Ginge Knievil and VJ Knievil – The Sick Livers – Uber Rock Interview Exclusive
Written by Johnny H
Sunday, 15 March 2015 04:00
Taking some time out from recording their soon to be released second album, I got the chance to catch up with The Sick Livers recently, and in particular frontman Ginge Knievil and guitarist VJ Knievil, to not only get a sneak preview of the potential glunk masterpiece in the works but also ask them a few not so sensible questions about it. So, sit back and relax, pour yourself a glass of something strong and start your day, Sick Livers style.
You’re currently recording album number two, how’s it going so far guys?
Ginge: Yeah tidy, we’ve done most of it now, we’re hoping to have it ready by late March at the latest and then ready for the pressing plant. We’ve done it in the same D.I.Y style as we done the last one, except instead of using sheds this time we decided to use Le Pub (laughs) in Newport, which I think we are the first band to record a studio album there, and that’s in its twenty year history, so it’s nice to do another first, and give something back, so to speak. Our intention is to put the Le Pub logo on the record too, because we do love the place. They say Le Pub is for lovers we say Le Pub is for Livers (laughs). We’ve also got a few guests on the new album. Andy Cairns of Therapy? agreed to do the vocal intro for ‘This Is My Denim’, the album’s opening track. We all wet our pants as Andy was a huge influence in our formative teenage years, and still is to this day really. So yeah, whoa! Thanks must be given to Ian Glasper of Thirty Six Strategies for hooking us up. Bloody tidy that was. A second, more local guest is due to lay some stuff this week too. This may come as a surprise to some but we’ll hold back on revealing that one just now.
So can you confirm to us what the album is going to be called?
Ginge; Well it’s no secret now really due to the hometown shows, the working title is ‘Mid Liver Crisis’.
VJ: Because we’re all aging hipster twats (laughs)
Ginge: And we’re all in the middle of some crisis or other, with fucking mental health problems, fucking kids, fucking jobs….
VJ (interrupting): I hate the way you put fucking before kids.
Ginge: Well whilst I’m no Gary Glitter there is plenty of Glitter Band influence on the album. Especially when we overdub all the floor toms, cowbells and tambourines on it.
Anyway, so to get back on track then, given that you gave us some sneak peeks of what the twisted logic behind the songs on ‘Motors’ was all about via the limited LPs inner booklet, I have to ask what the fuck is ‘Smell Of Elvis’ off the new one all about?
Ginge: ‘Smell Of Elvis’ is about a Christmas present the missus bought me two years ago from Poundland, which was Elvis Signature, in Poundland mind, so it was never going to be the real McCoy like, but it was after shave or balm, and apparently it smelt exactly like Elvis….NOW! (laughs)
VJ: So it was more like em-balming fluid then? (cue much laughter)
Ginge, but surely given your own personal influences it should have been ‘Smell Of Shaky’?
Ginge: Well, (long pause and then a laugh) quite possibly…but.
VJ: Actually that was available in B&M Bargains but he didn’t have enough for that one too (laughs).
You’re producing ‘Mid Liver Crisis’ yourselves, just like you did with ‘Motors’. First question…why?
VJ: Money basically, that’s all it boils down to, it’s just too expensive for a band like us to go to a studio these days. If you want to record ten tracks you’re looking at five or six days in the studio and perhaps £200 a day. Plus at the time of recording the last album a lot of the local studios were either closed or fully booked up and when we looked at it were actually more expensive than studios in London, so we decided to go there to do some of the demos, but for us to do that again, it involves money for digs, petrol for all of us to get there and what have you. It’s just easier, and much cheaper, for us to get the laptop out and do it this way.
Ginge: Doing it ourselves also means we have total control over it, and trying to get someone to capture what we are thinking, is fucking nigh on impossible I think. (laughs)
VJ: In saying that Ginge, the engineer we had in Camden for the first two EPs, a guy called Jaime Gomez Arellano, or Gomez to us, was absolutely brilliant, he did get what we were about at that time. Since then though he’s become a sort of mega-producer working with Kef Acoustics and the likes of Paradise Lost. He started Orgone Studios, as mastering was his forte, but he’s since, you know, got much bigger. Trouble is he likes a bit of metal, (laughs) and death metal at that, but he did get us and most importantly he got the sound we wanted.
Ginge: the other risk we run locally is putting our music in the hands of someone who won’t get us, because we don’t fall into any scene, and no disrespect to other bands, but we simply don’t fit in. So doing it ourselves is a no brainer, and we can do it, so we will do it. (laughs)
So the second part of my question, if Dom Daley of Glunk Records gave you a million quid to record with any producer, who would you pick.
