Punk Globe: Hello Steven such an honor speaking with you. :)
The Friday Night Band: Thank you Kim, it's grand speaking with you.
Punk Globe: So, you have been in the music scene HOW long?
The Friday Night Band: On & off for the last twenty years. I joined my first band 'Lay Of The Land' in 1984. I was the bass player in Pulp from late '86 to early '88. After that came almost twenty years of zero music action until I started writing songs again in 2007 for The FNB. I was reborn at the age of 41, musically.
Punk Globe: You were once a member of Pulp. On which albums?
The Friday Night Band: I was involved in around half the songs which surfaced on the 'Seperations' album. 'My legendary Girlfriend', 'Down By The River', Don't you Want Me Anymore?', 'Seperations', Death Goes To the Disco' & the unreleased stuff like 'Heart attack', 'Rattlesnakes', 'Going Back To Find Her', 'My First Wife' to name a few.
Punk Globe: How did it end with Pulp and why?
The Friday Night Band: I was never really a bass player to be honest & life wasn't too great for me in my early twenties. I lost my job whilst I was in Pulp & that impacted on me heavily. Jarvis could see i wasn't having a good time & he brought Anthony Genn in to take my place.I did get a phone call a few weeks later from Anthony, he asked me to rejoin as a guitarist but by that point I'd decided I was through with music...and that's the way it remained for a long,long time.
Punk Globe: What was it like working with Jarvis Cocker? hes quite the showman. (laughs)
The Friday Night Band: I always enjoyed being in the company of Jarvis, he's a great person to around, very witty. He's got a keen eye for the little things in life. I think my pizzas impressed him, I used to spread the tomato sauce all the way to the edge of my pizzas 'cause it seemed a waste having that little bit on the outer circumference without any topping. Jarv would pick up on details like that. He's got an eye for making the ordinary appear extraordinary & I think it's that which makes him a great lyricist. It's easy for people to forget or not notice the finer details which make us what we are.
Punk Globe: When did you form "The Friday Night Band"?
The Friday Night Band: The band was formed by accident in the summer of 2007. The band originally consisted of me on guitar, my mother in law on keyboards & my daughter on drums. My next door neighbor Gary played bass. Gary set up a My Space site without my knowledge & called it 'The Friday Night Band'....because we rehearsed on a Friday evening in our garden shed. I don't think I would've called us The FNB but it's stuck, no point in changing it now. Since last year we've have a line up change but we're settled now & the garden shed has been carpeted...it's an investment I can't walk away from.....the carpet that is.
Punk Globe: How many albums do you have released?
The Friday Night Band: There are no albums available by The Friday Night Band. At the moment we're gigging & recording home made demos which we put on My Space. I do intend to put out an album at some point in the future but it's a way off. You can hear a few songs on MySpace though.
Punk Globe: What bands do you typically listen to?
The Friday Night Band: The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Felt, Big Star. I don't keep track of what's out there at the moment. I made a decision to stop buying music two or three years ago. I converted all my c.d's to mp3 & got rid of my cd collection. I bought a trampoline with the proceeds, to this day I don't understand why I did it.
Punk Globe: Any you would recommend to Punk Globe readers?
The Friday Night Band: No,just don't do what I did kids. Trampoling can keep you fit but it won't feed your soul. That's a life lesson.
Punk Globe: How was your Christmas?
The Friday Night Band: We don't keep Christmas in our house & we haven't done for a number of years. There will be no mistletoe, no holly, no turkey & no decorations. There's a tendency in the UK for people to daub the outside of their houses in the most garish illuminations imaginable, it turns my stomach. There is no meaning to Christmas in my opinion, just a lot of false sentiment, commercialism & an excuse for adults to stare inanely at pretty lights for two weeks. Not having to work & spending time with family is great though.
Punk Globe: Has being in Pulp been a good thing for your current career or a bad thing?
The Friday Night Band: Well I don't really have a career in music. I enjoy writing songs & if people like them then that's good for me. The fact that I've been in Pulp means that more people are inclined to listen out of curiosity I guess. It's been a good thing though, if you spend time around people like Jarvis then you pick up trick or two. I'm proud that Pulp made their mark in the end, they deserved it.
Punk Globe: So from what I've heard Sheffield is pretty run down but has some great bands from there, tell me a bit about coming from there
The Friday Night Band: Sheffield isn't particularly run down these days, like most large cities it has posh bits & not so desirable bits. It suffered in the 1980's because the Tory government decided to decimate the two industries which generated wealth for the people of Sheffield, namely steel & coal. Since those days the city has recovered economically. Sheffield has produced a lot of musical talent over the years & the scene is in the ascendence after living in the shadow of Manchester for a good few years. As a rule though, you stand more chance of being in a great band if you live in the North of England.... New Order, The Stone Roses, The Beatles, Pulp, Arctics, The Smiths...all northern bands, all great. That's not to say that the south hasn't produced great bands though......The Wombles of Wimbledon were good. Oh and The Stones,Kinks,the Who, Blur...
