Interview with Joe Jenkins from St Ink Clothing

We caught up with one half of St Ink Clothing Joe Jenkins and had a quick chat about tattoos and t-shirts!

Cat On The Wall: Who are the 2 guys behind St Ink Clothing? Tell us about yourselves!

Joe Jenkins: Right its myself Joe Jenkins and one of my best mates Nick Densley

COTW: How did St Ink Clothing come about?

JJ: Me and nick work together and we both by a lot of T shirts off the net with 'fancy pants' designs which we like. One day nick just turned to me and said you know what we should start our own T shirt company, I thought it was a wicked idea and be a good chance for me to finally use my art work in a productive way. A lot of 'tattoo' design T shirts are mainly things like Sailor Jerry and Lucky 13, we wanted to try and do our own unique style of Tattoo Design 'Old Skool meets New Skool' from there I got excited and started to think of some ideas for designs while nick got in contact with various printers working out costs etc.

COTW: Why do tattoos play such a big part in your designs?

JJ: The reason behind this is that I mainly draw tattoo designs for myself and friends and I wanted to transfer that onto a t shirt as a way of people seeing more of my work I suppose a walking portfolio of some kind :)

COTW: Will we see a St Ink tattoo book in the near future? I can image your designs looking fantastic as tattoos themselves!

JJ: Yeah we hope to get things moving and more designs although at the moment it is a large learning cure for us both as we have never done this and kinda messed up the first time round with what T's we went for and design and cost! But you learn from your mistakes! So at the moment just re thinking our strategy but I’m sure you will see some more coming at ya soon!

COTW: Where can we find St Ink T-Shirts?

JJ: At the moment you can find them on our myspace page, www.myspace.com/stinkclothing or www.stinkclothing.bigcartel.com although we are sold out at present

Things have slowed down a lot nearly a complete stop due to things not going as we planned but as mentioned above we haven’t done this before and are learning from our mistakes but apart from that its hard trying to find the time to do this around our fulltime jobs as well but watch this space!

Jarvis to play Mighty Boosh Festival!

A certain Mr Cocker will be DJing at the Boosh Fest this July. I suggest you be there!






























Tickets on sale now at See Tickets – 0871 220 0260 http://www.seetickets.com/?c=310082

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Official-Mighty-Boosh-Festival-Page/36282555547

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/mightybooshfestival

Interview with KINDLE

I discovered Kindle whilst browsing through Myspace a few months ago. I was getting into the electro vibe big time so I decided to delve into a few of my favourite artists friend lists. I don't quite remember but I think I found Kindle on IAMX's myspace page which isn't surprising really considering they both share the same record label. It was either that or Team Awesome's page, a cool all girl DJ duo with heaps of attitude and great taste in music.

I immediately fell in love with Kindle's electronic soundscapes, pounding rhythms and raw, hypnotic guitar and synth.

Before I had a chance to message Kindle requesting an interview he beat us to the post and left a comment asking to be featured. I was going to say '..left a comment offering himself to us' but I thought people might get the wrong idea.

We caught up with the London based musician via e mail:


Cat On The Wall: Who is Kindle? What was the inspiration behind the name?

Kindle: Kindle is my alias. I was inspired by the idea of fire igniting and making it the basis of my sound and persona.

COTW: Has music always been a part of your life? What are your earliest musical memories?

K: Music has pretty much been my obsession, since I was very young. I grew up listening to records so it is hard to pinpoint a specific time when I discovered it. Music is really a part of me and I can’t imagine my life without it.

COTW: When did you first pick up an instrument and what was it?

K: My first weapon of choice was the Electric guitar. I was 12. When I was 16, I got my hands on my first synth and it all started to come together!

COTW: Does technology play a big part in your music? What’s you’re current set-up? Do you use different instruments and equipment live?

K: While technology plays a major part in all music and it’s progression, I am a firm believer in the creative use of instruments rather than the instrument itself. My studio set-up and my live set-up are very simple. I like to keep the live performance very honest, in the way the music was originally made. I arm myself with my laptop, keyboard and electric guitar.

