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Fraser McGuinness.
Fraser talks about getting his nipples out, making lyrics up as he goes along, and farmers....
How has the tour with Elviss been so far?
Fraser: The tour has been amazing. Elviss and The Suffrajets are really good fun. I think we're the craziest on the tour though, we're in the back of the van with two mattresses and sleeping on people's floors and getting wasted every night!
Is there any particular reason why you chose the name 'scenes'?
Fraser: At first there wasn't, there was this channel 4 thing that Keith always brings up though, "Scenes of an adult nature" but that's a bit wussy, I think it's developed because our music is contrasting, going from quiet to noisy. It's to do with different scenes of music. We don't really fit in anywhere, we're on our own, everyone tries to pigeonhole you though. We keep getting called 'The Scenes' which means we sound like just another 'The' band which really pisses me off!
Also, who came up with the site name? "sexscenes.net?" I'll bet that's caused a few red faced teenagers around the country getting the address wrong or angry parents demanding to know why their child is looking at sites with a name like that.....
Fraser: If you go to Scenes.com you'll see that this guy bought it like 50 years ago or whenever the internet started, it's supposed to be different scenes around the world but it never happened, it's just the same pictures for the past 10 years! We couldn't be bothered to buy it off him. Besides, some of our songs are quite sleazy so we decided to have sex scenes just to be different. Get some kids in trouble that would be good! Means people at school can't get to it though, due to the "sex".
What has been your best gig?
Fraser: eeerr..... shit. I can't remember any of the gigs! I think last night at Sheffield, as I get more and more into it each night, I get more emotional about playing but I don't want to sound emo or anything, I despise that word! But I rock out more, do stupid little dances and things!
How about your worst....
Fraser: That's easy! Definitely Cambridge! They called us The Scenes, and there were no monitors and nobody there, the stage was falling apart, it was just horrible. The barman was asking us to keep the noise down as people wanted to chat at the bar. It's called the "Krank'd" tour with three rock bands and theres a barman asking us to keep the noise down!
How would you describe your sound?
Fraser: I'd just say it's us five guys taking all our influences and what we want to do in music, we're not one of those bands that pop up whenever there's a particular scene. It's us meshing all our experiences and influences together and it works. We're still refining it and it's great.
Comparisons to Vex Red are going to be inevitable, with you being dubbed 'ex red' on some occasions, do the comparisons annoy you or do you just ignore it ? Do you ever think you'll be able to get rid of the speculation?
Fraser: I'm not pissed off with Vex Dead or Ex Red because they mainly put it in just to let everyone know that Vex is finished and what's happening now. I don't like how they're using it promote gigs though, sticking "ex vex red" after the name, it's usually the promoters just trying to pull people in.
It's like "they used to be Vex Red, come buy tickets". At our first gig in Bristol we turned up and they had the sign "Vex Red will be playing songs from the debut album Start With A Strong And Persistant Desire'. The first thing I had to do was get up onstage and tell everyone that we weren't Vex Red and we weren't going to be playing any songs from the album! Everyone was like "oh", then we played our songs and everyone was like "fuck it, that was amazing." I don't think we sound like Vex Red.
Has there been any of the usual "ritual" practical jokes or nicknames for being "the new one"?
Fraser: No, I came in and I did the practical jokes on them! They're all old! Apart from Ben they're all 26, I'm 21 so I just steamed in there and gave them all nicknames and caning them! I can't tell you nicknames. The only nickname I've been given was from a sound technician in the studio in London, he called me 'Nipple'. I can't remember why, probably because I always had my nipples out! I'm the one that gives them all the shit...
Where do you get inspiration for your songs from?
Fraser: I don't write songs about one thing. I tend to write a verse about one thing unless I write it all in one go which I don't tend to do anymore. I'll see one thing and I'll think of a few lines, then I'll see something else and I'll write a few more lines. They're all a mixed bag really. There are few songs.... I don't really want to say because I'll sound all political..... ok I've written a few songs about twat-face Bush and stuff, but I don't want to sound political!
Also,when writing songs, do you tend to write the lyrics or the music first?
Fraser: Definitely music. I still haven't finished most of the words, I just make them up onstage! It gives me a chance to get into it more though, just make them up as I go along. I spend a lot of time on the melody, if it doesn't come naturally then it takes a while. I do it differently everytime. I write a word, then that will lead to a melody, or I get one word then a load of other words. Or sometimes I'll write the words then try and do the meoldy and fuck it up! It's different everytime.
