| ISSUE 27 | ISSN 1754-3746 |
DISCHARGE
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JD SMITH
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3 minute warning
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.ill fated riot .THE SKINTS reviewED!
.The real mckenzies .UK SUBS
STOP SOMERS TOWN ‘SUPERLAB’!
EDITOR/Co PUBLISHER_ Cerven Cotter
editor@distortedmagazine.com
ADVERTISING/Co PUBLISHER_ Nikola Cotter nikola@distortedmagazine.com ART/WEB/LAYOUT_ www.pixeldeath.com
SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR_ Steve ‘I’ll get you a job’ Noble steve@distortedmagazine.com CONTRIBUTORS_ John Robb, Rupe Rabble Tim Drunk, Curvball, Fungal Punk/ OMD, LibraSnake, Imelda Michalczyk, and the New Years Fairy.... Contact information_ Distorted Magazine 9 Bridle Close, Surbiton Road, Kingston Upon Thames Surrey, KT1 2JW, UK info@distortedmagazine.com www.distortedmagazine.com Distorted Magazine is published by Distorted Ltd. ISSN 1754-3746 All content is copyright protected © 2006 - 2008. Distorted is a trademark of Distorted Ltd.
Views expressed in the magazine’s content belong to the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers. The contents are believed to be correct at the time of publishing. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors, ommissions or for changes in the details given, © 2006 - 2008 Distorted Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in a whole or in part of this magazine is strictly forbidden without prior written consent of the publishers.
A month of change
February is always one of those months
for me - it’s the month where I get to add yet another notch on my ‘lived’ life belt. As much as I’ll be adding another year to my existence, our senior contributor, Steve Noble will be celebrating his birthday too - please buy him a drink or 3 if you see him at a show. The month of February is very special for the myself and the wife (Distorted’s co-publisher and advertising lady) as we’ll be celebrating birthday zero for our little boy. I say birthday zero - we’re expecting him to be born around the 13th of the month... another little punkrocker for the world and a handful for us. Everytime I write one of these editorial’s I always mention some changes coming soon... well, I’m going to say it again, we’ve got some hanges lined up for Distorted, and these are really great changes... stay tuned... Oh yes, you might notice a familiar name appearing on these digital pages, Willa is back, and we’re really stoked to have her contributing again. So, what are your plans for February? Let us know in the comments below. See you in March. ~ Cerven Cotter
Distorted Editor and soon to be dad...
ON THE COVER: The Real McKenzies, London, UK. © Imelda Michalczyk
Features STOP SOMERS TOWN ‘SUPERLAB’!... 16
3 Minute Warning... 18
Discharge...24
JD Smith... 28 Ill Fated Riot... 40
REGULARS Editor Notes...... 03 John’S COLUMN... 06 RuPE’S COLUMN ... 08 Reviews...... 40
Mutiny!
The John Robb Column Punk rock Internationale!
‘In noise we trust’
Last week I got myspaced by an anarcho punk band in Nepal and a great street punk band called DEMOKHRATIA (www.myspace. com/demokhratia) from Algeria which got me thinking just how international and all persuasive punk rock culture is getting. DEMOKHRATIA are a great band, they have a touch of the classic Minor Threat sound about them, you know that super fast streamlined punk rock- high on energy and ideas and low on flabby collect the cash pub rock punk but with an added edge if that’s possible- check out their myspace…. It’s great to think that despite all the odds of living in a country that was gripped by civil war and has its own quotient of internal problems that somehow a band this great can exist and somehow find an audience to play to. Myspace, even though its owned by Rupert Murdoch and is therefore in they evil hands of the slavering right wing media Satan, is an unintentionally fantastic conduit for punk rock outsider informationworldwide punk rock network ex-
isting below the radar is coming closer every day, no longer does anyone have to take what’s handed on a plate, they can go and investigate. There already was some talk of Goldblade doing three dates in Algeria including one gig in the Sahara desert that’s why I had a sniff around for unlikely local action. Shame the gigs might be difficult to do- the foreign office is advising against travel to the country which is recovering from a civil war, maybe we will still do it despite this. Punk rock then is now a truly international force- all over the world the street rats are running as the battered punk rock standard is getting raised in high decibel back streets from Mexico City to St Petersburg from Tehren to Mumbai. All over the world the punk rock internationale is upon us. The question remains is this just going to remain a one way street of Anglo American bands influencing the rest of the world or are we going to get a cross pollination here? Are we going to get a twisted version sent back to us skewed with a powerful local twist? Punk rock is the 21st century folk music, a music that anyone can make and
create a space with, a rebel sound that anyone can connect with outside the major music business hype machine- and now the power of word of mouth which is how this scene always worked amplified into a growing world wide force by the click, click, click of the internet. Worldwide those tattooed punk rock hands are hammering the keyboards making worldwide connections with the rest of the noise fraternity whether its Malaysian skins and scooter boys looking sharp as fuck in there skin street wear and acute hair photographed proudly by their scooters and cranking up street punk in a totally different context. Then there are the Indonesian Mohicans well versed in the minutiae of punk rock music and detail desperate for music and connections with the rest of the worldthe responsibility of all our bands is to make the music 100 per cent so as not to let these people down, not plodding tawdry pub rock but somehow retaining the fierce energy and ideas that make punk rock such a potent force. Meanwhile the international connections keep getting made through myspace, there are punk bands in India who exist not even in the major cities, punk kids in
Turkey and China looking worldwide at the digital moshpit, South America, Japan and the far east all somehow connecting though the net, the global village with a big safety pin holding it together. When we play in Russia there are thousands of punks at the gigs, we once played in a stadium with 25 000 people there, punk rock is massive in Russia, its helping people make sense of a very confused world and with the added bonus of a great soundtrack.. A couple of years ago I was ina tiny village in Iceland and sleeping the bus shelter was the person who was introduced as the ‘local punk’ collapsed with his bottle of droog spirit and his Exploited leather jacket, there must have been 20 houses in the village and one of our clan, the family of noise was there was as well. Meanwhile 2009 has already got some kind of shape to it with the recession busting festivals appearing on the horizons, bucking the credit crunch trend there is a new festival on the horizon, the ‘Mutiny’ festival (mutinyfestival.com)in Bridlington on May 16th and our trusty old friend Rebellion (www. rebellionfestivals.com) in August
Mutiny! The John Robb Column
as well as a host of smaller festivals dotting the summer like Strummercamp in Manchester on May 23/24 which is a great celebration of the Clash’s late and great frontman Joe Strummer as well as September’s punk gathering in Sunderland- The other key news is that Cock Sparrer seem to be upping their quota of gigs from the annual one to about ten this year, the biggest proper punk band in the world have turned into a major force in the last ten years with their gigs attracting thousands and their songs becoming indelible anthems inked on the minds of whole new nation of punk kids- the Sparrer shirt has became a street staple and this is the story worldwide- they have broken all the rules of rock n roll which demand that you retire too soon- proving that three decades ina band can be hitting a peakmaybe its because they never lost their edge and remain one of the genuine old skool crews who make total sense in the new millennium. This year they plan a couple of forays into America which will be the first time they have been over there for a long time- these gigs will be mental- America loves Cock Sparrer. This coulmn was brought to you with a soundtrack of… Big Black…Steve Albini’s genius
infernal eighties noise genius, who drum machine driven intensity was as heavy and pile driving as it gets. Minor Threat….fierce stripped down punk rock from the DC crew whose straight edge punk rock avoided all the rock n roll clichés and created music with an inspiring vision. M.I.A….militant Sri Lankan/London based female rapper who last single ‘Paper Planes’ sampled the Clash’s ‘Straight To Hell’ and updated Strummer’s powerful political song into the 21st century. Remember kids, keep your vision distorted! John Robb is the author of Punk Rock: An Oral History and is the frontman of Goldblade.
