0711 ALL IN GOOD TIME BOOK.indd
Transcription
0711 ALL IN GOOD TIME BOOK.indd
all IN GOOD TIME ® STYLE/MUSIC/CULTURE ISSUE 1 IN ASSOCIATION WITH FREE MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2012 all IN GOOD TIME STYLE/MUSIC/CULTURE ® IN ASSOCIATION WITH SPRING/SUMMER 2012 CONTACT info@deliciousjunction.co.uk / www.deliciousjunction.co.uk EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY Del Junction Mark Baxter Phil Dias @Karma Creative Pages 12-13 Lee Cogswell Pages 20 Annie Ward Pages 21 Derek Brad MODELS Darron J Connett Joel Rogers Billy Sullivan Paolo Hewitt Gary Crowley Neil Sheasby Simon Townshend wElCOME DESIGN Phil Dias @ Karma Creative Gurps Chahal @ Karma Creative www.karma-creative.co.uk SPECIAL THANkS Lee Osborne of Osborne-Horbowsky design, ATOM RETRO www.atomretro.com for supplying a large selection of clothing Nicholon&Walcot for providing scarves www.nicholsonandwalcot.com TO THE INAUGURAL ISSUE OF ALL IN GOOD TIME It goes without saying that what we wear on the outside tells much about the person on the inside. The books we read, the people we connect with and the music we listen to; all add flavour and provide a cultural backdrop to our lives. All in Good Time is written and created to explore and celebrate the work of those among us, expressing themselves in the best way they know how. The relationship between style, music and popular culture is at the very heart of Delicious Junction; inspired and driven by the many sub-cultures that have flowed out of Britain since the late 1950’s and early 60’s and continue to influence today’s trends. Often a “certain look” or “movement” simply cannot be created on a designer’s bench - it runs much deeper and is born by groups of like-minded people determined to announce themselves through their music and attire. We thus arrive at a delicious junction of expression born out of rebellion against conformity - in turn this creates a unique identity for others to join, adore or simply dismiss… We are constantly absorbing and listening - so whether your allegiances and interests lie in the sharp eyed detail of Mod, fast tempo Northern Soul; the uplifting 2-Tone or SKA movement, the crisp cut Skinhead silhouette, Scooter Boy to Suede Head swagger…or simply you just love wearing great shoes!?! Having spent over 20 years in the shoe making business, we know our way around the classic cuts of the footwear family tree; combining that know how with our passion for the British music scene we aim to serve up some exciting flavours and delicious footwear for your enjoyment… Love and Peace CONTENTS 4. PAOLO HEWITT Del Junction meets Spurs supporting Lemonade drinker and purveyor of fine footwear, writer Paolo Hewitt. 7. GARY CROWLEY Gary chats with Del Junction about his immense love of music and his constant quest for the ultimate desert boot. 12.NEIL SHEASBY Del Junction catches up with the dapper bass player from Stone Foundation for a cappuccino and a chat… 14. DARRON J CONNETT Darron talks to Del Junction about his musical roots and the current state of the music industry. 16.JOEL ROGERS Del Junction talks music and fashion with Joel from the band The Last of The Troubadours. 20.SIMON TOWNSHEND Del Junction meets Simon after his recent US tour with Roger Daltrey. 22.BILLY SULLIVAN Billy tells Del Junction about his favourite bands and all time top tunes. ALL IN GOOD TIME • SPRING/SUMMER 2012 3 “ “ MOD FOR ME WILL BE RELEVANT FOR EVER. IT’S THE MOST ENDURING YOUTH CULT WE’VE EVER SEEN. PaOlO HEwITT DEL JUNCTION MEETS SPURS SUPPORTING, LEMONADE DRINkER AND PURVEYOR OF FINE FOOTWEAR, WRITER PAOLO HEWITT... Born and raised in Woking in Surrey in 1958, writer Paolo Hewitt had the toughest start in life imaginable. His Italian mother had separated from her English husband and had a breakdown, which resulted in her ending up in a mental institution. She fell pregnant with Paolo and upon giving birth he was taken from her. He then spent the next major part of his childhood in a succession of kid’s homes or with foster parents. Tough aint the word for it. But he survived and wrote a fantastic book about those experiences, The Looked After Kid, which I urge you to read. Upon leaving the care system and indeed Woking, Paolo found himself a job writing for the music paper Melody Maker and from there he progressed to the NME. He had the good fortune through his talent for writing to then meet many of his heroes, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Steve Marriott and Stevie Wonder among many others. Around the late 1970s he also became firm friends with the fellow Woking-ite Paul Weller, who he had known back in his home town, before Weller went on to achieve national acclaim with his band The Jam They shared a love of all things Mod and that has stayed with Paolo to this day. ‘In 1972, when things went all Suedehead, the kids that I hung around at school suddenly turned into these amazing looking young adults with their Ben Shermans and Sta-prest trousers. I didn’t have the money to ALL IN GOOD TIME • SPRING/SUMMER 2012 5 dress like that and it killed me. I remember writing a whole essay on the Brutus shirt ... ‘they do these blue check ones with buttondown collars and hooks on the back’. When I started earning money, it became all I would buy and I’m still making up for wearing pass-ons back then.’ Mod for me will be relevant for ever. It’s the most enduring youth cult we’ve ever seen. The idea of people dressing up and being part of a secret cult with all the little associated signals will never go away. The defining period for me was 58, 59 - the new jazz of Absolute Beginners but it was over by 1963. I was talking to an original mod once and he said they had it all down pat and then suddenly they put it on the telly with Ready, Steady, Go and the game was up. I loved the Beatles, The Kinks, Motown and all those 60s pop singles. Then I got into punk for about a year and soon got bored of that so I went back to listening to the older stuff. Leaving the NME, Paolo became a writer of books on subjects such as The Jam, The Small Faces, a footballer called Robin Friday and Ben Sherman shirts. His book’s ‘The Soul Stylists’ and The Fashion of Football’ provided a fascinating insight into the way clothes have pervaded our daily lives. His novel The Mumper, written with sometime collaborator Mark Baxter, has been adapted for the big screen as the film ‘Outside Best’ starring Bob Hoskins. Noted biographies on Steve Marriott and Paul Weller have also seen Paolo reach the top of the book sales charts. His latest book is ‘Fab Gear’ which looks at the fashions of The Beatles. Paolo’s love of fashion has led him to design a knitwear range for DNA Groove in Italy and footwear for Delicious Junction, first The Napoli and Capri, and now La Scarpa, a driving shoe mixed with a classic tasseled loafer. One last thing to ask him before he heads off to White Hart Lane and his beloved mighty cockerel. Was he really the Cappuccino Kid known for all those sleeve notes on Style Council records? ‘It’s funny how years later people still want to know if it was me. I did used to love writing those things ... People didn’t seem to realise that it was all just a wind up for Paul to get away from The Jam thing which was so serious and dour’ Now we know, goodbye and Grazie Mille 6 ALL IN GOOD TIME • SPRING/SUMMER 2012 Gary Crowley DJ Gary Crowley’s love of music was fired in the late 70’s by a passion for the Beatles and all things punk rock and mod Whilst at school he started a punk fanzine, inspiringly titled “The Modern World ‘and got to interview heroes like the Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Jam. Upon leaving school he became an office boy for Decca records (probably the least Punk record label imaginable in the Western world at the time!) before taking over the telephone receptionist job from a departing Danny Baker at the NME. From there he joined the UK’s most happening independent plugging company and through them began a stint on London’s Capital Radio (radio’s youngest DJ at the time, clocking in at a tender 19!). From then on his world was his oyster (or so he was told) with many TV stints including Thames TV’s ‘White Light’, Channel 4’s ‘Earsay’, Carlton’s ‘The Beat’ and more recently ‘Gary Crowley Presents’ on Rockworld TV/ Sky 368. Alongside the TV work, Gary has presented radio shows on GLR, XFM and now the BBC station for the capital BBC London 94.9. A long time, respected champion of new music, the blood nutted bopper has given many new bands and artist their first taste of radio exposure and currently boasts a Woody Allen DVD collection second to none. Gary explains here how he developed his love of Mod and music from a very young age… ‘ My Uncle Dave (a top Paddington Mod back in the 60’s) played a large part in igniting my passion for all things modernist. He would regularly pop over to our flat for a cuppa and I would sit with him and my Auntie Christine (a top Swiss ALL IN GOOD TIME • SPRING/SUMMER 2012 7 Cottage Mod-ette) and literally interrogate them for eons about their social life in the 1960’s. I wanted to know about the music they listened to, the clothes they wore, the scooters, and the culture. The whole kit and caboodle in fact! Apart from a green corduroy shoe I had a as a kid (stylish!) I can remember buying my very own first Desert Boot like it was only yesterday. After much badgering my other Auntie, dear Auntie Olive gave me the money and I was off down to Ernie Noads (purveyors of bespoke footwear) on Church Street NW8. It would’ve been a