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INTERVIEWS
HotwiredNo EscapeThe RejectsLowlifeThe Pints8 Point 4 PercentSnap HerTurtlehead|
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| If turtlehead is a reference to shite, this band has the wrong name! |
| "....People don't have to tell us that we're shit; we're named after it!!!!" (Robert-Turtlehead) |
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| 1. Can you give us some band history, including any previous members and what they're doing now? The band kicked off in 1994 just as a 3 piece Paul(Bass+ Vocals), Gary(Guitar) and myself, (Robert)on the drums. All was going well until we went into record our first demo where we found out that Paul's voice just wasn't right. So, after a while of searching and trying out people, we found Brian. We went back into the studio, banged out the demo and did the usual rounds of sending it to loads of labels. Bad Taste got back to us and released one of the demo tracks. This led to Bad Taste offering us a deal and 2 albums on we're still there. They can't get rid of us! After the last European tour in Nov 1999, Gary decided to leave the band. Enter Dave, long time friend and the only choice. We never auditioned anyone, we just got Dave straight in and it seems to have been ok so far. Gary, is now in another band who are just rehearsing and getting it together. 2. What is the current line up? Dave: Guitar, Paul: Bass, Brian: Vocals, Robert: Drums. 3. How did you come up with the name Turtlehead? Too many years of reading Viz!! I dunno really, the name came out and it sorta stuck. We went through the usual routine of thinking up names, but as I said, Turtlehead seemed to hit a chord(bad joke)with everyone. Kinda sums us up as a band though, people don't have to tell us that we're shit; we're named after it!!!! 4. What other bands influence the music you play? Loads of bands, I really mean it, there are so many good bands out there or have been there. The Clash, S.L.F, Descendents, Black Flag, Face to Face, Social Distortion, Ruth Ruth, the list goes on. I think we all take something from every band we like. If we, as a band, can get anywhere near the bad bits of the above bands, I'll be a happy guy. 5. What is your favourite song / album of all time? That is so hard a question. I'll write something down here, then about a week later I'll have changed my mind, but for my Favourite song it's got to be God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols. It just rules. Everything about it is so good, as for the album, it's a 3 way tie between The Clash 'The Clash' Sex Pistols 'Nevermind the Bollocks....' and Social Distortion 'White Light, White Heat, White Trash'. One album is not enough it needs to be at least a top ten! 6. What is your favourite song from your own set list and why? Another hard question, as is it egotistical to like your own stuff?. But for this one I'm going to say 'Pre fab'. It's a new one, which will be on the next album. It's just a good song to play. For a while now it's been 'Ruin my Day'; again it's good to play and I get a good buzz from it. It's about an old club where we live. Disco does indeed suck! 7. Apart from punk / ska, what other music do you secretly like? I quite like a lot of old 'indie' stuff. Bands like Mighty Lemondrops, Jesus and Mary Chain(early), Half Man, Half Biscuit even the Smiths. (Shit have I just lost any credibility I might have had?!! Never had the floppy haircut though!) 8. What music did you grow up listening to? I was quite lucky that way as I have got 3 older sisters who went out with punks at the height of the original punk movement, so I got to hear loads of good bands from a very early age. I liked punk instantly, and when I was about 8 or 9 my eldest sister's boyfriend (now husband) gave me all his Sex Pistols singles: Pretty Vacant, God Save the Queen, Friggin' in the Riggin, the lot! Boy was I chuffed and I've still got them to this day. So I suppose I've been punk since I was about 8 years old. I can still remember going to school with all my Clash and Damned patches on my Denim jacket and most of my friends were into 2 tone, White socks, waffle trousers, and I was the only punk. I hated Madness and the like at the time. Only had ears for punk. Funny how things change as you get older as after a while I made the conection between punk and ska. Now I love both.... ah the innocence of childhood!! 9. What's the most memorable gig you have ever played? We played on tour with Millincolin, S.N.F.U, Voodoo Glowskulls, Thumb and 3 colours red. It was across Germany for 12 shows. That was amazing! Over the 12 shows there was about 17,000 people in total! Millincolin were awesome; the crowd just loved them. We shared a bus with them and became really friendly. They had no egos, nothing. We even used their backline everynight. I still write to the drummer( must be a drummer bonding thing) That tour really showed us what it can be like. You want to play those kind of shows every night; it's something to aim for. 10. Do you regard music as a vein through which to project your views, political or otherwise, or is it an issue of money and given the chance you would "sellout" like The offspring and Green day have? Definately! Music is a common forum. How many people have changed their life because of what they heard on a record; became Vegan/Vegetarian, stopped buying certain products, but..... It's strange because you can sing political songs, but as soon as you sign to major you're not taken seriously anymore. What's changed? You're still the same band with the same views. I don't get it, but then again, this arguement could go on for hours. As for 'selling out', I don't know. I would love to be able to just live off playing in a band, beats working in a regular job. But does that mean I have to sign to major? People have shown it can be done without signing to a major, but it's hard. Again I have no gripe with bands who sign to majors, if, at the end of the day, it's the way the band wants to go and they are all happy with it, then it's their choice and they'll have to live with it, but I wish they would just be honest and say "yeah we're signing to Big major because we'll get a load of cash", rather than the lame "we want to do it so our fans can get our stuff a lot more easily." 11. What advice would you give to any up and coming bands? Keep at it!(We've been at it in different bands for way over 14 years, Turtlehead has been going now for 6 years), but do it for the fun, not the cash or fame. If you just want to get famous and rich, it'll come through in you and the person you are and people will see it right away. We still play because it's the biggest buzz in the world, nothing can beat it. Also, practise well; people have long memories and if you go out too early and sound shit, people remember that you were shit and might not come back to see you, and they'll tell their friends etc etc.... 12. Any final comments? Thanks for doing this interview, the 'scene' needs you as well as it needs bands. Also, just support the 'scene' in general; go to shows, write a 'zine or whatever! To quote that famous song line " Don't just sit there, do something" to keep the 'scene' strong, we all need to work together. If anyone wants to get in touch with us, please do. Thanks again Robert(Turtlehead) www.turtlehead.org.uk mail@turtlehead.freeserve.co.uk 14 Summerford Gardens, Falkirk, Scotland, U.K FK1 5BT |
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