WordsAre Ammunition! The musings of Rupe Rabble The long road... Dearest reader; welcome to yet another issue of ‘Distorted’ and yet another lock ‘n load column of reflection to instigate the brainwaves and thieve the attention! It’s time for us to once again take a journey of thought with yours truly as the narrator… Yes, once more you will be acquainted with the psyche of a hard-working musician who for better or worse just won’t fucking quit! SO, cutting to the chase; in brief moments of pure madness since our last candid-communication, you will find that once again time has managed to veer this runaway-train right off of the tracks and straight back on to an untamed path that I will refer to as ‘the long road…’ It’s true nobody ever said; “life’s going to be easy!” Nope, I’ve
only heard that it is an “endless struggle;” that it is continuously “one step forward and two steps back…” So where does that leave your average unwavering person? Somewhere far behind, no doubt? Where does that leave you and where does that leave me? Are we in the same boat my friend - pirates at the helm; rocking the ship with aspirations of the soul? I don’t know, I can’t tell you? I guess that all one can do in cycle’s of hardship is ask why? Why, why, why - but we’re not here to ever find out now are we? Without a doubt - the meaning of life remains THE unanswered question of our times! The secret perhaps only a God could satisfy? The answer only a pie in the sky? Or is there still the possibility that “life” is “truly” experienced in the way that we perceive it? But then ; will the pursuit to liberty
be a fruitful one, or the recipe for disaster? What I mean is; when one’s principles become their passion, can it also develop into their plague? After all, this is a world where conformity is not only favored but highly sought after and discrimination is as generic as… Oh, I don’t know - something generic? And it is in the name of Rock ‘n Roll that I declare this dilemma! Recognizing that us “real” musicians will forever have to take the slow way home… This - our sacrifice to inventiveness! This - our way of honoring a desire to never become a slave to the consumerist dogma of the zombie public who reign supreme in our western cultures - no feelings, no fun - no fucking idea… And so it is, like many performers, artists, musicians and poets that have come before - it appears that I will miss the shortcuts to the top and will continue to live the life of a tortured soul travelling in first gear… At least for now my friend!
Sure, it’s possible that from a distance the situation could appear under control, almost serene? You know, the whole “it must be cool being in a band” scenario! Yet, when you strip back the layers and reality bites - the truth becomes naked for all to see… So with these words I declare; on the road to ‘Rock ‘n Roll,’ it can (at times) seem to always be raining… Every now and then it’s a traffic jam and you’re stuck in the slow-lane. The long road will twist and it will turn, spin and swirl as you watch “ordinary” folk pass you by as if on a rollercoaster ride! Free ‘n easy - on the expressway to cloud nine… Or so it seems? Yeah, the road that lies ahead will offer diversions any which way it turns. Left and right there will be options like mocking distractions! They’ll try to make you bend and you might; they’ll try to make you break - but will I? Would you? There’s an endless horizon in front and it’s there in that distant possibility that nothing is
WordsAre Ammunition! The musings of Rupe Rabble
ever for certain; nothing is ever black and white… But that’s the way it’s supposed to be now isn’t it? “We’re not here to ever find out now are we?” So, walk a mile in these shoes and you might find that not so far behind is the worst detour of them all - the straight and narrow lurking at your rear snapping at the ankles like a rabid dog… It’s eager to intercept and it yearns for the soul - this money-hungry fat cat in a suit. This anonymous power with it’s rules and regulations, taxes and traditions, tribulations and bills: bureaucratic bullshit that bangs on the brain! There’s a crossroad on every corner and each one could be the last, because there is little that is concrete so try as you will to keep your feet on just that; whilst everyone else in the world will remind you that “your head is in the clouds!” And it will become all too familiar territory right? WRONG, We’re forever still learning! Still find-
ing out that when you get back from those tours; there’s no job, no income, no vehicle, no money, no time, bad health, bad credit, bad ideas and bad day-time television… But deep down there ‘s still hope. I’ll bend but not break!
STAY FREE Rupe Rabble is a vocalist and drummer for The Rabble.
by Willa (you’ll be seeing more of her work in 2009)
The area of Somers Town is near the heart of London, tucked in between the British Library and St. Pancras International station. For a place nestled near such grand institutions you would expect more than an overcrowded and deprived estate with the lowest life expectancy in the capital (35% the national death rate average)* in a borough with more than 15,000 people on a waiting list for housing- so the question now posed is why, after Gordon Brown pledged to allow local authorities to build homes for those in need, is the vacant area (formerly a hospital but now in disuse) instead going to be used for a £500million ‘Superlab.’ Last summer the British Library International Science Site (BLISS) medical research center found a home in the 3.6-acre site of Brill Place in Somers Town, with planning due to start early this year and the opening of the lab by 2012.
Despite resistance from locals and residents in the area, the lab will be the largest testing facility in the UK and allegedly the largest animal testing labs in the world. It will be somewhere between a Biohazard Level 3 and Level 4 (the highest rating) facility, containing viruses such as Tuberculosis, influenza, HIV, malaria and rabies- earning the lab many ’28 Days Later’ references and nicknames on opposition campaigns. Many are worried at the prospect of a leak near such transport hubs as King’s Cross and St. Pancrasespecially with both stations posing a serious threat as targets for terrorism (something King’s Cross has already experienced), as well as the proposed transport of animals for testing via. St Pancras to the lab. In 2007 there was a spread of a strain of Foot and Mouth disease from the Pirbright Lab in Surrey due to leaking pipes. Considering the traffic of people as well as density
of population in the Somers Town area of London, a similar leak could be catastrophic. Hoping to win over the inhabitants of Somers Town- many of whom are bitter that the site is not being used to create affordable housing and community facilities- the Medical Research Council announced that the extra security surrounding the lab would benefit the estateterrifying residents with the idea of armed guards patrolling the neighbourhood. Another idea offered as pacification was the promise of increased jobs- however to the people of Somers Town this is just a bad repeat of a promise made in the 1970s with the British Library, or in recent years with St Pancras International- the people of Somers Town have yet to see their community benefit from the now prosperous library and station. So why is all this money going into
a dangerous testing facility in the middle of a highly populated urban area, that would pose a massive risk to locals and a tragedy for animal rights when there still aren’t enough housing estates built to see 15,000 people (in Camden Council alone) in a home of their own, while the government just sits there and counts the money handed to them by the MRC and pharmaceutical companies? Join forces with the people of Somers Town and animal rights activists, and direct those questions to: Camden Council Camden Town Hall Judd Street Camden London WC1 ‌and keep an eye out for the various Stop The Camden Animal Lab campaigns being set up.
