Interview with The First Floor

Fresh off their second appearance at Sheffield’s O2 Academy, emerging South Yorkshire band The First Floor look set for big things in 2010. Formed in the summer of 2007, the band consists of Jonny Knott (Vocals/Guitar), Matthew Stewart (Guitar), Liam Ruane (Bass) and Tom “The Captain” Jones (Drums). This week I caught up with Jonny and Liam for an exclusive interview.

How would you describe The First Floor’s sound to someone who has never heard you before?

Jonny: Unpredictable, shouted alt-rock? I think so.
Liam: I always find it hard to compare our sound to another band. I don't mean to sound big-headed but I don't think there are a lot of other bands out there like us. I'd say if you put Biffy Clyro, Fightstar and Twin Atlantic in a blender, then sprinkled a little pop rock/punk on top you're not too far off us.

How do you guys write songs?

Liam: Usually our song writing process consists of either Matt or Johnny coming up with a guitar riff or chord pattern and work on it from there. The lyrics usually come afterward, although sometimes the lyrics and vocal tune can alter the song. We're always very picky about our song writing, we have loads of songs we've never played live or old songs we've scrapped just because we don't think they're good enough.
Jonny: We tend to go off the back of a guitar part that has something catchy, or a good rhythm, and songs can take us 3 weeks or 3 hours to fully write.

What was it like gigging with Twenty/Twenty?

Jonny: I don't know because we basically didn't. They rarely spoke to us...I think they have boundary issues. Playing the Sheffield Academy was a blast though and we get to do it again on the 13th May.
Liam: It's been an experience to say the least.... It's good to get a taste of a sort of 'big league' in terms of gigging. The Academy is a great venue to play and we've met plenty of nice people whilst playing there and it was nice of them to ask us back again

Tell us something people don't know about you?

Liam: Me, Matt and Tom used to play in a band before this, but Tom played bass instead of drums and I played guitar.
Jonny: We once attempted to cover Let's Get Retarded by the Black Eyed Peas....but it never made it to a gig.

What’s the best thing about being in a band?

Liam: The best thing would definitely be the gigging. There's nothing quite like getting a few hundred kids jumping up and down or clapping along to a song you have written like at the Academy, I get such a buzz from it. It's ace hanging out afterward and talking to people who like your music.
Jonny: Gigs! They are the only point of being in a band. Since we've started certain gigs have stood out as the best we've played, and now the good ones are becoming far more frequent, we're on the up.

Who are your personal musical inspirations?

Liam: My inspirations initially came from video games. I used to play Crazy Taxi on the Dreamcast which the soundtrack consisted of The Offspring and other punk bands. That got me into music. Just listening to bands in general who do something a little different to the mainstream stuff catch my eye a little more.
Jonny: None I’m completely unique. Fightstar, The Editors, Twin Atlantic and Johnny Foreigner.

What is your favourite album to listen to at the minute?

Jonny: Aim & Ignite by a band called Fun, or Common Dreads by Enter Shikari. I can't choose. Liam: I've been listening to Deaf Havana's album Meet Me Halfway, At Least a lot recently. They’re a sort of English Alexisonfire but a bit more poppy.

What is your favourite First Floor song and why?

Liam: My favourite song is Make a Scene. It's quite an upbeat powerful song that when I play it gets me pumped up and fuelled. It's quite unpredictable too, how the tempo changes quite dramatically at the start.
Jonny: Also Make a Scene, because I know who it's about and nobody else does.

What are your long-term hopes for The First Floor?

Liam: In the long run I'd hope for The First Floor to play more Academy gigs rather than the gritty bars we're used to. I think we have got what it takes to play some of these venues with bigger bands, it's just about being somewhere at the right moment and time. I'd also like to be given the chance to tour the U.K.
Jonny: Wembley! Or, to keep going, make more songs, make better songs, play better gigs. We only ever look as far as the next gig.

Do you have any news about future plans? Anything lined up?

Liam: Just looking for gigs over the summer at the moment, we're thinking of recording a music video too to help promote ourselves a bit.
Jonny: We're trying to hop on Tramlines festival in the summer, and next year we're planning to tour which we've never done before. So that'll be a fucking disaster...

The First Floor will be playing at the Atticus Black Tour live at Sheffield O2 Academy on Thursday 13th May alongside Canadian rockers Ten Second Epic, Blitz Kids and Cars on Fire. Tickets are £5. Check the band’s MySpace at www.myspace.com/thefirstfloor or search “The First Floor” on Facebook for further details.

By Joe Denny

Interview with Twenty/Twenty

After forming Twenty/Twenty little over a year ago the three piece from Essex have been on the rise ever since. Sam (Vocals/Guitar), Jack (Bass/Vocals) and Sonny (Drums/Vocals) are headlining around the UK and bringing more fans than ever to their shows. Despite the pressures of the first night of a tour, starting in Sheffield, the mood was calm and collected.

When we are introduced the three guys seem in a relaxed mood but with a certain level of excitement just under the surface.

This is the first night of the tour, how have you prepared?
Jack: Well we’ve done a lot of rehearsals and stuff, it’s been quite tight because we’ve been quite busy at the moment.
Sonny with a grin on his face glances over to a stage hand “bit of a stressful sound check but its all good.”
Jack: But yeah lots of practice and its fine.

Why the gap in the middle of the tour?
Jack: Oh the month off, seems more like a year.
Sam: We originally booked it as a 2 week tour, but no matter where we put it, we couldn’t do it without clashes with people being at school. So, we've had to do this half in the Easter holidays and the second half over half-term.

It’s got nothing to do with a couple of birthdays over May?
Sam: Well they have got birthdays but no, it’s got nothing to do with that, it’s based on the fans and on the schools.
Jack: For the age group of our fans, they're doing their GCSE’s soon so we want to fit it around them.

And this show is nearly a year on from your first tour...
Sam & Jack: Yeah about a year.
Sam: Was it the beginning of June?
Jack: Yep June the 6th I think. That was with Saving Aimee.

Have you had any stand out moments since then?
Jack: There’s some shows that we played.
Sam: Tonight’s a bit like that, this is only the third time we've played here, second time we've headlined and I think it’s on the borders of selling out tonight so that was a bit of a moment.
Jack: It’s quite cool. For me the big January tour was a massive step for us in seeing the amount of people at our shows. It’s a good sign of the work paying off.
Sam: Tonight there’s about twice as many people as last time we played here. We’re expecting about 400, so I'm really excited.
Jack: It’ll be bigger so that’s good.
Sonny: It’ll be fun, it'll be a laugh, you know.

Fans of Twenty/Twenty will be in for a treat as Sam told us about the upcoming release of ‘Get down and live with Twenty/Twenty.’ ‘It is a live DVD that was filmed at the end of our last tour at London Islington Academy. It was our biggest London show to date, with about 700 people. There are new songs in there, it’s also just a chance for anyone that hasn’t got to see us live yet. And because it’s on our website it’s really good for all the fans abroad because we've only toured the UK. Whenever we do another tour we think of ways to make it better, or to exceed the last one. I think any band can play live, but it’s harder for bands to do it well. We do our best to make it entertaining and be a bit quirky on stage otherwise it’s just no fun.’


There’s lot of questions about how the name came about but, what other band names did you consider? Any really bad ones?
Jack: Yeah, we have like a whole folders worth of names, ‘cause we spent about two months trying to decide on one. Quite a lot of them we were happy with but we weren’t happy that we would be called it.
Sam: One of the last ones before twenty/twenty, which sounds a bit weird now was ‘Heads and Tales’ just to try and be quirky but that didn’t work.
Jack: What else... ‘New Era’
Sonny: Yeah, that one’s alright.
Sam: But none of them just clicked as well as twenty/twenty. I don’t think our name would be out as much if it wasn’t as memorable.
Sonny: When we first thought of it, we were just going to have it for the time being.
Jack: Yeah it was a temporary name.