COTW: Do you enjoy playing live? Any memorable experiences?

K: Playing live is the most liberating thing to do. I feel like I’m being set free, inspiring a unique energy for each live experience. Every performance has a different flow and is memorable in its own way.

COTW: You have several musical projects on the go (CC/K, Hotel Motel). Creatively speaking how does that work for you? Do you find that one project inspires another? Is it hard to switch between them?

K: Switching between them can sometimes be difficult if they fall on top of one another. I need to get into a different creative headspace for each project, as they are all very different. However, when I’m creating sounds and working out an arrangement, I often develop new techniques that can be applied to both projects despite their diversity.

COTW: Are there any more projects in the pipeline?

K: I have many projects on the go; at the moment I’m producing tracks for 2 bands, ‘Client’ and ‘Modele’, among other tasks.

COTW: Tell us about your debut album. How did it come about?

K: Music’s so intuitive. It just… ‘came about’. I tend to run on instinct.

COTW: You’re signed to Loser Friendly records too? Tell us more!

K: I was discovered by ‘Client A’ Kate Holmes at Client’s monthly nightclub ‘Being Boiled’ at The Notting Hill Arts Club. Kate signed me to her new indie record label Loser Friendly.

COTW: What are you listening to right now?

K: A lot of French Electro, Orchestral music and Soundtracks.

COTW: Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails have released albums for free. Would you ever consider doing this? What’s your view on that?

K: I respect their decision. The music industry is heading in an unusual place. It is uncharted territory and it’s interesting to see how artists and labels are adapting. ‘Radiohead’, ‘Nine Inch Nails’ and ‘The Charlatans’ are at the forefront of this. I’ll consider it when I get to their position.

COTW: Finally, what are your plans for the near future?

K: ‘Radio Wolf’ will be released as the first single from my album. It will be coupled with a music video directed by Luke Blair. We will premier the music video at a launch party in London. I also have plans to play in Paris and Berlin before I retreat back into the studio to produce album 2!

Cat On The Wall would like to thank Kindle for his patience and kindness! For more information and to hear Kindle's music please visit his myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/k4kindle

Jo Whitby

A Life-changing experience

What follows is a real story, with real people. Everything has been lived, it really happened.
This is one of my stories, for I have plenty to tell. This one is very special for it changed the course of my live.
Forever.
I want to share this with you.

Céline


It's mid-October 1994. I turned 20 just two months ago and started university, studying English at the prestigious La Sorbonne, well, not so prestigious as my course is in the crummy building that is located at the very North of Paris, in the dodgy area that is Clignancourt. Ah, Clignancourt: its cobbled streets filled with fast-food wrappers, its smells of West and North African spices, its flea market, its wannabe gangsters and its drug dealers. The perfect place to study! It is my first year in Higher Education and I have the delight of working part-time in a greasy cafeteria to finance my studies despite receiving a grant.

The French Grant system is a beautiful thing, very helpful for people, who like me, come from a working-class background. What isn't so helpful is that the first instalment of said-grant is deposited on one's account halfway through the year: February! So in the meantime I have to work for a fat, arrogant, sexually harassing manager who thinks he owns the chain of cafeteria (he doesn't). I buy music magazines regularly: Les Inrockuptibles every Wednesday, a bit intellectually poncey but informative on what's going on in the "Capitale", and Rock&Folk, rougher in content and a bit M.O.R. but a good counterbalance to the previous publication. I get the best of both worlds and I'm quite content that way. That month U2 is gracing the cover of R&F and, being a keen listener, I, as usual, pick up a copy from my local newsagent. As a habit I read the article I bought the magazine for first and then flick through it to see if there is anything of interest. Luckily there is: a review of an artist I'd never before heard and who's being tipped as the next best thing since sliced bread!

