nemesis_to_go Talk to Barry Andrews and Carl Marsh

[tinhuvielartanis]

Discussing everything from music past, present, and future, Carl and Barry have and in-depth sit-down with my Buddy in the Shrieks nemesis_to_go, and proceed to vivisect Life in the Loading Bay, much to the delight of Shriekback fans worldwide. Read and enjoy!

Something fishy is going on around here.

Shriekback are back.

But then, in spite of umpteen line-up changes, sundry splits and reformations, and at least six different record labels, this is one band that has never really gone away.

Formed in 1981 as a kind of post-punk supergroup featuring ex-Gang Of Four bassist Dave Allen, ex-XTC keyboard player Barry Andrews, and ex-Out On Blue Six guitarist Carl Marsh, Shriekback staked out their own cerebral, groovy territory at the weird end of the new wave. Early songs such as 'Lined Up' and 'My Spine Is The Bassline' defined the 80s alternative dancefloor.

Major labels pricked up their ears and waved their chequebooks: the Jam Science album showed New Order how slinky, bass-driven electronica really should be done. With drummer Martyn Barker on board, Shriekback made Oil And Gold, a zig-zagging monster of an album that roars and purrs like any amount of cats. Carl Marsh left. Shriekback carried on. Big Night Music tapped deeper oil wells, dug new gold mines, and the band toured like there was no tomorrow.

But major labels demand major hits. Shriekback swerved into the commercial zone with Go Bang! - and it didn't quite work. By the early 90s, the band were back in indie territory, where the innate weirdness of Shriekback could dance its mess around unchecked. Now functioning as a loose collective revolving around Barry Andrews, Shriekback embarked upon a series of albums as varied as they are unmistakably Shriek-ish. From the acoustic clatter of Naked Apes And Pond Life to the rumbling, gnomic grooves of the new album, Life In The Loading Bay - released on Killing Joke's original label, Malicious Damage, and on which Barry is joined once more by fellow Shriek-founder Carl Marsh - you always know when Shriekback is in the room.

All of which means it's a good time to get in the room with Barry Andrews and Carl Marsh, and talk Shriekback - past, present, and future...

Well, here we are in the twenty-first century, and here comes Shriekback with a new album. Did you expect that to happen?

Barry Andrews: Oh yes, it was always going to happen. I think they will probably just keep on now. On and on and on and on...

Carl Marsh: …and on and on and on. Like a rolling stone. An atomically unstable rolling stone with an indefinite half-life.

<READ ON MACDUFF!>

(Thank you, nemesis_to_go, for a fantastic interview!)

Comments

[nemesis-to-go.livejournal.com]

I think Carl and Barry did me proud there. Wit and insight a-go-go!

It was Barry's idea in the first place. I got an email from him out of the blue which said 'Wanna interview?' Well, I wasn't going to say no, obviously!

[evcelt.livejournal.com]

Cool...