So you're not trying to reserve the year 2020 for yourselves...?
All: That's true
Sam: How old will we be then, ten years from now?
Jack: So about 30...
Sam: It'll be a kind of blink thing wont it.

Sonny what's going on with you and Peter Andre? I saw that you tweeted him.
Jack: I saw that.
Sam: I didn’t know you’d tweeted him, what did you say?
Sonny: This is why I tweeted him, it was April 1st and Jack came over to me and went ‘pinch, punch first of the month’. I was like ‘Ha yeah, good one’. Two minutes later I check twitter and Peter Andre said the same thing, and I thought it was well weird. To be honest Peter Andre is a legend...
Sam and Jack crack up.
Sonny: He is though.
Jack: Sonny’s got posters of him in his room.
Sonny: That's a bit far...
Sam: That's where rumors start. The rumors about Sonny and Peter Andre all start from Jack.
Jack: Sonny’s made me like him more than I use to.
They both turn and look at each other before breaking out into laughter.
Sonny: He’s just a cool guy, they just make it a big thing. You wait, I am gonna get them back.
Do they gang up on you?
Sonny: Yeahhh...
Jack laughs.
Sam: No we don’t. You two gang up on me all the time.
Sonny: well... yeah...

Can you tell us any other secrets that people don’t know about you?
Sonny: I can tell you how much I hate these two...
Sam: Me and Jack were involved quite a lot at school with musical theatre, which sounds a bit weird but I think it might have helped us on stage and stuff.
Jack decides to get to the point: Basically we did a lot of drama in school.
Sam: But it’s something I’d like to do again. Whenever we do our video shoots we always have to do acting bits and I'm awful at it but I use to be good when I was younger and I’d like to get back into it. I use to be quite proud of it when I was younger.

Do you have any plans for the future?
Jack: We always have a plan.
Sam: We've got a lot of writing sessions coming up which we hopefully get our album finished. We've done the majority of it but we still need a few songs to finish it off. In the short term we’re doing lots of promotion for our get down live DVD and our single, worlds apart.

Expect to see Twenty/Twenty’s album out soon.

Damon Fowler

Interview with Gavin Bain, Hopeless Heroic

An interview with Gavin Bain, lead singer of Hopeless Heroic

So what have you been up to recently?
We’ve just shot the music video for the single Guinea Pig Syndrome with Richard Poet who was special effects editor on the new Batman movies. We’ve just finished playing a whole bunch of shows and are now concentrating on finishing the songs and pre-production for our debut album, ‘Become the Monster’. We’re all writing and producing so it’s a very creative time.

What’s the best thing about being a musician?
Creating magic with instruments. When a song comes together and then really connects with people in a live arena. Hearing fans singing your tunes back to you and showing you that they love and believe in what you’re doing. It makes everything worth while.

And what’s the worst?
Its non stop 24/7 work, a lot of pressure and no sleep, raising money and spending more than you earn. But it’s all worth it to be in the studio or on the road with your best friends being creative and having a laugh.


Who are some of your inspirations?
My Chemical Romance are some of the hardest works guys I’ve ever met and they don’t have any attitudes at all. I think they did 300 odd shows a year for a couple years and that to me is immense and truly inspiring. Billy Talent show a lot of love to their fans and make great music and Story of the Year put on the best live show I’ve ever seen. Rage Against The Machine are my biggest inspiration, apart from making incredible music, they were and will always be super cool.

How have they influenced your music?
Apart from the music I’m inspired by musicians who work hard and don’t have bad attitudes.

What is your favourite album to listen to at the minute?
I’ve been living inside the new Fall of Troy record ‘In the unlikely event’. I’m also taking in the new Billy Talent and Taking Back Sunday records as well as the EP of my close friends Delica Black, which is sick.

Is there anything you want to talk about or any stories you have but never get asked?
Our guitarist Grant is the funniest man alive and has had a pretty crazy life. He once woke up in a graveyard with his trousers around his ankles after passing out with the runs at the end of one crazy night. That’s about the only story I could tell that you’d be able to print or display. He gets himself in such funny situations.

And what can people expect in the future?
We are about to Release our EP Mechanical Lions EP on Nov 23rd and holding the launch party at the legendary 100 Club in Oxford Street on the 26th November. After that we go in to the studio to finish our first album which will be released on the 1st of April 2010.


Comfort in Sound

Interview with Luke McDuffee, Framing Hanley

We talked to Luke McDuffee, bassist/backing vox of Framing Hanley.

So what have you been up to recently?
We've been touring almost non-stop for the past 14 or 15 months. Most recently we've been doing some shows in the south-eastern US, which is our home region.


What’s the best thing about being a musician?
Knowing that I get to do what I love while making people happy at the same time.
The worst is the hangovers.


Who are some of your inspirations?
Paul McCartney, Robert DeLeo, and Les Claypool are my biggest influences.


How have they influenced your music?
McCartney and DeLeo taught me how “less is more” doesn't necessarily mean just playing root notes, and Claypool reminds me that “weird” and “creative” are often related.


What is your favourite album to listen to at the minute?
Bring Me The Horizon's Suicide Season. It keeps my days brutal.


Tell us something people don't know about you?
I'm a Reverend in the Universal Life Church, which I think is hilarious. It doesn't come up much in conversation though.


And what can people expect in the future?
A new album early next year. Prepare your ears for glory!

Comfort in Sound

Interview with Danny:Riot, RIOT:NOISE

Riots are a form of civil disorder characterised by disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence and noise. The result in music terms = RIOT:NOISE. Forming in early 2008, it was less than 6 months later they were on tour in the US, an impressive feat for five guys from Bristol. What could get better than that? How about a model appearing in one of your videos? Yep RIOT:NOISE have done that too, Sammie Pennington appeared in their video for single ‘Never Wrong’. We talked to drummer Danny:Riot.


So what have RIOT:NOISE been up to recently?
We have been really busy! In August we previewed our EP and Video at a sold out home town gig so at the moment it’s all about drumming up interest in the EP release on November 16th, playing anywhere and everywhere! We have also been asked to support GUN on their November/December UK tour which is fantastic. If there’s one thing we love to do as a band its touring.


Who give you musical inspiration?
Personally, my main inspiration is anything that rocks! From Led Zep to Def Lep! GnR have played a big part in my life, that's not to say I aim to sound anything like them in my drumming style or song writing, but I grew up in the era when GNR were filling stadiums around the world every night – that inspired me to want to play in a band.


How have they influenced your music?
All of the bands/drummers that have influenced me have one thing in common...a strong beat that drives the song from start to finish, something I hope I have brought to our music. To me it isn’t about being the best technically, it’s about being solid and reliable.


What is your favourite album to listen to at the minute?
AFI Decemberunderground. It’s a couple of years old now but the soundtrack to my life at the moment.


What’s the best thing about being a musician?
Creating something from nothing! When we go into the studio and write there's such a buzz when that initial idea finally comes together and a new song comes to life. RIOT:NOISE has also given us all the opportunity to share the stage with some of our musical heroes, and play at some of the best venues in the UK. We also got to tour the US for just under a month! Travelling around America with your best mates and playing gigs every night…… could it be any better?


What’s the worst?
The wages! Is there any other profession in the world where you could get paid 'a couple of drinks' for a three hour drive and providing entertainment for an establishment’s punters? We are fortunate enough to be in a position now where we often get given a set fee, but we know lots of bands that have fallen for pay-to-play scams in all it’s different guises – and that is shit!


