Pocket Billiards Interview

I interviewed the mighty Pocket Billiards for AU magazine a few issues ago, so here’s reprint.

Pocket Billiards

 

Members: Savage (guitar, vocals), Chuck (guitar, vocals), Steve (keys), Anto (bass), Jim (drums), Joe Monk (trumpet), Elaine (alto sax), Slow (tenor sax).

Formation: Belfast 2002

For Fans Of: The Slackers, Voodoo Glow Skulls, the Clash

Check Out: Debut album Pocket Billiards is out now.

Website: www.pocketbilliards.co.uk

Ever since their inception at the start of the decade, it was clear that Belfast based ska punks Pocket Billiards were something special. Even during those early days when their line-up had more changes that the Sugababes you could always guarantee that a Billiards show would be a fun night out and over the last seven years they’ve matured into one of the country’s best acts. This month they capitalize on all that talent by releasing their self-titled debut album and it was a labour of love for the nine-piece. Recorded by Oppenheimer’s Rocky O’Reilly at Start Together Studios, the slab of wax took three weeks to record and for frontman Chris Savage it was a huge relief to finally get a record out there on the shelves.

“It was brilliant finally getting a recording that really gets across the energy and sound of the band,” he says. “We previously had only recorded a demo way back at the start and then produced an EP in a bedroom (that sadly didn’t sound so good) and I think we proved to ourselves that we could make a good record. Rocky was great to work with and was as willing to experiment with different effects as I was and it allowed us to capture the sound that we had always wanted.”

With morale at an all time high, Savage and Co. decided to finally take the plunge after meeting Rocky at this year’s And So I Watch You From Afar Mandela Hall show and after listening to the high octane release, we’re glad they did.

“I just thought the time was right to make this album. We took a bit of a break over the last few years as a number of band members, including myself, became parents and after the Billiard’s baby boom, we felt that we wanted to get back to playing shows and having fun.  We picked up some good support slots, had written a load of songs and finally had a stable line-up, so we felt it was time to get the music recorded.

“The actual recording all seems a bit of a blur to me now,” he continues.  “As we were pressed for time we worked pretty hard for most of it. I remember the rest of the guys laughing at me because at times I was really losing my temper and getting a bit of a huff on.  I’m surprised they could put up with me! While listening to a playback after one of the recording sessions Anto [bass] declared that we needed ‘eagle ears.’ Now I don’t know much about birds, but I’m pretty sure that the eagle is not particularly well known for its immense auditory sensory system (I can only imagine Bill Odie would shake his head in disbelief at that statement).”

One of the best aspects of the record is the fact that they write about where we live. Tracks like ‘SPIDE’ and Belfast Town’ are not only kickass ska songs, we can relate to them too.

“I can’t stand it when artists sing in the generic ‘American’ accents or write lyrics about things they are totally detached from, just because it may be deemed cool,” he offers. “I try to write about things I have experienced or witnessed and feel strongly about, such as my daughter being born two months premature, the nonsense of musical cliques, or watching your mate become a drunken fool on a night out. At the same time I feel it’s important for me not to take myself too seriously and a bit of humour is certainly something that goes hand in hand with Pocket Billiards. I suppose that’s where songs like ‘SPIDE’ come from and the instrumental track ‘Don’t Scratch My Soca’ is a tribute to one of my all time favourite comedy shows Desmond’s. For me lyrics don’t have to be sublime pieces of poetry, if they are honest and sang with feeling then it’s more natural.

“To be totally honest I have no idea what people’s reactions to the album will be,” he concludes.  “The record is loud, energetic and catchy as hell and one thing I know is that this isn’t just for ska lovers. The album is packed full of heavy riffs, powerful brass lines and sing-a-long choruses. I just hope that people give it a shot and enjoy it.” Edwin McFee  

Sunnyside Comics

This morning I put the finishing touches to my comics pages for AU and took the opportunity to plug the very nice people who produce the Sunnyside Comics podcast. Here’s what I wrote for the October issue and you can find out more by clicking here www.sunnysidecomics.com

———————————————————————————————————-

Finally this month, we’d like to take this opportunity to plug the Belfast-based podcast Sunnyside Comics. Initially cooked up by Ron Abernethy (of Black Bear Saloon fame) Scott Ferguson and PJ Holden, the three amigos upload all of their output (basically them righting the wrongs of comic-dom from their comfy sofas) via www.sunnysidecomics.com. So if (heaven’s forbid) you don’t get enough comics info from your ol’ pals AU, then check it out.

———————————————————————————————————–

Gallows interview

Here’s a reprint of my Gallows cover story for AU.

Gallows

Misery Loves Company

Words by Edwin McFee

As Gallows return to the fray bigger, better and ballsier than ever before, we sit down with frontman Frank Carter to dissect their new album ‘Grey Britain’ and talk bloodshed, bad tempers and being spokesmen for the next generation.

“Great Britain is fucking dead…”  ‘Crucifucks,’ Gallows, ’09.

 “For the past three years we’ve been such a cartoon band in the press,” spits Hertfordshire-based hardcore punk Frank Carter. “Everything they thought we were-we weren’t. Everything they made us out to be was wrong. This time around it’s all about the music. The press have had three years of us getting in fights, spitting and having tattoos and I think the general public is bored with it all now. They know we’ve got tattoos, they know sometimes our shows can get a bit raucous and there is plenty of blood, sweat and tears, but now people want to genuinely hear the music and see if there’s substance behind the style and the fact of the matter is that there is. We’ve always been about playing live and living and dying by our music and now we’ve got a really solid record behind us that we’re all extremely proud of.”

If Frank sounds more than a little fucked off, then he has every right to. You see, ever since his band arrived on the scene a handful of years ago with their debut ‘Orchestra of Wolves’ it seems that the five-pieces’ collection of tattoos and craving for chaos has fired more people’s imaginations than their ballsy brand of sonic smackdowns that former WWE superstar Stone Cold Steven Austin himself would be proud of. But that’s all about to change once their sophomore effort ‘Grey Britain’ hits the shelves.

“This record attacks everyone. It’s anti-authority, anti-religion, anti-government-it’s anti-life really. It’s mainly anti-apathy though. I want to try and break the idea that you can’t make a difference. I’m speaking to the kids of the world and trying to tell them that they can change things if they want to. A lot of the younger generation feel worthless and feel like they can’t make a difference but in actual fact they are the future for all of us.”

It’s quite surreal talking about educating children with a man who’s become notorious for busting himself open (albeit unwittingly) at gigs and who can often find himself strangled by his own hatred, but even the most pig headed right wing bigot would admit that he’s talking sense on tracks like ‘London is the Reason’ and anti binge drinking anthem ‘I Dread the Night.’

