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Glasgow Cathouse (23rd Febuary'97) |
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Leed's Duchess of York (September 10th '95) |
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Leed's Cockpit (March1 '97) |
InterView with Darragh Butler
Why was the album delayed for such a long time?
"Numerous reasons. We were touring the last album continuously. We're not the kind of band who write our material on the road. We took six months of to write, then went to record the songs. They weren't as tight as we had thought, then the mixes were off There were also delays at the record company. It's weird. Most of the songs were written two and a half years ago. We've already written the follow up".
You recorded the album in the L.A. with producer GG Garth (Rage Against The Machine) What was it like?
"He was the nicest guy. We're very lazy, so he gave us a kick up the backside to get us into shape. But he's not a perfectionist. His idea was to capture the energy of the band. It felt like playing a live gig in the studio. I finished my work in five weeks but it was really intense for Cormac".
How different is the record from your debut
"This actually feels like the first one. The debut was a bunch of songs written before we got signed, getting drunk and mucking around in the pub. This time round we consciously sat down and wrote an entire collection of songs rather than just throwing together old riffs. There is definately more of an overall concept on On The Turn".
Do Kerbdog fit into a specific genre such as punk, post-grunge or metal?
"No, people always compare us to bands around at the time though. With the first album we were compared to Helmet & Husker Du, I reckon that we'll get loads of Nirvana comparisons on this album. It's heavy but with loads of strong songs".
You've been quoted as saying that your album is the same standard as Nevermind.
"Er, yeah, that's only to wind people up though, and to get attention, The album's lyrics are quite negative People percieve us a doom and gloom band, we're reallyactually quite jolly people. The new single, Mexican Wave, is about manic depression but mostly they're about love and everyday life. Severed is my favourite song on the albium. It's about this guy who dives the bus in Kilkenny on the song he drives over a cliff. I think we'll keep that a secret from te tourist board".
Why did you record the album in LA
"Well there's nothing special happening in the UK, is there? Oasis were the last big event in guitar rock".
What about Bush?
"Bush? I don't really think about them. They're just a mediocre rock band".
Is US success important to Kerbdog?
"Absolutely, it's probably the most important thing. It's been a dream since day one. We're touring the States in June, but mabye we'll have to loose a few pounds first".
KERBDOG/(Sic) GLASGOW CATHOUSE
(Taken from "Meatle Hammer" magazine www.metalhammer.co.uk)
JUST as Kerbdog once opened for the Almighty, so this time around, with their star on the rise, the three amigos from kilkenny return the favoure giving stage time to former Almighty lionheart Ricky Warwick as he lanches his new band (sic) and not Sick (sic) as printed on the tickets. Uniformly decked out in black clobber, (sic) play hard, fast and with macho gusto, as they plough through a mini-mountain of tough, sinewy songs with big lung-bustin', punch the air, singalong choruses. With the ever snarling Rick looking every inch a '50s rockabilly rebil, the whole thing packs a short, sharp, angry clatter, not a million miles from where the Almighty were heading on their farewell studio album, 'Just Add Life'. The response is enthusiastic, although no encore follows. Exactly where (sic) will find their nicne in the post-Almighty scheme of things remains to be seen. Well down the 'up and at 'em' stakes, Kerbdog perfer to their sound rather than their attitude do the business, but no matter which angle you care to approach it from, there's no getting away from their occasional, and sometimes more than occasional, resemblance to Nirvana. Think on it-three-piece band, lefthanded guitarist with a liking for nail varnish and gritty blasts of grunge infested with strong melodic hooks... Getting underway with 'J.J.'s Song', closely pursued by 'Didn't Even Try', 'Rewind' and 'Severed', tonight's show draws heavily on the new album'On The Turn', as the band settle into their rough-round-the-edges grooves and let their gutsily pumped up songbook do the talking. The highpoint of the show comes with 'Pledge', a song which perfectly sums up Kerbdog's current strengths-solid, kicking rhythms, scruffily ground out riffs and a potent melodic afterglow. But while messrs Fennelly and butler provide secure enough propulsion, a sizeable chunk of Kerbdog's personality rests fair and square on the shoulders of the almost cartoon-like figure of frontman Cormac Battle. The ritzy, thrift store combination of beach shirt, tan baggies, wild, out of control hair and those Joe 90 specs might give Cormac a comical air, but nevertheless, he and his cohorts are persuasive about their unique take on all things slacker. One reservation, howeverlike Bush, Kerbdog seem to have picked up the Nirvana' tag and how much further they can take it is anybody's guess.
