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10 November 2009
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Music Features


Big Yellow performing live.
Big Yellow performing live

Big Yellow taxi into limelight

Four-man band Big Yellow have roots in the area - vocalist Nick Kay lives in Whetstone on the Hertfordshire border and grew up in Luton while Cyril Wong grew up in Harpenden. We find out more about the melodic quartet.



Q. How would you describe your style of music?

A. Melodic, 'blissed out', sing-along anthems

Q. What would you say are your musical influences?

A. Nick Kay - Velvet Underground, REM, The Cure
Cyril Wong - Velvet Underground, Television, Died Pretty, Chills, Church, Mark Burgess and the Chameleons, Band of Outsiders, Rain Parade
Ben Chan - Schubert, Snoop Dogg, Depeche Mode
Jeremy O'Hare - Mitch Mitchel – Jimi Hendrix Experience, Ginger Baker – Cream, Stewart Copeland – The Police

Q. How did the band form?

A. Nick (Vocals/Bass) and Cyril (Guitar) started playing music together in the mid 1990s.  The current Big Yellow line up has been together since 2002.  Both Ben (keyboards) and Cyril are classically trained pianists.

Q.  What bands had you all been in previously?

A. Nick – Various, but none got as far as a name.
Cyril - Bison, Ariels, Vermont, and have played guest spots with the Keatons
Ben - Raveel
Jeremy - Raveel

Q. What’s your favourite song on your current album and why?

A. Nick – Something Good.  Jangly melodic guitar pop, just how I like it.
Cyril - Twist and Turns.  It rocks!
Ben - Home – Great keyboard licking riffs.

Q. What type of gig do you most like to play and why?

A. Nick - Playing live is the aim of being in a band, so any live gig is good.
Cyril - Any gig where the atmosphere is good!
What’s your most memorable gig and why?
Nick - Respect Festival 2002, Victoria Park, London – an incredibly hot and sunny day and a festival vibe.
Cyril - Dublin Castle – a guy from Loaded magazine said he’d really enjoyed our gig, despite numerous mishaps.
Ben - Bull & Gate, Kentish Town, London

Q. What’s your fan base like? What group of people would you say you appealed to most?

A. Professional

Q. Name one unusual fact about each of you.

A. Nick –Double jointed thumbs.
Cyril - A large TiVo collection
Ben - I was an Altar Boy.

Q. If you could record a collaboration with ANYONE - who would it be and why?

A. Cyril - Steve Kilbey – he’s still a great songwriter

Q. What’s the band’s ultimate ambition or what’s your dream?

A. Nick - To be able to play music for a living.
Cyril - To be able to play music and be appreciated!
Ben - Tour around the world!

last updated: 14/01/05
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Theresa
You guys rock! Keep up the great work!

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