“It’s time for a change,” offers Frank, warming to the subject. “Whenever anything falls to its lowest point, that’s when the power is really up for grabs and that’s when it can go back to the people. When you’re put in a situation that is just horrendous, they can take the power back and I think that’s what needs to happen and I’m not talking about a revolution of riots-I’m taking about a revolution of fresh education and to help people dream again and start having aspirations. I want listeners to know they can do something with their lives-whatever you want to do-you can do it. Everyone goes through that bad spell of being a fuckin’ raucous teenager, getting fucked up, going down to the park. When you first find girls or boys it’s fuckin’ exciting, but really, the problem is that parents aren’t teaching their children that it’s ok to go through that but to find yourself while you’re doing it.”

“Take that 13 year old kid who became a dad recently,” he continues. “He needs to realise he’s got nothing to offer that child. He may think he can look after it but he can’t because he can’t even look after himself. At that age you can’t even legally get a job, so how can you expect to look after a family when you can’t even work. Parents now are teaching kids that it’s better to claim the dole and benefits than it is to go out and earn a living and that’s really got to change. We have to try and impress on these kids the value of a hard day’s work. It’s difficult for me because I’m in a position where I’m doing what I love to do. When I’m not in the band I try to tattoo as much as possible but that’s still a very easy job compared to most. I worked hard to get there though. These days, the only time now where I feel like I’ve done a hard day’s work is when I’m out in my garden with my brothers. We built a fence last summer because the old one was haggard and we rebuilt it by hand and we really felt like we did something good and I think we need to instill that sense of pride in one’s work to the next generation. We need to make children contribute to society or else there’s not going to be a society anymore. I just want them to have pride in themselves.”

 

And this renewed sense of pride is a theme that runs through ‘Grey Britain’ like the River Thames. The lyrics may be grim and cover a range of topics like the hypocrisy of religion (‘The Great Forgiver’) and politics (‘Black Eyes’) but there’s an over-whelming feeling of catharsis too. A feeling that if we all turn off Jeremy Kyle for half an hour and do something with our lives, then we can achieve something positive. In short, ‘Grey Britain’ is possibly the greatest punk rock record of our generation.

“This album is pretty much exactly what we wanted,” states the singer. “We’ve always been fighting against ourselves but now we want to offer something to people and prove that there’s more to punk rock other than venom. Like look at children now-they are the next wave of prime ministers and police and priests and teachers and you kinda think-what good do they have to look at in the world. There’s nothing there. That’s going to make for a very bleak outlook. If they don’t have something to live for, what can they then offer their children? Hopefully we can provide the alternative.”

The theme of ‘Grey Britain’ is a pretty simple one. It’s Frank Carter saying “the world is fucked and so am I.” However, with lyrics which bathe in images of Union Jacks, does he worry his songs might be misinterpreted? As a way of explaining the point, AU tells the singer that Iron Maiden’s cover for their single ‘the Trooper’ (a tune based on the Crimea War during the 19 century that features a red coated Eddie on the sleeve holding a Union Jack) was adopted by loyalist paramilitaries in this country. They even went as far a painting Derek Riggs’ image on a wall in the Maze prison, thereby totally missing the point of the song and high-jacking the image for their own purposes. Does he worry that the BNP or, on the flipside, anti-British factions may do something similar?

“You’re completely right-I am worried about that. I was very careful when I came to writing the album because I didn’t want it to be adopted by the wrong crowd of people,” admits the singer. “For example-the lyric ‘Great Britain is fucking dead’ is just a line about how I feel and about how a lot of other people feel. It’s not hard to see that the world is fucked but I don’t want anyone twisting my words. I’m not singing for anyone other than myself and the generation of children that are coming now because everything is in their hands.”

As well as a marked musical change (more on that later) Frank has also made a conscious decision to alter his lyrics too. Gone (well, for the most part) are the crude curse words of ‘Orchestra of Wolves’ and obvious as a high-waisted trouser joke round Simon Cowell’s gaff imagery and in its place is a more restrained, yet still utterly pissed off prose.

“I’ve still got the anger in me, but it’s more refined and focused this time around. Beforehand we were quite a messy band and on the last album I was always behind everyone else. The music was always written and I was usually late with my lyrics, but this time I got to sit down and consider the whole concept and idea behind the record. I got to be offensive and completely attack it. I think the lyrics are slightly more intelligent and ten times angrier than the first one. I’ve toned down a lot of the swearing (even though that’s just how I speak) because when I was writing the songs I just didn’t need it. The hatred and the bile was there without using any fucking swear words. Every word I needed was equally disgusting without cursing and in a way they had more venom to it.”

 

To say that ‘Grey Britain’ is an ambitious record is like saying Vannesa Feltz enjoys the odd snack every now and again. The slab of wax is complex (it features a 33 piece string section) catchy (‘I Dread the Night’ is the best Murder City Devils song the band never wrote) and controversial (Gallows perform acoustically on ‘the Vulture Act I’). But perhaps most surprisingly though, it’s a (gasp) concept record. So will the band be breaking out the capes and keyboards for their up-coming tour?

“Fuck off,” he laughs. “God I hate that word ‘concept album’ but you know what? That’s exactly what we were trying to do with the story and ideas behind it. More importantly we just wanted to make the record we’ve always wanted to make. As kids we grew up reading rock magazines and went to Reading and other festivals and followed groups on tour and we were in our own little band that never got anywhere and then this dream of ours happened and it’s happened so fast. We’ve toured the world so many times off the back of a record that was really a compete mistake. To be given this opportunity and be given the last great record deal of probably the rest of time [author’s note-the band signed to Warners for a reported £1 000 000] we all felt like if we didn’t use it wisely and live up to our full potential by doing every single thing we wanted to do, we would’ve felt like we’d robbed ourselves. We got to work with Garth Richardson and Andy Wallace-just complete rock legends and we even got to work at Abbey Road studios-one of the most important recording studios in the world. We did everything live and everything about this record is real. We wanted to hark back to an era when everything was simpler and just go-let’s fucking do it.”

For all of his bravado, Frank is admittedly shitting himself over ‘the Vulture Act I’ however. When we tell him that we think the song (which sees him actually sing for the first time) works really well, he seems visibly relieved.

“I’m really glad you said you love it because I’m a bit nervous about it. It was a risky decision on my part.  I really wanted to do it but didn’t know if I could pull it off and the boys were like ‘definitely give it a try. If it doesn’t work we’ll let you know.’ They seemed happy with it and I feel like it works. Any other time you could say ‘oh Gallows have recorded an acoustic song’ and people would look at you and think what the fuck are you talking about-you are lying through your teeth, but in the context of this record it really works. I’m so proud of it. I don’t listen to that song and cringe and that’s all I was worried about. I didn’t want that one song to ruin the whole album and it doesn’t. It flows so perfectly and effortlessly and it doesn’t disturb the ebb at all. In my opinion we’ve always been about making brave choices though.”

