SHEFFIELD'S NEW LIGHT HOPES BLACK LIGHT THEATRE COMPLETE THE SHADDERS QUESTIONNAIRE
Every now and again amongst the thousands of mediocre bands dotted around Myspace you sometimes stumble across something looking genuinely exciting, unfortunately with speakers playing up on the old shadders laptop, look exciting is all it was! Fortunately a couple of emails later and Black Light Theatre’s manager had agreed to send us a copy of the forthcoming debut single ‘1402 Valentines Massacre’ (on indie ‘Hooked Up’ records) and without any problems a couple of days later it had duly arrived. There are a few choice quotes on the back of the promo single ‘epic feedback laden rock n’roll’ Time Out and ‘A brilliant wall of sound and atmosphere which gives off the impression of Joy Division but with a harder edge’ This City (Bristol). Sounds interesting we thought. In fact it took just one play to realise that Black Light Theatre were going to be as good as their rather excellent name suggests. ‘1402 Valentines massacre’ has the atmosphere, guitars and rips along at a right old pace, like Editors on speed! B-side ‘Piece of me’ has a harder edge but is still a rip-snorting piece of indie rock. With the single in hand we buzzed some questions the short distance via the virtual super highway to buzzing Sheffield. Stef did the honours and the resulting interview is below. Black Light Theatre top name and even better music!
Q1, Who are Black Light Theatre?
Black light theatre are 4 piss heads that happen to be able to play instruments (Jono How on vocals and guitar, Rob Hirst on lead guitar, Stef Majchrzak on Bass and Leon ’Scouse‘ Thomas on the kit).
Q2, Black Light Theatre is a pretty cool name. Is it cause you like a bit of Chinese puppets, a homage to the great ‘BLT’ Dave Lee Travis or is there another more bizarre reason you picked it?
Rob the Guitarist went to Prague and visited the Black light Theatre. We was stuck for a band name so we just that easy.
Q3, Right now where would you say Black Light Theatre are at?
We are on the verge of great things with our first single coming out Oct 1st hopefully the press will take note, then the public will. Unfortunately it works like that.
Q4, What was the last CD / download you bought and was it any good?
I bought three Chris Isto White albums. Check him out, he is a genius.
Q5, What is you favourite Black Light Theatre song & why?
We don’t have one, we spend many hours arguing like little bitches over what songs we are gonna play at gigs and also what to record. Each song is our favourite or they just get thrown in the blt bin.
Q6, If you had to pick a musical genre in which to pigeon hole yourself which one would you go for?
Loud messy indie.
Q7, How would you describe the Black Light Theatre live experience?
We are the best band in the world live. Everyone must see us! We even record live. None of this overdubbing bollocks. That’s for girls and the Klaxons.
Q8, Which is your favourite Black Light Theatre gig thus far?
Probably Camden Barfly. We pissed all over the cockney bands, which made us smile long and hard.
Q9, What song by anyone other than yourself would you have most liked to have written and why?
White Christmas because wed all be filthy rich for doing fuck all.
Q10, You are just about to release your debut single on indie label ‘Hooked up’; what’s it called, what’s it like and how did you come to release it on this label?
1402 Valentines Massacre was wrote on Valentines Day. The wags of the band give us lots of shit because we wasn’t fulfilling a bullshit day by Clinton cards and balloon factories. So Jonno enlighten us to the real meaning of Valentines day. Hooked up was the first record label to make the effort to sunny Shef and see us play live, so we returned the favour, like I say we are the best live band in the world.
Q11, Why should somebody buy a copy of your single and not say a pint of lager?
They should buy both to be fair.
Q12, Do you prefer the Arctic Monkeys, Reverend and the Makers, Pulp, Human League or Joe Cocker?
Each band member would give a different answer to this question. For me it would be this order; Human League, Pulp, Reverend, Cocker and Monkees joint last.
Q13, Has Sheffield got a buzzing music scene at the moment or is it a load of media hype?
Yes. The buzz has always been there. It just took the media a while to cotton on.
Q14, Who are going to be the next big thing out of the steel city? (And you can say yourselves if you wish!)
Us. Everybody who has seen us knows it.
Q15, Is there a Black Light Theatre website, myspace or face book page and what can we find on them?(You can shameless plug the addresses if you wish!)
www.blacklighttheatre.co.uk, www.myspace.com/blacklighttheatre I’m not sure what the facebook one is but is on there somewhere.
Q16, In ten words write your own press release swearing is definitely allowed!)…
I hate this question. It’s the Managers job. Just listen.