*figure according to Anthony Kessel of the Camden Primary Healthcare Trust
Steve Noble got this interview sorted...
rollin’ skankers
Not nippers to the UK ska scene, 3 Minute Warning have changed labels, put out a damn fine album and hit Europe in 2008. With wiser minds sitting atop their heads, we asked the guys about the recent release and the future of ska.
3 minute warning
Steve: So tell us about 3 Minute Warning? The Who and the when? 3MW: We are Billy, Chuzz, Harold and Matt. We formed in 2002 and play primarily ska punk. Steve: Who are some of your core influences from the past and present? 3MW: The Clash, Specials, Madness, Stiff Little Fingers and Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin, Wildhearts, Rancid, Mighty Bosstones Steve: You released your debut EP “Eating Ain’t Cheating”, debut full
length album, titled “Tramps Jackpot” and have now followed up with “Scooters Loose change” which was released recently- It’s very much rock’n rolling ska with a organ driven sound. How did you approach the album compared to previous releases? 3MW: We decided to record with people that we already knew – Nick and Tran from Smoke Like a Fish- rather than use a sound engineer or producer that we didn’t know, which was what had happened previously. We hired in
all the equipment that we knew would give us the specific sound we were after, and tried to reproduce the sound that we knew was working well for us. Steve: Was it an enjoyable process to record again? What had you learned to improve this time around? 3MW: We really enjoyed working with Tran and Nick because we knew them well. They have a real understanding of ska music and it was a lot more relaxed. We really took our time this time. The songs on the album benefited from being gigged a lot before the recording and we wanted it to be more ballsy this time. Steve: And who is Scoot-
er? 3MW: A guy from our home town who is always jingling his change in his pocket when he talks to you. We like to base our songs on people we know and real experiences. It’s all a bit random really. Steve: Were there any tracks on the album you found you enjoyed more with time whilst recording? 3MW: With ‘Run and Hide’ it was a change in direction. It represents what we were listening to at the time and when we were growing up, from our parents. We were dancing around to it during the mixing. ‘Sun Song’ was the dark horse of the album. We kept it fresh by adding new things while we were at the stu-
3 minute warning
dio. Chuzz got through by the seat of his pants singing backing vocals to lyrics he’d never heard before! Steve: You have changed labels in the meanwhile. What’s was the reason behind that? 3MW: Buck from The Toasters, who is behind Megalith, is a legend so it was an honour to be asked by him. The label has given us a lot of practical support to expand into Europe, and there’s talk of touring in the States. Steve: How did the tour n Europe go? And how was the new material received? 3MW: We learned a lot from touring with a band as big as The Toasters. You think you know a lot but
they were definitely very professional and taught us a thing or two. Plus it was great to have a tourbus and see a lot of different countries. The CD went down fucking brilliantly because we sold out of CDs half way through the tour. Steve: It is much publicised that touring will set to increase and record sales are coming down- digital is on the up[ (legal and not). How does the musical landscape look for a band like 3MW. 3MW: Live performing is where it’s at, which suits us fine. And Megalith have embraced digital downloading so we will benefit from that.
Steve: Is there much of a scene in Wales? I know it’s a generalised question but we have seen a lot of bands comes though our letterbox and disappear shortly after from that neck of the woods. 3MW: We come from rural MidWales so we are used to travelling for any gigs. There are some ska bands in South Wales, but a lot of them just try to mimic American ska or are Less Than Jake wannabes. There is no ska scene as such. Steve: Bands like The Specials now have joined the reformed bandwagon- what’s your take on that? 3MW: It can only be a good thing. People will hopefully be interested
in ska music. Bands like ours have been keeping the scene going – it’s never gone away - and we’re sure it will bring a new audience. Hopefully, there won’t be too many bands jumping on the ska bandwagon as a result to the detriment of authentic ska bands like ourselves. Steve: There seem to be a high number of incredibly good ska genred bands about, a definite re-emergence- 4th wave title aside, how do you see state of ska? 3MW: Ska still doesn’t get a lot of airplay on mainstream radio, but there is a good underground scene and a few good ska internet radio stations around. The Specials reforming is definitely good news. Also, the economy at the moment
3imperial minute warning leisure
is similar to the economy of the 2-tone era of the late seventies and early eighties, so maybe people will turn to ska once more to take their minds off the financial crisis and rising unemployment. Steve: Is the band more family orientated, now with the addition of a baby to Chuzz’s family I believe- how does that effect the bands touring life? 3MW: Now Chuzz has a couple of kids, and we’ve done 5 years of hard graft of travelling up and down the country every weekend, we have decided to concentrate on blocks of dates in the shape of organised tours. Everyone’s got to a stage where we’re a little older and wiser, and we know what’s important in
life, so we are focussing on quality gigs and venues. Steve: What’s in the pipeline for 3Minute Warning in 2009? 3MW: There’s another European tour coming up in March to promote the current album, which we’re excited about because it’s our first headlining tour out on the continent, and we’re busy writing new songs. Onwards and upwards!
words by Tim Drnk
Discharge
“Discharge is a British hardcore punk band formed in 1977 by Terry “Tezz” Roberts and Roy “Rainy” Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and mixing punk with metal.” - wikipedia.com
HARDCORE
powerload Hey Rat, seems like Discharge is starting 2009 off with a bang?
Yes we are starting to get there as we’re getting ready for the release of our new CD. It is marked for general release on March 2nd through Cargo Distribution UK For the next couple of months we will be out on the road promoting the release.
Tell us about the new album, Disensitise. What is it like? Where did you record it?
The new album came out really good, we are all pleased with it. It should of been the natural follow on from Hear nothing see nothing say nothing. We recorded it at Bradford, 1 in 12 Studios. It was mixed and engineered by Bri Doom. As for the content, the songs are
about various topics I would like people to interperate what they are about for themselves, instead of me just telling them, for that they need to listen to it and read the lyrics (good sales pitch or what) - I will go through a couple of the songs but , don’t want to spoil the suprise (like opening your presents before christmas) The album opens with Blood of the Innocent , just about how along with political leaders , also religious extremist try to indoctrinate your mind for worthless causes. The track, Cctv, is based on how by using the terrorism act it gives goverments the power to infringe even further on your liberty , by always trying to confirm its in our best interest when clearly it is not. Never again becomes again and again, basicly is that mankind can’t seem to help itself from messing up , just as things around the world seem to be on an even keel some one decides to throw a spanner in the works , and then we’re off again Web of disadvantage is basicly about how you try to improve your life and the struggle to achieve something getting dragged back down, more you struggle more caught up in a web, are you just going to give up or say fuck you and keep trying (I know what I do).