At the time of our interview, Frank is just back from tearing Texas a new bum-hole at South by South West. With yet more images of the singer’s face covered in a crimson mask circulating on the web, we ask him if he’s the clumsiest man in the world, or just a clever PR guy.

“Yeah…” he laughs, slightly sheepishly. “The thing is with those shows, there’s a lot of press there and it’s really industry only and maybe a few fans, so in that respect, because it’s industry only, we go there and destroy absolutely everything-including ourselves-in an attempt to get those industry people to understand what we’re about. At the same time though, if you go on You Tube and watch us perform I can guarantee you’ll see that same fury no matter where we’re playing. It’s tops off, sweating to fuck and completely trashing everything. We’ve never dulled down what we’ve done.”

And does he worry about his band’s success? Gallows are playing somewhat roomier venues this time around…

“We don’t know how it’ll pan out. The stages will be bigger but we don’t plan on changing any time soon. I won’t let anyone put a barrier between me and the crowd. We’re all as one and you can guarantee I’ll be in the middle of them, leading the charge.”

 

Of course, with a band like Gallows, it has to be a concern that their success will inevitably cause a split in the punk community. In the past bands with similar ideals have strayed away from their roots, but we get the feeling from talking to Frank that his boys will always be ones to believe in.

“People message me on MySpace asking if it’s really me and I’m like-of course it fucking is. Who else would it be? I don’t ever want to get to a stage where we’re kept apart from the fans because the way I see it is there is no real difference between anyone. It doesn’t matter anyway, it’s not like we’re going to be around in 20years time, is it?”

A lot has been made of the band’s longevity in the past. A year or two ago, this writer interviews Lags [Gallows guitarist/songwriter] and even then he confessed he couldn’t see the band surviving the decade, so I was intrigued to hear Frank’s take on the subject.

“I’ll put it like this,” he says. “Will the Ting Tings be around in five years? I don’t fucking think so. Most modern bands don’t last that long and most modern bands don’t play at the same level we do. Other groups usually have some sort of drug to keep them going but my brother [Steph, guitar] and me are sober-so we’ve nothing to rely on which means we’ll probably be fucked in two years time, but I still wouldn’t change a thing.”

After spending time in Frank’s company, I’m rather taken aback by the similarities we both share. Apart from the cosmetic traits [we’re both heavily tattooed and we both love the Murder City Devils more than life itself] we view the world in the same way-work hard, keep your principles intact and don’t give a fuck about the people too stupid to understand.

“There’s a song on ‘Grey Britain’ called ‘the Queensbury Rules’ and on it I’m almost harking back to an era that’s completely lost,” reflects Frank, expanding on the point. “Like back to a time where if men had a problem they would sort it out by a fist fight that was governed by the local towns-people instead of talking shit behind their backs. I think things back then were a lot easier. You didn’t need to worry about biological warfare because it wasn’t fucking invented. They were too busy about worrying about the Plague and putting food on the table and working to support their families.”

As we finish up our talk, we go back to his initial outburst about the media in general misrepresenting him and writing him off as some steak headed tattooed thug. Obviously it annoys him somewhat, but if the recent April Fool’s story about him guest starring in an episode of Eastenders is anything to go by (there’s more chance of a zombie Pete Beale turning up and eating Big Mo’s brains than Frank being Barbara Windsor’s bit on the side I’m afraid) he’s willing to see the funny side.

“Yeah, that was hilarious,” he laughs. “I got so much abuse over that and I think what was worse was that people actually believed it!”

By the time you read this, ‘Grey Britain’ will be on the shelves of record shops around the world. It’s an album that sees the band finally live up to their potential and is up there with the greats. Before e bid the singer goodbye, we ask, does the impending ascension to punk rock royalty concern him?

“Not really. I’m happy with everything we’ve achieved in this band and there’s not a day goes by where I’m not thankful and humble about it,” he says finally. “I feel so proud of this band right now, man. I feel proud and blessed. Well, I don’t believe in a god, but whoever’s blessing me I’m thankful for it.”

The Band That Tried To Strangle Itself

As I’ve mentioned before, Therapy? are one of my favouritre bands. They introduced me to punk rock, I formed my first group because of them and I’m now happy to say that after half a decade of interviewing them at different points in their career I’m on friendly terms with the boys. This week they play two Irish shows and I’m hoping to be at at least one, so it seems as good a time as any to re-publish my interview that ran in AU #55. (www.iheartau.com).

It was one of the my favourite ever T? interviews and helping out for the photo shoot (which took place in my house) was surreal, but really fucking cool. Any, enough slabbering-here it is. Photos by Carrie Davenport. www.carriedavenport.com/

 

The Band That Tried To Strangle Itself

On the eve of the release of their 12^th record ‘Crooked Timber,’ Edwin McFee meets NI legends Therapy? to talk about health scares, solidarity, Axl Rose moments, why Andy Cairns’ Da thinks ‘Infernal Love’ is “shite” and much, much more.

“I had a health scare about two years ago,” begins Therapy? singer/guitarist Andy Cairns, as he and his band-mates [bassist Michael McKeegan and tub thumper Neil Cooper] settle into AU’s couch to sip on their mugs of tea. “There was a problem with my lungs and I waiting for test results to come back and it wasn’t looking too good. Thank fuck everything was alright, but I had that classic waiting for the results dread and it got me thinking about mortality again. In many ways I think of ‘Crooked Timber’ as my mid-life crises record as the lyrics are all about dying. Not a single day goes by now where I don’t think about death”

While it wasn’t the answer I was expecting to my simple enough question (that was “how the hell do a band in their twentieth year come out with such a sprawling, inventive and at times downright insane slab of wax such as ‘Crooked Timber’,” for those keeping score) it explains a lot. Tracks like ‘the Head that Tried to Strangle Itself, ‘I Told You I Was Ill’ and ‘Enjoy the Struggle’ bleed with bravado, passion and lunacy and it’s heartening to see the former AU cover stars releasing some of their best work when by all accounts they should be making dodgy acoustic albums/doing reunion shows like the rest of their peers. But then Therapy? were never ones to follow convention, were they?

