norris tip at the mo. It’s quite amazing how many unheard of 7” singles John has! Great Adventure - where did the teasingly
ambiguous title come from? It felt like a crossroads. We’re 10 years in and when we were recording it, it felt like it could go both ways, the perfect epitaph OR we are about to embark on the main event!? First track ‘Alleyway’ is quite a surprise as an intro track, a bit of a more indie departure? Well not consciously, we never set out saying ‘this track must sound like this etc. I think the 60’s psych stuff was Grim’s insomnia playing tricks on his mind! We kind of thought it made a nice change, especially as we go all balls out on ‘Wag Potential’ straight after! I’ve got to say, having listened to all of your albums again recently, I think ‘GA’ shows a new found maturity, certainly in terms of your sound. To me it’s a modern DIY but with a bit extra, is that fair? Well I guess in terms of dynamic, we’ve ended with a dance track which is similar to DIY. I think it’s probably , in terms of material, our most coherent album? Maturity? Well, that’s for the ear of the listener. It’s also our first album with ‘collaborations’ on it. Mel O’Donnell’s violin on ‘Let There Be Us’, is definitely ‘goose pimple city’ and you really don’t expect Steve Honest’s hints of Hawaii on the title track. So, Album launch 12th May back at the Pioneer? I’m loving the little taster you put up on tourdates. co.uk recently. Have you got a plan for an actual single to follow up WAG? The Pioneer, yeah, the ‘WAG’ launch went so well and it’s also good for our fans and friends to see us somewhere a bit different. We’re also going to do the full ‘aftershow’ thing again at Bar 62 too, it just makes the whole night more value for our mates - ten years in and they are still there, it’s amazing, their loyalty. With most gigs at the end, it’s rush, pack up, rush, get the train, bye etc... at least this way we can all fall down together!. As far as new singles, well, nothing’s been set in stone, but Jordan’s been playing the title track to death and he’s usually a pretty good judge, so watch this space! DAVE T
http://www.thefleetvillevintageemporium.co.uk/
Picture by: steveteague.co.uk at The Fleetville Vintage Emporium, St.Albans
G R E AT AD V ENTURE - GETS REVI EW ED With a cunning sense of mischief, it only takes a cursory listen to the lyrics of the first single from the album ‘WAG Potential’ to truly appreciate the black humour beneath the roaring guitars. Devoto-esque whit is laced throughout this ascorbic cocktail of laughter, self-depreciation, sorrow and sex. Album opener Down In The Alleyway is infused with more than a sprinkle of psychedelia and quirkily skewed ‘Ryderistic’ meanderings, which ease the ear in with a gorgeous blissed out stumble. ‘Squinting on the lemon twist, broken nose and sprained wrist’. Track 2, the aforementioned WAG Potential, rollocks along with careless New Wave abandon; snotty vocals deliver cutting snipes at bling culture to a backdrop of ‘Devo Bontempi’ and a blazing 3 chord onslaught. With a delicious doff to T.Rex’s Solid Gold Easy Action and a chorus as catchy as the Banana Splits theme, for those old enough to remember it! Track 3 - Next up and the boys don’t let the foot off the jugular with the rapier Hives a-like Desire To Be Thin; “24 hours in a day, with so much to squeeze in, success, cash and sex and the desire to be thin”. Gusto, guts and more than a hint of Lydon-ised sarcasm to boot. Track 4, Narcotic Hearts, is a glam epic. Written some eight years before the rest of the album, it celebrates - à la The Black Keys’ Gold on the Ceiling,the era of music no-one ‘cool’ ever seems to admit liking. Underpinned by pulsating tom-tom thunder, you can feel spangles of glitter spraying your carpet as the camp vocal delivery of the evocative but least sensical lyrics on the album throw your head into a weekend fever. But it’s the chorus that will finally pull down your trousers and pants and show the mother in law
just what your daughter married you for. “Narcotic Hearts, are gonna lick and smell ya!” Track 5 - Weirder Than We Are - Is the curious tale of an office ‘dark horse’ and his nefarious out of hours desires, as if an English American Psycho was brought to The Palladium. Once more a nod to Devo, both in chorus, melody and strange hamfisted keyboard stabbery, it’s as catchy as the Norovirus and geeky as Napoleon Dynamite, right down to the vocoded ‘I am the decoder’ outré. A sure future single. Track 6 - Let There Be Us - The ‘Slowy’ - Heartrending violins puncture the agonising restraint of its tempo, with almost Breeders like melancholic persuasion. Accessible like no other track on the album. Track 7 - Don’t Play Along; This is a strange one. I hear The Ruts, but maybe they are next door, playing on your stereo, and I’m listening through the wall to The Arctic Monkey’s New Rock Revolution and Sergio Leoni’s classic Spaghetti Western soundtracks duelling for your honour through the hurt of an obviously messy betrayal?! Track 8 - Already ‘soft’ released prior to the album launch, 88th Day of Rain has an early 80’s/bastard child of Britpop feel. There’s elements of Blur, but for me it’s the Dead Kennedy’s Holiday in Cambodia and The B52’s Planet Claire who have been dallying in the broom cupboard a little too long at the work’s Christmas party, resulting in this mightily infectious offspring, which I would defy anyone with breath to resist tearing it up at the disco to… “it’s a pop world, it’s a shock wor-or-or-orld!”. For those who still appreciate its true meaning, this is how pop was, is and still should be!