How did it come about getting Sammie Pennington to appear in the video for ‘Never Wrong’?
We had some mutual friends and we crossed paths with Sammie and her friends at a few wild nights in London and ended up drinking the night away and generally having a great time. When it came to casting the leading lady Marty remembered that Sammie was a trained actress and we made contact with her and she was well up for starring in the video. Turns out that the video director (Nigel Crane) had worked with Sammie before and so everything was very easy to coordinate.


Did that feel like a rock star moment for you?
It was one of many things that have happened. Throughout the time in this band we have had loads of those 'rockstar moments'. What's it like shooting a video with a top glamour model and a room full of barely clothed sexy ladies? It's better than shooting a video in a room full of men moshing!!! There was free alcohol for all the extras, and by 4pm it was all getting a bit out of hand..... we had a cat fight, some drunken puking and plenty of ladies complaining about being in their heels for 12 hours. Shooting a video isn't easy - but when you finish for the day and then you're sat in a bar with Sammie Pennington and a load of other ladies......... yeah, that was pretty cool.

We have loads of other 'rockstar moments' - our US tour had everything from the band being spanked by a mecian lady with a studded belt, to a random midget in a bar wanting to entertain us with a striptease, to members of the band disappearing with a couple of strippers from Vinnie Paul's club in Dallas and returning with very big smiles.


Is there any stories or subjects you never get asked about?
I rarely ever do any interviews/press on behalf of the band so I could go on for hours! On a serious note if I had to say something it would be that there are so many great bands out there at the moment working there ass off for very little reward (financially), so the next time a band you know is out on the road go see them!!! Buy them a drink, buy some merch, and if possible offer a bed/floor/shower for the night – ‘cause sleeping in a van aint no fun! Oh, and make sure you go and tell the drummer how fuckin great he/she was!

I have so many stories about my band mates that I shouldn’t tell…… let’s just say I have bailed each and every one of them out of the shit on many occasions when they have been drunk and I have been the designated driver. My brother does a lot of roadie work for us and between the two of us we have enough dirt on the rest of them to blackmail a small fortune out of them, or write a very interesting book!


And what can people expect in the future?
We are gonna hit the studio early next year and hopefully start work on the full length album. Then we’ll get back on the road asap and then………

Good evening Madison Square Garden, we are RIOT:NOISE!!!!

Comfort in Sound

Interview with Tommy Gleeson, Slaves To Gravity

After releasing their debut album ‘Scatter The Crow’ last year, Slaves To Gravity are looking to follow it up with a new album on the way in the new year. The album comes out of turmoil with their drummer reacently leaving and the band holding auditions for a replacement. Still spirits remain positive, we talked to singer and guitarist Tommy Gleeson:

So what have you been up to recently?
Well, we’ve just finished recording a new album with producer Bob Marlette and mixing is due to start soon over in L.A. The record has turned out great and exceeded all our expectations. I think it’s a big step for us in the song writing department. We’ve also been auditioning drummers. Jason, our brother and drummer for the last 3 years (and 4 years before that in another band) has decided to leave to spend more time with his family after his dad suffered a bad stroke at the beginning of the summer. It’s been a rollercoaster year but we’re looking forward to getting the engines fired up again and hitting the road, which we’re doing in October/November with Aussie band The Butterfly Effect.

What’s the best thing about being a musician?
For me, it’s about being able to indulge my greatest passion. You get to meet some amazing people and you can communicate with them on a very visceral level through the music you make, which is not something that’s easy to express in most other lines of work. I feel very blessed to be able to do what I do.

And what’s the worst?
It’s a toss up between the lousy hours and the shitty pay. It’s hard being away from home for months on end and there’s very rarely a pay-cheque at the end of the day once expenses have been accounted for. You really have to be in love with the process, because there’s a lot of the logistical side of it that really sucks. Also, as a third downside, you’re working in an industry that doesn’t exist without you, yet you are at the bottom of the food chain, which can be very frustrating.

Who are some of your inspirations?
I started tuning into stuff outside of my parents record collection around the time that grunge was blowing up. Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam etc. Guns n’ Roses where another big formative influence. I listen to a lot of different stuff now. Django Reinhardt, Steely Dan, Tom Waits, David Bowie, The Beatles, The Stones, Pantera loads of stuff old and new.

How have they influenced your music?
I think I’m primarily drawn to people who have interesting songs, a slightly twisted vibe, style and an element of mystery about them. I like textures and dynamics and odd combinations. I also like lyrics that stretch beyond rhyming ‘rock star’ with ‘guitar’. I think a lot of those 90’s bands had a real honesty about what they did that got hijacked by MTV and turned into something really ugly. It’s a shame because the lasting impression of that whole scene is of lumberjack shirts and the whole caricature of ‘grunge’ instead of the really great songs and ideas that came out of that time. Those bands also had an underlying darkness that ran through their music and their aesthetic, which rubbed off on me.

What is your favourite album to listen to at the minute?
I’m listening to the new Pearl Jam record actually. That, and Imelda May’s Love Tattoo which is great fun. She has a kick ass voice.

What have you always wanted to talk about in an interview?
Did you know that Printer manufacturers print invisible yellow dots on consumer's prints that check to see if a person is printing counterfeit money. If you call your printer manufacturer and ask them to "please stop spying on you", they will send secret services to your address to find out why you care about your privacy.

And what can people expect in the future?
The new album is out early next year and we’ll be touring a lot in support of it. Hopefully we’ll be able to release in the states as well which is something we haven’t done yet. The plan is to really kick things up a few gears in the next 12 months, expand our fanbase and keep on building the church, to quote Steve Vai.

Damon Fowler
Comfort in Sound

Interview with Tim Minchin

Tim Minchin is an award winning Australian, singing, piano playing, comedian. After performing his show ‘So F**king Rock’ around the world, he’s back with a new tour called ‘Ready For This’. He’ll be offending and entertaining even more people with his songs on religion, sex, death and more. You may be wondering why we interviewed a comedian rather than a rock band like usual. The simple answers is that Tim; looks like a rock star, sings like a rock star, plays piano like a... rock star, and is eye wateringly hilarious! Any of his songs stand up to any ‘serious’ music out there and with his new tour lined up to start in September, Tim’s asking ‘Are You Ready For This?’

Are you looking forward to touring the UK again?

Yeah I am, very much actually. It’s been a little while and when I don’t perform for awhile I get the feeling that... it’s ridiculous, my job and that I don’t know how to do it. You sort of get disconnected from the person you are on stage so any length of time not being on stage I find really difficult. It’s been quite a while now so I'm desperate to just fucking get on with it. I really miss singing, I'm looking forward to singing again because my voice gets out of practise. For the ‘Ready for this’ tour we’re arking the show up a bit in terms of stupid lights and such which add a great deal to what I do. You could argue that I rely on it but I just really enjoy that pseudo-rock star nonsense, this tours a bit bigger than my previous one so we are gonna go a bit ape shit on that stuff.


Do you get the big tour bus now that you’re a rock star?

Haha we very briefly considered it, I think if I had a girlfriend or some girlfriends and my road manager was in my condition. We are taking full crew this time, it would almost be worth it, but my tour manager and I both have family so we try to get back to London every night we possibly can. I think I missed that stage, it’s kind of devastating although I never dreamed I’d get to that stage, and I think I’d fucking hate it as well, I think the idea of a whole load of people having fun every night after gigs would really annoy me. I like to get to sleep.


Why did you choose to live in London rather than Australia?

When I get asked that question in Australia it’s loaded with a slight accusation of desertion. London’s the capital of comedy in the world, and I got into comedy very late and I really thrust myself into it in 2005. I spent years in Australia having quite a fun career doing lots of different stuff; acting, composing and playing in different bands, but I was pretty poor and getting a little bit over the complete unpredictability of income and everything. So when I came to Edinburgh in 2005 I was having all these meetings with people saying fine here’s a DVD deal, ‘I'm a promoter and we’ll give you concerts’, ‘I'm an agent and want to represent you’ I said ‘Fuck, there’s my career’. But my wife has been my partner for years, since we were very young and she’s witnessed me banging my head against the industry doors for many years. So when one of the doors opened we didn’t hesitate at all really. Didn't even cross our minds that we were somehow deserting our cultural industry, we just went ‘fuck that’s where the work is, let’s go’.


