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1995
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BoneIdle |
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BoneIdle
December 1995
BACK
ON THE ROAD AGAIN...
 WeKnowWhereYouLive
released their debut single 'Don't Be Too
Honest' on November 20th, and set off on their
second tour on the same day. The band consists
of ex Wonder Stuff members Malcolm Treece, Paul
Clifford and Martin Gilks, and the former singer
from Eat, Ange Dolittle.
So, how did the
band get together? "We still wanted to make
music," reflects Paul, "but The Wonder Stuff
felt like a tired format. Malc and I started
doing some stuff together pretty much as The
Wonder Stuff split, and hooked up with Ange, who
we had known for years, in September or October
1994. We didn't have a drummer, so Martin helped
us out, and ended up joining in December."
As they have
known each other for so long they are all quite
comfortable with each other's company, luckily.
They rehearse by all going into the studio and
banging out ideas until they come up with the
sound they are looking for. Asked how their
sound differs from their previous bands, Ange
answers, "W-E-A-R-E-H-E-A-V-Y." Right, Ange.
'Got it!
After the
pressures of being in a band as big as The
Wonder Stuff, and all the corporate machinery
involved, being in a new band provided the
chance for a fresh start, and to try and make
sure they didn't reach that same point of
pressure again. "Now we make sure that we keep
control of everything; beforehand we didn't even
know some of the people working for us," Paul
comments wryly.
WeKnowWhereYouLive relax between rehearsals by
going ten pin bowling. They are all on the
wagon, so the story goes. "Bowling and coffee
are our drugs. We're the first Post-Psychiatric
band," muses Paul, "Bowling is fucking top,"
Ange interjects.
Back in May, the
band embarked on their first tour. Paul told us,
"We wanted to try the songs live before we
recorded anything, hence the first tour. The
response was encouraging, especially at Reading,
where people seemed into it from where we were."
(I wonder how much Ange's flashing, as he walked
on stage in his kilt, had to do with getting the
audience going, but I don't ask!) Ange, are you
looking forward to this second tour? "What a
strange question" was his reply.
WeKnowWhereYouLive's debut single was released
recently on their own label, Hatched Matched &
Dispatched. Surely this is an expensive and
risky gamble, Paul? "We didn't want to work with
Polydor anymore, so having our own label seemed
a way of releasing something so the people know
what we're about. It's not as hard as record
companies would have you believe," he replies.
"And we're fat, ugly, old, bitter, grey," adds
Ange. Pardon?
Some people say
that WeKnowWhereYouLive feel in competition with
Miles Hunt's new band, Vent. What would you say
about that, Ange? "As I said before, it's like
when you meet an ex-girl/boyfriend. You wonder
who she/he is going out with, and is she/he
better in bed than you are. Does she/he make
she/he laugh etc. Eventually the questions
disappear, and become irrelevant."
Nearly every
review or interview refers to their previous
bands. It makes you wonder if they will ever be
free from their past lives.
Ange considers
this. "Oh England, you tiny island. People are
fickle. We forget. Something better comes along.
You go abroad - no one knew Eat or The Wonder
Stuff. We will soon find out." On a more serious
note he adds, "If anything, you have to be so
much better, 'coz the press will be so much more
critical." How do you feel about these
comparisons though? "We Know Where They Live" he
replies!
What does the
future hold for WeKnowWhereYouLive?
Mega-stardom? Relative obscurity? Where Ange, do
you want to go with this band?
"Soundgarden will
be asking for a support slot! - Give yourself
limitations and those limitations will be given
to you."
The man has
spoken - heed him well!
Jenny Prosser (Photos by Angela Greenham) |