“The new record was actually really quick to make and I think the time off did us a lot of good” says Andy. “ To be honest, what had happened with us was that whenever we were doing ‘High Anxiety’/’Never Apologise Never Explain’/’One Cure Fits All’ we got into that circuit again of doing a record, going on tour then doing another record straight after. That’s what it was like when we started the band too and we felt like we needed a break. I think if you tour too much people can take you for granted. We’ve got a fan-base worldwide, but we were worried that if you go on tour people would be like ‘oh it’s Therapy? They’ll be round next year.’ So we thought it would be good to take time out from the public eye and also have a little think about what we wanted to do instead of just getting into a formula.”

And if the formula-bucking sonic “fuck you” that is ten minute instrumental ‘Magic Mountain’ is anything to go by, we’d safely say that Therapy? are far from going through the motions on their new one…

“I think the best thing about writing this record was that we had no agenda or preconceived ideas,” offers founding member Michael. “With some of those songs we could’ve went in with ‘producer’s ears’ and said ‘cut that bit and cut that bit’ but we gave everything a chance, whereas ten years ago we would’ve discarded it. Everyone felt really confident with what we were doing and we didn’t have the whole ‘that’ll be a hit’ mindset.”

“Also, because we had a bit of time we could go home and let an idea mature and that definitely helped,” adds token Englishman Neil, who still gets referred to by fans as the new boy despite being in the band since 2002.  “If something didn’t work we could take some time and try and figure out ways to make it suit. We started to really enjoy our jam sessions and songs like ‘Magic Mountain’ all originated from that. We played off each other a lot more instead of the usual verse/chorus/verse/chorus punk songs.”

In many ways, their cavalier “damned if you do/who cares if you don’t” attitude  reminds this writer of the ‘Infernal Love’ and ‘Suicide Pact-You First’ eras of the band. Both times (’95 and ’99 respectively) the boys had their backs against the wall and were making music for the sheer thrill of it. While musically ‘Crooked Timber’ is very different, there is a distinct air of abandon on the record that’s in tune with those releases. Sadly though, over the last few years the words ‘Infernal Love’ are something akin to ‘I paid your mother for sex’ in the Therapy? camp, so AU takes the opportunity to good naturedly chastise them for being ashamed of one of the most important records in Irish history. Don’t believe me? Download ‘A Moment of Clarity,’ ‘Jude the Obscene’ and ‘Me Vs You’ for proof, punker.

“We’re fond of it now, but at the time it was hard to love,” says Andy, noticeably squirming in his seat a little. “Looking back, it’s like those Looney Tunes cartoons where you have a devil and an angel on your shoulder and because it came out during Britpop (and we’re an Irish and British band) we didn’t do ourselves any favours with the stick-on moustaches and red frilly shirts. In those days it was like a year of being told you’re shite, you’re shite, you’re shite. My Da even went-‘I don’t like that new album son’ [laughs]. It went from ‘Troublegum,’ Top of the Pops and having critical acclaim to stick-on moustaches, red shirts and cellos and that’s it-you’re shite. You go home at Christmas to escape it and you get it there too [laughs]. It got to be a psychosomatic thing for me. When anyone mentioned ‘Infernal Love’ I broke out in a rash and acne and my glasses went like this [moves glasses off his face like Eric Morcambe]. It must’ve been traumatic post album stress or something like that. With hindsight, now I’m proud of it. In the middle of everyone trying to sound ‘Cockerney,’ we came out and did this album.”

Over the last two decades, Therapy? has every right to be proud of their impressive arsenal of anthems though. Whether it was the industrial madness of that first seven inch single ‘Meat Abstract,’ (’90) the utterly life affirming ‘Shortsharpshock’ EP (’93) the fist in the air, sabre-rattling ‘If It Kills Me’ (’03) or the Charles Mingus aping ‘Enjoy the Struggle’ (’09) the boys from Ballyclare and Larne have been nothing short of inspirational to two generations of punk and rock fans. In fact, not only did this writer form his first ever band as a direct result of hearing ‘Teethgrinder’ (’92) and the aforementioned ‘Shortsharpshock’ EP, but I’ve got the band’s question mark heart indelibly inked on my fore-arm for life. Yes, dear readers, the music of Therapy? can be life changing, but when talk turns to their legacy, they look quite sheepish.

“You know what? We’ve never thought of ourselves in terms of having a legacy or being icons,” offers Andy. “We don’t like to get stuff like that into our heads as there are so many bands who seem to unravel once they get even a modicum of success. I don’t know if it’s a whole naivety thing being from Ballyclare and Larne, but we never developed that at any point. Even when we were on a major label and having records in the charts, we were never like that. It wasn’t an affected pose with us, we just didn’t understand where that attitude came from. Strangely we have had various people around the band (techs and so on) who had that attitude from being associated with Therapy? and they were acting more like rock stars more than the band were.

“It is nice to hear that our music meant something to people though. We do meet bands who big us up when we see them and it’s not something I expect to hear but it is good to have people say seeing your band changed my life because it makes you realize that it hasn’t all been in vain.”

As all three members of Therapy? pick through my records and odd collection of action figures (not only are we doing our interview in AU’s home, but the photo shoot as well) it seems that there is a determination for the band to let not anything go to their heads. In many ways it’s a throw-back to their early days, when they were three penniless noise merchants with short hair who saw bands like Guns ‘N’ Roses as the enemy. Somewhat spookily, in a bizarre turn of events, the trio ended up supporting the anti-christ that is Axl and Co. in Dublin in ’05 and it’s an event that lives on in infamy in Therapy?-lore as the ginger frontman got his revenge on our heroes by doing the unthinkable…

“People forget now, but when we started the band Guns N Roses were the enemy,” remarks Andy. “GNR were everything that was wrong with music at that time and Axl Rose’s demands in those days didn’t sit well with us. In the early days if I put a guitar solo in a song Fyfe [Ewing, former Therapy? drummer ‘89-‘96] would throw his sticks down and refuse to play it. There was a phrase we used to use for something we hated and that was ‘that is so GNR.’ God forbid someone used a wah wah pedal! [Laughs].

“So yeah, we were offered a headline slot on the second stage and I remember three songs from the end GNR (who are notorious for going onstage late) decided that for once they would go on early when we were playing [laughs]. Three songs from the end there was a massive exodus out of the tent and I just thought-this is typical. Of all the nights they go on early, they do it when we’re playing. We were riffing away and loving it and all you can hear it ‘It’s So Easy’ kicking off and that was the first time I wanted to shout ‘come the fuck back, you fickle cunts’ during a gig.”

Speaking of gigs, this year sees the much anticipated live return of Therapy? with dates in the Nerve Centre in Derry (May 14) the Academy in Dublin (May 15)  and an as yet unannounced (ssshhh! It’s a secret!) slot at this year’s Oxegen already on the cards. There’s also a Belfast date in the winter in the works too, so that’ll appease anyone who missed out on the band’s recent headlining slot at Do You Remember the First Time in the Ulster Hall last month. Speaking of which, at the time of our interview, it’s the morning after the show and there are smiles all round whenever it’s mentioned.

