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 I do like to combine aspects of work, but this is the first time I've met someone who multi-tasks in the way Jen from Remedy does. Her day job takes her around the UK to various events, working for a record company. The band Remedy plays covers and has now branched out into original material, no doubt benefiting from Jen's knowledge of the industry to allow the opening of doors into a whole new musical career.
They charged into the HRH press room flushed from the success of a great live show, the bald Geordie guy brandishing trainers, hopping around barefoot and yelling something about tittie signing, which he later assured me was the best bit of playing at a festival. I think he meant autographs... These people are mad, completely insane. So they may well be the next big thing. Here's how our chat began:
Jen: Oh God, you can't do this interview without your shoes on!!!!
Ah go on, get 'em off! Off! Off! Give me your shoe!!!! Why do you play gigs with no shoes on?
Him: Because my feet sweat!
What, and the rest of the world doesn't sweat on stage?
Him: Well, it's much more comfortable... unless there's glass on the stage, then it's not so comfortable!
Jen: The downside is you might end up falling on your arse because you haven't got any shoes on!
Aha, more entertainment for the crowd...
Jen: It would be entertaining for us! [everyone laughs]
Right, are we going to make something of this then? You're the bass player and you are...?
Him: Lee!
And you're Jen and you...
Jen: Sing!
And...
Graham: Graham! Lead guitar!
Phil: Phil. Drums!
My god, you look younger than my daughter! I feel a right old hag! [everyone practically dies laughing]
Phil: Hang on, how old's your daughter?
Jen: That's gotta be worrying, he's the oldest of the lot of us! He's 24! Who do you think looks the oldest?
Him! [pointing at Lee]
Lee: It's because I'm balding and I haven't got any hair!
Jen: It's the mature look... [laughs]
I missed the show earlier because I was waiting to do interviews in the press room! What kind of music does Remedy play? And Jen, how come you're here at Hard Rock Hell with your own band when your job is about promoting other bands?
Jen: Our music is more melodic rock, developed from classic rock styles. We've realised that we are quite young, so let's play something more our age. So it's been developed into a sound that's melodic rock – but with a bit of edge.
What are your main influences?
Jen: My vocal influences are Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin and Steven Tyler, Aerosmith.
Lee: We've got like Incubus and Foo Fighters, more modern influences now.
Graham: Yeah, and Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page.
Jen: It's been like classic rock has been the basis for all our influences... Free, Bad Company, things like that. We're all influenced by the music we were brought up on, but we've obviously found bands that are our age, our generation... we've combined the two and made... A great big mess!
Do you think that being younger, with this influences-, makes it harder for you now that a lot of older bands are reforming and touring again?
Jen: It blurs the lines a bit, confuses things a little bit.
Lee: I suppose that's why we got a bit more modern...
Jen: Yeah... There's too many classic rock bands to go and support. We got sick of playing in front of old men! We thought we'd go find some younger people and bands, such as Logan, and join in and play to an audience more our own age. It's great, and they really like it. The older generation liked it when we started, but now we're playing to our generation too, it's like an affirmation for us.
That's cool because there are twice as many fans you could be going for!
Jen: Yeah, it's great!
Is this the biggest gig you've done so far then?
Lee: Yeah, with our own material it is. We've played a few covers gigs, to, like, festivals and bike rallies, to, like, 8,000 people.
I bet that was blast.
Jen: yeah it was, huge stage outdoor lights and the rigging and everything. Doing all the cover songs to 8,000 hairy bikers! [laughs] It was good fun.
How long have you been together as a band?
Phil: Erm, two months, technically!
Graham: Yeah, the drummer's been here two months.
So a REALLY new band!
Jen: We've been playing together for nearly four years, doing covers, and writing together for about two years. Phil joined in September.
So it's all fresh and new and ready to go as an original band now? This is a really exciting time for you. What's the game plan?
Lee: The album. We've got fifteen songs wrote!
Graham: We keep writing as we go, we've been doing that for the last two months...
[Jen and Lee now fight over one of my business cards]
Ah I see your game, it's so you can send me a CD to review!
Jen: [hitting Lee so she wins] Get off! I'll find it later! [hides the card in her chair] We released a CD this time last year, then we went and did a tour we put together ourselves. It was interesting, to say the least! We were totally green about the whole touring thing, so we had to experience it. Then in August our original drummer left and so Phil came along. So now it's like starting the whole campaign agauin, except this time we wanna end up a step further up!
Obviously I can't ask Phil as he is the newest member, but what was the main thing you learned about the business of touring last year?
Lee: It's kinda... you travel for hundreds of miles, expecting people to know who you are and come to your gigs. You've gotta buil up a reputation first.
Graham: So we're gonna tour with another band, hopefully, or other bands...
Jen: Bands who already have a following.
Any plans as to who you'll be approaching in the New Year for that?
Jen: I've been looking, seeing who's out, who's touring... First step was to get our demo CD, which we've just finished this week... getting that finalised, so now we can send it off. It's a sample of the new album which will be released in March, so it lets people know we're looking for a tour to coincide. You know, here's the style, we'll support you, here's what we're gonna play.
Well Jen, you obviously know from your other job, but a lot of tours at that level mean buying on to the tour... as a band, are you prepared to commit money to doing that at this stage?
Lee: Well, with us doing the covers band as well, it funds the whole thing. We're really self-sufficient, got everything on our own backs so... we pay for everything ourselves.
Jen: We've manufactured everything ourselves, we paid for the tour last year ourselves.
Graham: The thing about pay-ons [pay to play tours] is that we toured for ourselves last summer and we spent a thousand pounds on it. And we played nowhere near as many people as if we go out on tour with somebody else. So, sort of price-per-punter, if you know what I mean, it's well worth it, you know?
Jen: Yeah it's the reputation, the word of mouth it starts to generate... Then we'll be able to get on tour with a bigger band!
That's useful for other young bands to hear, especially if they are trying to decide if a buy-on is worth it or not.
Jen: I would never say one way is better than another, so to speak, without first experiencing the other. That tour was worth doing, it made us stronger.
Lee: Yes, definitely.
Jen: If we hadn't have done it, then we wouldn't have know, right, that's the way to go forward. I'm glad about everything we've done.
Have you hanything crazy going on this weekend, at Hard Rock Hell? Got any Rock 'n' Roll stories for us?
Lee: Actually, we hit the road at 8 o'clock this morning so it's been a big blur!
Are you staying here [at Prestatyn Sands] overnight tonight?
Jen: Yeah, we are. I've been up since 7 o'clock this morning, and I've driven for five hours...
Lee: Come the morning I'm sure there'll be something to report, like... [everyone laughs]
Jen: Come back tomorrow morning and we'll tell you everything!
So it's party time tonight then?
Lee: More shoe sniffing and tittie signing, I hope! And you can quote us for that! [uproarious laughter from everyone]
Jen: Yeah, we're glamorous, shoe-sniffing and tittie signing! That's us!
Lee: Yeah, Remedy says... Hard Rock Hell equals shoes sniffing and tittie signing! That's gonna be in a magazine in a year's time or something, I'm sure we won't be allowed to forget it...
I'm sure I won't forget it in a hurry. Thanks to all the band for a great fun interview. Krissy x
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Great review Krissy. I enjoyed reading it.
Peter