Menswear are to play a charity gig in London tonight (August 16).
Frontman Johnny Dean is the sole member of the original line-up of the Britpop band in the current line-up. He will take to the stage alongside members of The Nuisance Band at Rattlesnake in Islington, London in an attempt to raise money for the PMA Sports Academy, a charity which uses sport to help people with mental illness.
Dean played another charity gig, performing a set of David Bowie covers alongside The Nuisance Band in London, earlier this year, and has recruited Steve Horry, who also runs the popular Britpop Night, Nuisance, at The Buffalo Bar in London, as Menswear’s new guitarist. “I enjoyed myself more on stage that night than at any time in the past,” explains Dean in a new interview published on his official website. “The entire experience was a joy. I trusted Steve to find the right group of musicians. He’s such a nice person; he wouldn’t get involved with anyone who was a cock.”
Discussing the ‘reforming’ of the band, Dean continues: “Technically this would be Menswe@r v3.0, but to me it’s
Menswe@r. It’s what we should have been. I’ve had people I don’t even know tell me that I can’t do that. Why is anyone telling me what I can and cannot do with my own band? This band is menswe@r. We sound better. Besides, this isn’t a comeback, we’re doing this entirely for charity.”
He later adds: “I do feel like I’ve ‘gone rogue’ with this whole thing. But that appeals to me, makes the whole thing seem new. Over the last 10 years or so I’ve been contacted in various ways, usually email, by Simon (White) asking me if I’d like to do a reunion. A couple of times we’d meet up – the whole band. But I always felt like there was something they weren’t telling me. I’ll lay my cards on the table and admit I don’t trust Chris (Gentry) and Simon. Not an inch. I think they’re very duplicitous. Everything’s about ‘What you can do for me’ as far as I can see. I want nothing to do with that world. One of them is 100% motivated by money, and again, I’m not interested. It doesn’t figure in my value system. Certain members have tried to make me out to be bitter but I’m not. There is a huge difference between bitterness and simply not liking someone. So yeah, for me to actually reform menswe@r with new musicians feels ‘rogue’. Add to that the fact I’ve been doing it for charity rather than personal gain just makes it seem even better. It feels right. And it’s sounding great.”
Tickets for Menswear at Rattlesnake are available now, priced £5 in advance and £6 on the door.