With 2009 now on us, do
you think the whole nostaligic side of punk rock is going to take a back seat?
The real punk rock is going to go from strength to strength and the pretenders step aside
How is discharge doing these days? Obviously quite well as you’ve released a new record hey?
Things with Discharge are going really well it was great to finally get the new album finished been a long time coming. We have also just finished 2 new songs for a compilation release titled ‘Still our future your messing up.’ The comp has new unreleased songs by Abrasive Wheels, English Dogs, One Way System, Broken Bones plus others - going to be a killer release , it’s also on Vile Records hopefully once again through Cargo UK, around April time .
Out of all the albums the band has released, which is your favourite? any particular releases you’re not that happy with?
Of course apart from Disensitised it has to be the classic, Hear nothing see nothing say nothing. The albums that don’t really do anything for me, Grave New World, Massacre Divine, Shooting up the world.
Discharge Any particularly crazy new Anything else you would years resolutions? like to add? What’s the point? Come end of January, broken them anyway , so save myself the disapointment.
photo by David Brown
Just like to thank all those that over the years have continued to support the band through its upheavels over the years and to the doubters you should of had more faith...
Genreless
Genius? Words by Steve Noble. All Photos by Imelda Michalczyk
JD SMITH
There is something blatantly intelligent and special about JD Smith. His real life persona is hidden behind the solo musical shield of JD, exploring the niche musical space found between Rockabilly and Blues. In this detailed glimpse into the thought- train of the solo artist we get a real sense behind not only the genius that is inspiring the act but a understanding of the painstaking effort that goes into the music and his survival guide as a solo musician. Steve: Who is JD Smith and why do you take on a stage persona? JD Smith: It comes down to the old fact of being someone else on stage – that and my real name was really dull and didn’t have that twang to it. Those that get born with a name like Bolan or Hendrix seem destined to be rock gods. The only issue that has developed over the past few months is that I’ve been referencing myself in the third person, this not only confuses the audience but myself as well,
but this is the separation between the quiet off stage real me and the on-stage manic J.D Smith. To an extent it’s the reason why I don’t chat between songs aside from a “thank you”: the persona exists when the songs are in full swing and due to so much improvisation in my material I can focus on the task at hand and where I’ll take the next turn in a song. J.D. Smith needs to be there when I play to pull me out of my typical character and allow the performance take over.
JD SMITH Steve: You have been on the periphery of rockabilly, and it did see a massive recent resurgence but seems so have faded from the radar again. What is your take on this? JD Smith: The brief resurgence of Rockabilly seemed to be more about the fashion rather than the music with the 50’s housewife look popping up on the high street and the bars of the West End. This was probably due more to the rise of the Burlesque scene rather than a band breaking into the mainstream and because of this the whole thrust of this genre shifted, it was no longer about blistering through a 2 minute song lead by a double bass and snare, rather it became about striptease and tassels. This brief pop above the parapet still exists in smaller numbers but unlike music, fashion isn’t timeless, it just comes back around every now and again. Steve: You are described as “Bareboned rockabilly”, where did your interest for theis music start. Is it
something you have always been surrounded by? JD Smith: Rockabilly wasn’t really a choice for me, I just got tagged with it due to writing quick songs that where usually written in E or G without the interference of something like a barre chord to complicate matters. To an extent my parents – who where children of the sixties – introduced me to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, et al and also 50’s Rock’n’Roll (all this music was ploughed into me on long car journeys so it there wasn’t much choice in the matter). I’ve never been involved in the Rockabilly scene and haven’t really listened to the music I just ended up playing it and then wrote to the stereotypes of girls, cars and booze – there really aren’t any better subjects to write songs about. Steve: You have played a variety of venues in London, any favourites? And why? JD Smith: All I’ve really know for the seven years that I’ve been doing this is the desire to keep playing, the rush of adrenaline
before you hit the stage and the come down after is incredibly addictive and drives my performance and if I’m not playing a gig I’m frantically searching for one. I love the 12 Bar, which has almost become my second home and after the few times that I’ve played the Windmill in Brixton I’m desperate to get back there. I love venues like the two I’ve mentioned that feel open and give people the chance to wonder around, chat and not have to been dead silent when an artist is playing. A musician has to earn the respect of an audience and being hushed for whispering or having to carefully place your glass back on the table in case it makes a thump just creates an uncomfortable atmosphere for the crowd and the performer: if everyone is relaxed and in a welcoming atmosphere then the music will ben-
JD SMITH efit. Steve: What is your take as a solo musician on the fading London venues and the digital age? JD Smith: It does seem like venues and promoters are suffering at the moment but this may be down to the yearly January blues so it’ll take at least another month to find out how much effect the current financial climate is going to have on the unsigned music scene. I know of a few bands that have been forced into not booking gigs due to members losing their jobs and the rising cost of playing but this is a difficult time for both artists and promoters so it may come down to venues charging less at the door or even running a few free gigs just to get punters in and to keep the scene alive. The only positive out of this may be the death of ‘pay to play’ which is the noose over the London music scene, if musicians refuse to pay £150 and above just for the pleasure of playing a venue in front of their mates then this can shift live music away from the ‘rob them blind for a profit’ promoters and make it about the music, but this is
a two-way street with bands that do demand payment having to lower their expectations. The scene has to be kept going, musicians want to play and audiences want to listen but at the moment things need to be changed. The digital age or the time of the free download is giving musicians the chance to break out of the venues and reach audiences. I’ve always stood by the belief that unsigned musicians should give what they can away for free – or at least keep it cheap - just so they can get their material into circulation. I’m not going to discuss the whole record label, downloading argument – that’s an issue for the lawyers to sort out – but for unsigned artists just striving for people to listen to them then the digital age is opening previously closed doors. Steve: One-man band- blues punk and rockabilly. Where does your influence stem from? Are there any restrictions ? JD Smith: I come out of the punk/ metal scene and this is where I have taken most of my influence from, I
guess I never grew out of my adolescent, metal fantasies. I’ve gathered influences from artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, the Smashing Pumpkins, Sepultura, Deftones and Rage Against the Machine as well as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, the Beatles and Johnny Cash. It may be difficult to hear the former bands in what I do but I know there are little traces of the attitude present in their music floating around in mine but as a solo artist there are always restrictions upon where I play, how I play and within my songwriting. Due to the tuning that I play in (open G) I am restricted in what chords I can use while dealing with the danger of everything just mixing together so it’s a matter of using the slide to add a little colour to the songs while trying to drift from a blues style into a typical rockabilly chord progression – it’s all a matter of keeping both myself and the audience interested in the performance while trying to keep myself on the acoustic, punk, Psychobilly and rock scene. Steve: “With an idea, a guitar and a heap of Punk rock