Are there any plans for a single release?
Fraser: We've done a few songs recently, we've talked about releasing single on a little label just to see how it goes. We might put an ep together and sell it at gigs and send it to reviews. I don't think there'll be a proper release anytime soon unless someone comes up tonight!
What do you think you would be doing if you weren't in a band?
Fraser: I'd be a clown. In a circus. Or trying to become some sort of farmer. Put my wellies on every day, here Shep! That'd be great!
If you could tour with any band past or present who would you choose and why?
Fraser: So many come to mind! The Doors, Radiohead, Sigur Ros I'd love to with Sigur Ros. Except we'd be totally different! I'd like to play with bands that aren't rock and mix it up but the crowd wouldn't like it!
What is your favourite song?
Fraser: From Afar. It's more of an instrumental, I get to dance about a bit and do some shakers. It's more dancey but still rocks, it's funky. Plus I get to shout "FUCK!", that's always fun. We'll have to do a radio version though where I get to shout "FUDGE!".
What would you say is the Scenes manifesto?
Fraser: Due to the Vex Red thing it's just to get out there and do it. They got picked up really quickly, almost like a fairytale. I've always said that id I didn't get to do a back of the van tour I'd be upset! I feel bad when people try to help with our equipment! They're like "it's my job, I get paid for it!". I want to have a damn good time!
What are your ambitions for the coming year?
Fraser: I made a list last year of what I wanted to do, it was amazing. I said I wanted to do at least ten shows that weren't in portsmouth. Not even a year past it and I've gone to Scotland, London... At the end of this year we'll have done...... More than ten anyway! I'd like to have management before the end of the year, be more settled and people who want to help us.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of starting a band?
Fraser:Make sure that your music is tight. If you sound good it's going to be good. Ooh, this is my advice, here comes a rant! Play outside your area! Get out there and gig! In portsmouth you go somewhere and you see a local band, they've filled the venue and they can walk down the street and say hello to more than one person so they think they're great and that's it they've conquered the world. Don't rest on your laurels, don't get sucked into the "we're gonna do really well" because you're well known in your town! Go to Aberdeen or Tunbridge Wells and try and pull in 30 people! That's my advice!
Fraser: The tour has been amazing. Elviss and The Suffrajets are really good fun. I think we're the craziest on the tour though, we're in the back of the van with two mattresses and sleeping on people's floors and getting wasted every night!
Is there any particular reason why you chose the name 'scenes'?
Fraser: At first there wasn't, there was this channel 4 thing that Keith always brings up though, "Scenes of an adult nature" but that's a bit wussy, I think it's developed because our music is contrasting, going from quiet to noisy. It's to do with different scenes of music. We don't really fit in anywhere, we're on our own, everyone tries to pigeonhole you though. We keep getting called 'The Scenes' which means we sound like just another 'The' band which really pisses me off!
Also, who came up with the site name? "sexscenes.net?" I'll bet that's caused a few red faced teenagers around the country getting the address wrong or angry parents demanding to know why their child is looking at sites with a name like that.....
Fraser: If you go to Scenes.com you'll see that this guy bought it like 50 years ago or whenever the internet started, it's supposed to be different scenes around the world but it never happened, it's just the same pictures for the past 10 years! We couldn't be bothered to buy it off him. Besides, some of our songs are quite sleazy so we decided to have sex scenes just to be different. Get some kids in trouble that would be good! Means people at school can't get to it though, due to the "sex".
What has been your best gig?
Fraser: eeerr..... shit. I can't remember any of the gigs! I think last night at Sheffield, as I get more and more into it each night, I get more emotional about playing but I don't want to sound emo or anything, I despise that word! But I rock out more, do stupid little dances and things!
How about your worst....
Fraser: That's easy! Definitely Cambridge! They called us The Scenes, and there were no monitors and nobody there, the stage was falling apart, it was just horrible. The barman was asking us to keep the noise down as people wanted to chat at the bar. It's called the "Krank'd" tour with three rock bands and theres a barman asking us to keep the noise down!
How would you describe your sound?
Fraser: I'd just say it's us five guys taking all our influences and what we want to do in music, we're not one of those bands that pop up whenever there's a particular scene. It's us meshing all our experiences and influences together and it works. We're still refining it and it's great.
