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Duncan Reid and The Big heads plays an old
styled new wavish punkrock which is really good
to listen to. I hope that more people give them
a chance so please read here and then after look
after their records! June-2017
Please tell me a some history of the group?
-We've
been going four years now and have just released
our third album which everyone agrees is the
best thing that has ever happened to music! ;)
We play Punk Rock with tunes and are the hottest
live band you will ever see in every sense of
that word.
Please tell me a little about every member in
the group right now, age, family, work,
interests and something bad about everyone?
Earlier bands? Other bands on the side?
-Karen
Jones is the drummer. She comes from Wales and
when she's not drumming she teaches self defence
to children. Her kick is worse than her bite.
She also drums with Pete from the Vibrators.
Sophie Powers is the most dangerous women in the
world. Men have died trying to out drink her. In
the past she has sold sand to Arabs, ice to
Eskimos and beef to Argentinians. All have
fallen for her persuasive charms and then died
when it was time for a drink. She has played in
the Shebeats and is Joan Jett's abandoned love
child.
Nick Hughes is the world’s tallest man and has
more ink per square
centimetre
than a squid on heat. He plays with an average
of seven bands per day including the Role Models
and Love Zombies.
I can hear many different influences but mostly
early punk, new wave, glam etc.?
Favourites
from the past?
-We
are a cross between The Ramones and The Beach
Boys. I love anything with great tunes, great
guitars and great backing vocals.
Duncan Reid and the Big Head: are you satisfied
with the name? How did it come up? You
weren’t afraid that some other band would be
named like this?
Which is the best band name you know?
-I
think if I started now it would just be The Big
Heads. Too late to change though. No one has
copied it so nothing to fear there it seems. I
am told I have an overabundance of
self-confidence so the name seemed appropriate.
I don't know the best name but I do know the
worst: The Revolting Cocks.
What´s the best thing about playing live?
-The
fun. Being great at it helps, which we are. Just
seeing all those happy faces. It's a particular
thrill when you go places you haven't been
before and people know your new songs.
And where is best to play? And the worst place?
-I
can't think of a bad place to play. You make of
it what you will, although having bad monitors
and not being able to hear yourself sing is
always a pain. Everywhere is good with a great
crowd. Stockholm is always great and it's really
exciting the way crowds are growing in Malmo.
How is to play this sort of music in England
right now? Which types of bands do you have
concerts together with?
-Like
everywhere this music is right out of fashion so
it's a niche market. There's still an
appreciative audience though. Last Saturday we
played Camden Rocks festival which had 250 bands
on so there was every type of rock band there.
In August we play Rebellion and will be an oasis
of melody among the hardcore.
How would you describe your music in three
words?
-Heavy
Melody Power Pop Punk but I can't count!
What does punk mean to you, is it only a word or
is it a lifestyle?
-It's
a state of mind. Let's be original in a DIY way
at low cost while looking as cool as Johnny
Thunders.
How do you see downloading, mp3 and that stuff?
-I
think vinyls are best. A beautiful artefact with
the best sound. But I love Spotify as well. It's
great being able to discover loads of music you
like which isn't played on the radio. The worst
is YouTube. Google, its owner, is a horrible,
monopolistic company, hell bent on wiping out
its competition while paying as little as it can
get away with to the people who provide the
content it makes money out of. With Spotify they
explain: “we keep 30%, content owners get 70%”.
YouTube won't explain how they pay out while
distributing a quarter of what everyone else
pays.
How is it living in England right now?
Politically? Brexit? The Manchester thing?
-The
Manchester bombing and London incidents were
horrible and a tragedy for all the families
affected. Unfortunately it's not unique to
England. France, Germany and other countries
have had attacks too so it's a Europe wide
problem.
I'm very depressed about Brexit. It's important
to remember that only 36% of the electorate
voted for it: the largest minority but hardly
the will of the people. In the main older people
voted for Brexit and many younger people didn't
vote at all. I'm hopeful that the recent
election, where many younger people registered
to vote for the first time, will lead to a
reversal of the referendum and the entry of a
beautiful word into our language: Briturn.
Are there any good bands from England now?
Is the punkscene/hardcore scene big? How is it
in your hometown?
-Yes.
They are Scottish, not English, but Heavy Drapes
are great, as are Cyanide Pills from Leeds. The
Urban Voodoo Machine are always good as well.
The punk scene is not big although certain bands
like the Damned and Cocksparrer do well. I know
nothing of the hardcore scene.
London is the same as elsewhere in
England.
What do you know about Sweden?
-I
know only that it is a country full of good
looking, lovely, friendly people who speak a
silly language. Many of its inhabitants have
become good, close friends who always seem
willing to help. You are a serious nation until
you are drunk when you get even more serious.
But you go bonkers at gigs!
