Issue 12. January 2002
Don't blink or you will miss us! If you're getting behind on the news, don't forget to check out the archive section.
And without more ado ... welcome to issue 12.
Bookmark this page or I'll eat your beating heart in a broth of blood and bile.
Roj:
Well it seems like a lifetime ago but did you catch me at Leeds?
Darting from mainstage to the Evening Session tent in a mad effort to catch all that
was great, musically, in 2001.
On Friday 24th August the big names on the mainstage were Papa Roach, Marilyn Manson and Eminem. D12 had been moved up to the mainstage to support Eminem and it was just as well as the rap-ster could only manage two solo songs and was frankly, pants! Meanwhile, back in the Session test we were treated to Staind, Lowgold and Gene. Believe it or not, Gene were fantastic. Definitely back on top form.
Being a bit of a chicken we weren't sleeping over in tents. We used the tour bus to transport us about so we got to sleep in nice beds overnight and wash the crap from voluminous jeans. On Saturday we were treated to The Strokes (who did live up to the hype), Iggy Pop, Green Day (the highlight, they always are!) and Travis. Again, in the session tent we saw Mouldy Peaches, King Adora and Ash (we could hear them but couldn't get anywhere near the tent).
Finally, on Sunday on the mainstage the top bands were Feeder, Supergrass, Fun Loving Criminals and the Manic Street Preachers. In the Session tent were The Soft Parade (now The Electric Soft Parade), My Vitriol (fantastic live), Dislocated Styles and Teenage Fanclub.
There were other bands and other tents, of course. More music then you could shake a stick at. These were just our personal highlights. Roll on Carling 2002.
SCARY is a rock band based in York, England. The band currently consists of two full-time members; lead guitarist Paul "Noodler" Martin and rhythm guitarist Roger "Sorry" Butler-Ellis. They both double up on vocals.
No band can exist in isolation, and even musical minimalists such as SCARY need a back-up team to provide vital assistance. So here are the folks that help make us rock:-
The band were saddened to hear of the death of Feeder's Jon Lee. SCARY have always been fans of the band and will be extending the number of Feeder tracks they cover as a tribute to Jon. Rest In Peace man.
In a moment of January Sale Madness, Scary Paul has acquired a brand spanking new ZOOM GFX-4 guitar effects processor and some high quality cables. The processor will go a long way to enlarge the musical repertoire of the band
.Scary-bloke Roj was involved in a dramatic near-death experience over the Christmas period when the tour bus was rammed by another vehicle on the A1. All his passengers were rushed to Pontefract Hospital and Roj was given a police escort to pick them up after a giving statement. Thankful all escaped with minor bruises and grazes, although the tour bus was a complete write-off.
In keeping with their current "no charge" policy, SCARY continue to offer free admission to their micro-gigs.
Dateline: 16th January 2002
Even without anything in the way of a virgin-sacrificing stage-show, it's got the makings of an entertaining night. Paul unlimbers his massive new effects processor and whiles away a quarter of an hour fannying around with connections. Crouching, guitar in hands, as though squatting over a midden, his heart droops at the feeble hisses emanating from his amp stack. Then he removes the old ZOOM from the linkage and, the veil has dropped, bowel-destroying volume floods through Glen Studio.
Beelzebub has a kicking put aside for this two little silhouette-o's who dare to break the musical boundaries of their peers. The play-list is growing longer at each outing and tonight they start by airing a cover of Feeder's 'Oxygen' Roj's plaintive vocals scratching at our ears as Paul's alternate picking and power chords both soothe and stab at our hearts.
The atmosphere is tense as the songs relentlessly segue into each other, and then it all changes. Paul's intense concentration on flipping between effects causes him to miss a chord and Roj instantly responds with "Fat-handed twat" before seamlessly continuing his singing. The mask is down, they both collapse into fits of hysterical giggles and the audience is with them all the way.
The second half of the set degenerates into a contest of slagging each other off and bouts of manic laughter. But the music improves, remarkably it loosens them both up and the relaxed playing style lifts the band to new highs.
Back to work with attitude then, a New Year's resolution to fly higher, shine harder, burn brighter. Book your tickets now for the ride of your lives.
Cheesy Pease