http://thecatspenis.blogspot.com/2008/08/interview-with-brighton-punk-types.html
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Interview with Brighton punk types Bastion
Bastion have never been to Bastion Mews in Hereford which has left me feeling a bti disappointed. However, they do play some damn fine Bouncing Souls/Slapshot influenced old skool hardcore. I had a chat with my old pal Dan Bowden (singer) by email and he's what he had to say. Oh yeah, check their myspace...www.myspace.com/bastionuk
(1) Bastion, why the name? Are you named after Bastion Mews in Hereford? In fact, have you ever been to the Dinosaur Market in Hereford?Bowden: I've never been to the 'Ford Mr Postans... It would appear that Dan Bell was a sneaky fucker and managed to get us named after an X-Men villain - him and Iain love their comics - we were struggling to agree on a name for ages, and dan suggested Bastion - we all agreed it was the lesser of evils after such attempts as 'Matalan Slag' and 'Smartbomb'...<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastion_(comics) It later transpired that he'd gone and sneaked more comic stuff past us, Bastion is a kind of mutant-hating villian who is determined to wipe out all the x-men. I still don't really like our name but we've had it over a year so will probably stick with it forever. (*I'd like to change it to 'Dandandavians' - rhyming with scandanavians - see answer to question 4)
(2) Who are your main influences then? Don't you think you'd sell more records if you looked and sounded like those cunts from Fall Out Boy?Bowden: As I'm the 'singer' I guess I'd have to get more ginger and chubby to get the FOB look...what does Pete Wentz do other than pout? - I'd like to see Bell get involved with hair straighteners definitely. The obvious influences are probably Alkaline Trio, The Buzzcocks, Early Green Day - as Bell and Dave write a lot of our songs and they're really into stuff like that. Vocals-wise I probably look towards bands like Mclusky, The Bronx and Beastie Boys (Aglio el olio era) who shout more than sing, due to lack of any singing ability. We all listen to fair different stuff, so it's difficult to speak on behalf of everyone, but our sound does seem to be moving away from the poppier stuff due to the fact we can't harmonise for shit. Iain seems to more into hardcore/post-rock stuff and seems to be attempting to get the most dirgey fuzzbox noise he can. On a closer to home level, all the bands/promoters/friends who've helped and been nice to us, come to shows, bought cds/t-shirts and said anything nice about us - without these nice people we'd have probably packed it in long ago.
(3) I've seen you live and you're well fackin' lively, how do you go about preparing for gigs proper like? Any particularly favourite gigs you've played and why?Bowden: We used to be statues on stage, but the nerves are finally subsiding! My favourite shows have been SAI Fest in Ireland when we toured with Heroic Doses - was actually a proper stage and we had loads of crazy irish kids with flags invading the stage, as well as a lady who had the appearance of a crack-whore. She did actually offer sexual favours for a free CD - this was rebuffed as: sex with crackwhore - negative 1000 pointsgive cd away for free - negative 10 points= what would Bastion be gaining, aside an STD and loss of dignity?Simple maths. Sorry for my Heroic Doses bumming, but playing their final ever show at the Fighting Cocks in kingston in Feb 2008 was amazing - best atmosphere of any show ever, was rammed and the other bands (Black tax and The Hijacks - best UK ska punk band) were ace - was great to be part of that day.
