© ISSUE 14 • FEB/MAR 2013 • FREE

DENIM

the

WWW.BRIGHTONUNSIGNED.CO.UK

CD OR NOT CD?

THAT IS THE

QUESTION

So it’s the end of an era. It seems as though HMV is no more, but are we surprised? Are we saddened? Or have we moved on and just being a little nostalgic? I was trying to remember the last time I went in to HMV. I went through a real period of buying lots of classic albums and comedy box sets a few years ago but I think the last time I went in there was to ogle a Kelly Brook calendar (May was excellent), the Christmas before last.

I’m a traditionalist and I like collecting CDs. I love music but accumulating CDs has become a bit of a hobby of mine, much like the late great John Peel and his outhouse of wall-to-wall vinyl. I want to be able to walk into my office and look proudly at them and say, “that’s my wall of CDs; the good, the bad, the ugly.” I want to hand them down to my children and them to their children. In the same way we warmly greet a piece of vinyl, I’m sure the humble CD will have the same effect in twenty years’ time, as we reminisce about ‘the good old days’.

However, I’ve been more saddened of the demise of the independent record shops of late, rather than the High Street ‘Big Boys’ because these are run by true music lovers and

should have a place in every town. After the sad demise of Rounder in Brighton, I’ve completely shunned the High Street and now by music from Resident.

However, despite this loyalty, I too have been sucked in by the ease of downloading. I held off, just as I held off getting a mobile phone years ago but it comes to a point when you just have to accept it’s going to make your life a little easier. I can now sit on a bus (No.26 or 46 to and from Hollingbury, If you want to hang out) and find a track, buy it and listen to it before I alight at Carden Avenue (to the stalkers out there, I don’t live there!).

The problem with HMV and so many High Street stores is they didn’t move with the times. They stood still and the Internet overtook them... which makes you think what the High Street will look like in the future. A long line of internet cafes? An endless stream of Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s style Express stores? Or just empty buildings of a bygone era? It’s a sad thought.

In an ideal world, I’d like to still be able to buy CDs to add to my collection and also download the surprise David Bowie track on the bus. If the record shops completely disappear off the face of the earth, you can be sure I’ll be setting up my little CD store in Hollingbury in 2030, when it’s cool and groundbreaking.

Long live the CD (but keep on downloading, by all means).

CATCH GUY’S BLOG AT: guylloyd.co.uk

TWITTER: twitter.com/guy_lloyd

GUY LLOYD’S..

..BLOG ABOUT STUFF AND NONSENSE

3

FEATURED ARTIST -THE DENIM

INTERVIEW -BAD BAD WHISKY

PAGE4

PAGE6

EP /ALBUM REVIEWS

VIDEO REVIEWS

PAGES5 &14

EMBERHONEY

LIVE REVIEWS

GUY LLOYD’S BLOG

PAGE12

PAGE9

PAGE10

Proofreader:Alex Clouter

FIND US AT: WWW.BRIGHTONUNSIGNED.CO.UK WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BRIGHTONUNSIGNED WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/BRIGHTONUNSIGNED FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @BTONUNSIGNED

This Month

PAGE3

COVER BAND CATCH UP

Editor:Jordan Thomas

Email: jordan@brightonunsigned.co.uk

Website Design & DevelopementJak Kimsey

www.brightonunsigned.co.uk

Design/Marketing:Steven Probets

Writers:Jordan ThomasJess O’ Loughlin Cindy ChengMatt UpchuckLarissa RoweCoralie Oddy

@ THE MESMERIST

LIVE REVIEW

For a band who classifies themselves as Beach Funk in the music genre, that they certainly are. In this cold side of the year, Flip Flays manages to change the mood of the cold wet weather outside to a sort of happier and certainly more summer feeling in the venue of Sticky Mike’s. Their music is infectious that it is difficult not to literally bounce along to their music. Their music is somewhat familiar though, that your body would know exactly how to dance along even though you may have never heard the songs before. But that isn’t to say that they’re not original, because they certainly are. With a rising fan base and music videos coming out (check out High Definition – The Flip Flays on YouTube), they certainly are an up and coming band. Their E.P. is on Spotify and be sure to check them out at Brighton Unsigned Presents – Feb 23rd at The Hope.

THE FLIP FLAYS

WW

W.F

AC

EBO

OK

.CO

M/T

HEF

LIPF

LAYS

JORDAN THOMAS

MOK – Hey!