pair of Clark’s. It was literally love at first sight. The look, the feel, the comfort of the desert boot has always held a particular fascination for me and that day was like meeting up with a long lost friend. And over the years believe 8 you me I’ve had a collection that would’ve made Imelda Marcos proud. This new design for those groovy folk at DJ, I’m immensely proud of. I’m already cutting a dash around North West London in mine. But as Del himself knows only too well, the quest continues for the perfect Desert Boot and I’m already badgering him at the moment about one that crosses a boot with a shoe. In fact a bit like the one I had as a kid all those years ago! Funny how things go full circle...! ALL IN GOOD TIME • SPRING/SUMMER 2012 “ “ I CAN REMEMBER BUYING MY VERY OWN FIRST DESERT BOOT LIkE IT WAS ONLY YESTERDAY. NEIL SHEASBY Del Junction catches up with bass player Neil Sheasby from the band Stone Foundation over a cappuccino in Soho’s Bar Italia DJ: Tell our readers about the journey so far DJ: So, the band is beginning to take shape, what was the first release? DJ: You can tell a lot from the shoes someone is wearing…Next up? Sheas: It’s been a strange old journey really from playing half empty bars to sold out arenas supporting The Specials and it’s still unfolding. What I can tell you is that we have always believed it, lived it, breathed it, dreamed it. Right from the off. For those who are intrigued by the history lesson it started in earnest around 10 summers ago when I met Neil Jones. Our worlds collided, an instant mash. Ideas, songs and a vision formed but a band didn’t. Members joined and then left or were shown the door; a stable, solid line up took time. Any gang worth its salt (and pepper) does. This had to be right, more than music, a family affair. Once the team was in place they would still take the duration required to firmly knit the solid bond their hearts desired. The understanding between the seven was crucial. Yes, seven that’s right. We knew it had to be. Hammond, Horns over a solid soulful (stone) foundation, we didn’t want anyone just dipping their toes in the water. We were off to swim the channel! Sheas: ‘In Our Time’ was the first fruit of the labours of this group. It had its moments, still does on reflection, certainly a firm step in the right direction outlining the intention and what could and would be built upon. The live shows (although it’s not a show you understand) gathered pace and started to catch fire and peoples imaginations. It had probably been a while since gig goers had chanced upon a hard hitting seven piece putting in a proper shift, grafting. It was work in progress (still is), commanding, earning and deserving respect. We would play dates opening for the old guard, we always had the upmost for the majority of them, we could always learn something from them (even if it was Terry “Don’t talk to me about Jagger” Reid’s wife’s Jamaican Jerk recipe) that respect was reciprocated when Steve Gibbons phoned all the venues on his forthcoming tour and warned them not to book us as support. “Nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to...............” shame because he always wore such good shoes. Sheas: The sound of the ‘Small Town Soul’ was soon to follow. By this time the band had set up camp in Downtown Chinatown with their nearest and dearest, Mr Andy Codling at the controls. Although over long, 17 tracks weighing in at just over an hour, it was fundamentally a double album on a single disc. It could have and probably should have been trimmed but we needed to get the songs out there and move on. To our gratification the small but ever growing faithful that were slowly but surely spreading the gospel took it to the hearts. That album changed the gears, made us new friends. Not least the author and journalist, and fellow Delicious Junction wearer, Paolo Hewitt who mailed in to say it reminded him in equal parts of Tyrone Davis, Neil Young and Dexys Midnight Runners. Right words, right time, it spurred us on. 12 ALL IN GOOD TIME • SPRING/SUMMER 2012 DJ: Paolo knows you know… Sheas: Never ones to pat each other on the back or blow our own bugles, we felt inspired and quickly made another record. ‘Away From The Grain’. A more concise and direct affair than its predecessor. Two of the songs, ‘Tracing Paper’ and ‘Right Track’, feature US Soul singer Nolan Porter famed in Northern Soul circles here in the UK for songs such as ‘Keep on Keepin’ On’ and ‘If I Could Only Be Sure’ (later covered by Paul Weller). Nolan recorded with the group on his recent visit to England where SF were used as his backing band to play a handful of sell out gigs. As well as live fave raves ‘Uncomplicated’, ‘Let The Light’, ‘These Dreams of You’, ‘Get It Back’, ‘Human’...you’ll find a hammond