(4) Who's in Bastion? I notice you have Lee from old boyband 911 on drums, how did that come about?The originators and brains are Dan Bell (Guitar) and Dave Reid/Lee 911 (Drums). Iain Buchanan was chosen for his rugged looks, and me for my IT and administration skills (I'm not joking). Dan and Iain are friends through Underfire Comics a Brighton independent publishing collective thing (insert website link plug here) and The rest of us met at University in Brighton. They've got the talent I just whore us about on the internet and suchlike... We're basically Dan, Dan, Dave and Iain.*
(5) The new songs on your myspace are sounding shithot. Do you plan to bring out a cd soon? Have you had any interest from any DIY labels?Bowden: Thanks G! We recorded those with Dan Goudie in June (he did our last demo/ep Circa 1882 too) - He's a seriously talented chap and we're lucky to be recording with him again in November this year - we should be recording the rest of an album then, and a few tweaks here and there then we should have a 12 to 15 tracks ready for an album. We're hoping to release it through our friends Toby and Jon from Heroic Doses/Earth Dies Screaming/Serf Combat's label 'Home of the Brave Records' (link plug), not sure how that all works yet - but hopefully they'll be able to help us and give us some much needed advice! We're also hoping to do a 7" split with our friends in The Small Mercies who are also frickin' awesome. Dan Bell is being locked in a shed for the summer holidays to write our new songs as we speak.
(6) What's the punk scene like in Brighton these days? Any good local bands we should be looking out for?Bowden: We're probably the wrong band to ask this kind of question, we're not the most sociable, and our fingers are not exactly on the pulse (probably should get out to more shows) But off the top of my head... The Blankheads (london/brighton) - snotty power punk in the lookout styleLos Mendozas (via mexico) - Wrestling based hardcore madnessThe North Pole - Spikey Indie punk - new band from ex/current hot damn/twofold types - seriously goodStrickland - ex random heroes rapid hardcore pop punkOffcuts - ridiculously spazzy hardcore/metal mess, songs about meat?Those Damn Owls - just started up, singalong melodic punk in rancid'y snuff'y vein, loads of potential and jolly nice chaps too.Toby is from brighton so add Earth Dies Screaming (Hendrix meets black flag ?!) and his newest band Serf Combat to that too.Sak-less Jack are also a great skate punk band who don't get the attention they deserve, from just down the coast although not technically Brighton.Lastly, CAUTIONHORSES - dunno if they're really punk - what is? but if you like Mclusky / Hot Snakes kinda stuff - superb band. + for DIY promoters its all about The New Wave of Cut and Paste, This ones for the Crew shows, Nothing to Prove records.
(7) Any of you chaps into football? Does ANYBODY like cricket? I mean, it's shite and the games go on for about 4 weeks.I love football! Dave doesn't mind a kick-about, and Iain and Dan really don't care for it...Beach football is my current fave as I'm all about the overhead kicks on sand. Southend United are my team, although I'm more armchair than hooligan. Cricket? I don't think any of us are big fans no - we're not a particularly sporty band although I do like a game of badminton, and Daves into extreme sports stuff like kite surfing, as well as sitting on his boat eating spinach and shouting 'YARRRRRGH'. Brett Angell over the Angel who plays for Villa any day. Fact.
(8) The Daily Mail told me that EVERYONE in Brighton is ginger beer and that they love spending £16.50 on a pint, is this true?I like ginger beer with whisky and lime on the rocks. Or even Tuaca - tuscan mule action. Great summer tipple my friend. Nobody loves spending that on a point, there's a few pubs in Brighton that are a little more reasonable but as a general rule it's frickin' expensive, though a great place to live. For bars, music, food, and just general niceness it's ace, I think Brighton only stocks the Guardian anyway so I didn't realise the Mail said that...
(9) Have you got any funny stories involving peni please? Erm, in the second year of Uni whilst living with my (still current) girlfriend (nay - fiance), after a night on the lash I sleepwalked and urinated all over her revision notes and text books the night before an exam. Drying piss-ridden statistics books at 4am with a hair dryer is not something I feel the need to repeat. Not sure if that's funny mind, not exactly a 'boys out the barracks' Alan Partridge moment...I also probably shouldn't share, but I 'nicked' myself whilst having a trim once. Ouch, but quite funny looking back on it - I was really frightened it would wither and fall off.
(10) Ever seen a cat's penis?Probably - I must have seen at least 14 cats in my lifetime, aren't they meant to be barbed or something? Dan Bell probably has one pickled in formaldehyde in his living room, he's into weird stuff like that. erm also: www.murdochspace.com/bastionuk
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