Albums of Purgatory interview Helvis' Steve Watson & Chris Marygold

Albums of Purgatory: First of all, whats the band up to?

 

Chris Marygold: The new L.P “Reverence The Sacrifice” came out in June on Loudspeaker Records thru Plastichead. We are doing a radio session in August for Total Rock Radio, should be 6 or 7 songs with songs off the L.P and a couple of tasty treats thrown in too. We have a few gigs coming up, including the 2003 “Wicker Man Festival” in Kirkcudbright, Scotland.

 

Steve Watson: Kev Porsche: London prostitutes & expansive hotels.

Bloody Kev: Jap Stuff, London pubs & M.S.G

Frost: Acting the twat, breaking bones and eating food designed for and by idiots.

Chris: Suntans & northern warships

Watson: Nottingham, Flaming Stars & Vodka/Brasso/Methadone smoothies.

 

AoP: How would you describe the Helvis sound?

 

SW: The feeling a mother gets when she discovers that while she has been sat on her fat arse watching Big Brother and sending text messages to one of her idiot friends about who they fancy off said television program, her 8 month old bundle of joy has been in the kitchen swigging bleach.

 

CM: The Nottingham Re-Cycling Company… We’ve been called many things, but we’re a big mess of all the bands we’re into really, taking bits from all over, and coming up with the odd song now and again!

 

AoP: How did the band begin?

 

CM: The Sailormen. Acrimony. White Lightning. Iron Monkey. BMX’s. Consumed. Boxing Gloves. Pitchshifter. Labrador. X-Rays. Bus Stops.

 

AoP: What sort of a reaction have you been getting for the new release?

 

CM: Very positive really, we’re still waiting on the glossies to get their act together and review it, but we’ve had an overwhelmingly good reaction so far.

 

SW: We’ve had a huge promo campaign by Loudspeaker, untold amounts spent, plunging the future of Plastiched into skint chaos. Here is a list of items Loudspeaker paid for to promote “Reverence The Sacrifice” opus:

 

A 45ft ice statue of Chris on a boat, going up and down the River Trent. A lifesize Steve Watson plastic dummy (like spastic with dog ones) outside chain of Academy of Sound shops, you put money in his hat, and a voice says “thankyou for scoring a goal for spastics”, specially comissioned Kevin Frost Haribo sweet meats in the shape of a cock and balls, Bloody Kev latex face masks (set of 6) and a limited edition Porsche for Kev Porsche made from money and diamonds.

 

AoP: Can you remember your first gig (how did it go)?

 

CM: Helvis/sixhundredandsixtysixdead. Nottingham Whispers. Sold Out. 2 songs. 6 minutes. New singer required. New guitarist required. No more gigs at Whispers. Caught on video. Unfortunately.

 

SW: In my defense yr’ honour. In all honesty I thought it was my own washing line I had stumbled across, and therefore thought that the ladies underwear the police found on me, was my good lady wife’s…

 

AoP: What are your favourite Helvis tracks?

 

SW: The new song “Hornet’s Nest” 

Known in Ochtriffe as a “Fruit Bon-Fwarey” it consists of a classic blend of strawberry Priest juice, mixed gently with Slayer fresh cream and topped with slavers of fine Belgian Discharge chocolate, all served in a genuine Celtic Frosted glass.

 

CM: probably “Circle Of Trees” as I can’t believe that I was capable of writing a song with so many chords in it, it’s got a great chorus to say we NEVER rehearsed it at all before it was recorded, and it’s a real tasty opener.

 

AoP: What are your favourite all time songs?

 

CM: First 6 AC/DC albums, anything by Redd Kross, God Machine, Entombed, Shellac, Ratt, Twin Peaks/Wicker Man soundtracks, last Converge L.P. 

 

SW: Anything by The Fall, Celtic Frost, Venom, Slayer, Exodus, Captain Beefheart, The Jam, Master, Sabbath, Siege, Big Black, etc.

 

AoP: What was the first record you bought?

 

SW: Enola Gay by OMD, Y’see I’ve always been cutting edge…! Next it was a song off the “Grease” soundtrack, then it was a live 2 Tone Comp L.P “Dance Craze” and after that it was a themes from films L.P ‘cos it had the Rollerball and Jaws themes on it.

 

CM: Unbelievably it was the same as Steve’s, Enola Gay by OMD on 7” from Revolver Records in Nottingham… Then some Adam & The Ants singles and a superheroes themes L.P. The first gig I went to was OMD too, with the Cocteau Twins when I was 11.

 

AoP: What would be your dream band line-up?

 

SW: You can see it on the Helvis C.D, or… “The Stinging Cock Blues Band”

 

Sidney Cook – Vocals

Fred West – Bass

Charles Bronson – Drums

Peter Sutcliffe – Guitar

Michael Sams – Guitar

 

A good BRITISH metal band

 

CM: Bon Scott - Vocals

Warren de Martini – Guitar

K.K Downing - Guitar

Cliff Burton – Bass

Danny Carey - Drums

 

AoP: What do you think of the position of music in general today?

 

CM: It’s the best it’s ever been, there’s so much out there these days, so many types of music, and the internet has opened it all up so as kids can get hold of stuff before they buy it, read about bands on websites, get to know where the gigs are. When I were a lad you liked Iron Maiden, or you liked AC/DC. You bought yer reccids from Woolies and you read about bands in Kerrang….

 

SW: Well chart music’s always been shit at all times, but what you have to remember is that chart music keeps idiots busy and away from you or I! Boy bands, limp R ‘n’ B, Faggit indie, grunge-lite shockingly average pop-punk, slags from Aldi checkout (Atomic Kitten) below average I.Q rappers… The list goes on and on! But so what, who are we the fucking music police? Since I was a nipper chart music has sucked vast amounts, but who can say hand on heart that they didn’t get into music because of radio (be it john Peel, Tommy Vance or Mary Ann Hobbs) eeeeeeeh when I were young, it were only Motorhead or AC/DC.

 

AoP: and finally, what do you see in the future for Helvis?

 

CM: Hopefully this radio session we’re doing will end up coming out as an E.P at some point, then on to work with the next L.P and writing some new songs. Gigs will be a bit easier to book as well now as Frost has left The Varukers. So more shows. More songs. More moshing round the maypole. Let’s fucking go………………

 

Contact Helvis at helvis@ntlworld.com

 

www.helvis.co.uk