“I thought Do You Remember the First Time was a brilliant night,” grins Andy. “The atmosphere was amazing both at the front and backstage. For once it was almost as if NI turned round and said ‘look we have a scene here and we’re proud of it’ and the last time I saw that was during the punk scene of the 70s when I was 12 or 13. It seemed like for years it was such a fractured thing and then with the rise of various magazines and lots of new bands people rediscovered their pride. It was a fantastic night.”

“It doesn’t take much to support the scene,” he continues. “We’ve recorded in Seattle with Jack Endino [‘Shameless’ ‘01] and when you get there you realize that for a city, it’s not that big, but the music scene had a sense of solidarity that made people take notice. The fact that all these bands like the Melvins and Mudhoney and Nirvana all hung out with each other isn’t that strange but by mentioning each other in the press it helped promote the scene. A lot of the stuff that was going on was pretty disparate musically and worlds apart, but they put on a united front and I think that’s what’s happening now in NI. Last night there were totally different bands on the bill but everyone was egging each other on to do well.”

With Therapy? finally being recognized as God-Fathers of our current scene (incidentally the band were full of praise for And So I Watch You From Afar’s debut) and a new found confidence giving the band a certain swagger, it’s a good time to be a fan of the trio. About ten years ago the group’s life expectancy looked a little grim but thankfully nowadays Andy, Michael and Neil can confirm that they’ve no intentions of ever splitting up. ‘So Much For the Ten Year Plan’ indeed.

“I think that the pace has changed at the moment. People take their time with things,” concludes Andy. “I think with the advent of the internet, people see music as more precious. People who bitch about downloading and all the rest are annoying though. If we were 14 we’d have fucking loved it. My son is nine and he loves the computer and knows how to work it and I was thinking if I had a computer in my home when I was 12 or 13 and I had access to all this stuff I’d be on it all the time and that’s not even before I got into the pornography, that’s just for music [Laughs]. But yeah, we’re enjoying ourselves and see no reason to call it a day. We never had a ten year plan and you can mark my words, we never will.”

 ‘Crooked Timber’ by Therapy? is out now on DR2 Records. The band play the Nerve Centre in Derry on May 14 and the Academy in Dublin on May 15. www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk

AU Issue 56

The new issue of AU is currently out of the shelves and features Gallows on the front cover, written by yours truly. It’s my first cover in over a year and my seventh in total (not including contributions to ‘top 50′ type issues). As some who read Dead Horse know, I’ve been with Alternative Ulster since (more or less) day one in the winter of ‘02. In those days the intention was to launch a website that focused on reviewing/interviewing local unsigned acts who were ignored by the mainstream press, but that ultimately mutated into the magazine we know and love today.

Over the last six and a half years I’ve been a part of some features I’ve been really proud of (my Gossip cover still ranks as one of the best things I’ve written) and some things I really haven’t (my pro-riot grrrl piece didn’t pan out like I wanted it to thanks to a cover photo that totally missed the point of the article and unfortunately ended up looking like some paedo’s wet dream. *Shudder*).  I’ve left a few times but I always seem to come back eventually and I’ll probably be involved with the magazine until it ultimately runs its course.

Anyway, I digress. I’m very happy with how the Gallows interview turned out and despite a few niggling things design/editing wise, I think I can be proud of it so check it out if you get a chance and let me know what you think.

Crystal Balls

As it’s the New Year, here’s a few predictions for what’s hot in ‘09 in the comics world…..

Top Ten Comic Events of 2009

 

Dark Reign (Marvel)

At the time of going to press, it’s unsure what Marvel’s Dark Reign is all about. Spinning off from events in the soon to be concluding Secret Invasion, Dark Reign is what happens after the huge battle between the Skrulls and the assembled might of Marvel-dom. Do the Skrulls take over or does Thor die for a second time? Find out in a few months True Believer.

 

 

Ultimatum (Marvel)

Marvel’s Ultimate universe (a line of books that are continuity-free and set in a world where Peter Parker became Spider-Man in this decade rather than the 60s) is set for a shake up and we’re being promised that no-one is safe in the line-wide cull. Not even Spidey. Will the book live up to the hype? We’ll see. But if something happens to loveable lush Ultimate Iron Man we’re gonna be pissed. And not in a good way.

 

Batman Cacophony (DC)

Cacophony marks the return of slacker icon Kevin Smith to the four-colour world. The three issue mini-series features Bats taking on Smith’s own creation Onomatopoeia and is sure to become a mainstream smash hit (providing he can make his deadlines of course).

 

Mighty Muggs Wave Five Released (Marvel)

If you’re like me then not only do you love comics, but you also adore action figures and having them do sweet poses beside your trades and hardcovers. Marvel’s Mighty Muggs line are a cool little twist on the usual action figures and Wave Five will be released in 09 and feature Iron Man (Mark I) the Vision, Ultimate Captain America and my personal favourite the Skrull (check out his ears!). If you haven’t yet picked up any Mighty Muggs then check out the Dr Doom figure. Homeboy’s cape is worth 10quid alone.

 

Watchmen released (DC)

After years and years of speculation, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ much-lauded comic Watchmen gets the silver screen treatment in a few months time. The trailers look phenomenal but then again so did the trailer for Lethal Weapon 5 and look how that turned out. Love it or loathe it, it seems Watchmen will be one of the most talked about films in ’09 and if it turns some new readers onto comics then that’s no bad thing.

 

Hulk and Skaar confrontation (Marvel)

For those out of the loop, Skaar is the son of the Hulk and two years ago old green genes left him behind on the planet Sakaar thinking him dead. While both characters have their own series and are unaware of each other we think it’s only a matter of time before they have a family reunion.

 

Movie debut of Deadpool (Marvel)

The Merc with a Mouth makes his silver screen debut in ’09 in the up-coming Wolverine: Origins. Van Wilder, Party Liason plays Deadpool (or Ryan Reynolds as his mum calls him) and he’s a perfect fit for the character.

 

More Lenore (Slave Labour)

Roman Dirge’s goth comic is back in ’09 and once again features Pooty, Ragamuffin, Taxidermy and more in what’s sure to be one of the independent releases of the year.

 

Return of Cap (Marvel)

It’s been two years since Brubaker killed Captain America and we think it’s high time he returned. Hopefully this will be the year Steve gets his resurrection.

 

Mark Millar’s Ultimate Avengers (Marvel)

Millar returns to the universe he co-created with fresh new take son some old characters. Promising Ultimate debuts of Ghost Rider, Blade and She Hulk, Ultimate Avengers will fly off the shelves.

