Eighties Matchbox B Line Disaster - Interview

  by Olga Sladeckova

published: 10 / 5 / 2002

intro

One of the up-and-coming British punk groups, Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster recently released their first single. Olga Sladeckova speaks to vocalist Guy and guitarist Marc backstage at a gig supporting Ikara Colt

Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster ? Uhhh, I always have trouble remembering the whole name of this Brighton based punk band. I won’t, however, ever forget speaking to them at the London venue Garage, at the last gig of their recent tour with Ikara Colt and The Parkinsons. The group has five members. They are Guy (lead singer), Marc (rhythm guitar), Sym (bass) Andy (lead guitar) and Tom (drums). The band, which first formed in 1998, released its first single, ‘Morning Has Broken’ at the beginning of this year , and have already conquered the hearts of many punk fans. So, picture yourself in the dressing room of the venue. Help yourself to a drink from the staff fridge (It’s for free!) and listen to Guy and Marc they discuss their past, their present and their future. PB: Could you tell me when and how you all met? Guy : Marc and I have known each other since we were about seven. We grew up in the same street. And then Tom and I met when we were about eight. It was only when we first formed the band that we got to know Andy and Sym. We just clicked immediately. Although we formed the band in 1998, it was only two years ago in 2000 that we came up with the name and decided to really go for it. PB: Why did you decide to call the band Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster? Marc (to Guy:) Wasn’t it when you had that dream where you were born and you were rolling down the hill ? Guy: That’s right! And I just kept on rolling. PB: Did you find the rolling ‘disastrous’ then? Marc: No, he bumped into me… and those were the words I said in his dream. Guy: Yeah. PB: (Laughs disbelievingly ) Marc (with enthusiasm): No! It's true That’s really it! Guy: Honestly! PB: What it was like for you at the very beginning when you first started playing? Guy: We started playing in Brighton. It was very hard at the beginning because people weren’t so keen on going to see us, but it got much better and now we have a very good fan base down there. We have been very fortunate as we met a lot of the right people at the right time. Our press officer and our radio plugger, for isntance, said they would work for free until we get a record deal. PB: What is your situation now ? Guy: We have got a single, ‘Morning Has Broken’, out now on Radiate records and we have 3 contracts on the table and we are just really trying to decide which one is the best one for us. I think after this tour with Ikara Colt and the Parkinsons, and it’s the best tour since I’ve been alive, we are going to record an album and we are hoping to release that in July. Marc: Yeah, the album will hopefully be out in summer and then we might also do a tour. PB: You said you have 3 contracts on the table. Could you reveal which record companies you have been negotiating with? Guy: We have been made offers, but haven’t decided yet, so I can’t really say at this point. PB: What do think your music has which is special to offer to people? Guy: When people come to our shows they will see a lot of influences and experiences we have had together. We want them to be inspired, and to engage them as that is what culture is about and to hopefully put people back in touch with their humanity. We are not up there to threaten people or intimidate them. We are up there acting and expressing our moods and feelings and emotions that, I think, everyone can relate to. PB: Tonight, you are playing the last gig of the Ikara Colt tour as a supporting band with the Parkinsons. How much did you enjoy the tour? Guy: I give myself a big applause how much I enjoyed it. It was fantastic. Marc: Yeah, we loved the tour. It’s progressive rock and it’s the new wave of new wave. The Parkinsons are the kings of rock n’ roll and Ikara Colt are its true teachers. Guy: With regards to what has been said about the tour and that we do a lot of alcohol and drugs and it’s violent, it has not in fact been like that at all . When we get up there it’s just us and I think a lot of the songs relate to the mood we are in at a certain moment. They are born out of the experiences and suffering that we have been through. We are trying to transform it into the music. It’s creative and we are not encouraging people to be destructive at all. We are just putting everything into the performance. It’s like when you look at a painting and even if you find it somehow scary , you don’t assume that the artist that painted it is suggesting that you should go out be destructive.You need to be entertaining and not to bore people when they come to see you but at the same time, although it’s a performance, we are also not pretending. We are really giving it 100 %. Marc: We are hoping to tour when the album is out. We will also be playing Reading and Leeds festivals in the summer and then we want to do another album really quickly, hopefully in winter. We would also like to go to France because our music has also been released over there. PB: Which artists do you think have been the biggest influences on your music? Guy and Mark (Together): Guns n Roses, Doors, Michael Jackson, Elvis, King Toby, 13th Floor Elevators… PB: How would you like people to feel when they come to your show and also afterwards? Guy: Personally, I just really want people who come to see our gig to have a great time and afterwards to feel that they have the strength to go and take action and do things that they want to do, not to sit on their arses. I think we are able to do that with our music. I’m really happy with the way it’s going. A guy in a black shirt from sound check crew enters the dressing room and closes the interview with the words "Guys, we are ready for you." Thank you, Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster for a good chat. We are definitely ready for you… The photos that accomponay this article were taken by Bob Stuart and orginally appeared on his own website www.underexposed.com

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