Three Children Of Fortune talk about Mr & Mr Grimm, bands from Chicago and being onomatopoeic...
How are you feeling, did you enjoy tonight's gig?
Tommy: Yeah, I very much enjoyed it! It's the biggest show we've done, well, the most important show we've done. Apparently there were quite a few important people here to see us so I'm glad we played well!
What has been your best gig?
Steve: laughs This one!
Tommy: The thing is, if we were standing up there playing Oasis songs, we could do it asleep but because we like to play around with time signatures and stuff, we fuck it up, so it's great for it not to go wrong! laughs
How about the worst gig?
Tommy: We played in Rugby last week, at O'Hagens and there were a lot of bands on before us and they broke a lot of things.... and we went on and everything broke! It was more technical than anything but it still fucked up.
Steve: And there was a 10 o'clock curfew so all the kids had to go home, so there was noone there! Everyone had gone!
What made you choose your name, is there any particular meaning behind it?
Tommy: The name comes from The Brothers Grimm, They were two brothers, two guys, called Mr & Mr Grimm who went round Eastern Europe in the mid 1800's collecting folk stories, and writing them down in a big fat book. That's where you get Snow White, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel from. Three Children Of Fortune is one of those stories, but it's pointless. Normally they have a moral, but it doesn't and it's useless. laughs
Steve: So we're useless and have no morals!laughs
Tommy: Before that we were called Rope! Which is a rubbish name!
Describe yourselves in three words
Tommy: Lee, Tommy and Steve. The band in three words.... Visceral, abrasive, and onomatopoeic! laughs Myself? Lonely.... angry and tired laughs
Steve: I.don't.know. Thats three!
Lee: Um... Lazy, lazy and.... dumb.
Who would you say your inspirations are?
Tommy: A band in America in the 80's called Slint, who very few people have heard of, but anyone one who hears them instantly loves them.
Steve: Another band from Chicago called Hum, who noone knows of.
Tommy: They released about 20 albums, and they're good.A band called Shellac, also from Chicago! They've been around for about 6 or 7 years or something. They're quite famous. It's Steve Albini's band. We listen to a lot of jazz, and Aphex twin and stuff. I'm a big Kate Bush fan, I suppose we take some time signatures from the early Kate Bush Albums as well as the ideas of dynamics.
Lee: Pixies. laughs
If you could tour with any band, past or present, who would you choose and why?
Tommy: I'd quite like to tour with the Polyphonic Spree but there wouldn't be any money left for us! I'd love to tour with Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys.
Steve: I don't know if it would work but Fleetwood Mac when they first started, it wouldn't work at all though!.
Lee: Dinosaur Jr.
Are there any plans for recording any new material soon?
Tommy: Yeah. Well we've put some new songs in the set that we wrote recently and they haven't got demos as of yet and we're going to do them soon. They're going to be put on CD's that you can buy at our gigs for only £2, hint. laughs But depending on what happens soon and people who get involved then things may progress.
What for you are the best and worst things about being in a band?
Tommy: Worst thing is having to unload gear at 5am in the morning which we've been doing every week.
Lee: And getting searched by the police for it.
Tommy: The best thing is.....
Steve: Being interviewed! laughs
Tommy:It sounds like a silly thing to say but I enjoy the fact that I'm the only kid from Gravesend who has ever done this! Well not not like that, but it's good to know that we're leaving our friends behind. No, I mean.. It sounds like a horrible thing to say but it's nice to show off! laughs
Lee, you are allowed to talk more...
Tommy: Say something really long Lee!
Lee: laughs Something really long. The best thing about being in the band is the chemistry between three people forming this really intricate and interesting music, because it's just enjoyable to have this link, y'know, just being able to play the same sort of things and have the same ideas and ideals and be on the same sort of level y'know? Ermmm... laughs
Did you always want to be in a band when you were younger or did you have your heart set on something else like an atsronaut or chef or something unrelated?
Tommy: sings I will be an atsronaut, and find Peter Pan... You'd prefer an astronaut la la...... laughs No. Well me and Steve have been in bands since we were about 14. My dad's a musician, I don't really know how to do anything else, I'm a bit like the Von Trapps from the Sound Of Music laughs It's like my parents disapprove if I do anything that's not to do with music.
Steve: As far as I can remember I've always wanted to be in a band, before that I had no ambition. I just wanted to play with toy machine guns and run around the playground......
Tommy: This is the first band that Lee's ever been in so he's got quite a good track record. laughs
Lee: Well no not really...
Tommy: Go on, plug your old band!
Lee: Well this is the first proper band I've been in. Before I used to play guitar in a band called James Roots, we were a sort of post-rock stoner band, just used to jam at my house all the time.
What is your favourite song of yours and why?
Tommy: My favourite song is a new one which we're writing at the moment, it's called Race Car. I like it because it's new and I haven't heard it as much as the others.Songs are like your children, you like them all but you love some of them more than others but they're all your songs. That wasn't from me, that was a quote.
Steve: Mine is 'Hello Stranger' which is the last song we play in the set, because there's nothing wrong with it!
Lee: It always changes but at the moment it's "This Kind Of Fire", one of the new ones.
What are your ambitions for this band?
Tommy: I'll be happy if I don't have to work. I'd love to make an album, it would be great to get signed but at the moment I'm just happy to do good shows.
Any final comments?
Tommy: Support Kate Bush not George Bush!
Steve: Isn't it good to be lost in the wood....
Lee: Silence erm...
Tommy: Wait for it, this'll be good....
Lee:...... Live.
Tommy laughs Ah that is profound!!!! Liiiiive.
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© 2003 Jen Thomas
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