It’s all systems go at the moment for Liverpool based (but mostly Leeds-born) outfit FRIDAY’S GHOST, whose push for wider recognition has seen the band self-release and distribute an impressive 4-track ep in recent months. With momentum quickly gathering, riding on the crest of the wave generated by the record’s impact has meant radio airplay, most significantly in the form of the XFM competition that the band won hands-down some eight days prior to the time of writing. The prize? An all expenses paid trip to New York no less, and an opportunity to test the waters Stateside with an appearance at a showcase event in the Big Apple!
With the music loving public becoming increasingly aware of the Friday’s Ghost phenomenon, these are interesting times indeed for the five-piece purveyors of heavy-hitting atmospheric rock n’ roll. W&H was therefore delighted to catch up with front man Jim Warburton, along with Synth player Joel Tourton and drummer Wardy prior to their latest Liverpool show.
For once I’m there early, and its Joel and Wardy who find me skulking in a corner of the Marlborough Arms, only round the corner from the venue, but a million miles away when you consider the timewarp (complete with 1970’s prices!). Recent events have left them glowing, and though they are reluctant to convey swell-headedness by waxing lyrical about last weekend’s trip to America, I’m full of questions about their experience. As the rest of the group were dropping off equipment at the club and at home, I was free to break ice by getting the most incisive stuff out of the way first (How big is everything in the U.S.? Were the traffic cops prone to crotch grabbing displays of expletive-happy exhibitionism?).
It was my attempt to keep the actual interview alive with first-time recollections of their experience, and these two humoured me in such a friendly manner that I regretted not being able to switch on the tape due to the din in the packed pub. Half an hour later, backstage at the neon paradise that is Zanzibar, all three interviewees were most forthcoming about the snowball effect that has characterised recent events for the group.
JW: Well….We entered an unsigned competition on XFM, about a month ago (this was one of the places the band sent 500 copies of their EP out to). We ended up winning the weekly competition, and they entered us for another competition which carried a first prize of a trip to NYC. The decision was based on a vote, so we called up everyone we knew and ended up winning hands down. It was pleasing that a fair few listeners must have voted for us as well (laughs) as we don’t know a few thousand people. The voting took place last Thursday, and they flew us out on Friday Morning – which gave us about 5 hours to pack. We ended up playing a gig on the Saturday night, after being treated very well. We played to a big group of trendy New Yorkers, labels, magazines etc. (pause) yeah, it was….I mean, how much d’y’wanna know?
He laughs and shrugs. Thoughts turn to how FG formed, and the story continues:
Wardy: well four of us are from Yorkshire, the Leeds area – Jim’s from Warwick. We met in Liverpool where we all studied….something (laughs). Eventually we decided it was good enough…serious enough to move in together (more laughter). That was about 18months ago”
JT: “What’s good is that we have a basement which we use as a rehearsal space, which obviously saves us a fortune”.
JW: “There were a couple of demos circulating, but Work Of The Invisible Hand was where we stepped things up a bit”
JT: “It’s not released in terms of through a record label, but in terms of it being readily available, either by download from our website…”
Wardy: “..The difference is that the previous demos were to get us gigs, whereas the EP was a move towards attracting the interest of the media”.
JW: “It was the first time that we contacted the press, radio stations etc”.
Wardy: “We’ve been our own band, our own…..factory workers (laughs), our own designers…and we’ve been our own production team, promotions department…”
Do they see a time in the near future when these tasks will be in the hands of specialists, leaving them free to concentrate on making music?
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JW: Yes (emphatic). Whilst we were in New York, we acquired a few more contacts, and we’ve had a few more people asking about us
JT: “because we’ve done everything from the start, it’ll be a long search/hard job to find someone with the same ideas as us, in terms of the direction in which we want to go
Wardy: “Jobs are open, with very low wages” (More laughter at this!)
JW: we want to record on our level basically. These demos were done on a low budget etc. I mean the long term goal is to make music a full time job/career – then we can concentrate fully on what we’re doin’…
Wardy: “At the moment, we’re all working 9-5, as well, so you have to be committed to the music to get home from work and pick up an instrument, as opposed to turning on the TV”.
JT: “For most people it’s like having three full-time jobs – being in a day job, being in a band in terms of music, and being in a band in terms of promoting it, which is pretty much like having three full time jobs”.
Wardy: “Yeah, we all try and have lives as well” – getting big laughs again for his trouble!
JW: Yeah, it’s difficult. In the space of three and a half years, it has slowly become more and more full-time – which is how I think we all want it to be (nods of agreement). “We all believe in it to the same level, which is very, very important”.
There were just 26 copies of ‘Work Of The Invisible Hand’ left available at the beginning of the night, which made tonight’s ‘launch’ as unofficial as the random six-band line up for tonight’s show was random - including some half-assed Cheech and Chong style comedy outfit dressed as hippies whose aim was comedic effect rather than musical innovation (Hey, if you’re reading, you got laughs out of most - me included - and not just your pals in the audience, so, erm….job done)!
It all served to emphasise the different level which Friday’s Ghost are now working on. They looked a little out of place, even awkward bunched on the makeshift stage, behind a glitzy handrail in this neon paradise. Yet right away they stood head and shoulders above this evening’s competition, sounding every bit like the signed act that they are surely on the verge of becoming.
The media success that they’re currently enjoying may seem like instant gratification, but the three and a half years they have been together living the music were also in evidence – Friday’s Ghost might well have gotten lucky, but in this life you make your own luck – and no amount of that will see you through without the quality to back it up.
Their solid sound carries undoubted power when emitting from the speakers, and all of the EP’s four tracks impressed as the group flooded the venue with their brooding, bleeding cacophony - loud as you like despite the introspective nature of their music.
Their six song set was over all too soon, but was enough to recommend again that you give this spectral quintet a spin, as pound for pound this is deep enough to immerse yourself in, and falls into place when heard live.
Though this was a local gig, the FRIDAY’S GHOST ‘homecoming’ is their next appearance, at Joseph’s Well in Leeds on the 2nd December. If you like your rock n’ roll to bask in the shadow of darkness, then this could be your new favourite band.
www.myspace.com/fridaysghost
http://www.fridaysghost.com
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