You said ‘you wanted to get the comedy stuff off your chest before going back to serious music ‘ is that still the plan?

Yeah that was the plan. I’ve always written satirical or ironic songs compulsively. All these rock stars are generally middle class, that's why they can afford to be rock stars. And these people have the ability to turn that life into a poetical musical whinge. That ability to turn normal life into poetry is what's created the greatest artists ever. I seem to get half way to doing that before going ‘oh get your hand off it you idiot,’ and I start mocking myself. I was writing stuff for my band back in 2001 and it was pretty bad, just a demo album made in my lounge room, anyway that didn’t cut it. So I put all the comedy songs into more a cabaret style show. Then I’ll have these two careers in parallel rather than trying to make them all one. Then of course the comedy just completely overwhelmed everything else and it actually suits me hugely. From playing keyboards in bands in pubs to ten people, I’m now playing grand pianos to 1500 people and for me there’s no credibility lost in writing satirical music. My songs are still well constructed or, dare I say it, better constructed than a lot of pop music out there. I still get to sing about what I want and do what I fucking want.


You start very nervously in the live shows, why is this?

I'm having to re-examine that right now because that material from ‘So Fucking Rock’ I'm still using on tour because I wrote it just before I recorded that DVD. And suddenly now that ‘So Fucking Rock’ has been on tele there are 160,000 people that have seen that material so I need to change it. I’ve been doing a bit of writing, and I’ve always started very uncomfortably in all my shows long before ‘So Fucking Rock’. Generally I've always started with a big intro plus a song so that's it’s just quite an intense theatrical experience, then I tend to do a bit of vanity playing so everyone knows what we’re doing. I've always found it works to go from this intensely controlled theatrical opening to being completely uncomfortable and stumbling. The whole idea that I'm bad at starting is obviously just a choice, because it’s funny... I think. I don’t know whether ill come out and just be a bit more confident. I think for my character it’s very important that he stays a little bit nervous because what I do with the music is very high status at times, it’s very showy and preachy and big so it’s a good contrast in status. This disguise, acting like a rock star with the shirt open, comes back to going ‘anyway, I had this thought’ sort of thing rather than going ‘bah bah bah I'm the shit’.


Seeing you live undoubtedly adds to the experience, are there any more DVDs set to come out?

Well the show I'm touring now I just taped in Australia, I'm not sure if it’ll come out in the UK though. I have a huge problem with live comedy DVDs, I don’t watch them myself. Comedy is about the atmosphere, it’s about sitting in an audience where consciously or not everyone has committed to having a fun night. You can watch any comedy show in the world, the greatest comedians of all time, you could watch any comedian, anyone, and not laugh, you don’t have to laugh. Without the commitment to enjoy it you're not going to have a good time. It’s like watching a magic show, if it was in your lounge it’d be shit. Once stuff is on DVD I think it becomes much more an examination of the material at a distance that doesn’t work the same way. Having said that I think its brilliant that people can get souvenirs, it’s best if they see a live show first but either if they can’t see it live or they've been and want to remember it then they’re brilliant things to have.


You wrote a song about Phil Daoust (Guardian newspaper journalist) did he ever get back to you?

Haha no, poor Phil. I worry about Phil, I'm sure he doesn’t care. But, it was very important to me that I used his name, not because I wanted to hurt him but because it’s shocking. Even though people had never heard of him just the knowledge that it’s actually a person and I'm actually saying ‘I want to make his children watch him eat his own face meat’ is sort of funny. And the fact that I'm so angry to become murderous about a stupid review is quite funny, because it’s so pathetic. I thought about changing the name but it wouldn’t have worked. People have got to go away and go ‘god, he wrote about a real guy’. I don’t think he’s necessarily heard the song, he did comment on it. Someone told him when I first started performing it and he said ‘oh it’s nice to be remembered’ and all that sort of bullshit. It would be a pity if he was upset by it, I would understand and if he rang me up and said ‘you’ve had your revenge, can you stop playing that now’ I would. But it’s just part of my show now, and people find it very funny.


What kind of music do you normally listen to?

To be honest I don’t, which is terrible. About once a month I go ‘fuck, you must listen to more music’ and I fail. I listen to classical music in the car, jazz if I have people over. Every now and then with my iPod if I run out of science podcasts or nerdy podcasts, I either play some disco song to make me feel happy or just have a listen to something new. I spent the last two months writing a musical and if they’re not in my head I prefer it to be silent. I need to leave space because if I'm writing a children’s musical I don’t want too much punk in my head or whatever. I know that's really un-cool. I had to write that ‘what's on my iPod’ article and I just made it all up.

You can catch Tim Minchin around the UK between September and October, and if you can’t make it his DVD ‘So F**king Rock’ is available from HMV stores and at HMV Online.

Damon Fowler
Comfort in Sound

Interview with Darran Smith, Funeral For A Friend

Just finishing a European tour with Linkin Park, Funeral For A Friend are coming back home to rock the UK. The Welsh quintet have a tour lined up to begin in October and they shall be one of the few rock bands to release a greatest hits album. The album is entitled 'Your History is Mine: 2002-2009' and shall be released on September 28th, along with four brand new tracks. We talked to FFAF guitarist, Darran Smith.

A Greatest Hits album is surely a great sign of a bands achievements, what does it mean to you?
It definitely means a huge amount to us as band, and kind of a landmark in our career but by no means a sign that we're slowing down or finishing up...you're gonna see plenty more from us!


Do you own any greatest hits albums yourself?
I most definitely do own some but Tom Jones 'Greatest hits' is my favourite! haha


How did the idea to release Your History and Mine come about?
Basically our old record company Atlantic approached us about putting out a 'Best of...' album and wanted us to get involved with the plans and idea's connected with it, so we have...personally I’d preferred to have waited another few years!


What is the band up to at the minute? Any album plans?
We have actually written and recorded 4 new songs for the 'Best of..' album..So we have been busy and at this moment in time we're presently on tour in Europe with Linkin Park. But for sure there will be another album next year at some point!


It's been a few months since Gavin joined, how has he fitted in with the band?
He's fitted in perfectly...we'd known him for a long time from our local scene anyway, but he's a great attribute to the band...Great musician and songwriter!


You've had a fair few line-up changes over the years, does it still feel like the same band?
We changed a couple of members after only a few months of the bands formation so we were still working the line up out at that point...Gareth on the other hand was with us for pretty much most of our career & an old friend of mine anyway so he's definitely missed! But we have a strong vision within the band and it still feels the same.


You've got a tour lined up in a few months time, are you looking forward to it?
Yep, it begins in October and we're really looking forward to it...its gonna be like a celebration of our career up until then with a lot of familiar faces in the crowds!


What are the best and worst things about being on tour?
Obviously playing the shows, meeting the fans & getting to see some amazing places around the world is the best part but the boredom & travelling to play that hour and a half on stage isn’t fun and missing our family & friends is hard!


In the past you've played small intimate shows, is this something you like or prefer to the bigger audiences?
I enjoy playing both to be honest...the intimate shows are fun & exciting but bigger ones are also cool, having lots of room on stage & seeing a huge crowd in front of you can be really overwhelming!


What can fans expect from the October tour?
A few surprises as far as song choices...that’s all I’m gonna say! ha But as usual it'll be exciting with plenty of sing-alongs!