thrown in J.D. is hoping to wake people up to the idea that a solo act doesn’t have to mean folk, it can also be dangerous again.”- What do you mean by this? JD Smith: The acoustic guitar was once the devil’s instrument, the tool used by blues players in the 30’s through to the Rock’n’Rollers in the 50’s, and then with the influx of folk musicians from New York and San Francisco – who crossed over from the fringes and into the mainstream – the acoustic got stigmatised as the weapon of the balladeer, if you’re a student with a book of poetry you’ll have a dusty old acoustic in the corner of the room to show off your sensitive side. Then – like a bad dream – James Blunt wondered into our lives and the acoustic guitar took another step back away from its roots and I wanted to drag it back. My guitar suffers along with the blisters and cuts on my fingers but when I play I want to give the performance an element of danger and that anything can snap or break at any point. I have nothing against folk players I just want to play the acoustic like those early players and present it in
JD SMITH a different light. Steve: J.D’s debut album ‘’ A Jukebox riot,’ now followed up with “Hey Rube!!!” What changes have there been on this album, in terms of production and/or material? JD Smith: The difference between the “Jukebox” and “Hey, Rube!!!” is huge. Jukebox was overlaid with multiple guitar parts, double bass and backing singers and ended up becoming a very busy sounding album. So with “Hey, Rube!!!” I stripped everything back to the basics and recorded with just vocals, guitar and drums (with the added addition of a stylophone on one track). The difference between the two is huge but it was important to me to try and record an album that is as close to my live performance as I can get and Rube does reflect this idea. Jukebox is a great sounding, stand alone record but in order to perform it I would have to surround myself with a band and keep the performances tight to the record and this isn’t an avenue that I’m interested in exploring. “Hey, Rube!!!” is the sound that I was looking for while giving an audi-
ence an idea of what they will get if they saw me live. Steve: Do you have any Favourite tracks on the record? JD Smith: ‘Doghouse Blues’ was the most difficult song to work on due to the tempo changes and switches from picking to strum and keeping this in time with the drums, and I wanted to get this song right because it’s one of the tracks that I love to play live. Thankfully we pulled everything together on this and it took about an hour to get right (most of the other tracks were about 20 minutes from run through to recording) but worth the effort to get right. Steve: What problems do you face when recording a studio album compared to the live show? JD Smith: The main issue is capturing the slightly manic, improvisational nature of my live shows while keeping in time with the drums and worrying about getting the number of desired recordings done within the time frame that I have. Within a band the costs can be shared around and at
least one person can drive but as a solo artist I pay for all the costs and have to jump on a train or coach to get anywhere so this affects how long I can record, raises the overall spend and the mixing and mastering process will usually be rushed through to make sure that the record can be completed. Getting the mixture between arrangements while retaining the feeling of looseness that my live material has is difficult to keep within the typical structure of a song, but is something that has to be confronted when in the studio. Even through something may be lost in translation the inclusion of other instrumentation hopefully gives the listener something fresh and different from my live show. Steve: How happy are you with the record? When is there a general release? JD Smith: I’m very happy with the record and feel that I have finally captured at least some of my live sound and kept the slight manic vocals that I use live whilst keeping them in pitch (like all my recordings this album was done on tape so there’s no pro-tools mischief). There
has been the loss of some energy – something that is difficult to capture within the confines of a studio – but the bluesy, punk nature of the songs has been reserved. The process of recording was incredibly relaxed and stress free – we just breezed our way through the tracks – and this comes across on the record. From the use of the stylophone to the mistakes that where purposely left in, we managed to capture this atmosphere on the album and create something that when I listen to it I don’t continually cringe at. At present I’m handing the album out for free at gigs with a cover that I knocked together at home – it’s the old fashioned D.I.Y. method – but I am in the process of finding a happy and willing label to take on the album. This is proving to be a difficult journey through the independents. I know that the Rockabillies won’t touch this record so I’m looking into the punk/blues labels to release the album and help me with the cost of distribution. I want to get this record out and into the world and if anyone can help I’m open to offers. Steve: Do you see yourself
JD SMITH expanding to a full blown band or are you happy as is? JD Smith: Playing with other musicians is always a strange experience because I don’t usually have to think about timing and retaining a strict song structure and this is one of the pleasure that I have when I play and the main reason that I’m not in the process of seeking out a band. I have built a reputation as a solo act and I’m easy to transport around the country without the necessity of other musicians and their equipment. Even if this means being the opening act on band nights for the rest of time then I’m happy to continue down this path and develop my standing on the various circuits that I play on. Steve: You deliver some honest toe-tappin and soul driven music. Is there a focus to your songs in terms of subject matter? JD Smith: To be honest, no. When I write I tend to just sit down with my guitar and start working on ideas and looking for a hook that a song can work of. This could start with a chorus line or a riff and from this I’ll work on the remaining parts. I’m
not an honest songwriter because I find it difficult opening myself up to an audience and I have the greatest admiration for artists that can find the root of an emotion and explore that idea with verse. I look for the rhythmic drive and melodic nuances with the guitar and vocal lines, both of which are more important to me than the subject line of the text with my voice as more of an instrument rather then the means of telling a story or carrying an emotion. Within the style of music I write the audience tend to not focus on the lyrics but rather the drive of the song and this is what I aim for when I start writing. All I’ve ever wanted to do is make people dance and smile and when I connect with an audience this is the general response that I hope for - I leave the dip into the sub-concious to the folk players. Steve: I recently saw you support the Vic of The Slackers fame, do you have a natural affiliation to any genre of music or a scene as such? JD Smith: I tend to listen to a lot of metal while I grew up on a steady stream of old school Hip-Hop – both
of which don’t have a natural affiliation with the style that I play in – and this lead to love of Stax and Motown. When I was strictly a Rockabilly player I tended to avoid listening to any other artists within this genre because I found it having an affect upon my playing due to the easy thievery of chord changes and a chorus line, after all there are only about 3 chords with the Rockabilly’s repertoire, but when I started playing blues slide I found myself listening to T-Bone Walker, Howlin Wolf, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, et al. I dipped into these amazing players, watched them on youtube to pick up technique and feed this into my own writing. I’ve never been involved on the Rockabilly scene because it’s a scene that’s very wrapped up within itself and the blues scene would turn me away due to how heavy I play so I just drift somewhere in the middle and busy myself on the unsigned music fringes. Steve: What’s in store for the future of JD Smith? JD Smith: Who knows, hopefully be big somewhere in the world. I would love to keep playing on the
Punk/Psychobilly scene because the audiences are great but I’ll keep looking for gigs, playing where I can, carry on the hunt for a manager and booking agent and hope that some kindly record label boss picks up on “Hey, Rube!!!” Final comments? JD Smith: I just want J.D. Smith to be accepted for who he is – a solo Blues/Rockabilly player that is striving to do something different with the acoustic guitar and allow for Rube to find it’s place in the world. I’ll carry on looking for audiences who’ll want to follow me around and keep looking for those gigs that may open a few doors and help me take the next step forward.