Punk Globe: If you weren't in the Music Biz what would you be doing?The Friday Night Band: A middle aged has-been who used to be in a well known Sheffield band.
Punk Globe: If we hung out,what would we do?The Friday Night Band: I would turn off the coffee machine & we'd go out for a cliff top walk. You would be overwhelmed by the the breath taking scenery of the Cornish coast & this, along with the physical exertion of the walk, would bring on a need for lunch. we'd drive down to St Ives & I would treat you to a plate of chips & mushy peas. We'd sit by the beach to eat & at this point you'd experience seagulls hovering overhead attempting to crap into your lunch. At this point you'd realize my theory that seagulls are a vindictive species, with nothing better to do other than defecating in your dinner. As a result we would have to eat whilst trying to dodge bird shit. We'd then drive home to pick up my wife & we'd go out & get pissed in the evening. My wife would then tell you all my annoying habits & dispel any notion you have about me being a serious musician whilst I throw up following pint number three. The combination of exercise, good food, caffeine deprivation & alcohol would however ensure you a restful nights sleep.
Punk Globe: Any weird fan stories?
The Friday Night Band: No.
Punk Globe: Any big tours or surprises coming up in the near future with The Friday Night Band?The Friday Night Band: I would be very surprised if we do a big tour.
Punk Globe: If you could pick musicians to make a super group who would they be?
The Friday Night Band: Phil Collins on drums, Sting on bass, Elton on keyboards, me on guitar/vocals. We're called 'Steve & the Triumvirate of Evil'.
Punk Globe: Do you have any videos or DVD's released?
The Friday Night Band: Nope.
Punk Globe: What's your thoughts on the American music scene?
The Friday Night Band: I wouldn't have a clue what's happening. That's not to say there's no-one worth listening to, I'm just very out of touch. Punk Globe: IS there anyone in Pulp that you would work with again?The Friday Night Band: I'd work with them all again, they're lovely people.
Punk Globe: Tell me a bit about your other band members
The Friday Night Band: Karl has very big hair, Gary still can't remember the bass line to 'Born to be your Lover', Dave drives a Peugeot Estate.
Punk Globe: What scares Steven?
The Friday Night Band: War,Incurable diseases,heights & the conservative party.
Punk Globe: If you were to give me a random compliment what would it be?
The Friday Night Band: I admire your Goldfish.
Punk Globe: Who or what inspires your lyrics? They are beautiful!
The Friday Night Band: My wife, I'm just a guy in love.
Punk Globe: What was the first album you owned as a kid?
The Friday Night Band: 'Sladest' by Slade.
Punk Globe: Any goals for the band for 2009?
The Friday Night Band: To become the 12th best band in Cornwall, we're currently 18th. Always have realistic goals & never set your sights too high.
Punk Globe: Any regrets in 2008?
The Friday Night Band: I'd be here all day if I started listing those. I am horribly flawed.
Punk Globe: What kind of crowd do you usually pay to on a common night?
The Friday Night Band: All crowds are good, especially the ones who come to see us. I'm always really grateful when people make the effort to see us play.Benevolent crowds.
Punk Globe: How important was the American election to you this year?
The Friday Night Band: I'm relieved that Bush is on his way out, he is a DICKHEAD. I'm not a political person. I don't vote and haven't done so since 1987 when I voted Labour, chiefly because they planned to unilaterally disarm. Obviously, I hope Barack Obama does a better job than Mr Bush, I'm not anticipating some golden age of world peace & prosperity though.
Punk Globe: What are your views on Religion?
The Friday Night Band: I'm agnostic. Religion gets a lot of bad press & that's mostly due to fanatical indoctrination. I find religious extremism deplorable, the type which crashes aeroplanes into skyscrapers, it's senseless, no God or Creator would want that to happen. I know agnosticism puts me on the fence. I admire people with religious conviction, it takes guts to admit faith & to live your life with a strict sense of morality, a lot of people live their lives without any sense of morality & end up fucking over the innocents. I really don't know to be honest. Darwin's theory of natural selection offers a relatively viable explanation for humankind's existence but it doesn't explain why we are here. Ultimately , no one really knows why we're here or why the conditions are perfect to support life. I'm on the fence until it becomes clear.
Punk Globe: Any side projects coming from you anytime soon?
The Friday Night Band: Nope.
Punk Globe: What makes Steven happy?
The Friday Night Band: Love, my wife, children & family. Music!
Punk Globe: What's the hardest thing about making music?
The Friday Night Band: I think trying to make something tangible out of a simple melody you might hear in your head. Artists are like magicians, they pull rabbits out of hats.
Punk Globe: What's a CD you can't stop listening to right now?
The Friday Night Band: I've listened to 'Friends' by The Beach Boys a lot recently.
Punk Globe: Anything you would like to say to Punk Globe readers?
The Friday Night Band: I'm sorry if I've bored you for the last 15 minutes. I am wholly uninteresting.
Punk Globe: Thanks SO much for this time with you. You Rock!
The Friday Night Band: Ta luv.