Damon Fowler
Comfort in Sound

Interview with Alex Rosamilia, The Gaslight Anthem

The Gaslight Anthem had an amazing 2008, coming from nowhere to give us; one of the best albums of the year (‘The 59 Sound’), amazing live shows and a few festival appearances. This year they will be following it up with more festival appearances and taking to the same stage as one of their idols when they support Bruce Springsteen at Hard Rock Calling. We talked to guitarist Alex Rosamilia:

Not even two years ago you were an unknown to most people, since then everything’s skyrocketed, how have things changed for you?
Since we've started touring full time, I've also been floating full time when we're home. Aside from that, I don't think much has changed at all.


Do you get much time to have a rest from all the work?
Nope. But, I spend most of any spare time these days with my girl and her 3 dogs.


What’s going to be the best thing about playing with Springsteen?
That maybe people would stop asking us about playing with Springsteen.


How do you feel going back to Reading/Leeds Festival after the amazing reception last year?
I'm excited. That was my first real festival experience ever, as a player or a spectator, and now to go back and play there again, it'll be interesting to see if it’s any different now that we're "veterans" at this stuff.


Do you like being in the UK?
Yeah we like it a lot. It’s one place that I've always wanted to go to, even as a kid. To be able to have the opportunity to keep going back now is pretty amazing.


You’re a band that everyone seems to like, what do you think makes your music appeal to everyone?
I think that we're not trying to ‘do’ anything. We've never gone for a gimmick or niche, we've just played what came natural to us. I think a lot of bands try too hard to be one specific thing sometimes.


It’s nearly been a year since the release of ‘The 59 Sound’, are any plans afoot for a new record?
This winter we're going to go back in the studio and will see what happens....

You can see The Gaslight Anthem at most UK Festivals this year including Reading/Leeds and Glastonbury. For full details and news check www.thegaslightanthem.com

Damon Fowler
Comfort in Sound

Interview with Shannon Lee, SpiderBaby

SpiderBaby, a four piece from Brighton have weaved their spidery debut album and are preparing for its release in the coming months. The Power Pop/Rock/Electro band released a debut EP last year 'The Death of Spiderbaby' and their fan base has been growing ever since.

We talked to the bands self proclaimed Singer/Rhythm Guitarist/Songwriter/Keyboard player/Bass player/Dancer/ Clearer upper/Fluffer, Shannon Lee:


With your debut album release just around the corner, how are you feeling?
*touches self..* I feel good! (laughs)
No, I feel, as do the rest of the band, very excited! The material on the new record is the best yet! The production blows 'The Death Of SpiderBaby' away totally!


Tell us about the album. Which songs do you think are your best?
The spec was to make an album that you put on before you go out to the sweatiest indie/electro/rock club! It had to be an album that made you dance with lots of throbbing bass & scuzzy guitars. We've always made a very strange type of dance music but with 'Where The Strange Ones Go' we wanted to take it that step further.

It truly is the best material that I've certainly written. As a band we really sweated blood on this thing! Easy cop out to say that all of the material is awesome (which it is!) but personal faves are 'Scream My Name', 'Scary But So Much Fun' & 'Erotic Nymphos In Love' (that you can hear on our MySpace page) but it changes day to day. There are 11 tracks on the record, so plenty for everybody.


How would you describe SpiderBaby’s sound?
Every listener has a different interpretation. We like that.


Where did the name ‘SpiderBaby’ come from?
It's a cult 1960s B-movie. If you get a chance to watch it, do! Its lots of fun!
We are sometimes asked if we're named after the Father Ted sketch. Hahaha!


Which artists do you look up to and get inspiration from?
Each band member has their own influences which probably has a lot to do with the sound. Start off with Prince, Kiss, NIN, Grace Jones & Serge Gainsbourge & you're headed in the right direction.


It’s been a few years since starting SpiderBaby, are you happy with how things have gone so far?
We started in mid-2006 after having played in various bands. We pretty much self released our debut single 'Lovebuzz!Teenage Odyssey' within a month of being together. We had a different female vocallist & Jonti wasn't in the band. Jonti joined in November 2006 & we played our debut gig a month later, with a UK tour in January 2007. It didn't work out with the original singer, we got another girl who remained with us for 3 months before Ashleigh joined in October 2007.
From when Ashleigh joined to now, things blew right through the roof! You could effectively say that SpiderBaby as you know it, have been together since October 2007.
Am I happy with where we're at? Absolutely! I think the industry has changed so much, record labels are no longer as important as they once were. Any band can release their own material & promote to a very good level. SpiderBaby has a rabid fan base (& no, I don't mean they froth at the mouths, folks!) in that they love SpiderBaby with a passion! Our debut EP physically sold out with little to no mainline advertising & our downloads on iTunes still sell brilliantly every month! Our friends don't care about anybody that doesn't 'get it'... they just hunger for everything & anything SpiderBaby!
Even if SpiderBaby never sell a million records, we are blessed to have such a devoted, loyal SpiderBaby family.


Have you hit any stumbling blocks along the way?
Plenty including drug abuse, alcohol dependency, inter-band relationships, clinical depression & even a run in with religious groups (over our song 'Crucify') but the good times far outweigh the bad!


You very recently made a new music video, how did it go?
It was for the song 'Erotic Nymphos In Love', we filmed it this past weekend. It was a long day but with so many scantily clad pretty people walking around, how could I ever complain?


Lastly, what can people going to see SpiderBaby expect?
You can't promise much in this world, but I PROMISE, you come & see SpiderBaby, you'll get more sex, blood, lust, romance, dancers & melodrama than any other band can deliver!! We will make you sweat!!
Oh, & did I mention the dwarfs..?

Check out SpiderBaby's MySpace at www.myspace.com/spiderbabyband

Damon Fowler
Comfort in Sound

Interview with Tom Lacey, The Ghost Of A Thousand

The Ghost Of A Thousand are looking forward to the release of their second studio album coming out on June 1st. A lot has changed since the release of their debut album back in 2007 and we caught up with Tom Lacey (Vocals) from TGOAT:

So are you all prepared for what looks like will be a very busy summer for ghost?
Always, we love being busy and to be honest we've not toured much in the last year so we're itching to get back on it.


What are you looking forward to most in the upcoming months?
Just playing all our new songs to new people, getting out into Europe has been one of our main goals since we started and we've now got the chance to finally achieve it. We're delighted to be playing so many big Euro festivals.


How come you have made the launch party gigs in London and Brighton free entry?
We're just nice like that...we want them to feel like parties rather than ego worshipping gigs so we just felt that making them free and giving away lots of free clobber would make people loosen up and come and say Hi more readily.


You’re playing the lockup stage at Reading and Leeds this year, even though you played in 2007 do you still get nervous about it? Especially with stories of bands being bottled off, etc?
If I get a bottle in the face it’s going straight back at the person who threw it, but fuck it man, if people want to come and cause trouble we're more than capable of handling ourselves ha ha! We're moving targets anyway so they'll have a tough time.


What can be expected from the upcoming album?
More riffs, more melody, more heart, and more good times. It’s a bleak fucking record in places but the end goal is to salvage some good from all the shitty things you have to deal with in this life, so hopefully that is portrayed well by the album.


It’s said to be ‘sadder’ than ‘This is where the fight begins’, in what way is it?
We had a really rough year personally the year we wrote it and alot of that seeped through into the music and lyrics...I try not to bring too much personal stuff into what we do but it was inevitable that it would become more apparent as we wrote the record so we just went with it.


Where did the name ‘New Hopes, New Demonstrations’ come from?
It’s about proving to other people that you can make a good thing of your life, hence the demonstrations part, the new hope is just trying to be optimistic about very negative things, it’s almost ironic because the last song on the record is pretty blunt and leaves you on a bit a of a downer, but we kept it just because that’s the kind of people we are, we have to try and put a positive spin on these things, it’s in our nature.