instrumental ‘Dogtooth’ written for a fictional movie soundtrack and a trippy psych out claiming to recall the tales of ‘Terrence Rigby’. DJ: Having seen you guys Live a few times, Dogtooth has become a personal favourite, a real crowd pleaser Sheas: Once again buoyed on by the response and reaction to the latest offering it seemed to spur the band on again to new heights. The group’s next collaboration would be alongside Joe Harris, the voice of the Fabulous Peps and Motown legends The Undisputed Truth. Another special moment for the band, already big fans of Joes ( and Nolan’s ) records. This proved to be a very effective and dynamic marriage for both sides. A couple of initial low key gigs and a very successful radio session for the Craig Charles BBC Radio 6 Funk and Soul show led to a headline show at 2011’s Vintage festival at the Royal Festival Hall in London. spread their gospel even further afield. DJ: And so what of the future ? Sheas: We constantly look forward, never back. Onwards to what’s approaching, fresh footsteps, into tomorrow. Out with the old bring in the new, forever changes. It’s like the man once said “ It’s too late to stop now....” DJ: Amen to that brother. DJ: And then you get checked out by Specials drummer John Bradbury … Sheas: Yeah, Brad saw us at a gig at The Fiddlers Elbow in Chalk Farm and we got offered the support spot on their Winter tour 2011. Another album was compiled consisting of Stone Foundation’s strongest work to date, entitled “The Three Shades of Stone Foundation” and this was released to coincide with our band’s first major tour of the UK . A 15 date arena tour supporting Coventry Ska legends The Specials, can’t be bad. This exposure has seen the band gain new friends and followers all over the country and is the perfect springboard to ALL IN GOOD TIME • SPRING/SUMMER 2012 DISCOGRAPHY Albums • In Our Time (2005) • Small Town Soul (2008) • Away From the Grain (2010) • The Three Shades of Stone Foundation (2011) Singles • Somebody Somewhere EP featuring Steve Calloway (2009) • Tracing Paper 7” Vinyl (2011) • Holy Blue (2011) www.stonefoundation.co.uk 13 TOMMY (Black&White leather) WODDCUTTER (Red, White & Blue leather) AUTUMN STONE (Brown&Orange suede) VANDELLA (Beige corded suede with Tan leather contrast) WATTS (Red,White&Blue leather) DarrON J CONNETT DARRON TALkS TO DEL JUNCTION ABOUT HIS MUSICAL ROOTS AND THE CURRENT STATE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY DJ: What or who inspired you to get started in the music scene and producing your own music. Was it a particular artist or band? And from what age did it become an obsession? DJC: My mums record collection I guess, lots of soul, reggae, r ‘n’ b plus Elvis, The Beatles, The Stones, The Faces, Scott Walker, plus some crooning stuff I later appreciated more as I got older. I still like all that but fell in love with all things Britpop Weller solo, Oasis, Blur and that entire guitar based music. To me they looked so dapper and rock ’n’ roll. I’ve always been obsessed with music as far back as I can remember and no one likes a scruffy ‘erbert do they? DJ: On the day of a gig do you have a particular routine or list of things you have to do before you go onstage? Any superstitions perhaps? DJC: I haven’t really had the pleasure yet, but I wish I could have five minutes on my own to get myself geared up, but its mainly two drinks, wish the band good luck and off we go...cant wait for the lily’s and the fairy lights in the dressing room ha ha… DJ: What are your views on the state of the current music industry? DJC: Awful in the mainstream arena, but really healthy on the underground scene. There is no diversity in the charts so I rarely look now, its all stage-school kids and Simon Cowells X Factor victims, or such and such featuring such and such, it sounds a lot like to me when I got my first Casio keyboard aged ten, the standard seems pretty low to me. DJ: Is the music scene too dominated by TV and reality shows in particular to allow the Indies a chance? How would you change or improve it? DJC: I wouldn’t let kids audition for a record deal to start with, all that shit has nothing to do with music, only prime time TV ratings. What suckers these people are, they vote for their favourite acts and then Cowell sells them back to the people, genius in a way I suppose. I think artist/bands should learn their craft by forming bands and getting out there gigging. I think record companies should hire music people and not marketing people and get the A&R men back out to the gig circuits and see what’s out there, that way we aint gotta put up with the likes of West Life and shit like that no more. DJ: Do you have a favourite venue? DJC: That’s got to be The 100 club. I’ve had the pleasure of playing there many