Track 9 - famously touted at gigs as of a similar subject matter to The Vapours’ New Wave classic Turning Japanese, Biting On My Lip poetically jerks and grooves in glorious agitation, with the driving sing-along of the chorus, only eclipsed by the goose pimply Nirvana-ised mid 8; an ultimate grower. Track 10 - On No Two Castles Are The Same, the backing vocals are once more a standout, in this instance delivered like Adam and his Ants, on their 80’s classic album Kings of the Wild Frontier; but that’s not the half of this song. Packed to the hilt with feral burps and bleeps and a delightfully odd ‘drop down’ mid 8, the track evolves like an ‘Evil Dead’ tree up your inside leg, all the way to the blitzkrieg Enter Shikari-ed outro. Track 11 - And then to the title track. Great Adventure, all 5.14 of it. This song is a greatest hits album in itself. After its euphorically, melodramatic, Ibiza ‘come down’ keyboard intro, you hear The Strokes coming up over the horizon, but just when you’re getting the groove, you’re suddenly transported to Honolulu courtesy of a dreamy pedal steel mid 8, but don’t get comfortable folks, for it’s time to welcome on stage Clem Burke’s hi-hats as swooned by a glass hearted Debbie Harry, but just when your brain has been poleaxed by so much nostalgic euphoria, you’re suddenly standing next to David Bowie swaying along to Memory of a Free Festival, as the circle completes and we’re back where we started, in Ibiza’s morning glory. “The sun machine is coming down and you’re gonna have a party!” So... LET’S DO IT! DAVE T.
Audio Justice: Musical Heroes “sans” the Spandex Dan Furr dreamt of fronting a band since he was a teenager. Writing many songs in this prolific musical period, they had lived on a “formatted ZXSpectrum cassette tape” called “Dan’s Games Vol1“ for many years. Having started his musical career as lead guitarist for North Hertfordshire funk/rap party band, Fog Donkey, internal band politics and youthful excess inevitably led a frustrated Dan to revisit these early recordings. Having been (as Dan politely puts it) “pushed before I could jump”, the time felt right for him to get a band together and air his creations. Dan took on guitar and vocal duties and, following auditions held at a dilapidated fire-hazard of a rehearsal space, he soon drafted in a drummer and bassist. Under the band name “Seed”, they hit the scene a decade ago, playing their first gig in an obscure rundown nightclub in “Englands 4th worst town”, Luton. The early lineup altered, and the band name changed, but things really started to progress for Audio Justice. By 2004, they were a recognised act, with ripples turning to waves on the circuit, and the band garnering early praise from the musical press. Lee Haynes established himself as the powerhouse on drums, and with his “massive red” drumkit, had fast become an integral part of Audio Justice. The band became renowned for their tight, professional sound and epic displays of showmanship. A contact from Dan’s earlier musical endeavours was impressed with what he heard, and provided Audio Justice with time at his studio. Dave Wooster, front of house sound engineer for artists ranging from Leona Lewis to Gary Moore, and owner of Koolworld Studios at The Hat Factory, Luton, helped record some early demos, trying hard to encapsulate the “live” force the band
had become. Sadly, in May 2005, at a moment when Audio Justice were looking to embark on their first studio album, came the very unexpected and untimely death of Lee Haynes at the age of 25. Dan speaks fondly of his good friend and musical cohort: “Lee was a talent that continues to be missed not only by all those who heard him play, but by those who were lucky enough to count him among their friends.” After this difficult time, the “emphasis then shifted to Audio Justice being almost exclusively a studio band.” This was when the arduous work started on the 2007 album, Overdrawn At The Memory Bank. Dan took six months to complete this project and played every part in its creation. The album was written, recorded, produced and performed in its entirety by Dan: “It was great to be a one man band, partly through design; but a nice way of saying ‘I did this’.” Kerrang! Magazine gave the album a 5 star review, saying that:
“The new Audio Justice album should be used to beat to death every apathetic A&R man in the country” Following the success of Audio Justice’s debut album, Dan was keen to