The photo isn't very flattering: the guy is slouching in a huge armchair, sweaty from the gig he's just played and making a face! He's into stuff I had never listened to: The Stooges, Alex Chilton, Led Zep, Van Morrison, Captain Beefheart, Charlie Mingus… What? There's actually some kind of heartfelt music other than the crap we get on the radio? Wait, he knows of Edith Piaf! Interesting… I make a mental note to check his music out. A few days later I'm on my way to my "money-bringer" when I decide to stop at the supermarket for a snack… and a quick browse in the music section. My supermarket is great, it spreads on two floors (three nowadays) and holds everything and anything anyone could ever wish to buy from food to hygiene essentials to electrical goods to tapes and CDs! All of this for a very reasonable price! That guy's album is in stock and the CD is only a mere 70 francs (about £7) and although I have a CD player at home for some reason I buy the tape.

That reason is my precious-personal-tape-player-that-never-leaves-my-side-not-even-when-I-go-to-bed is, surprise surprise, in my bag! Unfortunately I don't have any time to listen to any song as I'm about to start my shift, doesn't matter, I've got something to listen to on my walk home. The evening drags on. How is it that people enjoy spending their Thursday evening stuffing their faces with third-rate cheap leftovers in this place rather than go home with their weekly shopping they just bought and cook themselves a lovely dinner with fresh food? Or go to a nice restaurant (notice the keyword here: RESTAURANT, not cafeteria)? Well, as I said: cheap! It's half past eleven, the place is finally empty and clean, all the "food" back in the fridge, ready for another serving tomorrow (and the day after tomorrow, and the day after…), the crockery is neatly tucked on the shelves (minus the full tray I broke in the middle of the fully-packed "serving room" earlier, that'll be deducted from my meagre wages, great!), my smelly uniform is back in the locker. I'm ready to go home, headphones on my ears.

I open the back door, start walking, press the play button, and check my watch: it's exactly midnight. The first track starts: a slow, quiet at first, sound resonates in my ears. I have no idea what I got myself into yet. Then as the music gets louder a wonderfully strong storm breaks into the autumn sky. Ah, brilliant, I'll get soaked by the time I reach home, the perfect ending to a perfectly dull day! But then the voice soars and I am taken somewhere I've never seen before… It usually takes me a little under 15 minutes to get home, that's when I powerwalk, and I powerwalk everywhere, I'm from the rough suburbs, on the East Side of Paris, where a girl has to check her back every 10 seconds if she wants to stay alive! If you've seen La Haine you'll know what I mean!

That night I reach home about an hour after leaving work and completely soaked and to this day I still wonder how I made it back as I have no recollection of walking! I return to the supermarket the next day and purchase the album again, this time on CD so I can have the pleasure of listening to the whole thing without any interruption! I also check when the artist is next playing Paris: I've just missed him by a month, when he played a tiny venue I don't even know about but he will be coming back in February. Right then, one ticket please. I ask friends at uni if they've heard about him and the answer is the same every time: nope… I'll go by myself then.

11th February 1995: I am bored to death with my life, I quit my cafeteria job within a month of working there, university isn’t getting me anywhere, I love the English language but keep thinking I'd get so much more by living abroad then "training" to be a language teacher in France (that seems the only option for everyone on my course). I have been dreaming about England since my first trip there, I was 4 years old and that was my last holiday with my both parents (they divorced the next year, whether or not that's related, I have no idea, your guess is as good as mine). I'm meeting a uni friend at noon but am running late and by the time I get there she's gone. My fault! Oh well, I'll hang around, I'm not far from the venue where that guy with the big voice is playing tonight. I've got six hours to kill and a good book (so good I can't even remember which one it is now!). I walk around the area, not far from Bastille, come back on my steps and settle on the step outside the venue entrance. I'm cold, I have no money for a cup of coffee (my grant still hasn't materialised) and I wish I had found a friend to come with me so that at least the hours waiting for the gig could be spent chatting.