times now. Once the lights go down, the magic begins, such a rich heritage. Macca played there one Friday and I played the following Sunday… I was well chuffed. DJ: Ideally, what band performer would you like to support? DJC: Anyone who’d have us! Beady Eye would be nice. The Stone Roses might need a brand new band like us to help out, how bout it boys? DJ: Who are your favourite bands or performer’s from the last six months? DJC: Beady Eye, Miles Kane, Michael Kiwanuka all put a smile on my face this year. I love a lot of the quirky Indie bands too like Bombay Bicycle Club and Stornaway. DJ: Often music and fashion often go hand in hand, especially in the ‘Mod’ world, name check your favourite label(s) at present… DJC: Delicious Junction for shoes, Nicholson and Walcott for pocket squares and scarves, Pretty Green black label is cool and love Atom Retro for their flag waving of all things Mod/Indie and Casual - some top stuff on their site. Love a bit of clobber me! DJ: Tough question, but name you’re alltime top 3 favourite 45’s DJC: Live Forever – Oasis. Just loved how I felt when I very first heard, it still makes feel like I can take on the world even now! Wichita Lineman -Glen Campbell – I didn’t hear never this till the late 90s but it made me realise the importance of the singer and the song, without trying too hard or appearing to any way. One - Harry Nilsson. Another one I didn’t find till maybe 2004. Now I think he’s one of the best singersong writers of all time, The Beatles were obsessed by him. DJ: And finally, your all-time top three albums DJC: Rubber Soul - The Beatles. The start of their studio experiments. Forever Changes – Love. One album everyone should have, just great songs. The Age of The Understatement - The Last Shadow Puppets. Miles Kane and Alex Turner turned out a modern classic which is always on in my house, although to be fair this list would all change next week as I love to hear and play as many albums as I can and never really rob myself by staying with one. ALL IN GOOD TIME • SPRING/SUMMER 2012 15 Joel Rogers OGDEN DJ: What or who inspired you to get started in the music scene and producing your own music. Was it a particular artist or band? And from what age did it become an obsession? DJ: Who are your favourite bands or performer’s from the last six months? JR: I had all the obvious influences being raised by parents that grew up in the sixties. Motown, Beatles and Stones. My first single I bought in ‘Our Price Records’ was George Harrison “I’ve Got My Mind Set On You”. Again, like many of my generation, an early influence were bands like Nirvana & Pearl Jam before Oasis came along and changed everything! Together with Ocean Colour Scene & Paul Weller, Oasis provide the soundtrack to my teenage years. DJ: On the day of a gig do you have a particular routine or list of things you have to do before you go onstage? Any superstitions perhaps? DJ: Is the music scene too dominated by TV and reality shows in particular to allow the Indies a chance? How would you change or improve it? JR: My view of the whole reality music/TV thing is that the charts if you like are full of such acts, but it is almost so detached from real live bands that they are almost two completely separate things. I think it all has a shelf life and it will implode in time. DJ: Do you have a favourite venue? JR: I don’t really have a set routine. I tend to just have a couple of liveners, quick team hug, and get up there! JR: To watch bands, I love The 100 Club, The Electric Ballroom and The Roundhouse. I’m not a fan of the bigger venues. DJ: What are your views on the state of the current music industry? DJ: Ideally, what band performer would you like to support? JR: I think that there is a rich vein of bands about right now but with the exception of the “big boys” it’s hard to get much recognition. Record companies are on their arse and unless you turn up with a fully JR: Right now I would like to support Miles Kane. I think he has released one of, if not THE, best albums of the year in ‘Colour Of The Trap’. 16 ALL IN GOOD TIME • SPRING/SUMMER 2012 (White leather) THE STANHOPE complete package, the perfectly produced EP, the website, the 3000 regular followers, they don’t want to know. A lot of good bands are being forced underground to an extent. At the same time, you could easily go out every night of the week in London right now and see a top band, and even have a couple to choose from (Black leather) THE UNIVERSAL (Tan&Cream leather) Del Junction talks music and fashion with Joel Rogers, from the band ‘The Last of The Troubadours’ JR: As above really, Miles Kane. Been to a couple of his shows and he blew me away. Apart from that, I love an Essex band called Lamplight. Check them out They are fantastic. Also, The Real