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The Futureheads have shown themselves to be amongst the cream of the import bin over the last decade, so says I. Their angular, comical, unquestionably English punk is full of cheeky charm, boatloads of subtle (and, well, obvious) humor, and is technically impressive to boot. Throw in Barry Hyde’s droll yet oft-excitable vocals and you’ve got a sure winner.
Speaking of Barry Hyde, he gamely answered the call of the Untitled Interview challenge. Read on to see just why Hyde doesn’t exactly heart the “Modfather,” what inspired him to become a musician, and just what he’d be if he wasn’t making that seriously fantastic music. Not only does Hyde get serious love from me for that Beatles/Stones answer, his cool points for using the tragically underappreciated “uncouth” are now immeasurable.
The Futureheads also happen to still be in the midst of a tour in the US of A, so get out there and see ‘em if you find yourself in the path of the tour. I promise you, my dears, you’ll be glad you did.
Les Enfants Terribles: How the hell are you?
Barry Hyde: Very well thank you. As fit as a fiddle.
LET: What was the last song you listened to?
BH: “The Batalon” by Max Tundra. It's a winner.
LET: Playing music is: __________
BH: Impossible for us not to do.
LET: What album most made you realize you wanted to make music?
BH: Tough question. “Sunshine of your Love” by Cream made me want to play the guitar. Heard it in an American Diner in Newcastle and thought “if I could play that then I would be 'cool'". Positively ice box baby. Berlin by Lou Reed has to get a mention. I have heard it more than any other album I think. That and the Lost Boys soundtrack. Of course.
LET: Beatles or Stones?
BH: Well, The Beatles appeal to my mind. And The Stones appeal to what's in my boxer shorts! Depends what I fancy.
LET: Top 5 albums (of now, of this month, or of ever):
BH: You are killing me! Impossible to answer that question “correctly.” Berlin for sure. The Well Tempered Clavier by some wig wearing loon called Bach or something?!? Point by Japenese wizard Cornelius. Cut by The Slits. Sexy sexy girls. And the soundtrack to Cabaret. Massive fan of that one. Again it's SO sexy. Especially "Mein Here" if that's how you spell it. The one Liza sings whilst doing her incredible chair straddling. Gosh. Woof woof. Ding dong.
LET: Favorite music-related movie?
BH: Too many but Amadeus is very very very special to me. Simply wonderful. Deserved all the awards for sure.
LET: Half-full or half-empty?
BH: Full for sure. But empty and full are the same thing, just both at different points on the scale of 'being'. I'll shut up with my wisdom loving now! Know thyself.
LET: Which of your peers do you think is making the best music these days?
BH: I like Brighton Pier. We have a nice Pier in Sunderland. The Futureheads are PEERLESS. Alone in the Universe. I love Foals, Maccabees, Dutch Uncle, Crystal Castles, Maximo Park to name but a few bands. Great bands but peers they are NOT!
;-)x-<
LET: Little-known Futureheads fact?
BH: We are aliens from the Ganimede.
LET: What’s the first thing you think when you wake up in the morning?
BH: I kiss my wife then put the Kettle on, that's of I don't feel like wearing the light switch or the toaster. Obviously.
LET: The greatest record store in the world is:
BH: Hot Rats in Sunderland, it's run by a punk rocker who used to be in the Toy Dolls. He lets me go in the secret cupboard, where he keeps all the real goooood shit. Like the illuminous DEVO vinyl I had and lost. Still hurts.
LET: Shaken or stirred?
BH: What time does Sean Connery like to play his favourite sport?..............,,, Tenish! Shaken and stirred pleased. Why not Mish Moneypenny. Kinky shit Bond like.
LET: Why don’t The Futureheads like Paul Weller?
BH: Because he's unfriendly and he walks around like a fucking peacock. Also he is known as the Mod Father, and he's not. The Jam, who KICK ASS, were a Mod Revival band. A fact that to my knowledge he has never admitted. Mods were around in the 60's not the 70's. DUH! Good song writer though. Love his solo on “Champagne Supernova”! Wicked. He's alright really. That guy in DC was very uncouth. Something had to be said to pacify his drunk ass.
LET: If you weren’t in a band you’d be:
BH: A chef/barber/virgin.
LET: I know it’s like making someone choose a favorite child, but which of your records are you most proud of, and why?
BH: Edward. He's an excellent poet you know.
LET: If you were so inclined, whom would you form a tribute band in honor of?
BH: Queen. Done that. Seriously.
LET: Best song ever written?
BH: No such thing I'm afraid. You are asking the wrong humaniod. Ok Ok Ok. “Slave” by Britney Spears. Leave her alone by the way.
mp3: Meantime (The Futureheads from The Futureheads)
I had been waiting and waiting and waiting for years for this show. No kidding. Somehow, don’t ask me how, I hadn’t ever managed to see The Futureheads live. Theirs were gigs that scheduling conflicts and lord knows what else had put asunder. But finally, the concert gods had mercy on me, and I have now seen the adorable Sunderlandians live and in person. And my friends, it was as good as I could possibly have hoped.