Most definitely their most popular song, MOK’s single ‘Hey!’ Is an anthem, probably before it was even released. The awfully catchy tune is brilliant to dance along to (even better live) that can bring the listeners as one. The video being mostly set in an industrial elevator, the band members arrives one-by-one on each floor starting with the rapper and singer. If you have never seen the band members before, you’d be forgiven for thinking at first that they may be video extras, but they’re not. Every member’s style and dress sense are so diverse, you quickly realise the track itself also has a diverse mix of genres which makes it so great and un-clichéd. The moment becomes obvious that they’re indeed an entire band when they arrive at their destined floor to play in a white studio with a hefty crowd. You may feel envious of the audience in the video as it’s so infectious, you have to be there.

Mishkin Fitzgerald – Present Company

A regular feature is Mishkin, being the front woman of BirdEatsBaby (Brighton Unsigned Nov 2011). Now to extend her talents further, she has released her first solo single and video, Present Company. Mishkin (having trained in boxing in real life) starts off the video in training. Instead of something more upbeat you may find with a sport’s setting in a music video, Mishkin continues her haunting lyrical theme as she does in BirdEatsBaby… not like another track from the band, but more of an extension that is truly Mishkin’s own. As she arrives onto the boxing ring, there’s certainly a few “Brighton cameos” in the arriving crowd, such as Emberhoney, Forbes Coleman from AudioBeach Studios and so on. If you’re a regular gig goer on the Brighton scene, you’re bound to recognise a face but the biggest cameos you could say are members from BirdEatsBaby! Mishkin competes against the BEB’s drummer with the violinist as her trainer. In slow motion, you can tell that they certainly are skilled boxers which make it all the more impressive on top of the track, but Mishkin comes to a crushing defeat at the end to continue the dark edge of the video. It’s certainly well worth a watch and look forward to the next video.

The Flip Flays – High Definition

How ironic would it be if this video wasn’t in high definition? Well no worries, it certainly is HD and a pretty good video at that too. A bright and colourful video that could speak familiarities of the theme of Alphabeat videos, along with just plainly having fun. It’s a good song to boot for a video too, upbeat with regular “woah, woahs” that could just brighten up a rainy day. As usual, this magazine is a sucker for low budget videos easily being made to high standards and this isn’t an exception. So if it’s still windy, cold and even snowing when you’re reading this, check out this video that’s guaranteed to put a funk in you and look forward to a warmer climate in the summer.

- Jordan Thomas

VIDEO REVIEWS

5

After seeing Emberhoney play live at the Komedia, I was cordially invited to Honeytone recording studios for an interview with the band. When I heard that the band’s studio was in the basement flat where they lived, I expected a guitar and a four-track in the corner of the kitchen. However, I was pleasantly taken aback when I was led down the stairs to what resembled an opulent 18th century drawing room, with candelabras on the walls, a copy of ‘Paradise Lost’ in the corner and tea and biscuits laid daintily on the coffee table. Looking around, the enormous drum-kit, elaborate recording equipment and several guitars brought me back to the 21st century where I was sat opposite the charming core members of Emberhoney: Taylor Madison Damion and her side-kick, John ‘The Baron’ Kent. The other two quarters of the band – Mark, the drummer and Ben, the bassist - were unfortunately otherwise engaged.

I began the interview with a word (or several) on gigging in Brighton and the Komedia gig in particular. The two tell me how they were overwhelmed by the tremendous reaction of the crowd at the Komedia gig. Lead singer and song writer Taylor describes the joy she feels when her songs connect with other people, explaining how it is “the best experience ever, to know that you really touched someone’s heart and that your song connected to them and they feel heard”. She described the unique life her songs take on during her and the band’s live shows saying, “It’s bigger than you, bigger than the band, it’s like everybody in the room and you are making this thing happen”.

Despite the ecstatic feeling the band gets from the live experience, they lament over the lack of good gigging opportunities in Brighton. This is largely owing to the small number of decent promoters and venues. The pair tell me how many promoters expect bands to ‘self-promote’, hiring them on the basis that they draw in large groups of thirsty friends, irrespective of the noise and lack of respect they might bring with them. So how does a band whose music is all about creating the right atmosphere get a serious gig in Brighton? The answer is that they rely on the likes of Overhead Wires, The Real Music Club and Zooberon to prioritise a worthwhile musical experience over making money. These quality music events are helped by the huge effort Emberhoney put into their shows, not only musically but aesthetically too, bringing their own lamp to every gig and taking pleasure in using the opportunity to dress up.