Do you have a favourite track from the album?
‘Knees, toes, teeth’ is my favourite at the moment just because it sounds like AC/DC if they listened to Converge as kids!


What was it like recording in Stockholm with Pelle Gunnerfeldt?
Pelle was an inspiration, a funny little dude, but we loved him and his beautiful studio. We had 5 weeks out there with no pool tables, no lounge, nothing, we'd just work all day and watch films at night until one by one we passed out. We work better without mates dropping in every second, so it was perfect.


What’s the weirdest thing to happen to you in the band so far?
It blows my mind that kids love our band and can get so passionate about us, that in itself is insane and humbling at the same time!

Listen to and keep up with The Ghost Of A Thousand on their MySpace.

Damon Fowler
Comfort in Sound

Interview with Dan Wiese, Kill Hannah

Kills Hannah fans were disappointed to hear a few weeks ago of the band pulling out of their UK tour with Madina Lake. But, through the disappointment of missing the Chicago based boys, came the promise of a new album coming soon. We asked guitarist Dan Wiese about the recent happening and this new album:

A lot of fans were disappointed with you having to pull out of the UK tour; can you explain what happened and why?

Obviously, that was at least as disappointing for us as it was for the fans. We adore the UK and had our hearts set on that tour and putting on our best shows ever. But, as fate would have it, we were offered a recording contract that required us to deliver a finished record by June 1st. This gave us about 5 weeks to find studios and hire engineers and mixers, not to mention arrange, produce and perform a full albums worth of new music. It was a very tough choice but we simply could not afford a single day of not being in the studio. The up side to all this is that there will positively be a new kill Hannah record in stores this summer!


After your headline tour last year many fans were confused at the announcement of you supporting again. How did it come about?

Basically, that tour lineup was formed by our friendship with Madina Lake. We looked at it as a good chance to get back over to the UK and play a short set of new material for the fans. It was never meant to be a full on Kill Hannah tour. It would have been great, short and sweet, and a sort of appetizer before our next headlining tour.


How would you say the tour went last year, with the bus fire and all?

The Hope for the Hopeless tour was amazing. It consumed the greater part of a year of our lives and there are absolutely no regrets. It was our first headlining tour of the UK and Europe and it was a dream come true. Of course the bus fire was traumatic and difficult to recover from, but we've always been about survival and I can't even say that the fire was the worst thing that has happened to us.


Which was your favourite UK venue?

That's such a tough call. I absolutely love the Astoria, Rock City in Nottingham, and the Academys in Manchester and Birmingham, but I can't ignore Liverpool and Newcastle. What can I say, I love them all!


Who has been your favourite band to tour with and why?

Over the years we've been lucky to tour with so many of our friends and, again, I can't pick just one. I love being on tour with HIM, Shiny Toy Guns, Velvet Revolver, Alice In Chains, and 30 Seconds To Mars.


How’s Jonny now after he missed the last tour?

He's fine. He finally got his driver’s license.


How has work on the new songs been going?

I couldn't be happier with the new music, truthfully. The songs are coming alive in the studio and are going to sound huge live. Get ready.


What can we expect from the new album?

I think that the new album will show the range of the band unlike any of our previous albums. It’s moodier, darker, and more exciting and beautiful at the same time. I don't want to give away too much, but this is going to be a great summer. It will hopefully be released in August.


What’s it been like to have a break from touring to work on new material, after you’ve been on the road for so long?

It’s quite an adjustment actually, to be in the same city for more than a day. But, the rest has been good for us. The most important thing is the new music, and I think a little time off the road was necessary for this album to come together the way it has.


And when can we expect you back in the UK?

Hopefully soon. Making up the missed shows, including those missed from the bus fire, is top priority.


Lastly, why is Elias still only credited as ‘live drummer’ considering how long he’s been with the band now?

Well, Elias hadn't played on our previous records, so we wanted to make that distinction so as not to discredit our previous drummer. But, Elias is on this new one so one day we may get around to changing that... one day.

To hear Kill Hannah visit their MySpace page.
Damon Fowler
Comfort in Sound

Interview with Rob Rolfe, Enter Shikari

Enter Shikari seem to be everywhere right now, the list of upcoming gigs keeps growing and currently includes, Leeds/Reading festival, Radio 1's Big Weekend and playing other venues around the UK, not to mention having headlined this years GIAN. Not only do fans have the opportunity to see the St. Albans four piece but a follow up album to 2007‘s ‘Take To The Skies’ is not far away. We talked to drummer Rob Rolfe aka Sgt. Rolfy:

Obviously, the big Enter Shikari news is that you’re playing Reading/Leeds this year, are you excited about it?

Of course, it’s going to be the first time we'll have played a main stage in front of our home crowd which is going to be fantastic. Reading was the festival we all went to as punters before we ever got any success with the band and looking back at all the historic names that have graced its main stage, it's such an honour to be up there with them. It will be looking at the whole festival from a very different perspective (also the dressing room will be nicer!).


With all the gigs and festivals your playing how does it feel to be so in demand?

It’s great to be getting such support from everyone, from the fans to the labels, from the press to the promoters, we're so lucky to be in this position and just hope that we can deliver from our side to match the overwhelming boost we've been given by everyone.


What can fans expect from your upcoming shows?

Well obviously we're going to be playing some new material along with the popular older stuff (I can't wait till the day we can stop playing 'sorry you're not' and get away with it). It’s been quite a break from the live scene for us which we've never really had before. It was well needed but I think it's come to the point now where we're all getting a bit restless and itching to get back into the action which I think will definitely come through in our performances.


How have the new songs that you’ve played gone down with the crowd so far?

Really well, we've had great reactions from them. They're great fun to play and are easy to get down and have fun to. We’ve been playing some of them quite a lot in the UK so people are starting to get to know them and know the lyrics, it's always easier to lose yourself in and have a fun with a song that you know so I think the more people hear the new stuff the more intense they'll get live.


Who’s been the best band that you’ve toured with and why?

That's a tough one, I mean, we did the big day out tour in Australia which is a touring festival with rage against the machine headlining which was awesome, one of the best tours we've done. I think they've been the favourite band for each of us at some point in our lives and to be on the same bill as them was just immense. But, then it's great to be able, when headlining, to pick our own support acts and one whose music personally for me I absolutely love was yourcodenameis: milo. But, then again I have to mention the friends that we made touring with bands in our first few years like flood of red, fell silent and so many more. Such great bands, great fun to tour with and now really good mates of ours. Tours are always made more comfortable and enjoyable by the quality of the people, not the quality of the band (although it helps).


You’ve played shows all over the UK now, so… which is you’re least favourite accent?

Geordie easily. We always request the same bus driver because he's such a great guy who's a Geordie. Well technically he's not, and he'd kill me for saying so. He’s actually from Sunderland... but I can't tell the difference. Shouldn’t be saying that either, I think there's a bit more than just a rivalry between then and Newcastle. Oh well, sorry.


What’s your favourite venue in the UK?

Possibly the barrow lands in Glasgow, the crowd there are always nuts and I get to drink buckfast. The Irish are always a great crowd too though, the ambassador in Dublin is a great venue, especially since they got a new sound system put in but the security can sometimes be dicks.


Has the band changed in any way since the release of ‘Take to the Skies’?

That’s really like asking someone on their 18th birthday if they feel any older. I guess we must have matured as people, like a fine cheese or wine and it's come through in our music writing. I feel we're more confident and competent as song writers and I personally think Rou's vocals have come a long way from the first album. if you're thinking that we might have changed from the success that we got with take to the skies I wouldn't say that's the case at all, we all still live at home with our parents (much to their dismay), we're too close to our roots to lets things go to our heads.


What can we expect from the upcoming album?