MINI RECAP: The Futureheads = Charmingly Cheeky Chappies! Overall score: A.
There was a relatively sizeable crowd upstairs at The Black Cat to see the band, and we were all in for a serious treat. They were instantly likeable, and consummate showmen. And the bassist looked a whole lot like that Chase Crawford from Gossip Girl, though that’s really neither here nor there (you know me, I like to get some good objectification in when I can). A blistering rendition of new song “The Chaos” from their new album of the same name started off the set, and the band showed themselves to be in fine form with some ferocious riffage and a commanding stage presence. One of my favorites from their debut was next, the excellent “Meantime”, which sounded just as fabulously frenetic as on record. “Takin’ you back to 2004, eh?” they joked. When prefacing third song, “Heartbeat Song”, it was requested that we pretend we were in the 1980s in a John Hughes movie, falling in love for the first time. Really, that’s not far off the mark, as the song certainly could have been culled from any of Hughes’ finest Bratpack flicks.
Things didn’t let up after that, with the foursome launching into a killer rendition of “Decent Days & Nights”, another goodie from 2004. Throughout the set I was so impressed by the band’s assertive yet totally and disarmingly pleasant persona, they were totally in command but totally accessible. “Sun Goes Down” from The Chaos was introduced as a “vampire sex song,” and the band requested “vampiric” lighting, which evidently translated to dim red lights. Whether or not the band engages in vampiric activities remains to be confirmed or denied. The set was primarily filled with new songs, with songs from the first record taking up the majority of the remainder, though they did sneak in a very bouncy version of “Skip To The End”, which pleased the hardcore fans down the front. “The Connector”, the fastest song the band has ever written (“it’s ridiculous,” said they) came next, and was indeed pretty dang fast. Not to mention pretty dang good.
Towards the end of the set I had sent a friend a text saying that if the band played “Hounds of Love” I might swoon. Well, not five minutes after I sent that message, what should they happen to play? Their Kate Bush cover sounded as good as I could have ever imagined, and was a major blast from the past. “Paul Weller is not a nice man,” we were told, right after someone jokingly requested The Jam and right before the final song in the set, “Jupiter”. Though, of course, it wasn’t the last song. “There’s no way we could not give you an encore tonight, because it’s been so excellent,” they proclaimed, reemerging to spew forth three more amazing songs (“This Is The Life”, “Le Garage”, and “Man Ray”, which I was so excited about I wrote it down in my notes as “Man Fucking Ray”.).
The Futureheads were one of those bands that came over in the British Invasion of the early Naughties, and they’ve proven to have more longevity than most of those bands had. Their live show, so fun and joyful, also proves that they’re a force to be reckoned with when it comes to playing live. I have to say that I’m definitely even more of a fan now than I was before I stepped foot in The Black Cat last weekend. They were just splendiferous, and I can’t recommend seeing them live heartily enough.
mp3: Struck Dumb (The Futureheads from The Chaos)
mp3: Man Ray (The Futureheads from The Futureheads)
Ah, The Futureheads. Some of Sunderland’s favorite sons won my heart back in 2004 when they released their self-titled LP, a brilliant pantheon of slick, angular Brit garage rock, peppered with memories of Madness, vintage Blur, and one hell of a kicky Kate Bush cover (I’ll never think of “Hounds of Love” in the same way again). Their subsequent couple of records didn’t quite grab me as much as The Futureheads did, so I was a little wary of latest release The Chaos. But guess what? Seems I’ll never learn my lesson, because this little album is pretty bloody good indeed. It doesn’t quite have that breathtaking spark of The Futureheads, but then again, it doesn’t need to.
The Chaos begins, quite rightly, with “The Chaos”, a punchy, taut number highlighting the sharp angles the band can still knock out with much aplomb. “Struck Dumb” keeps up the frenetic pace, and sees The Futureheads churn out their satirical social commentary backed by fast and furious guitars. It’s a straight up 80s revival for the cheeky poppy song “Heartbeat Song”, which seems almost, dare I say, youthfully sweet in its exuberance. “The Connector” totally makes me think of the glory days of Adam Ant, somewhat silly and verily unstoppable. The proceedings come to a hearty close with the fabulous “Jupiter”, with its humming intro, especially jangly guitar, and almost Queen-esque harmonizing. Well, without the Freddie falsetto, that is. And I love that chant of “Jupiter” as the song reaches its’ finale.
Listening to The Chaos reminds me a whole lot of how it felt and sounded when I first listened to the self-titled LP back six long years ago. The songs are so very good, so very catchy, and so very addictive. And while I’d hate to spoil all the frivolous fun, but in a way The Chaos seems a bit, well, mature. It’s like the band has grown up…maybe just a touch. Maturity or no, it’s a well-played return to form for The Futureheads, and I’m certainly impressed with this latest offering.
mp3: Struck Dumb (The Futureheads from The Chaos)