(this is an extract from the recent issue of AU).

And The Winners Are…

Traditionally in the land of features journalism things start to wind down in the month of December. Record companies send you endless best of compilations, magazines and papers only ever want to post end of year polls and no-one really seems to give a toss. Don’t worry though, you’ll be glad to know the young McFee is still working his heiny off (is that how you spell heiny?) right up until Christmas Eve Eve because I’ve been lumdered with some horrible deadlines this year. So to make up for the lack of Dead Horse activity this week, here’s my top ten comics of the year that is currently published in this month’s AU.

And The Winners are…

 

As we wave a cheery goodbye to 2008, your trusty comics correspondent casts his eye back over the last 12 months and picks the top ten books of the year while also picking highlights from ‘09’s calendar because we’re dead clever like that. If you feel there’s anything missing from the list let us know via www.iheartau.com

 

 

Top Ten Comics of 2008

Captain America (Marvel)

 

Ever since writer Ed Brubaker took over the reigns penning Marvel’s Star Spangled Avenger (and soon to be film star in 2010) Steve Rogers has never had it so good. Well, apart from the fact that he was gunned down in public in issue 25 and is now as dead as Russell Brand’s career at the BBC. Still, with a new Cap in place courtesy of his former WW2 side-kick Bucky and an epic plot involving fake presidential candidates, unborn babies and a schizoid Red Skull, Bru ensures that even though it’s now 25 issues since we last saw Steve Rogers we’re still glued to this must-have book.

 

Hack/Slash (Devil’s Due)

Hack/Slash is an independent comic starring Cassie Hack and her best friend Vlad. They’re slasher slayers (try saying that one after a few Brandy Balls) and each issue they hunt down serial killers who refuse to die while wearing skimpy clothing and looking all hot and shit  (and that’s just Vlad we’re talking about). This year the ongoing series just got better and the characterisation, jokes and gross out moments are spot on every time. Add that to the fact that the recent Hack/Slash Annual featured former AU cover stars the Suicide Girls and you have a guilty, but great read.

 

Hulk (Marvel)

After the events of last year’s World War Hulk, Marvel bosses decided to give the title a reboot, start it off with a new number one and enlist Heroes’ producer Jeph Loeb as writer and Ed McGuinness as penciller. It could’ve sucked harder than an over-zealous porn star, but thankfully, with the introduction of the rather mental Red Hulk (whose identity is still a mystery) it has turned into one of the most successful books of the year.

 

The Walking Dead (Image)

Robert Kirkman’s zombie epic continued to shock readers in 2008 and after the gruesome events of the recent issue 50 it’s hard not to see why. By focusing on the people rather than the dead, Kirkman’s book is as compelling as it was when it was first launched in 2003.

 

Secret Invasion (Marvel)

Secret Invasion was THE event in this summer’s comics calendar and the ride isn’t over yet in this eight part mini-series. The story revolves around the shape-shifting Skrulls who have infiltrated Earth and intend to take it over and the Marvel heroes’ struggles to find out who to trust. From the reveal of Spider-Woman being the Skrull Queen to Ms Marvel getting shot by a returning Nick Fury this series has had us hooked.

 

Action Comics (DC)

It hasn’t been a good year for DC fans, but Geoff Johns’ and Gary Franks’ Action Comics is the pick of the publisher’s roster. The long running Superman title made the headlines a few weeks ago after they killed off Clark Kent’s Pa and this was just one of the many jaw dropping moments from the must read book.

 

 

Blue Monday (Oni Press)

Blue Monday is an independent mini-series about the life and loves of high school student and Britpop loving Bleu L. Finnegan. The black and white, manga influenced comic is all about teenage kicks and is a great purchase for those who enjoy comics with as little spandex as possible.

 

 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Dark Horse)

When the mega-successful TV series ended with series seven, Buffy creator Joss Whedon decided that he would continue to tell stories about his characters on the printed page. Series Eight has been a huge success and hasn’t lost any of the invention and wit that fans loved originally and the sight of a skinless Warren is worth admission price alone.

 

 

Fantastic Four (Marvel)

When it was announced that the super-star team of former Ultimates writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch were to once again pool their talents for Marvel’s first family, I’m not ashamed to say I gave a little yelp of glee. After some first few issues that were rockier than the Thing’s under carriage, FF is now firing on full cylinders and shows no signs of slowing down.

 

 

The Boys (Dynamite)

Garth Ennis’ Marmite book about a black ops team who police super-heroes has been a great read this year. Pulling no punches, the title has already had hamsters living inside super-hero Blarney Cock’s nether regions, zombie teens, super-powered gay orgies and features more swear words than a night out with the Osbournes. Not for the faint hearted….

Albums of the Year

Ok, so it’s that time of year when editors ask me to put together a list of records for their (ultimately) pontless end of year polls. I’m not really into lists/listing things in general. For some reason my brain doesn’t work that way and my idea of hell is when people ask me who my favourite interview was or what my favourite gig was. I usually draw a blank.

This week ,the new issue of AU is out and and as usual they have their end of year album poll (http://iheartau.com/features/great-in-2008/). Although I’m still a contributer (six years and counting next year) I didn’t enter into the spirit of things this time around and never compiled a list. “It’ll only end up the usual, predictable indie shite” was my take and guess what? I was right! Still, if that’s what people voted for, then who am I to argue? I should also add that there’s nothing wrong with indie music,it’s  just that too much of it makes Edwin an angry boy.

However, a month ago, while sitting in a Dublin hotel, I decided that since I’m still a new boy at Hot Press (nearly a year and counting) I’d put aside my misgivings on these things and send in my top 20 albums. It was all done anonymously through a feature on their website and I spent a LONG time putting it together because I just didn’t know where to start. Anyway, below is what I came up with. If you think I’ve missed something out let me know (it can be hard to remember everything when you review about 10records every single week of the year).

Anyway, without further ado, here’s Blogging a Dead Horse’s top 20 albums of the year.

1) Fight Like Apes-’Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion.’

2)Sons and Daughters-’This Gift.’

3)Valient Thorr-’Immortaliser.’

4)Fighting with Wire-’Man Vs Monster.’ (It’s been kicking around for a while but this year it was officially released).

5)Geoffrey Oi!Cott-’The Good, the Bad and the Googly.’

6)Outl4w-’Outl4w.’

7)Girls Aloud-’Out of Control.’

8)Blaze Bayley-’The Man Who Would Not Die.’

9)Johnny Foreinger-’Waited Up ‘Til It Was Light.’

10)The Night Marchers-’See You In Magic.’

11)Horrorpops-’Kiss Kiss Kill Kill.’

12)Down-’III.’

13)Black Kids-’Partie Traumatic.’