Their outfits aid in the creation of their on-stage alter egos, and while John becomes the character of ‘The Baron’ (someone they both describe as a “sensitive gangster”), Taylor becomes a less shy version of her naturally

timid self.

Taylor moved to Brighton ten years ago to pursue a drumming career. However, when the band she planned to join broke up before her drum kit arrived, she decided she would no longer be “dependant on the fickleness of other people”. She subsequently taught herself to sing, play piano and guitar, and began writing her own songs. The original Emberhoney was formed when Taylor met John at the bar where she worked just two weeks after arriving in the UK. After joining forces, they recruited a drummer and the band spent the next two and a half years gigging relentlessly. After an increasing disenchantment with the “insincerity of the music industry” caused the band to disperse, Taylor went into hibernation working on her art and graphic drawing, song writing and perfecting her newly acquired instrumental abilities. After four years, she emerged from her cocoon as the multifaceted, confident musician she is today. Taylor once again teamed up with John, eliciting new members Mark and Ben and thus came the resurrection of Emberhoney.

- Jessica O’Loughlin

4

EP/ALBUM REVIEW CINDY CHENG

Sometimes you just forget that you’re listening to an unsigned band. As I let the soft tones of ‘Dear Michael’ bleed into the space of my room, my own abyss, I forgot I was supposed to be working and reviewing them. Instead I continued checking out blogs online and unconsciously dancing along in my chair, not fussed about changing the song/artist even when I became aware the same two songs were playing on repeat. They’re so likeable and were according to my mind, ready to join the list of credible, label-backed artists in my music library with as much ease and grace as though they were one themselves.

‘Dear Michael’ is simply beautiful and catchy with a great guitar part. It’s a song the band should be proud of in their quest to “restore Britain’s reputation for original guitar pop music”. Michael, you’re going to wish this was written about you. Adam Kidd’s vocals are smooth and tuneful with the harmonies are sweet and full of soul.

The earnest ‘She Makes Me Nervous’ begins with the classic Beach Boys/The Beatles ‘la la’s’, and a happy, pleasant aura is created where you voluntarily begin to sway side-to-side in time with the music. This is instantly shattered by the punchy verses which jazzes up the track and showcases the rockier side the band can produce. The sweetness is then brought back for the chorus which bares the most endearing words “I’m not in love, she just makes me nervous”.

With songs as good as these but in little quantity, it will only make you thirsty for more. Circle their name in red pen, tear out this section, set a memo on your phone – whatever, just make sure you give these guys a listen!

FRAGILE CREATURES

VARIOUS TRACKSGenre: Alternative

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/FRAGILECREATURESUK

EP/ALBUM REVIEWRelative newcomers to the Brighton scene, judging by their music so far, The Querelles are going to make quite a splash. Many bands can claim influence from The Stooges but not many can do it well whilst incorporating modern rock and roll whilst somehow juggling music from every point in between.

‘Boys like you’ is a solid slice of heavy rock not a million miles from The Dead Boys or MC5. Its bluesy lead guitar rarely lets up in the song whilst the rhythm guitar solidly chugs through nicely. ‘All Night’ sounds quite different, like a heavy nod to the likes of the New York Dolls with its well phrased verse riff worthy of The Sonics with hoarse pleading lead vocals and even background “oohs”. ‘Two oh One Two’ is an exciting and unpredictable chanting stop/start punk rock tune and sounds like it is being delivered by maniacs. This sort of music needs to be heard live, very loud and with a beer in one hand.

Punchy, fierce, melodic and despite their clear influences never feels “retrogressive”. I don’t have the space to review all of their songs here but I shall continue listening to them and be sure to check them out live. See you there, yeah?

VARIOUS TRACKSGenre: Rock / Punk

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/THEQUERELLES

MATTUPCHUCK

7

Cold Pumas have been haunting Brighton for a while now with their epic and sometimes unsettling brand of reverb-laden rock. ‘Persistent Malaise’, their new album, contains everything you would expect from a Cold Pumas record: echoey sounds capes, distant sounding vocals, guitar phrase repetition and long well driven songs. The first track ‘Versatile Gift’ sets the scene for the album well with its Jesus and Mary Chain “shoegaze” style whereas ‘Fog Cutter’ sounds more concentrated and lucid. There are moments in the record that conjure passing moments of some sort of relationship with the early Sisters of Mercy or The Cure and yet passingly teeter in Sonic Youth territory.

