Fat Les are to make a film, release an album and launch a celebrity pirate radio station.
The avant-garde outfit, led by comedian KEITH ALLEN (pictured in amusing gnome costume)and featuring Blur‘s ALEX JAMES, JOE STRUMMER and artist DAMIEN HIRST, are currently in the charts with their second single, ‘Naughty Christmas (Goblin In The Office)’, the follow-up to ‘Vindaloo’, which got to Number Two during the World Cup.
Keith explained that the group were using cash made from their record sales to buy a transmitter in order to set up a pirate radio station based in London, which they hoped to launch early next year.
He said that the station would feature a lot of celebrity guest presenters and that they would be attempting to hijack various frequencies around the capital, and would target Radio 1, Xfm and Radio 4.
Allen said: “I used to do pirate radio in the ’80s and I know it’ll be a great laugh. We’ve already got loads of stars who want to do it and there’s going to be loads of comedy on it too, but I can’t tell you more or we’ll all be arrested.”
Apparently Allen is also busy writing the script for a Fat Les feature film, a “very, very dark comedy”.
“It’s about a pub football team who win the FA Cup,” explained Allen. “It’s a comment on the state of football and the money that’s invested into it as much as being a reflection of the society we live in, this Blairite fucking isle.”
The Fat Les album is currently being written by Allen and will be the soundtrack for the movie, which is slated for release at the beginning of 2000.
The Fat Les team, including comedians PAUL ‘Dennis Pennis’ KAYE, MATT ‘George Dawes’ LUCAS and JOHN ‘Fast Show’ THOMSON, also star in You Are Here, an hour-long comedy show to be broadcast on December 30 at 10pm on Channel 4.
Allen revealed Fat Les would make their debut live performance in Cornwall next year at a festival held at the same time as the eclipse of the sun. The event is being held at Carylon Bay, St Austell, on the same site as last year’s Beach Festival.
The band have also been asked by an anonymous corporate sponsor to write a song for next year’s cricket World Cup in England – on the proviso they use the term ‘duck’ in the chorus.
Allen said he’d not yet decided whether or not to take up the challenge.
Fat Les: a world of shite or challenging prog novelty music that cleverly straddles the common ground between the KLF and Chas ‘n’ Dave? Tell us what you think. Post a message on Angst!
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