Songs for cigarette smokers
(CD) (Pink Hedgehog Records) Literally speaking I
have to say that all these 24 songs are for me, I mean it are songs
for cigarette smokers and as I smoke like a chimney I listened to
them very carefully. But since months and months I've decided that
once I will stop smoking (the sole answer I need is exactly when)
but if I have quit this nasty habit, will I stop listening to it
as well? No! (heheh, what a surprising answer this one is!!!).
All jokes aside, Garfield's Birthday are not a band
that will make your ears bleed but they have understand perfectly
the meaning of that oh so important word 'POP'. They already have
been compared with Dodgy, Simon & Garfunkel and Bennet (...and
I have compared them once with The Bluetones) but what they have
in common with all of these are the huge amount of sugar coated
popsongs.
Some of their songs are Britpop (...and Britpop is
30 years of British pophistory and not just Blur and Oasis) and
some of them are a bit American-influenced (a bit The Lemonheads
and some Fountains Of Wayne as well). Come on, after having heard
24 songs you can make up your mind! They're looking for some more
zine-exposure (so...) and if you don't have a zine, send 'em a 5
pound-note to get this!
Reviewed by Didier Becu in The Original Sin
Interview
What's the name of the band, and how did you
come up with the name? The name is 'Garfields Birthday', no
interesting story behind it i'm afraid, and I don't even think is
has anything to do with the cartoon cat. I was sitting in a pub
in Weymouth with a couple friends and had a whole bunch of possible
names written down. Most of them made us sound like we should be
supporting Status Quo or playing on a cruise liner, so we settled
for 'Garfields Birthday' which was the title of one of our earliest
songs.
What are the individual members names and what
do they play?
James - Vocals and guitars
Simon - Vocals and bass guitar
Jon - Guitars
A.D. - Drums
How did you meet? James was in a band called
'Magic Alex' and I had played in different bands before with Jon
and A.D. James came up to my house late in 1995 to demo some new
songs with his band mate Tim. I really liked some of the songs and
so became more involved with the recording until soon we had a demo
cassette album finished. We became a propper band I suppose when
we started playing gigs the following year. We've had a few line
up changes, but things are pretty settled now.
How long have you been together? About three
years, although it seems a lot longer. We have written and recorded
well over fifty songs in that time, and played some half decent
gigs in mostly awful venues.
Where is the band based? Portland, Dorset,
England.
Who or what inspired you to become a musician?
For myself, I have always been into music. I remember being taken
to gigs when I was just a toddler. My dad used to play bass in a
band called 'The Teenbeats', who were pretty good back in sixties
(or so he tells me). They did support 'The Troggs' so they must've
been quite good.
What bands are you listening to at the moment?
I saw 'Silver Sun' last week so I've been listening to there
new album a lot. I'm also re-listening to my twenty odd 'Neil Young'
albums and giving myself regular doses of 'The Beach Boys' because
Brian Wilson is my hero.
What are some of your favourite songs? My
all-time fave songs are "Surfs Up" by 'The Beach Boys',
REM's cover of Syd Barretts "Dark Globe", "Way Out
West" Big Star, "Life On Mars" Bowie, and just about
everything Neil Young wrote in the seventies.
Do you prefer to play in the studio or live
gigs? I used to prefer playing live, but my health has been
questionable during my Garfield years, which has taken most the
fun out of gigs. So I prefer writing and recording with the band
these days and gig when there's more than a sixty percent chance
of surving a set without medical intervention.
Describe your sound. Melodic guitar based
pop tunes with nice harmonies and often witty and poetic lyrics.
Catchy but with lasting qualities.
Where can people come and see you play?
There's rumours of another gig in the famous TJ's club in Newport,
Wales - possibly with 'Rocket From The Crypt'. We played there a
while back supporting Tom Hingleys band (from 'The Inspiral Carpets').
What do you like about being a part of 25 Records?
The thought of one or more of our songs being released and people
actually able to hear the stuff we do. Our recent single deal fell
through due to lack of funds - a problem with many small labels.
It can be very frustrating, especially as we've got so many songs
that we're proud of.
Do you know any of the other bands on the label,
and which one's are your favourite to listen to? I'm embarassed
to say i've not heard any of them yet, i've only recently discovered
the label through a zine.
What are most of your songs about? Relationships
(in there many different forms), occasionally they might be about
something else like stamp collecting or DIY, but most are about
people that we've snogged - both real and imaginary. Real in my
case and imaginary in James's! (only joking James, he's a propper
stud muffin).
Give us an interesting story that happened either
at a gig, or while writing or recording a song. Nothing interstesting
ever happens when we're recording, apart from occasional power cuts
and alien abductions. The strangest thing to happen is when we get
a vocal done in one take, or I remember a bass line without idiot
boards.
Do you play any weird or unusual instruments?
We have a resident ensemble which we call 'The salvation army bondage
orchestra' which comprises a few of us playing things like a melodica,
a kazoo, harmonica, karate kid style oriental drum thing and and
other things that make noises when you shake them (pets, small children
etc).
Have you been in other bands? James was
in another indie type band, I have no shame and have played in just
about every type of band possible. The most fun being a ska band
and the most succesful being a folk-rock band. Garfields Birthday
is closest to my musical spirit i think,
Do you have any interesting stories involving
the police or breaking the law? (That we can post on the site) I
have many, but none of them to do with this band. I was playing
in Germany with the folk band and lots of strange things happened.
We left a trail of minor offences from city to city. Some of them
being innocent van related incidences to drugs and death threats.
Me and the guitarist got arrested in a german department store,
for suspected theft. They thought we had a bottle of whiskey concealed
in coat pocket, but when they searched us they found out that it
was just a packet of chocolate hob nob biscuits that we had bought
the day before and were munching en route. That bit isn't very rock
and roll but at least i'm honest.
Does anyone in the band have any strange or
unusual habits or superstitions? James is superstitious when
ever we play a gig, questioning wether it's the right thing to do.
Mind you his doubts have proved valid on a few occasions. Jon has
a bit of a piercing habit and our drummer is one trip away from
being clinically insane - but it doesn't show. I have very bad judgement
when it comes to sleeping partners.
This is Hardcore!!!!!!
When did you lose your virginity? 14 and
19 for myself, depending on which of my many lives you're on about.
Jon did it with my friend years ago when he was about 17 I think.
A.D. lost his back in WW2 when he was 63 years old, and James will
let you know when it happens. (once again i'm only joking, i hope,
he did go out with a lovely young girl for a long time - until she
was seduced by a sexual magnet called Andrew (aka Mr Lover Man,
hung like a wilderbeast by all accounts).
Would you be willing to give up sex for five
years if you could have graphic erotic dreams any time you wished?
I do have graphic erotic dreams all the time, that's normal isn't
it. I still miss the real deal during my long periods of celibacy.
How would you react if you found out your lover
had a lover of the opposite sex before you knew each other?
Do you mean a lover of the same sex, as in homosexual? Just about
everyone I've even gone out with has had a lover of the same sex
before and after I met them. It's when they do it whilst i'm going
out with them that I get upset. I have gone out with 3 people who
were bisexual, it gets very complicated. It will all end in tears.
Feel free to contact the band at 25 Records anytime for interviews/Band
features/ gig info etc. at: 25 Records PO Box 3006, Poole, Dorset,
BH12 2HU. or Phone/Fax on (01202) 749244. write
to us
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