JD SMITH
Under the radar with FungalPunk OMD.
ill fated riot
Ill Fated Riot started out in 2005 and is made up of 4 North East punks who have all played in various bands, playing diverse styles of music. They eventually got together and began writing a bunch of punk songs, but having such a collection of different influences the tunes began to take on a style of their own, to the point where some early gigs were met with bemused faces and mixed reactions although the energetic, sleazy live shows were gaining them a reputation locally. The band continued to work hard on their music, indifferent to the adverse reactions received, gigging continuously, in the North East and then around the UK. Line-ups have come and gone since then, relentless gigging and two CD’s under their belts. Ill Fated Riot is a band to be taken seriously.
1. So Ill Fated Riot - can you tell us all a bit about yourselves as individuals and how you came together to form this band? Tim - Me ‘n’ Daz had played in a band previously along with Matt, his brother, on bass. We hadn’t seen each other for a couple of years after the band split then I bumped into Daz again in Asda and we talked about getting a band together again. Yes, that’s right we were formed in the bread section of a fuckin’ supermarket. We got Matt back in who had been ‘off on one’ for the last few years. All three of us have been connected with music since we were kids; we all get on good, like to party and like to play hard assed fuckin’ music. We got in a local drummer, which began our Spinal Tap like list of drummers, until we finally settled on Denz, who we had briefly worked with before. As a band we all gel and as people, away from the band, we have a laugh so no need to mess with arrangements. Nasher – Well I’m the new kid in the band really. I’ve been with Riot for about 6 months and I first saw them play at a festival. I loved the set and soon after I ended up hanging for the rest of the weekend and getting smashed with them. A few weeks later I was in the band ha, ha. Denz – I’m Denz and I play drums. I try to do backing vocals but I’m just starting so still sound rougher than an arabs dap! I love good music and getting wasted. I joined Riot 3 years ago; the rest is history in the making. 2. The scene at the moment is fractured in all ways so
how does a band like yourself hope to stay afloat and attract the punters! Dim - I like to think that amongst all the different styles of music in the scene, our songs and performances stand out and stick in peoples’ minds. It’s so often that we hear the same shit being repeated over and over that I think it is sometimes a breath of fresh air when the punters hear us when we’re kinda whacked on a lineup between 2 hardcore bands playing at 100 miles an hour or something. I think there could be too many bands simply wanting to thrash out their shit double time and not enough importance being put on tunes, melodies etc. anymore. Nasher - I think we have a different sound to most bands out there, and at every show we play our fuckin’ asses off. Denz – We’re fuckin’ amazing at the live shows, we’re the same as everyone else we are not pretentious wankers. 3. Is the scene in fact too fractured and all the sub-genre’s too dividing thus creating shit turnouts? Tim - Could be...we make a point of playing not just punk venues or on solely punk line-ups so we don’t have to deal with all this genre, sub genre crap. If people dig the fuckin’ tunes then we are happy fuckers. We would rather get our music heard by all, its caused some problems in the past but fuck it...if they like us they like us if they don’t, we are not gonna change man. I think its best to put on a ‘Punk’ nite and put bands of all genres on the
Under the radar with FungalPunk OMD. bill, something for everyone. Nasher – There’s too many bands all sounding the same, a big lack of creativity and wank promoters. Denz - Promoters are skinflints and won’t pay expenses for decent bands, the majority put shite bands on for fuck all...that’s what keeps people from the venues. They don’t wanna watch shite. 4. If you could start the scene again how would you ideally like to see it run - all bands are equal, more communication between all involved - I don’t know - just air any ideas you have? Tim - I think it would do to get some of the bands down from their fuckin’ high horses a bit, and there are a few. Definitely if the bands worked together more instead of just the promoters, I mean, when we were on tour this year we were helped out by a few great bands who, without them, we wouldn’t have been able to play some of the dates. We all gotta stick together. Nasher – I don’t think’ I just drink! Denz - Ideas in music – yes - anything else - no. I just play drums and belt things. 5. How would you describe your sound and to what bands do you think comparisons will be made with as regards your outfit! Tim - The one band who we have
been compared to a lot is the Angelic Upstarts, whether that’s cos we are a bunch of Northern fuckers I don’t know - ha, ha. We like to think our sound is as unique as possible, many punters often say that we are different and stand out. We include melody, break downs, actual choruses in the songs and I think that makes the music sound very individual. Nasher - I wouldn’t know where to start describing our sound, we have that many different influences, we don’t try and sound like anyone else. We can’t be compared to other bands as we play what comes out. There is lots of room for improvisation at our gigs. Some we play machine gun tight - depends what other bands are on the bill. Denz - We play kinda aggro/punk/ rock. We play hard, we play with conviction, we play with soul, and we play with nothing less than 110 per cent! People say we sound like a heavier version of Therapy? Some say Angelic Upstarts, some say Misfits, I say fuck it....enjoy. 6. Tell us your individual fave all time punk song and your all time Ill Fated Riot song and if any comparisons can be drawn. Tim - All time punk song is ‘Kick Out The Jams’ by MC5. In a way I would compare us more to the early US punk bands New York Dolls, MC5 some Ramones’ numbers maybe. A mix of punk and rock ‘n’ roll. Again I think it’s our love of the old catchy chorus and Daz’ guitar style is totally old school.
Nasher – My fave song is by the UK Subs – ‘Down On The Farm’! No comparisons have been made, although most of the UK Subs fans at a gig we did with them in Plymouth said they loved us and we got some amazing feedback. All CD’s sold. A great night even though we had 9 hours travelling to get to the gig and 9 hours back after the Subs had played - it was still well worth it. Denz – At the moment it’s a split between The Scabs’ ‘Bastard’ and Most Likely To Fail’s ‘Killing Time’. They are both on Fungalpunks/OMD compilations – ‘Fungalskapunka’...good stuff to be heard. I’d advise anyone to buy his offerings, very cheap - 3 pound for 90mins of underdog punk...the bollox! Support your scene or fuck off! No comparisons have been made to my favourite Riot song which is ‘The Only Way’. The funny thing is it was just an intro tune which just developed. It’s also a new tune which we will be recording soon if finances allow. 7. If any one thing really irritates you about the scene what would it be? Tim - As we have said before some bands should be brought back down to earth a little bit and help out the new bands coming in, we hate to say it but it’s true. Secondly it’s even some of the punters; they can be a bit blinkered when it comes to what they wanna hear. At one early Riot gig we were even told that ‘We weren’t punk enough’! I mean, what the fuck is that all about. For a start it ain’t the style of
fuckin’ music yer playing, its also yer attitude, a way of life etc. etc... and I think we certainly live it man, we work hard, play hard and do our damnedest to make sure we make an impact wherever we go. If one of us leaves that stage not drenched in sweat and totally fucked then there’s something wrong and that’s how we want the punters to be after a show. Nasher – fuckin’ posers and people who think they are hard bastards. Denz - Wankers that stand around trying to look intimidating and gigs were every band sounds the same. 8. What do you hopefully want to achieve as a unit and is there any master plan we should know about! Tim - We ideally wanna get on a good little punk label, get our music out there. Play as many gigs as we can, with good bands in good venues and hopefully, when we are all too fuckin’ old for this madness people will remember Ill Fated Riot both in the punk scene and beyond. To have made our mark on the scene is a goal. Nasher - I would like us to get more support slots with good bands until our tour is finalised. We’ve had 2 offers of tours - one in the States and one for Europe. A good manager wouldn’t go a miss. Denz our drummer works hard to help us, but his workload gets bigger by the day. Denz - Tour, record, tour...watch this space. Oh and if anyone watching would like to offer us a slot at Rebel-
Under the radar with FungalPunk OMD. lion, or any other festivals, gigs etc. please contact us through the myspace lol.