Have you heard any good bands from Sweden?
-I
think the Hives are great and really enjoyed
Heavy Tiger and Stupidity when they played with
us.
Your lyrics, who does them and what influences
you? Is it easier to do lyrics now or was its
easier to do it when you was younger?
-I
write them. I sent out a press release saying
the new album is about life, love, paranoia and
Viagra which covers it. I write about my life
and other lives I see.
When I was younger I couldn't write songs. Now
it's relatively easy.
Is there any subject that you never will write
anything about??
-Dog
training although I might now have set myself a
challenge. I try to avoid being gratuitously
offensive.
Politics and music, do they go hand in hand?
Which is your most political song?
-The
only political song I have ever written is Bombs
Away. Politics doesn't work for me when it is
sloganeering so it depends who is doing it.
Best political band/artist?
-Woody
Guthrie and the Clash
Do you think that music (lyrics and so on) can
change anyone’s life, I mean people who listen
to music?
-I
think that music is most powerful and life
forming when we are teenagers. That is why older
bands who are perhaps way past their best
continue to do well as there is a nostalgia
element to it. As we get older, music has less
ability to be life changing but it still has the
ability to be very enjoyable.
Your cover on your CD looks really nice, is it
important to have a record cover which shows
people which type of music you play? Your
favorite record cover? Who does your covers?
And do you have any good record stores in your
hometown?
-In
this digital world albums are becoming less
followed, but to me every aspect of an album is
important. The running order and all parts of
the sleeve. The best sleeves have plenty of
images to look at, lyrics and copious amounts of
info about the songs and the album. I think we
have achieved that on all our albums.
I chose the photos for the sleeve including the
front cover and roughly how I wanted it
depicted. My vision was developed brilliantly by
Steve Green and his team at green square. They
were really in tune with it and took it to a
level I could not have.
My favorite sleeve is The Ramones first album.
It has them in their classic pose and look which
is still copied to this day.
We don't have record stores as good as Folk a
Rock in Malmo or Freebird Records in Dublin.
Is it important to get out physical records of
your stuff? Why or why not? Vinyl, CD, cassette,
what do you prefer if you could choose whatever?
-Yes,
physical product is important to me for all the
reasons I've talked about in relation to covers.
Vinyl is best, CD is great, and cassettes are
stupid. You can't skip to tracks, they don't
sound great and they break.
Please tell me a funny thing which have happened
during your career and under some gig?
-It
wasn't funny but I was once shot at during a gig
in Spain. I could feel the bullets going over my
head but I didn't know they were bullets until
afterwards when I was told the gunman had been
grabbed by the police!
What does your audience look like? Which people
do you miss at your concerts? Which is the
biggest band you ever have played together with?
-Our
audience is almost as good looking as we are
although they can never be as handsome of
course! I have guested with Die Toten Hosen
three times (i.e. not supported but actually
played with them). On one occasion I jumped off
the drum riser and went flat on my face in front
of nearly 20,000 people!
Please rank your five
favorite records,
five favorite concerts and five most important
things in life?
-It
changes all the time but:
Records: Ramones 2nd album, Sergeant Pepper,
Strawberries The Damned, The Best of Chuck
Berry, Mrs Magician
Concerts: First time I saw The Ramones, First
Time I saw Johnny Thunders Heartbreakers, The
Stones comeback at London O2, Bruce Springsteen
River Tour, Cyanide Pills at Riverside Rebellion
Things: Family, Band, Health, Happiness, Peanut
Butter
First, last and most expensive record ever
bought?
-First:
Groovin with Mr Bloe, can't remember, never
spent a fortune.
Is it boring with interviews? Is it much
interviews??
-Interviews
are fine. I do a lot but it is hard to stay
fresh.
If you could choose five bands from the past and
nowadays, both dead and living bands to have a
concert together with your band. Which five
would you have chosen?
-The
Ramones, The Heartbreakers, The Undertones, The
Rolling Stones and The Beatles. That should draw
a crowd!
Is music a good way to get out frustration and
become a nicer person outside music??
-To
become a nicer person! No, I don't think so.
Many musicians become complete self centred
twits because people are too nice to them. And
music can be the source of great frustration.
Why do they play such crap a lot of the time on
BBC Radio 6 when we are so good, for instance.
Which is the most odd question you ever been
asked in an interview?
"Tell me about the first time you ever had sex.
What was it like?" Another interviewer asked
"What is your attitude to sex now that you are
older?"
I thought they were odd questions.
Which is the question you want to have but you
never get. Please ask it and answer it?
-"How
do you manage to be so brilliant?" Answer: "It's
easy".
Future plans for the band?
-To
keep on fighting the good fight.
For yourself?
-To
stay alive.
Wisdomword?
-Briturn
Something to add?
-Two
and two? |