A tall blonde woman comes out of the venue and throws me a look, just a glance, smirking. She probably thinks I'm a groupie! Make it an intellectual one then as I'm plunged in my reading! Or maybe she is one and she's been up to something? Wait, she goes back in… second serving? No, she works there, she tells me as she's coming back out. We start a conversation, I suspect she's trying to check me out, just in case I'm some psycho! Within 20 minutes she asks if I want to go in as it's rather cold outside and meet the band. Come again? That's not what I'm here for, I don't want to disturb. That's no bother, she guarantees me, the soundcheck hasn't started yet. So I grab my book and my bag and accept her invitation, I can do with warming up. I enter the hall, walk through the double doors and then… I can't see where I'm stepping as the room is plunged in black compared to the daylight I just left. As I stop to let my eyes get used to the darkness the woman turns around to me and, whilst pointing at the stage, says “The band's over there, go talk to them then.” I freeze, I believe my level of English is fairly good but my confidence isn't and I can't bring myself to walk across the empty room to casually chat with strangers like we've know each other for years. I do not have that sort of boldness! The blonde then announces: "I'll go and get the singer for you!" and before I have time to protest and walk back outside she's gone! What the hell did I get myself into? I don't know this bloke, I like his music and all, but I have no idea what to say to him…

As my stomach is increasingly forming into a ball of nerves a man approaches me, hands in his pockets, greasy hair, smile on his face. "Bonjour, ca va?"
My eyes almost pop out of their sockets: "Vous parlez francais?"
"No I don't""Oh, well, I can speak English"
"Hello, I'm Jeff" "My name's Celine"
"Nice to meet you Celine"


I don't yet know it but I'm on first name term with someone who will become a cult legend. I don't know quite why but I have brought with me a picture of Jeff standing underneath a billboard with Angelyne on it, looking like he's praying to the iconic big-breasted Californian blonde. I thought it was a funny shot and produce said picture from my bag. Jeff is also very amused and we start chatting until the soundcheck starts, three hours later! Although the first article I read about him mentioned his famous father I have no clue who Tim is or Jeff's relationship, or lack thereof, is (or as I found out was). Still we talk about him, and his father, his family, me, my father, my family, anything and everything. The venue is playing Henri Salvador, a singer my own grandfather enjoys listening to and who has hilarious lyrics if you understand French but Jeff suddenly rises from his seat, intent on changing it to something he wants me to hear.
And THIS is my being introduced to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. I'm blown away! A lot of Jeff's fans got turned to NFAK from reading here or there of Jeff's liking the now late Pakistani singer but how many of them actually discovered him through Jeff himself? I'm not bragging here, it's just that twelve years on from this meeting and ten years after his passing, I'm still wondering how it happened that I, a common girl from the Parisian suburbs, got to encounter such a character…

We laughed a lot on that day: we went outside for a bit as the roadies were being quite raucous at some point and we couldn't hear each other talk. A man was standing by the entrance with a camera and took a picture of Jeff and me in the street. I made a joke that the picture would be in the tabloids the next day: Jeff Buckley and his French girlfriend! Thankfully that didn't happen!
But we had a good laugh about that! Then a group of fans attending the gig arrived and literally jumped on Jeff. Some could not speak very good English and Jeff turned to me for translation.
The French looked at me like I was some sort of alien and started questioning who I was in relation to their idol! NO, I AM NOT HIS GIRLFRIEND! I translate to Jeff and again we fall about laughing! Jeff went to the tourbus to pick up some photos taken in New Orleans, where he is sitting on the floor with a glass of wine, and proceeded to sign them for the fans.

I stood back, fairly amused, as I am thinking I don't need an autograph, I've just spent a few hours with someone really charming and that's all I needed on that day.