Each song is an interesting soundscape with it’s own different journey even if at times each of those journeys seem a little bit too long. It is no doubt an interesting album that maintains that wonderful tradition of soft melody juxtaposed with angular guitars and echo.

You can buy a digital download of the album, a gatefold CD or if you are quick on old-school 180g vinyl here…

WWW.COLDPUMAS.COMWWW.FACEBOOK.COM/COLDPUMAS

COLD PUMAS

With just a drummer and bassist there will obviously be comparisons to Toronto’s Death From Above and yes, there are a lot of similarities to be found. The bass is driven beyond sanity into a blistering muddy rumble and the drumming is sparse and understated. The vocals are well placed and melodic providing fantastic hooks with effortless indifference.

‘2 Lovers’ is fuzzy bass accompanied by a distorted and slightly clipped sounding drum kit. The song only contains a couple of simple riffs at a moderate speed but the simplicity of it works well. ‘Dance Into The Night’ is a different take of the same set-up, a little more low key in its delivery and perhaps offers a little more of a Josh Homme take on the D.F.A. sound. ‘Fuck All Night’ is back to the grinding repetitive bass riffage with hammering drums to a wonderfully hedonistic vocal theme.

The quality of the musicianship is faultless whereas the quality of production of these three tracks is raw and might not be to everyone’s taste. What I call “sleazy lo-fi” someone else might call “flat and difficult to engage with” but it does make you wonder what these two guys would sound like with a big studio at their disposal. If you like Death From Above you will love The Skirts, if you don’t know who Death From Above are, check these guys out first and if you don’t like Death From Above check these guys out anyway.

WWW.SKIRTSBAND.CO.UK

THE SKIRTS

VARIOUS TRACKSGenre: Scuzzy Garage Dirty Rock

PERSISTENT MALAISEGenre: Alternative

EP/ALBUM REVIEWS MATTUPCHUCK

6

Trip to Dover – 16th Dec, Sticky Mike’s

After a heavy EU tour, Trip to Dover played their last Brighton gig on 16th December

(supported by The Flip Flays, see page 15). With the miserable weather outside,

it was difficult to bring in the pundits but anyhow, any bands who are at least

decent know to rock out anyway. And rock out they certainly did. Playing their familiar and awesome tracks

such as ‘Be Juliet’, ‘Where Was I’ and ‘Pixelated Heart’, there was a new song

in there. Continuing their familiar sound (Electronica/Foo Fighters kind of thing in

their words), it’s certainly good to hear and cannot wait to hear the next E.P.

This gig was followed by three low-key acoustic sets around Brighton playing

their new songs and received good responses. The matter now is next set

of recording for them and a next set of waiting for us!

- Jordan Thomas

Simonne & The Dark Stars – 10th Dec, The Haunt

In a rather large setting, Simonne & The Dark Stars played the last set after the headlining band, Polly Scattergood. With the venue packing up towards their set (seemingly more popular than Scattergood herself), they start belting out already oh-so-familiar songs such as ‘Radio’. For a band that hasn’t been on the Brighton music scene that long compared to others, they really have risen in fantastic popularity. Along with their quirky image of designer hats and plant covered microphones, the musical saw man immediately set themselves different from other bands. Where the musical saw is definitely unusual, to other bands it seems that the musical saw is just thrown in to look cool or special. This is not the case for the Dark Stars as (suitable for the venue’s name) it gives a lot of the songs a haunting and somewhat gothic effect, especially when it’s the only thing you can hear at the outro of songs. You know it works when it gives you goosebumps. Simonne & The Dark Stars will be developing fast this year, with a new E.P. to look forward to and hopefully a

bunch of music videos!