Well people that have heard it say it's much more diverse than the first album, which is good because a lot of people would expect you to go more commercial middle of the road type stuff. We’ve had a lot more time with this album to experiment with recording techniques as well as instrumentation. There’s a lot of different styles and sounds on here that weren't on the first and I’m pretty sure you won't be expecting. I don't want to give too much away but i think people will be pleasantly surprised.


What was it like staying and recording at Arreton Manor? Did anyone witness any ‘ghostly happenings’?

It was awesome, Andy's got an amazing house set in beautiful scenery. On the very last day we were there he took us on a full tour of the house and showed us every part, some of it dating back to the 500's. He’s a massive collector of antiques and coats of armour which are scattered all around the house. The most famous ghost story of the house is about a little girl who was thrown out of a window by her elder brother and there was a point, late at night after a couple of glasses of wine and slices of cheese when Rou woke up to see a little girl at the end of his bed which quickly disappeared when I turned the light on to go for a piss... pretty spooky.


Can you give us any news about future Enter Shikari plans?

Lots and lots of touring, hopefully we'll be able to travel as much as we did for the first album again, and we've also got a lot more material waiting to be laid down in the studio if we ever get the time, but we're certainly going to be very busy touring this album first.

Hear Enter Shikari on MySpace or visit www.entershikari.com
Damon Fowler
Comfort in Sound

Interview with Lizzy Devine, Vains of Jenna

2005 saw the formation of Swedish Rock ‘n’ Roll band Vains of Jenna. When Jackass star Bam Margera saw them live he started up his own record label, Filthy Note, just to sign them to it. Following a move to LA and the release of their debut full length album Lit Up/Let Down in 2006, a second album is not too far away. We talked to lead singer Lizzy Devine:

How did you all meet and decide to start Vains of Jenna?

Me and JP used to play in a band many years ago. JP did one show with that band, then he decided to move to Norway to make some money. Some years went by and I met JP at a few festivals. We talked about starting a band again. Nothing really happened for a while. Fast forward another year. Me and JP got our shit together and started VAINS OF JENNA. We convinced JP's brother Jacki to play drums with us. Jacki was playing in another band at the time. The guitar player in that band was Nicki. So we asked him to come to a few rehearsals. Five minutes in to the first rehearsal we all knew this was the band for us.


Has the band changed at all since you started out?

Line up wise: Not really! We had a guitar player for two weeks before Nicki joined. But that never really worked out. Then we tried out a second guitar player after being a band for a year. For some reason we thought we would sound better if I just sang. That wasn't the case. I love playing guitar and singing at the same time. And without the guitar I almost felt naked. So that guy lasted 2 rehearsals.
Besides that, it's always been us four.

If we talk music wise: Yeah, we change all the time. First album is really raw and has a lo-fi punk feel to it. Then we released Enemy in Me, which was totally different. More modern and way better
produced. The new album is gonna be another change for the band


Do you prefer spending time in Sweden or LA?

I love LA. I don't need Sweden at all.


What can you tell us anything about the new VOJ album?

I think it's amazing. We recorded the album together with Brent Woods, who was the guy that produced Enemy In Me. The songs on the album sound awesome. We got some kick ass rock tunes,
some big sounding arena rock songs and some experimental shit on there.
It's COMPLETELY different from Lit Up/Let Down.

While other Swedish bands that used to be categorized as Sleaze bands aim for more of a metal sound these days. We decided to go for what we love. Rock ‘n’ Roll. Well written songs suited for big stages. It's still aggressive at times but also beautiful at the same time.

We have been so influenced by bands like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Muse, Chris Cornell, A7X, GnR etc. etc. The songs don’t sound like any of those band’s songs but you can just hear the influences. It's gonna be an awesome rock album. But we'll see what the fans think. Some might hate it because we don't sound 80's (which we never did), or that we don't tease our hair as much as we did anymore. I don't think people will be disappointed. Compared to Lit Up Let Down this is a masterpiece (which is not too hard to do, haha).


You’ve had a lot of support from Bam Margera, what’s it like working with him?

Bam has been amazing. He helped launch our career in a bigger/faster way than we could ever imagine. He loved the band after seeing us live, that's why we decided to work with him. We like taking chances, and he did by signing us. There's always something crazy going on when you hang with him. He's a really cool guy and a lot of fun. There's always a lot of beer flowing when he's around. Even though I don't drink that much its fun seeing other people wasted.


For people that haven’t heard of you how would you describe the sound of VOJ?

It used to be very punk. More attitude rather than pro-production. Like a fist in your face-kinda thing. Now, with the new album, it’s still in your face but well written songs at the same time.

We used to be better live than on record. Now, I think it's a match. I'm sorry if this comes across cocky. I just know we're a good band. Haha

If you like a good time, pick up Lit Up Let down. And don't start listening until you've had about
4 beers. Come to a show and let go of your sorrows. Just go crazy.


What music do you listen to?

We all listen to different things. But it ranges from Elton John to Slayer. Classical music to Grind Core. Country to Digital Music. Anything goes.


What did you think to the UK tour last year?

We all think the tour was great. We didn't have any expectations. We've been gone from Europe for a few years. So we didn't really think anyone would care. But the fans were awesome. And the band we toured with were the coolest dudes ever.
VIKING SKULL!!
We’ll be back, for sure! I don't know when, but we'll be back!


Which band that you’ve been on tour with has been your favourite to hang out with?

VIKING SKULL!!! Those guys are awesome. Artimus Pyledriver is an American band that was fun to hang with as well... The guys from GWAR are also amazing people.


And which was the best to see?

The drummer from Artimus, Travis made their shows great. Fuckin' insane drummer. Then seeing RATT and Poison every night for 50+ shows wasn't too bad either. GWAR is fuckin' insane live, always fun.


Where’s your favourite place to play a gig?

Anywhere were people enjoy it. It's hard to pick one place. It could be a small dirty club or a big amphitheatre. It doesn't matter.

Hear Vains of Jenna on MySpace
Damon Fowler
Comfort in Sound

Interview with Six, Here's To Tragedy

Here's To Tragedy are a young 'guitar driven electronica' band from Nottingham. Only forming in September of last year, they've already come a long way following support slots for My Passion and The Filthy Dukes. They comprise of Six (Vocals), Peppa (Bass) Nïçk (Guitar) and Thomas O (Drums). We talked to frontman, Six.

Where did your name come from?

An elaborate dream in which I ended up having to flee from the government. While doing so, on the top of a huge office type building I randomly see Bruce Willis chillin’ by himself drinking Champagne. I run over to him, all out of breath to ask for a glass and try to explain the situation and he stops me "I know, I know." He pours me a glass "Let’s make a toast my friend, 'Here's To Tragedy'!"


How did you get together to form Here’s To Tragedy?

Me and Peppa began writing potential tunes in February last year and kept doing so until September '08 when we got a live band together. Our original idea was to do some unique acoustic covers of our favourite bands with a few of our own songs thrown in at open mic nights. We lost interest in this when I found out I was pretty sick at writing electronic music and before we knew it, our acoustic tracks were sped up tenfold and we was on to something seriously different.


As a young band you must have seen bands breaking through and becoming successful, does this inspire you?

Only being together the short amount of time that we have, we've not exactly seen anyone "break through" but I’d definitely say certain acts are on the brink of doing so which really excites me. There’s an exciting feeling in the air right now that anything could happen, and I like to think we could be one of the reasons for that.


How would you describe the sound of Here’s To Tragedy to someone who has never heard you before?

Glammed-Up, Guitar Driven Electronica with huge hooks and old school Rock ‘n’ Roll attitudes


Who are your musical inspirations?

We grew up listening to everything from Depeche Mode to Blink 182, Savage Garden to Morrissey. This I would say is a definitive factor that has helped shape our sound.


Which band that you’ve been on tour with has been your favourite to hang out with?

