On the Scene with FCA

Dogged by endless line-up changes, musical indifference and that infamous snub from Cheonan's premier rock venue, Z Rock, 88mph leadman, Somerset Boy is here to reveal the truth. 88 mph are back... Welcome to this very special edition of the FCA report. The 88mph Interview Part One, 7th January-10th January 2005 :

Who are your main influences when composing material for 88mph? "Well, thats a fair question and I suppose I would have to limit our influences somewhat. OK, here goes and in no particular order. Musically the guitar riffs have always been inspired by 60's folk rock and 80's-90's gothic rock bands. Such names as Fairport Convention, The Mission, The Cure (a pop band really) and I suppose All About Eve have had a huge impact on the way I write songs. The guitar for me is an important songwriting tool, as is a pen and paper and more essentially some experiences to write about. Lyrically, there have been no real 'musical' influences. I enjoy song lyrics but it's been a while since I really sat down and listened to them, for me the music is what grasps my attention the most. Lyrics are important in any song but it's what they actually mean to the listener- the way we interpret them, that makes a song 'good'. I could list some of my fav songs here and people would laugh at me for some of the choices. The songs I write about are usually very personal to me or about people I care deeply about. Having said that some of the newer material we're experimenting with has taken on a more 'amusing' approach than what many of our fans are used to hearing from the 88's. Look out for some funny songs about everyday things in the near future. In essence though, good lyrics should be defined by the mood or subject of the song- there are plenty of good songwriters out there but for me the most important lyricists are (again, in no particular order): Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Wesley Willis, Wayne Hussey, Kate Bush, Carl McCoy, Robert Smith, Tim Finn, Julianne Reagan, Marty Wilson Piper, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, David Bowie, Mark Cohn, Trent Reznor...........um......oh yeah, Tarrantella Serpentine, Polly Harvey, Kate Bush and the late Bob Heaton (NMA).

What would you rather do, be a global rockstar with heaps of groupies wanting to jump on your chilli pepper and give you lots of free drugs, or be an EFL teacher in Cheonan? The reason I chose to come to Cheonan was to get away from the meat grinder (no pun intended) and do some real writing and gain some cultural experiences of the Far East. Korea seemed to be a good starting point and I had friends and family there-well I 'did' The whole drinking, shagging and getting wasted every night of the week (and everyday) can take it's toll and even becomes boring after a while. I think Wayne G summed up the lifestyle well enough in his classic song "Twisted", but I have to admit it was getting harder to keep up with all those parties. This little excursion into teaching and actually 'owning' a proper job is to get real down to earth experiences- to remind myself what it's like being..well, erm...poor I suppose. I have met some great people here and I hope they will stay in touch over the years-there'll always be a place on the guest list for the Masssive members. Sometimes though I miss the old days, but another year should see the current project off it's feet and it's back on the hard stuff for a whirlwind global tour. Got any brown M & M's?

How do you feel about the current line up of 88mph? The current line-up has been a difficult and long process to put together after the sad loss of the White Handbag Man and the Irishman (the gimchi incident was a great and deeply shocking event for all concerned) the band was almost doomed to failure but Canada 2, the new guitarist has proved to be a worthy successor to the mighty WHBM on the six string and a great compliment to myself on the 12 string. It's nice that he has some very different musical influences to and as a result he brought a 'new sound' to the band. On lead vocals, we have the Cherub faced Scotsman or as we prefer to call him 'Deep Throat Owski', a vocal gladiator hailing from the darkest depths of 'bonnie' Scotland. A possible new addition might be in the from of the multi-talented angel voiced Canadian Female Catastrophe, although due to certain commitments in her life she has been unfortunately, unable to attend band rehearsals so we're a little unsure if she'll be performing on the first leg of the new tour. Both new members have the enthusiasm to continue the band and we are very happy with the new style and sound.

Would you ever consider performing a cover of "Reach for the Stars" by S Club 7 (an alltime FCA fave)? S Club 7, well I must confess I actually really like them. As you may be aware me and Rachel Stevens used to have a thing a few years back (the NME gobbled it up like a starving fluffer at a sperm bank) but both our band commitments meant we were seeing less of each other so we had to end the relationship- we're still great friends and to be honest I'd be delighted to cover one of the tracks in the 88 style. Would be fun to get her and 'Jo' in on backing vocals or maybe for a video shoot.