Ginge: I think VJ does a fucking great job, fuck the money.
VJ: Whether I do a good job or not I’d like Rick Rubin to produce us at some point.
He did manage to fuck Wolfsbane up though.
VJ: We’re not Wolfsbane though, I just like the record he did with Jonny Cash at his house, I’d love to do something like that.
Ginge: Yeah I really like the album he did with Neil Diamond too.
Don’t forget Adele mind….
Ginge: Yeah …ahhh. (cue much laughter)
VJ: Saying that mind I would love to go to Gomez’s new studio because he has got some ears on him, and he’s got some of the best amps I have ever seen. He had this little cupboard in Z1 Studios with all these vintage amp heads in there and it was like guitar porn for me. (laughs) I seem to remember one of the cabs I used was owned by one of the guys out of Cradle Of Filth, I’m not even a fan of that band, I just thought it was cool that someone else had used that cab who was much more famous than me.
Moving from recording to gigs, you’ve just played two hometown shows in Cwmbran and Bridgend, what’s next on the live front?
Ginge: Well, we’ve a trip to Dublin for a one-off on 1st May. Trigger McPoopshute are joining the party too for an added bit of Welshness in Ireland. Bank holiday weekend as well. What could possibly go wrong? I’m pretty sure some mad UK folk sorted their travel and digs before us too! Turbojugend chapters seem to have taken us under their wing, which we’re grateful for as they’re a passionate and dedicated bunch. Twitter tells us Turbojugend Dublin are organising a meet-up around the show so it will be awesome to catch-up and entertain them sailors.
Aside from that we’ve also got a one-off in Newport on 17th April before we jet over. I think there was 13 tickets left on last count. That’s unlucky or something, isn’t it? (laughs)
Have you forgotten you’re also playing Bristol with The Dictators NYC?
Ginge: Nah, it’s just that one is kind of like the one for me, that’s on the 29th of May at The Fleece, and they go on to play the Camden Rocks Festival the next day which would be lovely to also play again as we played there in 2013. For me I’m creaming my knickers over that show though.
VJ: And to play The Fleece again ten years after last playing it. It’s a fucking great venue and we last played there in 2004 in a previous guise, so yeah! We’re looking forward to playing with some real punk rock legends.
So any other dates you can reveal? You mentioned Camden Rocks, I personally would love to see you guys hit Rebellion for six this year.
Ginge: Yeah Rebellion would be fucking ace, it’s always been a bit illusive for us though, like all festivals except Camden Rocks and Slugfest. (laughs) To get the chance to play Rebellion was really be awesome though, and I think we’d surprise a fair few people if that did ever happen.
VJ: I’d play at 12 O’clock on the Thursday first band on the new band stage just to play the bloody thing, they can even keep the doors locked if they want. The offer’s there guys. (laughs) I’m just that keen to play it.
And of course you’ll be playing with Chuck Norris Experiment at this year’s Slugfest/Uberpalooza mega event in July at the Dolls House Abertillery, North Gwent’s premier live venue.
VJ: Chuck Ransom is a top bloke, he’s in our handsome gallery [the rogue’s gallery of people wearing The Sick Livers infamous Handsome In A Certain Light T-shirt], so I guess he must be a fan of the band. It will be fantastic to finally meet up with those guys.
Ginge: And other dates wise, then hopefully if The Disconnects come over in July we’ll be hooking up with them for that too.
VJ: Their new album (‘…Wake Up Dead’) is fucking amazing, I loved the mini album that came out a year or so back, and it felt like ages until this new one, but by fuck have they delivered. The more and more I listen to it the more and more I discover new things going on, it really is amazing.
Actually the new Crazy & The Brains record is immense too. Baldy Longhair Records, What a label!
Ginge: I’m still listening to my Shaky LPs I’ve not got a fucking clue what you are going on about. (laughs)
So looking at all the challenges you had to deal with in 2014, what would you say was the highlight of that most turbulent of years, Given that you are still here to tell the story.