try something new with his second outing. He has progressed both as a musician and producer and is excited about the new material. “House Of Cards” represents a leap “in terms of sound as well as songwriting”, and Dan’s association with Dave Wooster at Koolworld Studios opened the door to a new addition to the Audio Justice sound: “Any band is only as good as its drummer.” Dan was never keen for a drummer to just “pick up” where Lee Haynes had left, but when the opportunity arose for percussionist, Carlos Hercules, to guest on the recording, he felt it was right to embrace it. Carlos has spent over 20 years as a professional drummer, performing with artists ranging from musical legends to contemporary artists ;The Eurythmics, Lulu and George Michael to Kelly Clarkson and Westlife. Dan feels “very, very lucky indeed” to have Carlos’ involvement, and with other guests to be revealed over the coming weeks, there is a lot more to get excited about. For all the success, excitement and momentum this project is gathering, Dan still remains humble: “I do this for myself at the end of the day. If people like what they hear and can relate to any of the themes or ideas in the music, then that’s fantastic, but first and foremost, I do this because I love it.” House of Cards has taken a few twist and turns. A project of this magnitude being created essentially by one man is inevitably going to take its toll and not necessarily hit a self-imposed deadline. Jamie says: “I can confirm, that a recent visit to AJ-towers and cheeky little listen of House of Cards has left me wanting to share this album with you guys at Recharged Radio. The end is in sight, and it’ll be more than worth the wait!” www.audiojustice.com By Jamie Tayler
THE WEEK AHEAD: Tuesday, 10 APRIL 00.00 - 20.00 Best of: Music and show repeats 20:00 - 22.00 The California Diner 22:00 - 00.00 Sound of the Suburbs (rpt)
Wednesday, 11 APRIL 00.00 - 19:00 Best of: Music and show repeats 19:00 - 20.00 Metal Mumin (rpt) 20.00 - 22.00 Night of the Artisans (rpt) 22.00 - 00:00 Best of: Music and show repeats
Thursday, 12 APRIL 00.00 - 19:00 Best of: Music and show repeats 19:00 - 20:00 Close to Nowhere 20:00 - 22.00 Minki’s Magic Moments 22:00 - 23.00 20/20 Hip Hop 23.00 - 00:00 Best of: Music and show repeats
Friday, 13 APRIL 00.00 - 20:00 Best of: Music and show repeats 20:00 - 22.00 The Forum 22:00 - 23.00 I Land Music (rpt) 23.00 - 00:00 Best of: Music and show repeats
Saturday 14 APRIL 00.00 - 10:00 Best of: Music and show repeats 10:00 - 12:00 Jim Distortion In The Morning 12.00 - 00.00 Best of: Music and show repeats
Sunday, 15 APRIL 00.00 - 19.00 Best of: Music and show repeats 19:00 - 20.00 Music Unleashed Top 40 20.00 - 00:00 Best of: Music and show repeats
Monday, 16 APRIL 00.00 - 20.00 Best of: Music and show repeats 20:00 - 22.00 Crawling Home 22.00 - 00.00 Best of: Music and show repeats
Once Upon a Time... Minki looked for her Prince Charming... When you are little and you have a hero, really, it’s all about the fantasy; the idea of them. Inspiration can seep in and sow the seed, but you probably aren’t aware fully of how they tick. I remember distinctly the first time I ever heard an Adam and the Ants song. Walking into the church hall for a ‘disco’, on my own, a bit nervous and hearing this beat, those drums and seeing the eldest daughter of the local policeman dancing some strange dance, with scarves tied around her legs and arms. I didn’t particularly like her, but suddenly she was the coolest thing I had ever seen, and I HAD to find out what that music was. To then find out that the guy whose song it was dressed as a highwayman/ pirate/native American was more than the icing on the cake, it was the marzipan, all the silver balls, the edible roses, the cake stand and even the fucking table. As my first ever crush was Zorro, this was a kid’s dream come true. Being a bit young for anything to be remotely sexual, when you are that age, it is more like Prince Charming is whisking you off on his white charger. And here is someone who is real, walking, talking, living, breathing and singing. And absolutely heart stoppingly gorgeous. And so the love affair began. I bought every single thing I could get my hands on that had anything to do with Adam Ant; posters, magazines, badges, singles, limited edition singles, fan club memorabilia. I would have the piss unutterably ripped out of me for walking into the disco