We had a fantastic night with The Filthy Dukes last month, those boys really know how to party, and fittingly so do we. We were knocking back the cocktails and wine like it was goin’ outta fashion!


And which was the best to see?

My Passion for sure, Lawrence is truly a great frontman.


Do you have a favourite place to play?

We had an unreal response at The Priory in Doncaster last Feb. My Passion’s fans were really on board with us and I think we won them all over, which was a great ego boost!


What plans do you have for the near future with Here’s To Tragedy?

Our goals for the end of this year are pretty huge so we are gonna be spending all our time playing as many shows as we can and recruiting everyone that crosses our paths. And of course it’s gonna be a party all the way up, so this summer should be fantastic and I'm looking forward to making lots of new friends.


What are your long-term hopes for Here’s To Tragedy?

With the right management and team behind us I truly think the possibilities are endless. We have written so much material in the past year it could set us up for a life time and the ideas are still flowing so in that department we are set. So long term we just hope to have the means to get Here's to Tragedy to the masses.

Damon Fowler
Comfort in Sound

Interview with Jon Barmby, Brides

Brides only formed in May 2007 but have already been featured in Rocksound and Kerrang! and they recently released their first studio mini-album 'Ocular.Unveil'. The four piece from Brighton signed to 'Visible Noise Records' the label that boasts the likes of 'Bring Me The Horizon' and 'Bullet For My Valentine,' and Brides could be the next to make the step up.

We talked to Brides drummer, Jon Barmby:

Where did the name ‘Brides’ come from?

Its quite a funny story to be honest, back when we started out in college we were high a fair bit and found B-Movies hilarious. Back then we were a bit more comical in regards to our music and myself and Ant where looking through a list of B-Movie horror films and we came across 'The Brides Wore Blood' we thought it was pretty funny so went with that for the name of the band. Over time as our sound developed we did too and grew out of naming songs ridiculous things such as 'White Bear' and 'James Brown brings the beatdown'. To co-incite with our fresher more unique sound we shortened our named to just 'Brides' it works better for what we where after and I mean 'The Brides Wore Blood' - that is just the shittest band name I have ever heard!


And, what about the name for Ocular.Unveil?

Ocular.Unveil came from a lyric on the record, which states 'Dawn that ocular veil' and we thought that summed up the record quite well as most of the songs are written from someone's perspective. We thought it worked better to contrast it as 'Ocular.Unveil' as it too is the unveiling of a band in a sense, this is our first release and we wanted people to see what we are all about. It's really just about opening your eyes to new things and things already around you, gaining a wider perspective on the world.


Brides is still a relatively young band, how does it feel to already be in major magazines like Kerrang and Rocksound?

It's amazing, we have our press agent Austen to thank for that, he has been great and helped us out a lot with the release. Of course as a young band, nowadays you grow up reading magazines such as Kerrang and Rocksound and to be in them is a great achievement let alone have full pages in them. The press has been a great part of this whole release - its always interesting to hear what people have to say about your music and the response we have got has been overwhelming. Overall, these things we don't take for granted - a lot of bands nowadays don't even know that they are getting exposure from a certain magazine but we fully appreciate any bit of publicity we get.


How would you describe the sound of Brides to someone who has never heard you before?

It’s a mixture of punk, rock, hardcore and progressive music. We like to keep things open and experiment layering different genres. We take different aspects of music that we like and put them together to create what I hope is a working mixture. If you like, either A Wilhelm Scream, Hot Water Music or Polar Bear Club and want to find some fresh music then give us a try! You might like it.


Who are your musical inspirations?

We are inspired by most things to be honest, from a number of genres within music to everyday things. The wider your inspiration is the more chance you have of creating something fresh and unique. We tend to look at aspects of different bands we like and take inspiration from that - The vocal depth of Hot Water Music and Polar Bear Club to the instrumentation of A Wilhelm Scream, Misery Signals and even some older work such as Fleetwood Mac and Dire Straits. Everyone in the band likes to take inspiration from different things that way when we put it together we can create a more unique sound.


The band had to change lead singer just under a year ago, did that set you back at all?

Yes and No, it set us back in the sense that when Max joined the band it was 4 months prior to the recording of Ocular.Unveil and we had already demoed the record with our previous vocalist but the time came for a change that we all wanted and we got Max on board. So Trist then set about re-writing and re-working the entire album vocally with Max and due to the added commitment of Max and his determination we where able to finish demoing just before heading into the studio. It helped a lot as we all were happier and more relaxed going into the recording process knowing what we had to do and that includes Max who after a very short period of time had done an enormous amount to contribute towards the making of this record. It was the better move for the band and, as a result, we have a record that we are all so proud of.


Your label, Visible Noise looks after some big acts, like BFMV, BMTH etc. What was it like signing to them?

It was fantastic, we couldn't have asked for any better really. The story goes we where demoing the record with Max as mentioned above around July last year, so we where working on the demos one day and Julie from Visible Noise had seen that we where heading in to record in October and wanted to hear some demos. So we sent her over what we had got down and as we finished each song we sent it through, fortunately for us she loved it. I might add at this point that the reason we where demoing was not only to sort out final parts on songs but also that at the end of the process we had a list of labels to send the record to in hope that they would like to help us out. It's quite funny as Visible Noise weren't even on that list, as we didn't even consider them a possibility. So we met with Julie down in Brighton and after four bottles of wine and countless Chicken wings later we knew that this was the label we wanted to work with. I think we where in that meeting for around five hours and only around three of them we spent discussing music - the rest of the time we talked. That was really nice as it gave us a chance to get to know the label, besides the great roster of bands they have they are great at what they do and we feel very lucky to be a part of that.


Which band that you’ve been on tour with has been your favourite to hang out with?

I would have to say our good friends from up north Lavotchkin, those guys are the best. We have toured with them a number of times and they are also our oldest friends from playing music, we met a few years back when we played up their way in Newcastle. We ended up staying with them while up there on tour - they are just a great bunch of guys who share the same passion for music that we do! Last year when we where on tour together we stayed at our house on the Brighton leg of the tour and D-Rail came down as well so we had a few drinks after the show and the guitarist of Lavotchkin - Ben decided to let someone hit him across the arse with this titanium motorcycle bike lock, I think it was Lavotchkin's bassist Hubb that got the honour of doing it and I kid you not it left the most severe injury across his arse cheeks! We got sent through a photo of it a few days later and it was outrageous plus he couldn't sit down for like a week, which we found hilarious considering the next day they had a 7-hour drive back north to Newcastle. Also the first night we met these guys we shot cymbals with an air rifle in guitarist Martin's kitchen, Good times.


And which was the best to see?

We have played with all be it not on tour, A Wilhelm Scream, it's very rare that bands get to play with their favourite band at all and we had the honour of doing it a few times last year which was awesome. Also Failsafe, when we played with them in London they where absolutely awesome.


What can fans expect from the upcoming tour in April?

Just an energetic passion filled 30-40 minutes, this is the first string of shows we have really had a chance to do since working on Ocular.Unveil so it will be a lot of people's first time hearing these songs live which will be great fun. We are just looking to have a good time, meet some awesome people and play to hopefully some great crowds!


Do you have a favourite venue to play at?

I would say The Underworld in London, its a timeless classic, its simple but does the job and the sound is actually pretty decent which is hard to come by at some venues across the UK. We are back there in April with Devil Sold His Soul on the 22nd, which we are dead excited about.


What are your long-term hopes for Brides?

My only wish is that we take this band as far as it can go, we all love what we do and long may it continue. We are just looking to tour as much as possible as well as playing with some great bands and keep writing music that we enjoy, that's what being in a band should be about. We have already started work on the next record but as to how it will sound - we don't even know yet! The more influenced we get the more the sound will develop and that's going to be exciting to hear.

Damon Fowler
Comfort in Sound