VJ: Playing with Left Lane Cruiser was personally one of my highlights, mainly because our drummer Matty’s father had only just passed away and it was a particularly difficult time for the band as he so close to all of us. So originally the gig was pulled as Matty wasn’t in a good place, but he decided he wanted to do it, and fair play to him he played a fucking blinder. So to support a band I’ve always loved and to play with them when it almost didn’t happen was kind of special. As was the tour we did with two men down, which looking back was really what last year was all about. Compared to 2013, which was fucking amazing, 2014 was all setbacks, I mean with [bassist] Dai out of the loop looking after his wife after she had an operation, [guitarist] Darren then ended up getting glandular fever, before a personal family matter made our touring bassist Ian really wish he was back at home and not on the road with us clowns. Especially when we were getting the police knock the door at 2 in the morning, the neighbours knock the door at 6 in the morning, whilst we were doing our best at pretending to be professional musicians. What I found was really strange was that we were in Worcester and they didn’t like Slade, well not played at extreme volumes in the early hours of the morning anyway. (laughs)
Ginge: That is fucking ridiculous….. (laughs) For me though it was probably the Le Pub Christmas show that was the highlight of 2014. The second year selling it out like that in double quick speed, so its looks like we’ll be doing it again this year. Which all seems a little bit crazy.
VJ: The tickets for that sold out in four hours. Which we have to admit really humbled us.
With all the doom and gloom of 2014, I want to lift the mood a little and ask, who drew that awesome cartoon of you lot?
VJ: Oh that was Dai.
Ginge: Well if Dai put as much effort into his bass playing as he did drawing fucking cartoons we’d have had this album finished a month ago. (laughs)
VJ: We’d thought about having that picture and Je Suis Livers on a T Shirt. Do you reckon that would sell?
Ginge: Well I tell you what are selling like hotcakes right now, is that to coincide with each new album track, we’ve some limited badge sets made up. I made them myself, you know. It was either that or making wicker baskets down the day centre. This seemed a much tidier option. You can get them from our Big Cartel store right now, along with our brand new Ginge Says Relapse shirts. As for Dai’s design making T a shirt, well we’ll have to wait and see.
So a few quick ones to finish off. If that is OK with you guys?
The best Slade sang ever is….
VJ: ‘Dark Dangerous & Delicious’?
Ginge; ‘Far Far Away’ maybe?
Which band in the history of rock music do you wish you could play a gig with?
Ginge: The Hellacopters for me.
VJ: MC5
Ginge this one is just for you. Okay who or what bummed you to death?
Ginge: Life
VJ: It’s got to be Thatcher though ultimately though surely.
Ginge: Yeah I can’t disagree with that, Thatcher and her fucking minions.
Which album can you not live without?
Ginge: Backyard Babies – ‘Total 13’.
VJ: Rocket From The Crypt – ‘Scream Dracula Scream’.
Your fantasy glunk rock band who would be in it.
VJ: I’d have Speedo on vocals.
Ginge: What about Les Gray though? (laughs) You foolishly overlooked Les for Speedo.
VJ: Fred’ Sonic’ Smith on guitar.
Ginge: Jerry Lee Lewis on piano.
VJ: The other ‘killer’ on bass, Arthur Kane.
Ginge: Johnny Thunders on second guitar, we just gotta think of a drummer now. Matty?
VJ: Yeah, Matty Knievil on the drums obviously.
So, we reach the final question, and this one I have to credit to our good friend Jake at Brfm. Which would you prefer to own. A duck sized horse, or a horse sized duck?
VJ: Fuck, imagine the size of the eggs out of a horse sized duck, you wouldn’t need a four egg omelette anymore it would be a one egg omelette between the four of you.
Ginge: Sorry, but I don’t get the question.
VJ: I think there’s pros and cons to both though, a duck sized horse would be like up to your knee in size and that is fucking funny.
Ginge: I still don’t get the question…sorry!
VJ: But if you had a horse sized duck that is a six foot duck, or hands they measure horses in, a thirteen hand duck.
Ginge: I seriously don’t understand the question. Who the fuck writes this shit? (laughs)
VJ: I’d have a horse sized duck just to end this, and of course those massive fucking eggs. But wait would the duck sized horse still have the same sized cock as a proper horse?
So that seems like as good a place as nay to leave our heroes, talking about cocks. ‘Mid Liver Crisis’ as we understand it will be available this summer (late June/early July-ish) via Glunk Records, with a whole host of pre-order special editions rumoured to be on the cards. In the meantime if you want tickets for any of the upcoming shows the links are below, as is the link to the band’s merch page where you will be able to order the badges and shorts the guys mentioned during the interview. 2015 sounds like it really could be the year for The Sick Livers, and with your help it really can be.
DUBLIN TICKETS: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/309447
LE PUB TICKETS: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/309509
MERCH LINK: http://thesicklivers.bigcartel.com
SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.facebook.com/TheSickLivers