Est.1987 headed down to Manchester ’s Ritz to check out their stage show and to
chat with the main man himself about touring the UK
 |
| Darwin Deez on stage in Manchester Ritz |
You’ve been open about the fact that this
will be the last time fans will have the opportunity to see you before you take
time away to work on album three. I guess you’re going to go out with a bang
but what can we expect?
Errr…well
I’m in a bad mood [laughing]. The sound check sucked, which I guess is a good
thing and anger is a good thing to put into a rock show; it never hurts to be
in a bad mood before you play a rock show, even cheerful music like we play. We
get all mad and let it out of our body, it’s one way to do a good show.
You’ve had great success in the UK
The
least is probably the weather and the most? I like to play on a big stage and
we play on the biggest stages over here, that’s nice. I like working with the
people that we work with over here so I like to see them. I like to feel safe
and comfortable; those are my main things in life so now that we’ve been here a
bunch I know what to expect.
 |
| Darwin on stage in Manchester |
And you’re also playing Live at Leeds Festival which is often quite different playing not
necessarily to your fans?
I
always enjoy a show where for whatever reason I’ve got it into my head that I
have to win over the crowd; I like a challenge. I much prefer a challenge than
to be bored. Sometimes on stage I feel annoyed; I don’t want to do the same
thing too many times and I feel annoyed. Everyone who comes to the show and my
blood brothers (my band) are two legitimate sources of pressure to do this, and
there’s only me that is “all I wanna do guys is rip solos” [laughing].
So let’s talk about your albums; there was
three years between the first and second album- why was that?
Well,
firstly it took a long time to tour the first record and I wasn’t able to write
during that time. And I’m not a fast writer, one song per month top speed.
There aren’t a lot of extras when I create; there isn’t a bunch of extra songs
that didn’t make the record, that’s my style. I was growing as a musician as
well but that was a separate thing from the writing process.
What can we expect from album number
three?
I’ve
worked on a little bit, but it’s a hard thing to compose when you’re on tour
because there’s so much to think about for the show. Any effort, energy or
thought that you’re putting into the show immediately translates into results.
Whereas when you write something you can sit there for a year and nothing
happens, so it’s weird. And I tend to get focused on the thing at hand, which
is to rock live.
Do you have a direction you are aiming
to take?
I’m
trying not to, but I can’t resist to conceptually aim it. But I’ve noticed that
a lot of real soft stuff has come out and also simpler and catchier pop stuff
and the last record was a bit more intellectual, experimental and wordy. It was
angry, so the next stuff is going to be simpler, more poppy.
You’ve spoken that you like to be in
control with the recording process, the guitar solos; is that putting yourself
under pressure?
It
doesn’t feel like pressure, it just feels safe if I work alone. When I’m with
somebody else I immediately feel pressure, I have to compromise.
So let’s talk about the current album-
“Songs For Imaginative People”. I guess you want the songs to take a life of
their own as they’re listened to?
Yeah,
I did. You can make lyrics that are a lot less clear than the ones that I wrote
and you can say the same thing; that you want people to use their imagination
and run with it. So yes that’s what I would like people to do, but also I feel
like it’s pretty clear, the story that I’m telling you. I’ve always been
frustrated by lyrics that are unclear. “I got my head checked by a jumbo jet” [Blur
“Song 2”] that’s a great song but what does that line mean? It’s rock n roll
but what does it mean? I don’t want to make my lyrics so abstract that people
can’t relate to the person behind the song. I think in music you get into an
artist and you want to connect with them;
still to this day I don’t know what Damon Albarn is about.
 |
| Darwin Deez pull out all the stop tonight (including the odd dance routine) |
We love your words of wisdom on Twitter
such as-
“Just because my glasses are cool
doesn’t mean they’re not prescription” and “Don’t you hate it when you see a
hot girl on the train and hen find out she’s just another unattainable American
Apparel employee?” What have you got for us today?
Words
of wisdom that I’m chilling on lately that my friend Whitney told me; “Be the
witness” rather than getting caught up in the source of desire. I’m really
comfortable by letting my life be driven by desire; it’s got me here. But
sometimes it’s better to just let things happen and be the witness. When things
aren’t going my way and it’s not really important then it’s like there’s a better
way of living, just be the witness. “I want” is my main modality, I’m very
comfortable with that but I’m getting sick of it because the things I end up
wanting are trivial or not good for me at all.
And here’s what
happened when Darwin
 |
| Support band San Cisco are a great warm up |
 |
| San Cisco's front-man Jordi Davieson |
Sole
support this evening comes in the form of Australian quartet San Cisco, and
their smooth indie tunes prove the perfect start to the night. Reminiscent of
“Vampire Weekend”, they deliver bubbly bursts of indie pop; songs such as
“Golden Revolver” are instant summer hits and, though the band may be
relatively young, their sound is mature.
On stage they are tight and put on an
impressive, succinct show. “Girls Do Cry” is laid back surfer-indie-pop, the
epitome of the bands sound. Their set is topped off with the insanely
infectious and quirky “Awkward”, proving that they’re a band that cannot help
but be liked.
Percussive, up beat and more importantly full of catchy hooks
that scream out to be danced to, San Cisco are on point. It’s clear they gained
fans tonight and there’s no doubt we’ll soon be seeing them back on UK
And
after the warm up in the form of San Cisco it is time for the main event. Darwin
Deez plus his three piece band are well known for their fun live shows, and playing
tonight in Manchester
 |
| Darwin Deez on stage in Manchester |
The
fun loving and upbeat four piece are a blitz of energy as they blast through
singles such as “Bad Day” and infectious “Up In The Clouds”. There’s a great
dynamic between songs from the eponymous first album to the newer, “Songs For
Imaginative People”. “Constellations” from the former is upbeat and catchy; an
instant crowd mover, from the instantly recognizable first riff to the final
riff. “Chelsea Darwin
Again,
songs such as “All In The Wrist” from the current album are complex and multi
layered and combine that with earlier poppy numbers and the dance interludes it is hard to predict what will happen
next. “This
is act three right here. Are you ready?” shouts Darin, before he and the band
down instruments and line up for a dance break, to Willow Smith’s “Whip My
Hair”. With big choruses combined with experimental grooves and unique sounds,
Darwin Deez certainly know how to deliver a live show and it will be exciting
to see what they have in store for us with new material on their return. 8/10