People played in London in September and they were different class!! DJ: Often music and fashion often go hand in hand, especially in the ‘Mod’ world, name check your favourite label(s) at present… JR: I really like the Madcap Pieces we wore in the photo-shoot we did for Delicious Junction. They seem to get knitwear just right! Also, Art Gallery Clothing has got some nice pieces in their collection. For accessories, I’ve got a bag from a boutique designer Jam Tarts and Tractors. They specialize in retro fabrics. For example, my holdall is made from authentic 1960’s deck chair material. DJ: Tough question, but name you’re alltime top 3 favourite 45’s JR: I always struggle to compile such lists as they change like my mood on an hourly basis. Right now I would have to go for 1. The Riverboat Song by Ocean Colour Scene 2. Hear Me Lord by George Harrison and 3. Stay with me –The Faces THE UPSETTER (Oxblood rub off leather) www.deliciousjunction.co.uk MERTON (Blue rub off leather) TOMMY (Brown, Cream Suede) SIMON TOWNSHEND VANDELLA (Beige corded suede with Tan leather contrast) Del Junction meets Simon Townshend after his recent US tour with Roger Daltrey DJ: What or Who inspired you to get started in the music scene/producing your own music was it a particular artist/ band? & from what age did it become an obsession? ST: I guess it had to be my older brother Pete and The Who initially that got me into music. My father, also a great musician, pushed me to always write music. I was obsessed about music, playing guitar and being in a band from an early age... I was six years old when I got my first plastic guitar. 8 when I got my first real one (a stuck together job from Pete) DJ: On a gig day do you have a particular routine or list of things you have to do before you go onstage? Any superstitions perhaps? ST: I don’t like to be around too many people on gig days. I like to think and get focussed which I find hard when people want a general chat and ask even simple questions. I never walk under ladders intentionally. God knows why. I’m not superstitious otherwise. DJ: What are your views on the state of the current music industry? DJ: Fave band/performer from the last 6 months ST: Difficult time for artists to make a living, especially at the low end of the spectrum. Free downloading and sharing is great but it doesn’t pay. ST: I am really enjoying writing and recording my own new album , Looking Out Looking In due out next March 2012. I rarely find time to listen to anything else as I’m constantly checking mixes. I like Elliot Smith a lot. DJ: Is the music scene too dominated by TV/reality shows to allow indies a chance? How would you change or improve it? ST: I think I would bring back Ready Steady Go or Top Of The Pops. I miss those shows. DJ: Favourite Venue? ST: The Royal Albert Hall is an amazing place to play but not such a great place to play rock (for sound). I would prefer to see a band at Red Rock in Colorado. DJ: What band/performer would you love to support? ST: I think Pearl Jam is my dream support. And I think it will happen sometime next year. DJ: Music and fashion often go hand in hand especially in the ‘Mod’ world, namecheck your favourite label(s) at present ST: D Junction of course and Lambretta DJ: All time top 3 fave singles ST: Going Underground, Won’t Get Fooled Again, London Calling DJ: All time top 3 fave albums ST: London Calling, Setting Sons, Who’s Next ALL IN GOOD TIME • SPRING/SUMMER 2012 21 DJ: What or who inspired you to get started in the music scene and producing your own music. Was it a particular artist or band? And from what age did it become an obsession? BS: Gig day basically consists of me waking up in the morning and all I can think about is the gig that evening. What time I have to be there, what I’m going to wear etc. All I can focus on is playing. BS: Weller and Oasis, when I hit about 8 or 9, it just took over my life. Around the same age I picked up the guitar for the first time and after a few month I became obsessed with it. I didn’t do the grade exams or learn all the technical in and outs, I just learnt how to play Jam songs. At the end of each year, my primary school would hold a concert so the pupils could play to their parents and an audience. So me and my three mates would get our little band together and instead of playing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’, we decided to get the drum kit out and the amps. It was this that made me fall in love with playing on stage to an audience, the buzz and the energy that cannot be recreated in any other way then to play on stage. The summer after I left primary school, we discovered this little rehearsal studio in Watford where we’d spend hours practising and it was pretty much the only place we could be as loud as we