9

COVER BAND CATCH UP

8

EP/ALBUM REVIEWS CINDY CHENG

After sourcing and discarding a number of bands before selecting one for my undivided attention for the duration it would take me to write my review, I was growing impatient and I had no expectations for Amongst the Pigeons. I had barely glanced at the name, not taking in any other details. I hit the ‘Music’ button and on shuffle, the playlist began to leak the sounds of ‘The Inherent

Racism of Doves’ into my world. I held my breath during the quiet intro and then my mouth fell open. The tender acoustic guitar completely took me by surprise and then the electronic drum beat came in to create a beautiful juxtaposition. I immediately appreciated and got what this artist was about, innovative, imaginative and individual… Amongst the Pigeons goes by the description of “the perfect post-party mash-up music”. For that part of the night at a house party where things are winding down and there is a couple making out in the corner and in the other, someone else high as a kite and in a world of their own. ‘The Inherent Racism of Doves’ and ‘Empties’ are for when you’re too drunk to move but content and mellow, and putting a sleepy smile on your face. While ‘FutureDeadRockStars’ kicks off the rest of the album, consisting of electronic dance music for continuing the party and riling the energy out of those left to join you for some gawky, robotic dancing. Charlie Anthony Thompson aka CAT, may at first be seen as a jack of all trades with his tampering, mixing of samples and meddling with acoustic music, but in actuality he is certainly a master of his art.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/AMONGSTTHEPIGEONS

Genre: Indie Noir

AMONGST THE PIGEONS

GET AMONGST ITGenre: Electronic

A little bit St. Vincent meets Regina Spector with the vulnerability of Laura Marling and the beats of Foals and the synths of Metronomy. That’s a lot to swallow there, but with so many credible, clear influences it’s hard to turn your cheek and disallow yourself to indulge in a band full of reminders of existing ones that you

already like. ‘This Beat Mechanical’ is clever and stylishly oxymoronic, sounding sweet but bearing angst with the mechanical sounds reflecting singer Emma Lou’s mechanised heart. ‘Sea of Tokyo’ starts off breathy and endearing, causing me to turn up my volume just in time to the synth kicking in, which was blasted out as a result. Rather appropriately it was probably the best way to consume this track, turned up loud, as it’s a lively tune that demands a shiny floor to dance around to. With its fusion of 80’s-esque synth and folk tones ‘Feather Witch’ makes you want to don a feather headpiece and skip in the forest with the wilderness’s nymphs. ‘Eleven Pairs of Wings’ is sweet and dramatic while ‘Tamaris’ is delightfully fresh, a dancey beat complemented with male backing vocals to give more power to the chanty ‘Tamaris’ namesake. Finally, not a track of the E.P. ‘We Build Wings’ but still worth mentioning, ‘Ballerina Dream: 1940’s San Francisco’ is a spunky, slightly eerie and quirky slice of indie pop. This is a great, interesting band with the perfect blend of charming, stand-out vocals along with the move-ability factor in their upbeat melodies.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/900SPACES

WE BUILD WINGSGenre: Indie Disco

900 SPACES

1110

How do you feel the Brighton music scene compares to others?

It’s hard to say. We’re pretty lazy so we don’t venture out of Brighton much. Like we previously mentioned, there’s so many bands to compete with these days it’s easy to get bummed out and give up. I guess it all depends what you’re in it for. The kids want to get signed (and there’s nothing wrong with that), whereas we just want to play to whoever’s listening, have a beer and hang out with our friends.

What are your influences and interests?

It’s a bit of mixing pot really. There are a few bands we all love like The Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. Then you’d have to throw in the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Hendrix from a guitar perspective, built around a mutual love for the likes of Iron Maiden, Guns n’ Roses, The Strokes… it’s endless really. Andy’s into his own thing, I don’t think he’s really ever been a big Maiden fan, but musically there’s common ground there for us to be able to love what we do. How do you think your music genre fits in the scene?

To be honest, that’s the last thing we’re worried about. We’re all the wrong side of 30 to care about that. We’re still snappy dressers though I think? Yeah we can still show the kids a thing or two....

What are the biggest things that you have achieved with The Denim?

Probably just the fact that I don’t think we’ve had a bad gig yet. By that I mean we’ve all walked away taking something out of each one we’ve done. For example, we played on Shoreham Beach last summer in the pissing rain to what seemed like about four people (although it was probably more like 40), but the sound was amazing, our friends and family were all there and Adrian’s little boy got to see him play for the first time. That, and people you don’t know telling you they like your stuff. They don’t have to do that so that’s always nice.

What do you have coming up?