Comparisons to Vex Red are going to be inevitable, with you being dubbed 'ex red' on some occasions, do the comparisons annoy you or do you just ignore it ? Do you ever think you'll be able to get rid of the speculation?
Fraser: I'm not pissed off with Vex Dead or Ex Red because they mainly put it in just to let everyone know that Vex is finished and what's happening now. I don't like how they're using it promote gigs though, sticking "ex vex red" after the name, it's usually the promoters just trying to pull people in.
It's like "they used to be Vex Red, come buy tickets". At our first gig in Bristol we turned up and they had the sign "Vex Red will be playing songs from the debut album Start With A Strong And Persistant Desire'. The first thing I had to do was get up onstage and tell everyone that we weren't Vex Red and we weren't going to be playing any songs from the album! Everyone was like "oh", then we played our songs and everyone was like "fuck it, that was amazing." I don't think we sound like Vex Red.
Has there been any of the usual "ritual" practical jokes or nicknames for being "the new one"?
Fraser: No, I came in and I did the practical jokes on them! They're all old! Apart from Ben they're all 26, I'm 21 so I just steamed in there and gave them all nicknames and caning them! I can't tell you nicknames. The only nickname I've been given was from a sound technician in the studio in London, he called me 'Nipple'. I can't remember why, probably because I always had my nipples out! I'm the one that gives them all the shit...
Where do you get inspiration for your songs from?
Fraser: I don't write songs about one thing. I tend to write a verse about one thing unless I write it all in one go which I don't tend to do anymore. I'll see one thing and I'll think of a few lines, then I'll see something else and I'll write a few more lines. They're all a mixed bag really. There are few songs.... I don't really want to say because I'll sound all political..... ok I've written a few songs about twat-face Bush and stuff, but I don't want to sound political!
Also,when writing songs, do you tend to write the lyrics or the music first?
Fraser: Definitely music. I still haven't finished most of the words, I just make them up onstage! It gives me a chance to get into it more though, just make them up as I go along. I spend a lot of time on the melody, if it doesn't come naturally then it takes a while. I do it differently everytime. I write a word, then that will lead to a melody, or I get one word then a load of other words. Or sometimes I'll write the words then try and do the meoldy and fuck it up! It's different everytime.
Are there any plans for a single release?
Fraser: We've done a few songs recently, we've talked about releasing single on a little label just to see how it goes. We might put an ep together and sell it at gigs and send it to reviews. I don't think there'll be a proper release anytime soon unless someone comes up tonight!
What do you think you would be doing if you weren't in a band?
Fraser: I'd be a clown. In a circus. Or trying to become some sort of farmer. Put my wellies on every day, here Shep! That'd be great!
If you could tour with any band past or present who would you choose and why?
Fraser: So many come to mind! The Doors, Radiohead, Sigur Ros I'd love to with Sigur Ros. Except we'd be totally different! I'd like to play with bands that aren't rock and mix it up but the crowd wouldn't like it!
What is your favourite song?
Fraser: From Afar. It's more of an instrumental, I get to dance about a bit and do some shakers. It's more dancey but still rocks, it's funky. Plus I get to shout "FUCK!", that's always fun. We'll have to do a radio version though where I get to shout "FUDGE!".
What would you say is the Scenes manifesto?
Fraser: Due to the Vex Red thing it's just to get out there and do it. They got picked up really quickly, almost like a fairytale. I've always said that id I didn't get to do a back of the van tour I'd be upset! I feel bad when people try to help with our equipment! They're like "it's my job, I get paid for it!". I want to have a damn good time!
What are your ambitions for the coming year?
Fraser: I made a list last year of what I wanted to do, it was amazing. I said I wanted to do at least ten shows that weren't in portsmouth. Not even a year past it and I've gone to Scotland, London... At the end of this year we'll have done...... More than ten anyway! I'd like to have management before the end of the year, be more settled and people who want to help us.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of starting a band?
Fraser:Make sure that your music is tight. If you sound good it's going to be good. Ooh, this is my advice, here comes a rant! Play outside your area! Get out there and gig! In portsmouth you go somewhere and you see a local band, they've filled the venue and they can walk down the street and say hello to more than one person so they think they're great and that's it they've conquered the world. Don't rest on your laurels, don't get sucked into the "we're gonna do really well" because you're well known in your town! Go to Aberdeen or Tunbridge Wells and try and pull in 30 people! That's my advice!
© 2003 Jen Thomas
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