wanted. We then started turning up at open mic nights in pubs local to where we live, and we would just plug into the equipment provided and play the song we’d learnt that week. As we got older, I became much more serious about it and wanted likeminded people to play with. I wanted to play the songs that I’d written with people who wanted to play them. I found these people at my secondary school and I’ve been with them ever since. BS: The current music industry is far too involved. Far too many things going on for there to be any guidance or hint in the right direction. There are far too many people stuck in their ways, scared to venture out. I don’t feel as if there is any band in the UK at the moment that represents youth, makes people dress in a certain way, makes them look, think and feel differently. Music isn’t about just the noise that comes out of speakers. Its should be a whole experience. The buying of a physical album, one you can hold and feel in your hands. The booklets/ inserts where you see the photos read the lyrics. My favourite albums are not only my favourites because of the music, but also because of the experience I had when listening to them for the first time or when I realised it was one of my favourite albums. Obviously the technology has somewhat caused lack of passion or belief in music. Its getting harder and harder to get people to gigs and I think if we’re not careful the live element is going to die on its arse. However there is good things that technology has brought us. Anyone is now able to get their music out there. Through the use of iPods, people are now listening to music constantly, not just at home through their stereo but on the way to and from work, on the tube or bus. DJ: On the day of a gig do you have a particular routine or list of things you have to do before you go onstage? Any superstitions perhaps? DJ: Is the music scene too dominated by TV and reality shows in particular to allow the Indies a chance? How would you change or improve it? 22 DJ: What are your views on the state of the current music industry? ALL IN GOOD TIME • SPRING/SUMMER 2012 MERTON Del Junction talks music and fashion with Billy Sullivan, from the band The Spitfires (Bordo rub off leather) Billy Sullivan BS: I feel that its very easy for people to blame the current state of the music industry on TV shows. Don’t get me wrong, I completely disagree with them and I for one refuse to line Cowell’s pockets and guarantee him a Xmas no.1. I’m just slightly worried that young people’s perception of music is going to change as a result of X Factor. DJ: Do you have a favourite venue? BS: My favourite venue and one that I’ve played has to be The 100 Club. I loved every minute of it. Sound checking and suddenly spotting a photograph on the wall of one of your heroes literally standing on the spot you are on stage. Great sound in there too. DJ: Ideally, what band performer would you like to support? BS: There are the obvious artists who are my dream to support (Weller, Gallagher etc.) but I would just love to support a band who personally I believe in and the crowd believes in. They could be signed or they could be just starting, at the end of the day it’s down to the crowd with things like that. DJ: Who are your favourite bands or performer’s from the last six months? BS: The last 6 months I’ve been listening to a few different things. Noel Gallagher new album, which is think is great but I don’t expect it to make an impact. I’ve discovered my love for The Style Council’s ‘Confessions of a Pop Group’, which I think is a brave and beautifully written album. For new bands I haven’t seen or heard anything that has excited me. I’ve listened to The Sons EPs a lot recently which I also think are perfectly structured songs -with lyrics that mean something and a bit of bite to them! (Which is needed in this scene which people are scared to offend anyone) DJ: Often music and fashion often go hand in hand, especially in the ‘Mod’ world, name check your favourite label(s) at present… BS: I love my clothes. I love my Fred Perry’s, Ben Sherman shirts, Levis jeans and my Sebago loafers. I think there is a lot of snobbery attached to the Mod scene to do with clothes. I’m sure I could name-check incredibly expensive labels which I’d love to own, clothes made by them, but I’m a working class teenager. I can’t afford it! DJ: Tough question, but name you’re all-time top 3 favourite 45’s MERTON RUDE BOY SPECIAL (Black/white hi shine leather) RUDE BOY BS: 1. All Mod Cons - The Jam 2. The Village Green Preservation Society The Kinks 3. The Clash - The Clash (Brown hi shine leather) DJ: And finally, your all-time top three albums (Blue rub off leather) BS: 1. Strange Town - The Jam 2. Tin Soldier - Small Faces 3. Do Nothing - The Specials