Not a great deal at the moment, just the gig at The Hope on the 26th which we’re looking forward to. We’ll probably knuckle down and write some new material over the next couple of months and maybe do some more recording. Hopefully we’ll pick up a few gigs on the way. It would be great to start playing some different venues, maybe supporting some more established bands. Yeah, that would be nice. Oh yeah, one other thing… The Denim proudly use Bowler Guitars.

www.facebook.com/thedenimbandwww.soundcloud.com/thedenim

DENIMth

eWithin the last year, The Denim has played for Brighton Unsigned as well as other popular gigs

around Brighton. For a band who doesn’t particular tour much out of this Brighton region, plenty of people certainly know who they are already. Making a name for themselves in their genre of

modern Rock & Roll, how did they get to where they are now?

Interview: Jordan Thomas

How did you guys get together?

Three of us used to play in a band called Birdhouse about ten years ago, and Andy (vocals) at the time was singing in a band called My Deaf Audio. We’ve all been friends for years from when we used to start going to pubs when we were 16/17. Adrian joined Birdhouse when our original drummer moved back to South Africa, then we split up and years later we thought we’d try something else. Andy offered his services, and here we are.

How was it starting the band in the Brighton music scene?

It’s a bit different now to ten years ago. There are so many more bands these days, particularly since BIMM came to town. I’ve never seen so many students with guitar cases knocking about. We’ve always had a good relationship with most of the promoters we’ve dealt with so we tend to play as little/often as we like. It’s a far cry to when we were in our old bands. Back then it was all about getting signed and playing anywhere, whereas now it’s about having a laugh, making music we love to play, and if people like it and want to come and see us then all the better.

Where does the band’s name come from?

Our first gig was fast approaching and we didn’t have a name. We couldn’t find anything that all four of us agreed

on, then one day Andy and Matt turned up at band practice both wearing denim shirts, which prompted Adrian to point out ‘The Denim’ so that was that. It was the only name we didn’t all hate. Saying that though, two of us now hate it. It’s probably too late to change now, although suggestions are welcome.

How do you all work together?

The first few songs were pretty much written by Matt (guitar). He’d come in with a whole song pretty much finished and we’d just add our parts. We tend to just jam a bit more these days until something sounds good, but it does make it easier if someone’s already got an idea or a riff ready to go. Andy on the other hand just starts singing on the spot. God knows where he gets the words from, he has enough trouble remembering them live though.

Of all the venues left in Brighton, what are your favourites to play at?

The Hope is always good. Leon the sound guy is brilliant. He always sorts us out. We played there just before Xmas and it was awesome. The Albert has a great sound as well. We played there back in the summer during the Euro Semi-Finals so there wasn’t a great deal of people there, but those that were loved it so that’s what it’s all about. Andy always performs like he’s playing his last show anyway, regardless if there are 5 or 500 people in the room. He’s great like that, especially when he starts doing sidekicks and pulling out our guitar leads.

13

DG: Yeah. I was on a jazz course for three years in Chichester.CL: He’s the only one with an official qualification.TM: Gio can even write sheet music for drums. I’ve seen him do it.CL: We were worried that a change of drummers might mean a lull in gigs but we had enough time to train Gio up whilst we had our old drummer before he left to go travelling.TM: We had a good time with Andy, he left on a high.

Although you guys are always busy, do you have any ambitions or aspirations for 2013?

CL: I’d like to play more festivals. Not like big big festivals though. We do really well like with beer festivals and bike festivals.TM: Because people are drunk.CL: We’re not aiming to get signed or anything like that we just enjoy what we do. We ‘re going to record again next year, we want to play more gigs and get paid.

As well as covers, you write and perform your own songs, can we expect more of those next year?

TM: Yeah we’ve stepped it up, actually since we got Gio we have made a concerted effort to write more of our own. Ollie and me write about an even amount of songs really don‘t we?CL: Yeah.TM: We work around each other and Gio just picks it up dead easy.CL: We’ll have more original songs for our next album definitely, more than the first one but we’ll include our more popular cover songs from our set. The first album we did was just a matter of time, how many songs we could get in out of like two hours of songs and four hours to record.TM: With the recording we are going to keep a very live sound, we don’t like over-producing at all do we?CL: No.TM: We’ll just lay the vocals over the top and keep it as live as possible really.

Is it more difficult getting together with a new song of your own than choosing an old record to cover?