Grahame Bent
KERBDOG, LEEDS DUCHESS OF YORK (Sept 10th '95)
NY Loose were the first band, at least the first band that I saw. Not bad, kinda punky sleaze sort of stuff I guess. Plenty of plugging for their debut album, Year of the Rat, which might well be worth checking out. Spit and ... Suicide were the obvious standout tracks on first listen, but there could be potential there. And yeah, there'll be guys drooling about the singer. Starting up with the warning that you may get puked over due to a case of food poisoning may not be the wisest move in enticing the crowd to come down to the front, but that's what Cormac Battle, what a classic name, does. And there's plenty of other little one liners thrown in by the Battle and partner in guitar instrument crime, Mr Bass player, including an offer for volunteers to beat up said Mr Battle after he messes up a song. The band have of course shrunk in size to a 3 piece since their debut album and tour with The Wildhearts, but that hasn't diminshed the sound at all, and the new stuff played, which was the majority of the set, sounds impressive. Maybe this time round things'll go better, and doing a lengthy tour such as this one can only help. End of Green still has a wickedly good riff, despite people complaining that it sounded like Pearl Jam meets Metallica, at least it was old school Metallica, and the sound is still there.All in all, a pretty enjoyable evening, check them in your local pub.
KERBDOG LEEDS COCKPIT (March 1)
Well, a late decision that all roads lead north meant that I managed to miss (sic), Ricky Warwicks post Almighty band. c'est la vie. Kerbdog are a band though that deserve some attention and respect, mainly because they play some decent music, partly because they are funny, get to that later, and partly because, unlike most other bands around these days, they are paying their dues. Not many others go out on near 60 dates tours of the UK toilets. And this is their second lengthy UK tour in six months, and the new album's still not been released yet. All credit to them for it, and not just sitting on their asses waiting for a wave of hype. Because of the immaculate decision of the record company not to release the new album until the tour is pretty much over, yeah, nice idea record company people, most of the set they play is new material. And given that it goes down pretty well with the crowd, makes you think how much better it would've been if people had actually had the chance to hear the stuff prior to the gig. Still, it's a pretty good reflection that a band can play for an hour, with only 2 old songs in it, and still retain the attention.
Taking the stage with the first bit of wit of the night form Mr Battle, (aside from the name, Cormac Battle, puhlease, poor git,) about how nice a change it is to see women at the front, the band launch into their stuff. It still does have a grunge ring about it at times, but there's also that extra power there that they always seemed to have. And this time round, it sounds like they've got some better songs as well, which for the main part, was the failing of the first album. End of Green, which is served up as the second song, was ofcourse, one of the successes of the first album, and it's arrival tonight sparks the arrival of the first of a long line of stagedivers. Tragically however, the second stagediver lost all hope of cred in wearing his sunglasses on stage in order to look cool. Sorry, but as it was so eloquantly put later on in the set by Mr Battle, 'if i stage dive now, i will look a twat'. That was another of his little gems, changing the lyrics on the spot. Along with a 'wow, that was so good, I've never seen that before' for another stagediver, and at the end a 'dance, don't dive', for yet another. as you can tell, stagediving was in abundance tonight, or more a procession to get up onto the bass players side of the stage, and dive from the speakers. One by one they took their mark in their practice for the Olympic diving competition. A few more quips about their million selling debut album (it's called irony for those that don't understand), and how handsome the band are (see previous remark) and the unveiling of new single Mexican Wave as their next big hit single. Actually, given the right airplay it could well be, as it sounds a pretty top tune. Loads more of the new album is played and all sounds pretty good. A little bit of attempted match making for the soundman who 'got blown out the night before, but he's a lovely lad'.The band do return for an encore, and Sally finishes things off. All in all, a good evening. Certainly a good decision to travel up. If you get the chance to see them in your nearest toilet on this tour, then do so. They deserve your attention, and are one of the few bands around who seem to genuinely enjoy themselves and have fun, and be done it because they want to not because it's a career and a means to make money. Good fun. Go see.