the great bands we know and play with. We wouldn’t be here without you.
9. For me any band on the circuit needs a fair bit of gritty determination, self belief and a sheer love of the sound to survive - where do you draw your inspirations from and overall drive? Tim - The gigs man. That’s where me ‘n’ Daz get it from. Coming off stage to a good response, playing that gig where everything has gone just right...that’s the days you feel this is all worthwhile. Secondly, writing that song, the song where no matter how many times you play it you don’t get sick and you don’t want it to end, and then seeing the crowd going mad to it at a gig. That’s pure satisfaction. Nasher - My overall drive comes from the love of playing bass and getting smashed with the lads in the band. I can’t believe how well we’ve all worked together, this band has a real good spirit and vibe to it that always shines through even when we get shit on…and that just happens to be one of our new song titles, ‘Shit On From A Great Height’. Denz – My band mates, my hero and grandad/adopted dad, Peter the Cyclops Westgarth. My wife Tracey and my kids. Bands I like, friends past and present…R.I.P.Spider my friend. People who believe in us, Taz, Fungalpunk/OMD, Nick ‘Time for Heroes’, Glen, Tap, 2 Sick Monkeys, all
10. What differences do you see from punk ‘then’ as it is ‘now’ and do you feel that given the luck you could have had a better chance of making progress in the early days rather than at present? Tim - The differences are too many to fuckin’ list. We and many other bands would have definitely made more progress back then; firstly we can actually play our fucking instruments... ha, ha, ha. It’s hard now, with so many great bands to contend with, and a fractured scene where it’s hard to penetrate in some places. We sometimes talk about what it would be like to actually be doing this in the old days, where we would be, what we would be doing. I think we would be doing the same but on a bigger scale, record companies back then were throwing money at bands who, when you look back, were utter shite. To get that now is impossible. Nasher - Yes we could’ve done lots better back in the old days. People weren’t afraid to do what they wanted and listen to what they wanted. Now kids are made to conform and listen to pop shite, indie or they become fuckin’ chavs.... grow some buster gonads and tell ‘em punk is not dead. Denz - I could rant on forever with this question but keeping it short. Yes we would’ve blown the scene apart
back then and we plan to do the same now. It’s harder now, but we’ve got fire in our guts and we want it. People now are conformists, shaped by rogue governments. Back then things were different; people didn’t take no shit, if we weren’t happy all fucking hell would break loose. Get some balls and be heard, don’t let no cunt dictate how to live your life. Go and watch some punk bands and let loose.... 11. Finally push your wares - merch, websites, sideprojects - let us know where you can be contacted and heard! Tim - We have 3 CDs currently available. ‘Care in the Community’ - a 6 track CD featuring the original Riot line-up, ‘Desperate Times’ - a 3 track
CD and ‘Pirates’ - which is a compilation of old and new tracks. We have various T-Shirts available and the usual postcards, stickers etc. All this is usually available for sale at our gigs with plans to have it available on release through Deathcap Records in the near future. Denz – We are hoping to record early in the New Year and we plan to re-do a song or two. We have some pure gems ready to be recorded and play for you lot, so come along and watch us play, you won’t be disappointed. We’ve ran out of T-shirts and CDs for now which can only be a good thing ha, ha. Keep watching our myspace for new merch and CDs, gigs etc. www.myspace.com/ illfatedriot also a great site where we have reviews and interviews at is www. fungalpunknature.co.uk
R EV IEWS Don’t take our word for it, make up your own mind!
SHOWS & GIGS
Highrise LauncH
Pama International, Ed Rome, The Steady Boys Jamm, Bixton,London 20th December 2008
Pre Xmas but with a good cause sadly didn’t result in a great turnout for the launch of a very important initiative of tacking the knife crime which has recently plagues The UK’s streets. On the musical side the Steady Boys kicked off the proceedings and despite some banter which goes largely understood [blame accents] they play a good show, and herald to the good ol’ ska times. Definitely a band I would like to see more of. Ed Rome follows up with his collective musicians to sample live the latets offering from his debut album on Rockers Revolt- a fine record at that! Although there is no hiding Ed’s talent as a gifted songwriter, and frontman; he sadly is the single energetic individual on stage, which produces a dichotomy of great sound but lacklustre stage energy. Even more sad was the fact I had to call it a night at that point and miss headliner’s Pama themselves. I was disappointed the event didn’t receive more
support, and hopefully was a mere blip on the Highrise campaign calendar rather than a sign of things to come. _ Steve
Ed Rome. © Imelda Michalczyk
> ALBUMS > EPs > BOOKS > GIGS
The Real McKenzie’s / Mike Scott Camden Underworld, London 22nd January 2009
I was long overdue a gig in 2009 that I really wanted to see, and after a few near misses, I finally had the opportunity to see Canada’s own The Real McKenzie’s. New year same pillar, as the Camden Underworld greeted us on the Thursday night. Support act Bomb The music Industry were a late cancellation due to an large amount of snow Stateside, leaving Mike Scott to act as sole opener for the Celtic punkrockers. Mike pulled off an impressive job too, despite the crowd numbers being average eat best, most stayed to see him play through his acoustic show of personal and rather heartfelt songs. Each song being rewarded with a healthy and sincere reception. Last time I saw him I was underwhelmed, but this was a vast improvement. The Real Mckenzies in strange in a strange medley of clothing took to stage. Hair, White sheep coats, kilts and sweated bodies- check. They played a fats and furious set and with sporadic drunken banter and crowd engagement and flirting- “English roses” anyone? That said it was a great set too, never dulling in ferocity or sing along
tenacity. Although they will continue to live in the shadow of bands like the Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly, they are a different kettle of fish and are a fun and embracing live act. And no other Xray Spex band makes use of the bagpipes as well as © Symond Lawes they do or offer as entertaining a mix of personnel. _ Steve
R EV IEWS Don’t take our word for it, make up your own mind!