TM: Yeah it can be because there is a lot more room to toy about with whereas if it’s already been laid out, you sort of follow what’s been put out before you and do it at your own pace, chop it about.CL: You have the idea in your head but it takes another two musicians to flush it out a bit. When you get stuck on middle eighth or how to end it, or even how to start it so you need say the drummer to start it off. You start with the basic bits but it takes all three of you to put it all together and assemble it into an actual song you can play.TM: When we do covers we can do two or three in two hours but when it’s our own song it usually takes a couple of rehearsals to iron it out.CL: It’s more time consuming but the pay-off is yeah! You’ve got your own song.

So being Bad Bad Whiskey, what is your favourite whiskey?

CL: (laughs) I am more of a rum person to be honest! I like rum. I like spiced rum! But if I were going to choose, it would be that cherry Jim Beam, that Red Stag. It is sacrilege!

(A chaotic three-way discussion of the rights and wrongs of cherry flavour bourbon followed)

CL: It’s sacrilege but you don’t need a mixer with it!TM: It’s like whiskey and Ribena.CL: Justin’s better at whiskey.TM: I like bourbon so Bullit that’s my favourite.DG: I like every good whiskey. Jack…TM: He’s not fussy.DG: I don’t drink really [beer in hand]

TM: We’re playing the Great Eastern on Thursday so we’ll find Gio his favourite whiskey.

Bad Bad Whiskey have an album out on band camp called ‘Home Cooking’ also available at their shows and they will be recording their second album in early 2013.

Interview: Matt Upchuck

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BADBADWHISKEYBAND

WWW.BADBADWHISKEY.BANDCAMP.COM

12

For anyone who doesn’t know what skifflebilly is, what is it?

CL: Skifflebilly is what we call a mixture of skiffle and rockabilly but we mix in R&B, blues bit of jazz…TM: Sort of 30s, 40s, 50s musicCL: And 60s music all rolled into one, it’s called skifflebilly.

How did you decide that skifflebilly is what you wanted to do?

TM: Ollie wanted a double bass player to play some rockabilly with and I was more into the blues/jazz stuff so we met in the middle really.CL: I went to the Rockabilly Rave which is a rockabilly weekend and gave back from that having finished my garage band which was Go Johnny Go, a two-piece, it kind of had 50s and 60s influence with it. After finishing that I wanted to go more down the 50s route so I got in touch with Justin; I knew he was into the scene. We started playing some songs and kind of met in the middle really. It was easy to play: skiffle is much like punk, it has three chords and quite simple lyrics.

TM: We kept the rockabilly slap bass in so it sounded a bit more rockabilly and it fitted in well.

A lot of your songs are covers but often very obscure ones. What is your approach to choosing what songs to do?

TM: Both Ollie and me do a lot of DJ nights and a lot of them are tracks we play and like. If there’s a track we like we pick it up and do it in our own style.CL: Some songs won’t work, like Little Richard songs because you need a horn section there but some songs with horns work as we use a wazoo that is like a kazoo with a horn on it. If you need the big band sound it doesn’t really work. You can usually tell at rehearsal but some songs you play live and it falls a bit flat.

So despite the stripped down sound you use, you do incorporate

other little instruments such as the wazoo - do you find that being a

three-piece band has its limitations?

CL: Yeah I would say so, I’ve never been a really good lead player but skiffle/rockabilly is a more a strummy rhythmic sound, which is fine for me. But sometimes when you play lead, the rhythm drops out so you need to play rhythm and lead a little like Mick Green (Johnny Kid and The Pirates). You have to be careful not to drop rhythm out but at the same time not be sounding the same.TM: I think it’s good to have the restraints as it stops us going a bit wayward. It definitely keeps that sound we’ve got as a band. More instruments mean more avenues so I think we’ve got our sound from the way it is quite stripped down.

Is there a common theme in Bad Bad Whiskey in terms of content?

CL: Some of our songs we like to keep about the Devil.TM: Yeah, there’s a running theme there.CL: Y’know you old blues songs with anything about the Devil or drinking or any general misbehaviour.TM: YeahCL: We try to cover songs like that; anything to do with a man’s downfall because of drink or women… that’s usually a good thing.

How has 2012 been for the band?