14)The Sword-’Gods of the Earth.’

15)Imelda May-’Love Tattoo.’

16)Jaguar Love-’Take Me to the Sea.’

17)Glasvegas-’Glasvegas.’

18)Mindless Self Indulgence-’If.’

19)Guns ‘N’ Roses-’Chinese Democracy.’ (I’m probably the only one to vote for this but I love it because it’s as mad as a bag of hammers).

20)Story of Hair-’Cheap Rate.’

 

So there you have it. It’s more than likely out of order and I’ve probably forgotten the odd thing, but fuck it. I’ve always been about looking ahead rather than looking back anyway.

Onwards and upwards!

Sons and Daughters

This time last year I was handed an advance copy of Sons and Daughters latest album ‘This Gift.’ From the very first listen I loved everything about the album and last week when I was putting together my top 20 albums for Hot Press this was at number two. Inspired by the strength of the record, we decided to make Sons and Daughters the AU cover stars for the Christmas issue 07 and below is the original transcript.

Sons and Daughters

Words_Edwin McFee

 

“I feel like we’re on the brink of something monumental.”

 

As Glaswegian glamour-pusses Sons And Daughters prepare to unleash new album ‘This Gift’ in January, AU sits down with lead singer and all-round uber-vixen Adele Bethel to find out where they’ve been and why everyone’s favourite cult band may just be 2008’s biggest success story.

 

Two years ago Scottish tunesmiths Sons And Daughters were the toast of the town. They were lauded by Morrissey, loved by Franz Ferdinand and the critics couldn’t get enough of their dark and salacious tales of lust and despair. In fact it looked like the four-piece were all set to take over from the likes of Blondie and become the achingly hip band you’ve always dreamed of. But it didn’t quite work out that way. In fact, once tour commitments for second record ‘The Repulsion Box’ finished last year, they seemingly disappeared off the face of the Earth, leaving their loyal fans a bit confused as to what was happening. But good things come to those who wait as they old saying goes, and Sons And Daughters’ lead singer Adele Bethel assures us that 2008 will be their year.

 

“When I think about the next few months, I can only see great things on the horizon for us,” she boldly states. “Our new album [‘This Gift’] will be out in the shops and it really is the definitive Sons And Daughters record. We’re stepping up our game and we want to make sure it gets heard by as many people as possible. For whatever reason our previous albums haven’t clicked with people the way we hoped but I know for sure this one will.”

 

Before anyone reading switches off assuming Adele is falling into the rock ‘n’ roll cliché of talking up her new album, let’s remind ourselves of a few things. Throughout the band’s career, the singer has often dodged questions about her songs and often avoided interviews altogether preferring to let people make their own minds up. So when she tells AU that ‘This Gift’ is truly something special, we’re inclined to believe her.

 

“It’s a more considered album this time around,” she offers. “We got Bernard Butler in to produce it and he was a joy to work with. I was a big fan of the songs he did as McAlmont and Butler and to be honest as soon as Bernard came onboard he shook everything up for us. He’s not backwards in coming forwards with his opinions. I remember playing him the 30 songs we had written for the record and he would openly tell us if something was shite, which was a bit of a shock to our systems at first. We had spent so much time as this little insular gang and when you have someone new come in and tell you what they think it can be hard to take but we ended up getting on really well together and bonded over out mutual love of The Smiths.”

 

The Smiths play a huge part in the story of Sons And Daughters. Adele actually looks like she could be a character from one of Morrissey’s tawdry tales and her own songs practically drip with the same suffocating 1960s-style kitchen-sink drama of the much-loved Manchester band. So it comes as no surprise when she tells us that ‘The Queen Is Dead’ pretty much changed her life when she was 13.

“When I was younger I really didn’t know who I was or what I wanted to do with my life,” recalls Adele. “But when a friend of mine’s older sister gave me her copy of that record, well, that was it for me. I immediately thought to myself that I wanted to spend the next two years in my room only listening to Morrissey. Like a lot of people-I can safely say I wouldn’t be in a band without him.”

 

Much to the singer’s surprise, it turned out that the Moz-Father was a fan of Sons And Daughters as well and he personally invited them on tour with him early last year. Needless to say it was a moment.

 

“Morrissey is an absolute gentleman,” she says of the much-maligned crooner. “As you might expect he’s quite a shy man but he was really welcoming to us and he’s surprisingly humble for someone who’s achieved so much. To find out that he liked our music was such a boost for us and really encouraging.”

 

Since their inception in 2001, Sons And Daughters were never shy about playing tribute to their influences though. Their band-name comes from a line in a Bob Dylan song and their breakthrough single was called ‘Johnny Cash’. But these days, Adele gets her inspiration from the silver screen instead of her stereo.

 

“I know it sounds a bit weird but films have inspired most of our new songs. It’s just gotten to the point where I’m surrounded by music every day and I watch movies to get a break from all of that. It’s the old 60s dramas that I love the best, like Billy Liar. There’s so much amazing imagery that can be interpreted into music. I also think I was a bit burned out by everything once we finished touring ‘The Repulsion Box’ so it’s good to have a bit of a break.”

 

Once ‘This Gift’ finally sees the light of day in early 2008, it’ll have been three years since fans heard new material from the four-piece. In today’s world, unless you’re a band like Guns ‘N Roses, three years can seem like a lifetime and can often cripple a band’s career. But after a particularly gruelling tour schedule, Adele and the rest of the group (drummer and co-founder David Gow, multi-instrumentalist Ailidh Lennon and guitarist Scott Paterson) needed some time off to recharge.

 

“To be honest we were completely burnt out once we finished touring,” she confesses. “We were all just totally wiped out. We released ‘Love The Cup’ through Domino in 2004, then the next year ‘The Repulsion Box’ came out and we just never stopped. I think if we hadn’t taken time off I would’ve gone insane. It can be hard sometimes on your mind as well as your body and I don’t think people realise that. For example, at the moment we’ve been on the road for four and a half weeks and I’ve had three days off.”

But it wasn’t just the rigours of touring and living in each others pockets that wore Adele out, it was the constant spectre of ‘The Repulsion Box’ looming in the background whenever they tried to write some new music.

 

“It took us a while to get away from that album. We spent two years living it out every night onstage and it was hard to escape in a way. We don’t write songs when we’re on the road so we were starting with a blank sheet and because we were all so determined to change how we made music, it took us a while to break away from what we did in the past. The previous record was a lot louder and nosier than anything we’ve ever done so we needed to rethink what we were doing and it’s all worked out well in the end.”

