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Bon jour, et voila ... issue 16.
Pretentious? Moi?
Long time no see, at least on the electronic inter-web. Sorry about that, but boy have we been busy. The micro-gigs continue to prove very popular and we are concentrating on expanding the set list as much as we can without compromising on quality.
It's weird, but when we perform a song that we haven't played for a few months, we seem to do it better than the ones we do regularly. Explain that!
More of your offerings handed up at the altar of e-mail from the offices of Dark Sun Records:
"Caught you at Glen Studies. Awesome. Rock on."
"You Rock like Rocks"
"Has it stopped raining yet?"
"My great-great-grandfather's name was Charles Seir Moore. One of his daughters
was given Seir as one of her names. Is Seir a name or does it mean something
else?"
I'm guessing that this was the wrong e-mail address again, however,
the name appears in the the Book of Genesis as Seir the Horite. Seir could also
have an Irish origin, being a corruption of the Irish-Gaelic word for carpenter
or from the Seir River in County Offaly.
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:-
Dark Sun Records have confirmed that
SCARY-Paul is once more poised to become
a father as the news broke that his wife is expecting their second child.
"We wish the couple every happiness and can assure all fans that this will
not in any way impact tour dates."
Due to family illness,
SCARY-Roj is currently having to dash across country
at short notice. A spokes-person for Dark Sun Records commented:
"Due to Roger's currently unavailability we are canceling all August gigs with
immediate effect. We wish for a speedy recovery and hope to get the boys back together
in September for their usual knock-out performance."
In keeping with their current "no charge" policy, SCARY continue to offer free admission to their micro-gigs at Glen Studios.
Dateline: 28th July 2004
The word on the grapevine was very specific, I had to check out SCARY on their home ground of Glen Studios. I really didn't know what to expect, but the already assembled hard-core of fans made me welcome and it wasn't long before I could sense the stirrings that indicated the band was about to take the stage.
I say stage, but it was barely the size of a postage stamp; a mass of snaking black cables and effects pedals, a forest of microphone stands and an ominous bank of amplifiers. The lights came up and the boys bounded into the arena, carefully placing glasses of water at strategic points around the set.
A hush descended on the crowd as SCARY-bloke Paul started to pick out an unfamiliar arpeggio, head bent nearly to his waist. Then in came Roj's cracked vocals I'm not a perfect person..., a superb rendition of 'The Reason' from Hoobastank's fine debut album. I was expecting to have my ears blown off, but instead was treated to a soulful and beautiful opening number.
The band looked relieved that this new addition to the set list had gone down well. They were certainly brave starting with a new song. Happy with the overall sound they launched into 'Better Man', a Thunder staple. Then the hits kept coming; 'Crush', 'Ziggy', 'Oxygen', 'Seven Days', 'Street Spirit'.
This was an altogether more laid back, mature side of SCARY. 'Driving With The Brakes On', 'Wonderful Tonight'. Then, in mid-set, they seemed to move up a gear (I didn't think it possible). An incredible version of Feeder's 'Moonshine' with vocals like fingernails down a chalk board; 'Beautiful Day', 'Just Looking', 'Just The Way I'm Feeling'.
Now, nobody actually seemed to touch any volume controls, but all of a sudden they powered into 'Sunday Morning Call', and the audience visibly leaned back at the sonic assault from the amps. Glasses shook in our hands and the very walls and floor seemed to rumble in sympathy with the guitars. SCARY smashed their way through an ever faster litany of AOR material that they transformed into torturing Death Metal. Finally, they lapsed into the grumbling bass line of 'Champagne Supernova', it was almost as if they wanted to let us down gently. But they hadn't finished with us yet, as the final forlorn note sounded, they raised the roof with a feedback-fuelled version of 'Hey Jude'.
I never saw them leave. Somehow this band appeared to have taken over all control of my senses and I was blind to their departure. All that remained was the empty water glasses and a squealing guitar jammed in front of an amp. That night was my musical epiphany, I urge you to catch this band soon. Do as your mother says!
The Jeepster