TM: It’s been good. We’ve got our new drummer in, Gio, this year which has been very good stepping straight into. What kind of band were you in before Gio? You were in a jazz band before?DG: I played with different musicians around. Not really a band, even ska. CL: Are you jazz trained?

bass building anticipation for the band’s well sustained solos, which we are treated to from all members. Each song blends smoothly into the next, creating a polished ‘straight off the album’ effect. It is as if The Dead Celebs are taking us through several moods of brooding rock – meandering reflection and atmospheric effects progress naturally to stomping, hard riffs – and have the confidence not to rush their audience through them. Rather aloof and cool, the front man introduces the song ‘Sunscreen’ by simply repeating the track’s name a few times; there’s the sense throughout that the band is relaxed enough to let the music speak for itself. In contrast, the crowd have been whipped into high spirits, with one wag shouting ‘do you know Careless Whisper?’ ‘Shut up and rock!’ someone shouts back (probably sound advice – I doubted if they did know Careless Whisper). The last song, ‘Cream of the Human Race’ prompts cries for more and takes things up a notch in terms of punch – there wasn’t a non-banging head in the house.

Last to dominate the stage is Emersis, already headlining such a highly regarded venue after

less than a year on the scene. This is of credit to the tight outfit that Emersis has rapidly become. Their growing confidence really shows in the expansion of their song writing and their growing stage presence, particularly in guitarist Cullan Howlett. This enhances the good natured rivalry between the bands’ guitarists, treating the audience to soloing duals of epic proportions. But it’s not all about showing off; Emersis’ music is based on an original concoction of thrash style riffs and drum beats, chorus melodies resembling Ozzy Osbourne at the height of his solo career and delicate moments of melancholy that recall Alter Bridge’s quieter moments.

The new track ‘I’ll Find My Way’ demonstrates a willingness to expand into a different style of music with guitar tones reminiscent of Stone Sour, mixed with the eighties driving rock feel that Billy Idol used to pull off so well. The energy effused by the band is illustrated by the sweat pouring from the band members (or maybe they just forgot their Lynx!*) and the crowd as they are swept up in the headbanging and singing along, which resonates in our heads all the way home.

- By Larissa Rowe and Coralie Oddy

PRES

ENTS

Above Our Station take to the stage first with catchy, fast paced punk rock and infectious charm. Despite ‘not knowing any jokes’ lead singer Dan Greg kept the audience and friendly hecklers entertained with an unaffected manner and strong vocals.

Songs like ‘Back Here Again’ really demonstrated the band’s artistry, with complex and catchy bass riffs backed up by frenetic drumming and impressive solos from both the vocalist and lead guitarist Tom Holmes.

The band finished a striking set with a track fast becoming my favourite; ‘Cloudy Skies and Empty Rooms’. Often introduced as a cheery song, it balances an upbeat sound with powerful and uplifting lyrics about friendship and mourning. Whether the introduction is ironic or not, it describes a warming approach to loss and cements the band’s genuineness and appeal.

Next up were versatile three piece In-Dynamics, providing a seamless flow of rock influences while retaining a distinct sound and style throughout. The first song ,‘She Radiates’, had a headbanging energy which emanated from every band member, while the next few songs switched smoothly between a melancholy insightfulness and upbeat melodies. Beau Boulden’s often unaccompanied vocals were confident and assured, capable of a melodious to gravelly range, and were at their most soulful during the song ‘Oceans’, which was met with cheers from the crowd and a fair amount of rhythmic swaying and arm waving, as if the whole audience were channelling the ocean waves. After ‘Oceans’ the tempo and noise were cranked up to create rock n roll and anthemic punches. Boulden tells the audience he’s ‘working up a sweat’, which I find unsurprising given his insistence on wearing a red leather jacket (I’ve seen In Dynamics play three times to date and the jacket is always present, like an innocuous fourth member of the band – that jacket is to In Dynamics what Ringo was to the Beatles). ‘Stay’ and ‘Liposuction’ bring the set to a triumphant, immensely satisfying close. There’s a lovely integrity to the softer parts of their songs, which act as pleasing lulls within the raucous energy the band has to offer. Happily, this is In Dynamics’ real trademark (although I must admit a certain affection for Iconic Red Jacket).

The Dead Celebs, another three-piece, take to the stage next. Despite the drummer’s rather jaunty cowboy hat, you get the sense that this is a band that takes its rock seriously. They offer loud, feel-the-beat-in-your-chest tracks, the initial heartbeat of the

Bringing you the ‘Brighton Rocks’ night at Sticky Mike’s, the famous Brighton based promoter Lout joins forces with hugely

popular Sussex recording studio Sound Central Studios to give us a night of superb bands.

1514

16