A roadie then steps outside and calls for Jeff: the soundcheck is about to commence. Jeff turns to me and excuses himself: work calls! I stay outside, hoping the fans are not going to grill me. Luckily they don't, their eyes are sending green messages to me and we keep our distance. Half an hour later though, Jeff pops back out and calls my name. He wants to give me something: his autographed photo. I protest, saying that's not what I came here for but get the picture shoved into my hands. I thank him nevertheless and he runs back in. What possessed him to take time to do that, I'll never know. I look at the picture and it reads:

The fans gather round me to have a look and are horrified to see that they only got a signature,
not a "full" novel! I'm floating on air, I have been given wings, I AM an angel!

I come back home that night and cannot stop my flow as I tell my mother about my eventful day. We're sharing a room at that point (don't ask, small flat!) and as it is Saturday there is no worry about going to bed early because of work the next day.
I cannot believe what just happened and that night it takes me ages to fall asleep.

The next time I see Jeff is five months later. The venue has changed, he is now playing the world-famous Olympia, which he's well excited about as one of his idols, Edith Piaf, frequently performed here. He liked her so much he covered one of her songs "Je N'en Connais Pas La Fin" (I Don't Know The End Of It).
The pressure runs high as Jeff has by now become a hot thing, the "must-see" artist of the year. Still he takes some time to take me backstage before the gig for another chat. He also makes sure that I'm coming back the next evening, I only bought a ticket for one night, limited student funds remember?!
That's no problem, he assures me, you'll have a free ticket waiting for you at the ticket office (and a VIP pass as I found out the next day).

The gigs were outstanding, the venue scorching and my fellow French people on fire! It is such a difficult thing to try and describe the feeling and atmosphere of a live experience to anyone who hasn't witnessed Jeff playing, especially those two performances.
They were the talk of the town around Paris for a long time.

I was given a white rose on that second night.
I still have it, dried and preciously kept in a wooden heart-shaped box.

29th May 1997: it's four in the afternoon, I'm about to start my shift (I am now a part-time
playworker) and I have 20 minutes to spare. I call one of my friends, she's got MTV at home, for a chat. As soon as she hears my voice she asks if I've heard the news. "What news?" I ask. I don't know why but I suddenly have a very strange and unpleasant feeling. "Jeff's missing" she says.

I've been given a huge punch in the stomach. My head has been crushed under a meteorite. I know I will not see Jeff again. I can't explain it but I know. I stumble onto a chair just before I pass out (I suffer from syncope and faint when stressed and/or emotional). My friend is obviously very scared and when I come back to my senses she's screaming down the phone. I reassure her and promise to call her back when I've finished my shift. I'm in a daze and need to pull myself together in order to function around the children I'm employed to look after.

I listen to the radio, like I usually do every evening. It's a music program, showcasing new and classic music, presented by a much-revered DJ called Bernard Lenoir. His Black sessions are renowned and he confirms that Buckley has disappeared after a swim in the Mississippi River, in Memphis. His body will be discovered several days later. It's over. The world has lost a brilliant musician and a sparkling soul.
And like so many others, who witnessed the intensity of the live shows, the beauty of the recording that is "Grace", those who are still discovering Jeff's talent on a daily basis, I'm still grieving.

©C.B Love

Not a Mighty Boosh fan? Well there’s always REDFEST!

I know where I’ll be on the 5th July. Not at Redfest sadly. I’m torn I tell ya, TORN!

So, if a comedy headline act isn’t your thing then you’ve got to go to Redfest because, well, quite frankly the line-up is fantastic.

Take a look at this:



Line up confirmed so far:

Friday 4th July 08

The Maccabees
Crystal Castles
Does It Offend You, Yeah? | Elliot Minor | Pete and The Pirates
Operator Please | I Haunt Wizards | Fear Of Music | WinterKids

Saturday 5th July 08

Patrick Wolf
(only scheduled UK festival appearance)
Lightspeed Champion
Los Campesinos! | Late Of The Pier | Johnny Foreigner |
Robots In Disguise | This City | Ebony Bones | SixNationState|

Doesn’t that make your heart skip a beat? Crystal Castles, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Patrick Wolf and Robots In Disguise are a must see!

£64 is a bargain. Make that trip to Surrey. It’ll be worth it.

