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Speed Circus |
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| Votes: 27 | |
All male, Ska-based indie, 7-piece, hailing from London Town.
Roll up Roll up....Ladies and Gentlemen, boys & girls, I'd like to introduce to you the band we've all been waiting for since the 2tone wave of the 80s took over our nation - please welcome to the stage, the mighty...SPEED CIRCUSHaving gained a Burgeoning fan base through playing the toilet and latrine circuit of London town, as well as blagging a spot on the Madness forest tour way back in the heady summer of 05, the time is now to unleash this whirling seven piece of ska-based mischief to the masses and let the performance begin as their unique take on the eternal mod beat is made ready for the arena. Despite being humorously thrown together through the frustration of choosing between 'The Speed' and 'The Circus', their name truly illustrates the essence of what they're about. With ruthless energy, their fantastical movement creates a visual feast as well as musical delight, with two tone influences signifying their musical genre but also suggesting their exciting capability for - lets face it - they are 'Special'. Their aptitude is instantly heard through their music but the cannon is really set alight when you see them live, they're big, bold and brassy and rearing to be shot through that Big Top! This all singing, all playing circus are leaders in their own right but it's Tom Rowlett, the compelling lead vocalist and ringleader of the mayhem who, as the rest of the band shout's proud, really puts the 'Char' in 'char-isma'. He's north London's Ian Brown, replacing the Manc swagger with an ease and confidence that induces belief the minute he walks on stage. Once there, lyrical inspiration comes from observations, as Bobby explains, "most of us are bar men, people watchers, we write what we observe" and with tracks like 'Drinking to Forget' Speed Circus have captured humanity in their lyrics that we can all identify with. Having only been in the full line up for 1yr, within their relatively short time together Speed Circus have adopted a mentality of hard work and creativity - They already have more than thirty songs to their name that are as diverse in sound as their hometown is multicultural. They all write, sing and play and bring their own individual styles into the arena, not confining themselves in any way, as Russ explains "there really are no limits. It doesn't matter whose song it is... so long as it's a good song. It doesn't matter what style it's played in...so long as it's a good song - We're not interested in pigeonholes. We work hard to be as varied as we can be and as good as we can be".Although respecting the more indie-pop bands who reflect a similar style to themselves, with their mindset of ambition and audacity Speed Circus have the scope to emulate bigger than that!! They want the whole shebang and, used to grafting, will work harder than most to get it. They may represents a renaissance of true new wave Ska in the UK but with influences spanning from Manu Chao to The Kinks, Mos Def to The Stone Roses their sound is eclectic to the extreme, giving them the capacity to reach mainstream exposure without diluting their music.Meeting mainly through music college and mates alike, their friendship has been built on fun and good times. As Russ explains "we work together and we take care of one another. What we do isn't so much a band as it is a family" - and, the closeness that they share is emphasised in the tightness by which they play. A group of lads socialising and playing in their own entities have gelled together to create something really quite unique. Tom and drummer boy Chris Mardon played together in a former band before meeting Bobby Kane, in Music College. Bobby brought in mate Ben - lead guitarist and the youngest of the litter - to get a piece of the action and the ball began to roll. As a four piece they soon blagged a few rehearsals at Enterprise Studio's on the notorious 'Tin Pan Alley' and within no time were jamming together on a regular basis, being loosely called 'The Speed' - it wasn't until the rest of the mob emerged that they became this almighty circus! Being north London boys through and through they booked their first gig at The Verge in Kentish town and by this time the dynamics of their sound were starting to set in motion, as the fun and antics of their method and madness were showcased at venues such as 93 Feet East and Water Rats. Bringing a touch of another kind of north to the clan is Leeds Guitarist Russ Ashford, who supported the band at The Verge. Winning them over with his musical knowledge and northern enchantment, they soon became firm friends and eventually Russ ended up joining them too. But they were still missing two important elements that completed the distinct spirit of Speed Circus: an additional vocalist and a 'Geeze on Key's'. The dubtastic rusta vocals are supplied by Varez White, who used to mess around laying down tunes in Bobby's basement. He initially got involved to do guest vocals but ended up being too shy to do it live. In the meantime the guys gave him the role of introducing the band. However, after much coaxing and a little confidence Varez has now become a prominent figure in the band, bestowing silky reggae sounds into the mix. Things were finally set in full motion when Andrew (a.k.a 'Wibble') became the last member on board. Wibble knew the guys from days of old and through playing guitar in the another local band. Wibble went down to a rehearsal to 'try out' and let's just say the rest is history.Live, they perform with an enticing mixture of compelling intensity and exhilarating energy, which crackles a resonance of ska revivalism but also a soul and jamming that only the exuberance of youth can truly provide. Combing the highly danceable ska and rocksteady beats with contemporary twists, using anything from Jewish and Russian influences in 'Circus Child' to the melancholy indie undertones in 'Drinking to Forget'. But expect the unexpected; catch them on a 'full day' and you'll see them introduced by Ozzy, their very own clown; Tom's dad joining them on stage; and you may even spot the boys Kosov dancing whilst playing a seemingly Willy Wonker-esque rift.... well having a go anyway! Described as many things "they look like a bunch of mates having a laugh on stage" but they do well to laugh, for it's not about scenesters in this band. As opposed to many of their contemporaries, there's no ego's, as Tom is quick to state "they're checked in at the door" - "Yeah, it's about jumping around and having a good time - and you can't do that with sunglasses on your head, looking cool, in a dark club" explains Wibble. This ethos seems to be shared with their audiences who aptly lose their inhibitions and relish in a night that sees them busting a groove to tunes with bluegrass and rock influence as well as being moved by songs about being heartbroken. This sharp-eyed clan might already have tabs on us but with tracks like 'Problem' and 'Riot on the Rooftop' being recorded for a forthcoming EP; winning Claire Sturgess' XFM Unsigned X-Posure Pt1 as well as radio plays from the legendary Steve Lamacq and Gary Crowley; and regional tour dates on the way, we sure as hell should have our eyes on them too - 2006 is looking to be their year...Watch out for the circus, it's heading your way... and fast!!Tom Rowlett:Lead Vocal/GuitarBen Deboo:Lead Guitar/BVRuss Ashford:Guitar/BVBobby Kane:Bass/BVChris Mardon:DrumsAndrew Hillier a.k.a. 'Wibble':keys/'Special' guest vocalsVarez White:Backing/Guest Vocals
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2 thetruebadour
good luck boys!!! give us a vote in return!!! xxx
Referred 1 fan
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3 Mandy Forster
love them - saw them at the Secret Garden Festival last year - need to hear more
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4 DiscoPants
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5 Superso-nick
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6 t-man
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7 Jade1
Woo! Speed Circus are great!! They should play on NME's 10th birthday!!
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8 HappyHeva
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9 MissTrix
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10 maddiehulls
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- YES YES Y'ALL..... SPEED CIRCUS HAVE JUST BEEN CONFIRMED TO SUPPORT THE RIFLES AND THE ON OFFS AT THEIR SPECIAL LONDON GIG @ THE GARAGE ON 20TH JULY. Get tickets via www.getlive.co.uk Visit www.myspace.com/speedcircus for other gig updates!!