with full on warpaint, painstakingly recreatedby my Mum, smug in the knowledge that it was REAL greasepaint like Adam would wear, not just some eyeshadow your Mum found in the local chemist for 20p. Yeah OK, I missed out on the whole punk thing; the Dirk Wears White Sox era. I was a bit young to understand it, and the whole rubber fetish thing seemed a bit dark and spooky then (ironic thinking about THAT now!). I remember reading an article about Adam at the time, saying he used to live in a room paintedall black with just a mattress on the floor. I did toy with the idea that this ‘was cool’ but then apart from the fact it would have been a resounding ‘no’ from my parents, I think deep down I didn’t really ‘get’ that whole fetish thing (aha obviously the seeds were sewn, they just hadn’t blossomed yet!). When Adam became Prince Charming, for all his recent proclaiming that it was ‘ the poofy stuff ’, there was just nothing like it. People always tried to lump him in with the whole new Romantic movement but it never was. The music was nothing like anything else, and still isn’t. Adam Ant wasn’t even ahead of his time as there has still never been anything like him since! And so following his exploits over the years, and seeing this beautiful man turn into a balding, bloated,troubled soul was a bit of an eyeopener. As a ‘grown up’ you are a lot more aware of the person behind such genius, and it’s a bit sad when you realise the person who you pretty much thought was your own personal ‘god’ is in fact a bi-polar, fragile human being, with problems and troubles like us all. Hearing over the last year that there was talk of his come-back, of his getting fit, getting in the studio, of his mental recovery, I was torn. Truly torn. Would this be one of those terrible mistakes where you finally get
to meet your hero only to find out he is a total arsehole, or collects Ugg boots or something similarly repulsive? Would the bubble be burst for ever? I mean, here is a man that, really, is responsible for the my inspiration in music. Ok, I was always musical because of my parents, but the showman, the performance, the vocal percussion, all of that came from Adam Ant. No-one wants to realise that something wasn’t quite as it seems when it had such an impact on their younger years. And so the day I heard that Adam Ant was going to be playing at the Scala – his first proper gig in 15 years – was quite eventful. But there was no real decision to be made. I had to go, it was a simple as that. I did refrain from dressing up like any sort of pirate or highwayman or indeed wearing a greasepaint Geronimo stripe, but I have to tell you, that in itself felt a bit strange. The last time I went to see Adam Ant was with my Mum, it was to the Prince Charming Revue, I was very little and I cried all the way home on the train fromLeeds, as I didn’t want it to end. This time I was a bit nervous as previous guerrilla gigs had been reported as a bit chaotic and there had been a couple of no-shows when Adam was meant to be appearing with the Glitter Band. Would he turn up? As with those situations when it all seems too much for it to actually happen, I had a nagging feeling it wouldn’t happen. But. It. Did. There are many reports and videos and photos on the web of the gig itself, so I won’t even go into the set list and the band. I don’t need to. I honestly don’t; because the main thing of the whole night was me and Adam Ant, reunited. I saw the true chaotic, brilliant, beautiful, genius – the man behind the highwayman mask that I had my first childish obsession with. I saw the punk Adam, the angry passionate Adam – still beautiful, even at 55. Before he even stepped onstage he wandered through the crowd and at one point headed straight in my direction. I can truly say I don’t think I have ever been rooted to the spot like that, heart pounding, desperately trying to think of something to say, though no words would probably have come out of my mouth anyway. What is there to say? That a man who adorned my bedroom wall all those years ago could walk past me and that I could feel the same excitement and feel in person the charisma that jumped off the posters was really quite special. Yes, he has had his troubles, and even now his ranting and raving and unpredictability onstage do make you question whether he is truly in a stable mental state. As he said to the heckler when he bravely and some would say, foolishly, tried to read from Lemmy’s autobiography at the end of his musical set, ‘It’s my fucking show”. He could have done the ‘Here and Now’ tour, as he said, and made shit loads of money but he chose to do it his way (Sid Vicious cover of Frank Sinatra cover anyone?). I know people have questioned whether he was and is in a fit state to come back. But he is a free spirit, albeit with a difficult mental state to control. In this world, what is normal?