UK Subs Weekender Bridge House 2 10/11 January 2009
Best weekend out in ages!!! It was fantastic to see the UK Subs in such an intimate venue. It’s not often you get to see arena fillers in such small spaces. Both packed nights Charlie and the boys gave it everything with two encores on the second night and the audience screaming for more. And what a treat to have Alvin Gibbs and Nicky Garratt in the line-up. The support on Saturday came from London, Dirty Love, Anoraks, The Dead Class and Underclass. On Sunday it was Red Flag 77, Dun 2 Def, East End Ba-
does, Insane Society and Noise Agents. All the support bands gave it their all, and some of the best performances I’d seem from them in ages. With a mixed audience in attendance a lot of people got to see bands they had never thought to see before and became fast fans. It was Underclass and Noise Agents first gigs and both gave good account of themselves. Underclass have a slightly mixed style of good old punk with a slight metal edge. Noise Agents were formed from the ashes of street-punk band Demob, and even though they only did 3 songs, we all felt they will do well when they have a full set ready. Can’t wait for Sick On The Bus in Febuary at the Bridge House if it’s gonna be as good a night as these were. _LibraSnake
The UK Subs @ LibraSnake
> ALBUMS > EPs > BOOKS > GIGS
Words by Steve Noble
okay? Okay! The Skints are a young band making big skalike waves through the UK. From their roots in London and a variety of musical influences, the band has grown significantly in popularity and musical maturity over the past 12 months. They have been rewarded with some fantastic tours supporting well established local acts. With big things planned for 2009 we thought it time to sit the young ‘uns down (Josh to be precise) and tell us more. Steve: Hello The Skintsso what is the brief history of how you came about? Josh: Hello! It’s not the most exciting story ever; “friends at school, done a band.” We played little and local for a bit, then Jamie joined in May 2007, who was our mate anyway, but we discovered he could drum and sing at the same time and we haven’t stopped holding hands since. Steve: And who does what in the band? Josh: Jamie drums and sings, Jon plays bass, I (Josh) play guitar and sing and Marcia plays saxophone, melodica and sings the lady bits.
Steve: There is an incredibly eclectic mix to your sound- and a variety of vocals. All good attributes in my book, was that a natural progression or something decided upon from the onset? Josh: Wow, thanks very much! We just play music that we love, and I don’t think it’s a special effort to combine the stuff that we do, it’s just what’s around us, you know? Some bands might try and get clever and actively plan out all the different stuff they wanna cover musically, but for us it’s very much a natural growing thing. As for the vocals, I guess it’s just that
THE SKINTS
person’s character and influences showing through. For example, I do the faster bits cos I listen to a lot of punk rock, grime and dancehall, whereas Jamie has a straight up roots reggae vibe, but he’s from Leyton so he gets away with it. Steve: Are there some clear and obvious shared musical influences on the group? Josh: We all like A LOT of different music, from jungle and dubstep to hardcore punk (Marcia is a classical musician), but as a band we listen to lots of reggae and dub as
well as some punk stuff. Steve: Yourself titled EP was released through Do the Dog- a local label well established in ska and the music scene. How has that benefited a young group like yourself? Josh: Do The Dog are awesome (Big up Kevin!) and have really helped us out. For example, the Do The Dog bands play a lot of shows together in a bands hometown, which is really cool, because then the people in those areas will start
coming to see the other bands when they come back and stuff. For our first release we couldn’t have asked for a cooler situation. Plus there are some wicked bands on the label like Jimmy The Squirrel, Dirty Revolution and New Town Kings. Steve: And how happy were you collectively with the EP? Josh: I think we’re most proud that for our first EP it’s made so many people sit up and take notice, which we are all really stoked on. It was recorded and mixed in a very short space of time, but we still love playing them tunes live, and I think we’re always gonna be proud of the fact that that’s where The Skints was when we did the EP. Steve: Does the multi vocal setup complicate or make easier the song writing? Josh: The thing with The Skints song writing machine is that when someone brings a song to the table, it’ll never leave sounding the same. Someone might be halfway through a song and one of us will come up with something new for it and someone will add a new bit to that. We definitely spark off each other, so I guess it does make it easier. Steve: Do you have a deliberate stance in your
music and personal lives, issues like racism, anti-naziism etc? Josh: Everything lyrically within our music are issues which we either individually, or as a band, experience. Whether that’s being mangled on the night bus, getting a BNP leaflet through the door or noticing how many pricks round our way think it’s big to walk around with a weapon. We’re 4 London kids from a wide range of backgrounds who all went to a multicultural school, So yeah, we very much count racism as the sort of thinking that we are fighting against. It’s weird because the ‘anti’ is SO popular within music culture nowadays (obviously a good thing) but it’s often hard to distinguish what bands are genuinely against something and those who wanna LOOK like they’re against something. But yeah, we’re definitely proud to be outspoken about being an antifascist band. Steve: Your touring schedule has becoming increasingly hectic as your popularity has increased. Are there any regrets? Josh: None at all. We love touring more than anything, and we’ve only really just got on the ladder, so we’re proper hungry in that sense. Marcia’s doing a foundation year in Music and I’m on my second and last year of my B-Tec
THE SKINTS at college so hopefully we’ll be freed up come summer. Steve: Any highlights of the bands/tours you have been on/with? Josh: We did a DIY tour in the summer with our mates in Claypigeon which was pretty much the most fun ever, and in the Autumn we got the amazing opportunity to be the support on the King Blues headline tour, which was INCREDIBLE. Literally the stuff of dreams, cos we’ve all loved that band since day one. We learnt so much as well, about running things as a unit so much more professionally. The boys all really looked after us as well. It was awesome. Big love and respect to King Blues and Claypigeon. Steve: I hear there are plans on the next recording? What are you planning? And when can we expect it? Josh: Yeah, we’re currently writing our first full-length album. We’re having a good time getting everyone’s ideas together, and everyone in the band agrees that these are easily our best songs to date. We should be going into the studio with producer Pete Miles early summer, but I can’t really give away much else apart from that at the moment, sorry! Steve: What do else do you have in store for 2009?
Josh: Aside from the album, we’re going on tour with Knock-Out from California early February, supporting Random Hand on some shows, a load of gigs up until summer with people like Chris Murray and Jaya The Cat. In May we’ve got a fucking amazing tour with a little ska band called THE SLACKERS!! Stoked. Lots more happening in the summer tour and festival wise like Rebellion. Literally cannot wait. Steve: Any final comments? Josh: Thanks a lot for the interview! Keep checking our myspace and that, there’s always new gigs being added and look out for album in the summer! Hopefully we’ll see everyone at a gig before then for a punky reggae party. Peace.