Dates: Friday 4th & Saturday 5th July 2008
Gates Open: 9am Friday 4th July (campers allowed to stay on site until Sunday 6th July)
Price: £64.00 (+ bf)
Camping & parking are included in the price
Address: Robin Cook Farm, Redhill Surrey RH1 5JX
Information: www.redfest.co.uk
Tickets: www.gtickets.co.uk
Under 14’s free if accompanied with an adult

Gary Numan, he walkin’ on me stage.

First acts confirmed for the first ever Mighty Boosh Festival!

All hail the Mighty Boosh! Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt certainly know what they’re doing, that’s for sure. I admire them. Having the nerve to put on your own themed festival could be seen as an egotistical power trip but with the Boosh boys it’s definitely not a PR stunt -it’s because they are passionate about music and there’s nothing wrong about that!

The line-up so far is already quite diverse in musical styles. You’ve got The Charlatans with their classic indie britpop. A Mighty Boosh festival would not be complete without the electric legend that is Gary Numan. Then there’s Texan dirt-rockers White Denim and finally Polar Bear – the most fantastic Jazz band in the world, seriously, watch the drummer, he’s amazing.

The headline act is none other than the Boosh themselves. This has got to be seen. Not just for the laughs mind you, Mr Barratt is a fantastic musician in his own right. It will be great to see the man in action!

This is what Noel had to say: “We’ve never played a music festival before and a comic has never headlined at a festival before so we are seizing the opportunity and doing both!”

Of course, there’s more acts to follow but I’m excited already by the first confirmed acts.

I’ll be there at the front, with all the sexy bitches, singing along and havin’ it LARGE.

See you there.

Tickets on sale now at See Tickets – 0871 220 0260 http://www.seetickets.com/?c=310082

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Official-Mighty-Boosh-Festival-Page/36282555547

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/mightybooshfestival

INTERVIEW: RUTH of BIMBO SPAM

I first met Ruth back in the 90s, I was about 12 years old and my Mum had dragged me along to an art project at the YMCA in Kingswood, Bristol. Ruth was the ‘artist in charge’ and I seem to recall that I thought she was very cool.

Jump forward to 2006. I’m sat in Patrick Duff’s living room attending his songwriting group for the first time. Opposite me is a woman whose face is strikingly familiar. The morning session (by morning I really mean lunchtime by the time everyone had settled down) turns out to be more of a group therapy where each person talks about their past week which normally included a good moan or a cry about something or other. As soon as I heard Ruth’s name everything clicked into place.

During a break I mentioned my Mum and the art project we did many moons ago. Her face lit up and we’ve been friends ever since. You’ll find me performing with Ruth in the coming months as part of her band Bimbo Spam.

I asked Ruth a few questions about her life, her music and art. Here’s what she said…



Cat On The Wall: Please tell us a little about yourself...

Ruth: I grew up in the Midlands in a town called Tamworth at a time when there was very high unemployment. The one thing that had a bit of spirit was the local music scene so I grew up watching bands, falling in love with my fair share of bass players & spending all my pocket money on records. I left home at 19 and went to study fine art up in Newcastle upon Tyne, I got very disillusioned. I thought it should be about creativity and magic and it turned out to be all about marketing and strategy. I was too much of a dreamer at that point to be cynical enough to embrace the wonders of the postmodern capitalist extravaganza.
I worked for a touring theatre company based in London, carved marionettes in Cornwall and became a drug addict in Bristol which did wonders for my cynicism. These days I grow vegetables and make up songs with my friends.

COTW: You were quite a late starter on the guitar. What made you decide to pick it up and start writing your own music?