 

In many ways it’s probably a blessing in disguise that Sons And Daughters took a self-imposed sabbatical for a short while. Although they have a huge cult following and gained glowing reviews along the way, they never seemed to quite click with the average music fan in the same way as fellow Scots such as Idlewild or Franz Ferdinand have. People were confused as to what kind of band they were and that resulted in their first two albums being criminally over-looked.

 

“We’re one of those bands that are hard to pin down,” says the singer. “In the past I’ve read reviews of our gigs that compare us to bands that are a million miles removed from us. I think that confuses a lot of people and they expected to hear a different band than they were getting. This time around people will finally get what we’re all about.”

 

As the front-woman in Sons And Daughters, Adele obviously attracts most of the attention, but it’s not something that she consciously seeks out. Onstage she’s as provocative and fiery as they come, but in private she’s much quieter than her public persona would suggest.

 

“I hate getting my photo taken and making videos. I don’t enjoy it one bit. I even get nervous doing interviews and I don’t like putting myself out there like that. I know that when I’m performing onstage you would probably think differently of me but that’s not who I am. I see it as acting in many ways. When I put on my stage clothes and I’ve a microphone in my hand I’m someone else.”

 

From our chat with Adele, it becomes clear that Sons And Daughters are a band in every sense of the word. They’re fiercely protective of each other, seem to genuinely enjoy each other’s company (so much so that Adele and Scott live together) and they look out for one another when things go wrong.

 

“We have an ‘us against the world’ vibe,” says Adele. “We really are like a wee gang. I’ve known David since we were in Arab Strap together, I live with Scott and I’ve known Ailidh for years. I think this feeling of loyalty and friendship is what has kept us together through everything and I hope we continue this band for as long as possible.”

 

As AU finishes up our interview to let Adele nurse a hangover and tackle the rather unglamorous task of washing her clothes, talk turns to what she hopes the future may hold for her and her three friends. There’s no doubting that she’s extremely proud of her band and rightly so. Sons And Daughters make the kind of music that is as raw as an open wound and as subtle as a hammer in the face. Their captivating male/female vocals and knack for telling the best murder ballads this side of Nick Cave has attracted them quite a bit of attention in the past and their effortless yet iconic sense of style is as eye-catching as they come. So with album number three under the belts and a new-found confidence in their abilities, our money is on Sons And Daughters to finally make the strides they’ve long been threatening to in the forthcoming twelve months.

 

“I feel like we’re on the brink of something monumental,” she concludes. “I don’t know how to explain it but I think next year everything is going to change for us in a big way. I think that the time is right for a band like us. You know that feeling you get on New Year’s Eve where you know that nothing will be the same again in 12 months time? Well I have that at the moment and I can’t wait to see what happens. I’ve got nothing but excited thoughts and high hopes in my head. Our next tour in February can’t come fast enough.”

 

www.sonsanddaughtersloveyou.com

 

 

 

Side-bars

 

She’s in Fashion

 

When it comes to sartorial elegance and sheer cool as ice star power, Sons and Daughters have it all in spades. But it’s not just Adele Bethel’s band who know how to cut a dash and have fans imitating their look-there are other artists out there whose iconic sense of style has helped make them blur the boundaries between music and fashion and here are just a few of them.

 

Debbie Harry

Even at the grand old age of 62, Debbie still manages to remain as hip as ever by wearing exactly what she likes, when she likes. The Blondie singer broke hearts across the globe with inspirational and visionary videos for songs like ‘Hanging on the Telephone’ and the utterly iconic ‘Heart of Glass’ and has remained a true one-off ever since.

 

Siouxsie Sioux

Although she would probably smack us in the mouth for saying it, Siouxsie Sioux more or less single-handedly invented the goth look. To say that the former Banshees frontwoman created her own specific niche is something of an understatement and it’s still a look that most people copy today.

 

Karen O

Who else could make a bin-bag look like high fashion other than Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O? Some people might think she dresses like a mental patient, but they’d be wrong. The half Korean half-Polish singer and muse for her designer friend Christian Joy has put the fun back into fashion and we never know what she’s going to wear next.

 

Beth Ditto

Although these days the Gossip’s singer Beth Ditto finds it hard to actually keep on her stage outfits whenever she’s performing, when she does actually wear them, they are unquestionably hers. Not many people can wear neon lycra and get away with it but Beth can.

 

Kate Nash

2007’s biggest success story is also arguably the most copied singer out there right now. Her modern look consisting of floral patterned dresses and granny pearls have made her a darling of the tabloids and unfathomably she’s also made having ginger hair and freckles look really cool too. Somewhere off in the distance we can almost hear Chris Evans whooping with glee…

 

 

This Gift-the AU Verdict

 

If Sons and Daughters’ previous two blood-thirsty albums were perfect for those dark and fore-boding cold, winter nights, then their third effort ‘This Gift’ is tailor made for good times and Thursday, Friday AND Saturday nights. This time around everything has been pared back to guitar, bass and drums leaving co-singers Adele and Scott free to come up with the catchiest batch of pure pop tunes in an aeon and they sound all the better for it.

 

Album opener and recent single ‘Gilt Complex’ gives us a taster of what to expect from the new Sons and Daughters and it goes down well. Things really kick off on the utterly perfect and future Indie disco classic ‘Chains’ though, which is chock-full of “woah-oh-oh’s” and old school doo-wop call-outs. In many ways it’s reminiscent of Rocket from the Crypt at their most tender or early Billy Joel as his most vital in a weird kind of way and has to be heard to be believed. New single ‘Darling’ raises the bar even more though, with a life-affirming chorus that’ll lodge itself into your brain and refuse to leave and the same can be said for album closer ‘Goodbye Service.’

 

Throughout 12 tracks, ‘This Gift’ doesn’t take its foot off the gas once. It’s lean, neat, gloriously up-beat and guaranteed to lift even the sulkiest listener. Credit in some part must go to producer and former Suede song-writer Bernard Butler who has helped pare away some of the more self-indulgent tendencies in the four-piece and left behind the pop band you’ve always dreamed of. Equal parts Shangri-las and Ronettes mixed with a little bit of Ramones and T-Rex, Sons and Daughters circa now are ultimately 100per cent distinctive and there’s no-one out there who is making music quite like this.

 

Although it seems a little odd to say it, ‘This Gift’ is well on its way to being 2008’s best album and the year hasn’t even begun yet. Every single song bar none has the makings of a hit single and when Adele predicted that her band is on the verge of something monumental, we believe every word she says. ‘This Gift’ is a record that will appeal to anyone who wants to hear iconoclastic pop rock songs that are not only carefully crafted but catchier than a Christmas time cold. Simply put-‘This Gift’ is the album that Sons and Daughters were born to make. Buy it, steal it, sell your arse on the street for it if you need too-but trust us, it’ll be worth it.