www.facebook.com/nightoftheartisans As a performing musician I have encountered all sorts of music from harsh electro grime to fusion pop and hip hop and have liked aspects of all of them. When I was growing up I was exposed to everything from progressive bands and art rock groups of the late seventies, blues and jazz from the thirties, to the songs and chants of Tudor England, all of which I am glad to have experienced. There is one common reason why I like all these sorts of music and more, and that is the ‘Song’. It’s the one aspect I continue to fall in love with over and over again. That’s what I adore, the fact that one or every emotion can be expressed through the ‘Song’ and that stripping a performance back to almost the bare basics as you find in acoustic form, can sometimes be more powerful than any rhythm section. The idea of a live acoustic night, based in a small disused wine cellar underneath an Italian run bistro in Cambridge’s Norfolk Street, was not a new one. This was already being done by two other promoters. However, as with many a successful idea, I was sure I had identified a need. My long term friend and very talented singer songwriter Tom Copson was finding it impossible to get a gig through the already established promoters. This outraged me, and I felt this was an absolute tragedy that someone of such musical talent could be overlooked and ignored in the circles of his musical home, the city of Cambridge. So, channelling my anger as a powerful motivational tool, I set about creating what was going to be a one-off night in the wine cellar for Tom to play and the ‘Night of the Artisans’ acoustic night was born. Three and a half years later, this night has developed and grown beyond my own expectations, to the point that if I have a new idea and the desire to do it, then under the umbrella of ‘Night of the Artisans’ (NOTA), it seems to be fulfilled. Although I now have a regular date in the wine cellar and on the radio, NOTA can boast acoustic nights in a variety of other locations around the south of England, seeking out unsigned musical talent and setting up shop in places such as; a prestigious ship moored on the river Thames in London; a living room in the oldest house in St Ives (Cambridgeshire); a barn in the middle of a Surrey estate, and most recently, a Norman church dating back to 1132AD in the city centre of Cambridge. So it seems there was a need!
So many people of genius and artistic temperament are like him. They may not go waving guns outside Camden pubs, but they all suffer from the ups and downs of art, the black moods, the insecurities, the pretence of arrogance to get through the shit of the industry that tries to pigeonhole us musicians into convenient boxes, the elation after a gig, writing a new song that we think is brilliant, scribbling down a killer line at three in the morning that comes to us in a dream – we all go through it, just some more publicly and sadly than others.
So why do these shows?
Adam was an inspiration to me then, and he remains an inspiration to me now. There would be no 50ft Woman without Adam Ant.
At NOTA I love to create a sense of wonder that transports everyone to another place, a place whose sole purpose is music and the ‘Song’.
And yes, I cried all the way home.
I love the fact that NOTA gives a performer a space in which to be heard by likeminded people, people who give their hard earned money and evening up in the hope of discovering something new, or just to be moved by the songs that are sung. I also love the fact I can create a unique intimate experience for the audience in terms of some of the venues I have used to put shows on.