R: I was living in a hostel in Bristol and trying to find a way to get off drugs. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do instead so I bought a bass guitar from my friends brother & started to teach myself to play it. The bass resonated inside me and filled the hollow aching space left by the drugs and the rhythms hypnotised and soothed me. I got a job as a barmaid doing the graveyard shift and Saturday nights and there was all this out of date booze left behind by the previous landlord, my boss said I could have it so I used it to pay an alcoholic friend of mine to give me bass lessons, which seems a bit wrong now but it was so right at the time. The first song I wrote was with the bass, it was a song called ‘Liar’ about the end of a relationship. Its difficult writing songs with the bass as the melodies are different so I had been doing a’capella or working with other guitarists. My friend Dan gave me his old electric guitar & I started messing about with it through my bass amp and then wrote a bunch of songs as I learned a few chords. I think having strengthened up my little finger playing bass really helped me coz I was able to squeeze a lot of variation from one chord.

COTW: Lyrics play a big part in your songs. What is the writing process? What inspires you?

R: I had always written poems, stories & bits of lyric since I was a kid. I had written stuff on scraps of paper, backs of envelopes and receipts and would leave them lying on the floor. Every now & then when I tidied up I would find these words and didn’t want to throw them away so I poked them through a gap into the drawer of this little filing cabinet I have. I never opened the drawer, just poked things in. I started going to a songwriting group in Bristol and when I mentioned about the filing cabinet they persuaded me to open it & I bought a book and copied all the words into it. There were bits of songs there & I still find inspiration in some of the things I wrote then. Sometimes a song comes out all in one go when I hear a melody. I write mostly from personal experience, I am inspired by the places I have been and the people I have known. I often get a couple of lines in my head repeating like a mantra and then it takes a while for the rest of the song to turn up.

COTW: First and foremost you are an artist. Are you working on any projects at the moment?

R: I suppose Bimbo Spam is a project but if you mean painting and sculpture, yes I have a studio and I am working on a sculpture installation involving plaster models of human foetus’s and salvaged televisions. I showed a piece in a café a couple of years ago and it got taken down because someone complained that it put them off their dinner. I am also painting battle scarred butterflies and human hearts on rusty metal panels.

COTW: Do you have a preferred format?

RP: No, whatever is to hand

COTW: Bimbo Spam is a very original name for a band. What inspired this name?

R: Its actually a song lyric from a Captain Beefheart song called ‘the dust blows forward and the dust blows back’, he says, ‘me and my girlfriend, Bimbo Limbo Spam’.

COTW: Do you enjoy performing live? Any memorable experiences?

R: Yeah I do quite like it. The worst was playing to a bunch of people who were there for the DJ’s who were on after me, there was no monitor an stage and all I could hear was people talking, I couldn’t hear myself at all and they all had their backs to me, it was awful. The best is when people come up to me afterwards and remember my lyrics after they hear the songs for the first time, that’s an amazing compliment.

COTW: Is there anyone you'd like to work with musically? Any artists you'd like to collaborate with?

R: I dunno, Amy Winehouse to sing ‘Monkey’ or ‘Tick Tock’ maybe. . . that would be funny, I like working with friends because its fun, I would hate to lose the fun from what I do. There are bands or individuals or producers that I really admire, or whose sound I love and I am always open to collaboration and to hear my songs evolve in different ways. I have worked with people who have put a spin on a song that I didn’t like & I felt that they didn’t get where I was coming from. I want to be true to my songs and honour their spirit. I have a friend who was in a couple of pretty good bands in the eighties and nineties and I would have loved him to produce my album. I used to think he was a shaman and I went out to visit him in Colombia when he moved there from Cornwall, Christmas and New Year 1999-2000, I was there for a month, he’s been out there ever since, I don’t think he’s coming back !! Open to offers.

COTW: Do you remember the last dream you had?

R: No. I’m pretty sure I dream every night though and do remember them occasionally. I went to see a psychotherapist once and he asked me to write down my dreams so I kept a notebook by my bed and for a week I wrote them down the second I woke up before they faded. He asked me to choose one and interpret it. I stopped writing them down after that. I like to leave them where they are, I think they are doing fine without me poking about in them.

COTW: What are your plans for the near future?

R: going to bed x

Jo Whitby

http://www.myspace.com/bimbospam