Music

Who are your influences?

To name a few, Joy Division, Gang of Four, Bloc Party, and Graham Coxon. Our influences are all personal but I don’t think they are reflected in our music. Tomorrow and history are the main influences for the music; we are politics and sociology.

We sound a bit like...

Matthew - Fighting in a chimney?
Topher - Art punk, art rock, post art, techno folk. Not really…
Rob - I suppose each song is a mix of musical agreement and creative disputes. We’re not playing from a score. Exciting pop noir.

Who would be a dream band member and why?

Matthew - Edith Piaf. For her gallic sense of menace.
(Topher - Yes, we know she isn’t alive…)
Rob – A good publicist, a manager or a white van man.
Alex - Another kick drum.

Does the city offer you enough opportunities? 

Ross – There are always gigs to play, and at some good venues, but it’s a shame there are so many promoters who are only interested in bringing the numbers in to sell drinks at the bar.
Topher - No way, unless you are some signed major band. It’s impossible to get people to come to gigs. You can have four pretty decent bands playing and entry might be one or two of the pounds and people still don’t come. And then people are happy to pay multiples of 10 to go ogle Justin Idiotlake at the Arena. It is silly, and given that Nottingham has such potential, it seems such a waste.  If it sorted this out, Nottingham would be a place people move to for music, not from.
Rob – No. Aging pub rock bands play in dwindling taverns. All the book shops have closed down. I can count the number of Nottingham bands I have seen on two fingers who have ambitions or a chance of success. Britpop died 10 years ago, local bands over 25 take note.

What was your best gig and why?

Ross - Having been going to gigs at The Social for years, I’d say one of the shows we’ve done there, although I can’t remember which we performed best.  The opening of Nottingham Market Square was a big event for the city, so it was good to be involved in that.
Topher - There was excitement. Probably first time at The Social was a lovely thing too. Seems like a long time ago now…
Rob – Although playing to a crowd at the Market Square with I Was a Cub Scout, Magic Numbers and Mumm-ra was an eye opening experience, I think we’re better suited to little sweaty dark gigs. The first time supporting a major label band at The Social was a landmark for me.
Alex - First time at social or last night (?). Lots of peanuts does wonders for me.

What would you give up to get signed?

Matthew - Smoking. Yeah right…
Ross – Not PG Tips.
Topher - Why would we want to get signed?
Rob – If a band is good enough and people are willing to pay to see them and buy their music then a record company will soon pay attention. I think we’ll just try to write good songs, look cool, say brilliant things, play exciting gigs, if enough people fall in love the majors will come… Probably smoking crack though.
Alex - Nothing at all.

How did the band get together? 

Speed dating. 
Rob – probably the same way we will split up…

Who are the most influential figures in your life?

Matthew – T.S Eliot, W.EB DuBois, Donald Bathelme, Jean Michel, Basquiat, Jimi Hendrix, Bernard Hermann, Jean-Luc Goddard, Billie Holiday, Karl Marx, Hall and Oates, Allen Ginsberg.
Topher – Catholicism, Victor Hugo, Communism, J.S Bach, my Dad, Wes Anderson, Paul Auster, Gaston Leroux, Henry Purcell, Robert Frost, Elliott Smith.
Ross – Mark Knopfler, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy. Also Pavel Nedved, David Rozehnal, and maybe Jan Koller, he’s someone to look up to.
Rob – Douglas Coupland, JG Ballard, Chuck Palahniuk, Bill Hicks, Kundera and Kurt Vonnegut probably have the biggest influence on my lyrics. Ian Curtis, Scott Walker and Tim Buckley on my singing.
Alex - Lars Ulrich and Caravaggio.

Best band in Notts and why?

Topher - statistically, Love Ends Disaster are the strongest link. Saw them at Dot to Dot and it was pretty great. Any endorsement by Bloc Party is a pretty good sign. To be honest, there are quite a few not very good bands doing well at the moment in Nottingham, fair play to them for being rubbish and liked for it…
Ross – Amusement Parks on Fire, or Hellset Orchestra.
Rob – I like Computerman, I think they have the right influences, seem ambitious and make interesting music.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Matthew – The Beatles and various girls.   
Ross – Pavement, Pixies, Elle Milano and The National, Teenage Fanclub, 1990’s, Skip James.
Topher – Q and not U, Shy Child, Deerhoof, Fugazi, Uffie, Au Revoir Simone, Metric, Leonard Cohen, Gang of Four, anything on Kitsune or Ed Banger, Blonde Redhead as always.
Rob – Scott Walker, Jesus and the Mary Chain, Interpol, Elle Milano are probably my favourite 'new' band right now.
Alex - Apartment, Riddle of Steel, Thom Yorke, Tool.

In a fire, which album would you rescue?

Ross - Sons and Daughters – Love the Cup.
Topher - Signed copy of Blonde Redhead’s 'In an Expression of the Inexpressible'.
Rob – Right now probably Tilt by Scott Walker, but Closer by Joy Division is the record I never tire of.
Matthew –  Hall and Oates – Best of.
Alex - Led Zeppelin One.

What's the perfect night-out in Nottingham?

 Topher – Saturday night, going to see a film at Broadway, some good food somewhere (anywhere outside my house), then a band and then to Rescue Rooms, maybe catching
another band at Liars while people stand around gurning until their faces come off…
Rob – I like checking out bands at the social or the maze; they have some good club nights at the social too. A film at Broadway maybe.
Alex - Away from trendy types and punk bands
Matthew – Any night with gin and without Stop Eject…