We Are The Underground | website | facebook |
By: Dan Salter
We’re always keeping an eye out here at E&D for people doing things differently or taking a novel approach to an old problem, so when Stephanos from We Are The Underground got in touch about an event they are putting on in April it was sufficiently intriguing for us to find out more. Dan sat down with him and popped a few questions.
(((o))): Give us some background on yourself & the band first and explain a bit about what the event is?
I’m Stephanos (occasionally referred to as Steph K on our band pages), guitarist and vocalist for Immortal Machinery. We’re a London-based trio who’ve been going for just over two years – the best way of describing our music is to call it gothic hard rock. We’re most often likened to Type O Negative, Danzig and the 69 Eyes, although more colourful comparisons have been encountered: “psycho Elvis” and “Black Sabbath meets Billy Idol” are some of my favourites.
“We are the Underground” is our way of shaking up the current way that underground bands do live music. Our first forays into DIY have involved the usual setup of hiring a room in a music-friendly pub, teaming up with some other bands and trying to draw as many people as are willing to spend £5 on some musicians they’ve never heard of. We’ve attracted headliners from overseas, and even persuaded Tim “Ripper” Owens from Judas Priest to come to one of our shows for an autograph signing/meet and greet. With “We are the Underground”, we’re taking that concept out of the pubs and putting it in a more unconventional setting. We’ve got a small room in an industrial location in Peckham, and for one night only we’ll be turning it into something of a guerilla gig venue. We’ll be playing with stoner punks Trevor’s Head and metal band Novacaine Nothing – entry is free and since there’s no bar, people are welcome to bring their own drinks. We do, of course, welcome donations from attendees towards covering our costs.
(((o))): What does the current state of independent venues mean to you, both as a band & a promoter?
To cut straight to the point, it means that we either change our game or go extinct. In our brief two and a bit years of existence, we’ve seen a truly depressing number of independent venues either close or cease putting gigs on. There are fewer places for bands to play, to develop and build up a fan base that makes them worth being booked by bigger venues. And with the precarious financial knife edge that most venues tread, the pressure on promoters to deliver a full house every time is ever greater. That means less willingness to take a punt on a band who might be talented or interesting, but can’t pull a sizeable crowd (yet). Much as I love our small venues, I can’t help but feel that we need to be creating other platforms for underground live music to happen on as well.
Other genres have been marginalised for decades – hip hop, reggae, punk, various subgenres of dance and electronic music. When the high street didn’t want them, they made their own spaces in garages, homes, warehouses and there they flourished. Now it’s rock and metal’s turn to get pushed out. So what do we do? We adapt, we improvise, we go underground. (Cue a particular song by the Jam…)
(((o))): What motivated you to try doing something like this?
Ever since I started the band, I’ve recognised the importance of doing things for ourselves, and doing things to help other small bands. However, the turning point for me to go and actually take this out of the pub setting and into somewhere new was, I must admit, a rather mundane one. I was at a small venue watching a local metal night (though I love the place, I shan’t name it). It’s in a far from central location – a decidedly unglamorous part of London in fact. And yet, to my surprise, I was charged nearly £5 for a Budweiser. I’d already paid £10 to get in, and was hoping to spend around another £10 to £15 on merchandise from at least one of the bands. Not only that, but it seemed as if everyone present was only going through the motions of putting a gig on. Bands filed on and off the stage methodically, each policed very strictly to stay within their allotted set time. The small crowd clapped politely between each song. Talented though the acts were, the whole affair seemed lifeless.
Here, I decided, things must change. Let’s take things back to basics, and keep it fun. How do you put on a party on? You get a room, you tell your mates to bring a crate of beer, and you put some music on. In this case, we have bands play. It’s literally that simple. No bar manager fretting about slow drinks sales, no residential neighbours skulking around with noise-meters, no ticket sales targets to meet.
(((o))): How have you found the idea has been received?
Some people have got very excited about this. The economic appeal of taking their own drinks, plus the adventure and mystique of finding this mysterious little location adds up to a whole lot more than another typical band night at the Nag’s Head. Other, more old-fashioned members of the scene just don’t see the point. They also don’t see the point of listening to anything other than 80s thrash metal. (I love thrash by the way.)
(((o))): Is there a danger that the idea musically is too metal for the DIY crowd who would normally frequent something like this & the event is too DIY for the metal crowd?
Yes, this is a definite concern of mine. It disheartens me somewhat that currently the DIY philosophy seems to be only associated with particular musical styles. I see many of my fellow heavy bands still aspiring to get picked up by major labels and be whisked off to play stadiums and big festivals. There’s nothing wrong with that dream, but it seems that it comes with a mentality that expects others to do things for them. They may mourn when a beloved rock bar closes – one less place for them to play – but won’t rent out an industrial space or a room above a pub to make up for the lack of gigging opportunities. To my fellow metalheads – I would urge them to embrace the DIY mentality. It’s what propelled the early days of NWOBHM and extreme metal after all. I should at this point say that there are a good many self-sufficient, independent minded bands out there already – there’s just not enough of them.
To those already on the DIY scene – the first thing I should say to them is that they’re awesome! They are truly my heroes. Then I would ask that they be open-minded about heavier music entering their world. We need your help and support, and though some might be skeptical, I promise that within rock and metal you will find music that’s intense, challenging, exciting – and of course, you’ll encounter some of the most accomplished instrumentalists around. I think you’ll have a great time with us.
(((o))): How do people get to come to the show if they’re interested?
I touched on the fact that we were thinking of this event as a party as much as it is a gig. In fact, due to various rules and regulations, we have to run things as a private party with live music. The event is on Saturday 16th April – if you want to come, please either email wearetheunderground.music@gmail.com or message us on facebook.com/immortalmachinery. We’ll put you on the guest list and provide you with details of how to get to our venue (we’re only releasing the exact location to those on the guest list).
We have a Facebook event here and you can read more about our project here.
(((o))): If it’s a success will you do more like this?
Yes, absolutely. We are considering the possibility of a summer event, so if anybody knows of a space where we can make a bit of noise and do some barbequeing, please let us know!