Looking West To America
Kerbdog won't get much sleep for the next two years. The Irish alternative rock trio release an EP and an album within the next three months, backed with intensive touring, including a sustained assault on the US market. Two years after their last Top 40 single Dummy Crusher, the band can't wait to get down to business. First up is the EP, JJ's Song, featuring four new tracks. More immediate than their eponymous first album, Kerbdog's new music is highly accessible, contemporary rock. "We've all got varied tastes, but collectively we like Foo Fighters, Husker Du, Helmet and Smashing Pumpkins," says bassist Colin Fenelly. "Some people think we're a metal band, others say we've got loads of pop songs." The band's manager Merck Mercuriadis, whose Sanctuary group also handles Iron Maiden, makes this simple assessment, "Kerbdog play good quality pop songs with a lot of energy. Rock music in the mid-Nineties is a bit of Ash, a bit of Skunk Anansie, a bit of Rage Against The Machine. There's a wide variety of rock music out there, from the UK and America, and there's nothing else quite like Kerbdog." Fontana's head of A&R Dave Bates says, "This band has improved dramatically since the last record. Having slimmed down to a three-piece [guitarist Billy Dalton quit last year], they've become more melodic, very current. It's alternative British rock but a little tougher than Honeycrack and The Wildhearts." The songs for the album and EP were recorded in Los Angeles with GGGarth Richardson, whose production credits include Rage Against The Machine's multi-platinum debut. The tracks were mixed by Joe Barresi, who assisted Richardson on Jesus Lizard's first record for Capitol and is currently producing a new album for cult all-girl grunge act L7. Mercuriadis feels Richardson played a crucial role in developing Kerbdog's new music. "They are still young guys," he says. "It's not like they know all the answers. "GGGarth was not only sympathetic to their kind of music - he also taught them a lot about recording. He's a no-bullshit kind of guy and he helped them make the record they wanted to make." Recording in LA has increased the budget and, in turn, raised the pressure on Kerbdog to make a successful album. But Fennelly plays down such talk. "We signed a three-album deal. The record company has given us loads of space, loads of time and not too much pressure. It was awfully nice of them." The real pressure on Kerbdog is to stay on their feet for the next year as one tour rolls into another. They will travel the UK three times before the year is out, with 35 club gigs in August and September, support for a bigger band in major UK theatres in October, and a second set of headlining dates, this time in larger venues, in December. The album, provisionally titled On The Turn, is released in the UK in September and the US in March. The US release will be followed by months of touring. "The first album was released in America, but we never toured there," says Butler. "We'll just try to bum on to somebody's tour, which we're expert at doing." "We want them to tour constantly," adds Bates. "When I saw them at the Splash Club recently, they were so much stronger and Cormac [Battle, Kerbdog frontman] was making a lot more contact with the crowd. They're a bit more special now. The live aspect is very important to this project." Equally important is the use of the EP to re-introduce Kerbdog to rock fans and the media. "It's been such a while since the last record, it's almost like they're starting again," says Bates. "The EP is a way of easing people into the new sound." "This is just a taster," adds Mercuriadis. "It's a very cool EP and it's available in very limited quantities. We have no chart expectations - it's just a way of stating that Kerbdog are back."
By Paul Elliott
Kerbdog "On The Turn" (Mercury)
Grunge isn’t dead. It just doesn’t get into the charts anymore. And Kilkenny’s Kerbdog aren’t about to change that. Formerly known as Rollercoaster, the Irish three piece have produced an album, On The Turn, which has all the originality of an Adidas track suit top and all the innovation of a covers album. In fact, it is hardly a suprise to hear that they used to be a covers band. They look like a bunch of sad bastards with no personality and no style. Their album follows a formula. A strict formula. Cormac Battle, the lead singer (whose name seems suited more to a cement company than a person) starts each track with a whispery angst ridden rant of frustration before it all boils over into a second rate Pearl Jam wail over the background of a base and drum explosion. Their are elements of heavy metal with the base guitar getting brief moments of solitary stardom. And I will admit to the songs having a certain degree of melody and being one hundred percent intense energy from start to finnish. ‘JJ’s Song’, which is track number two starts off with Battle droning like a castrated donky and is just another ‘alternative’ rant until he starts screetching in agony and pain. The emotion is their but perhaps not the quality. The song develops into a bit of an epic and could be thought of as a hybridisation of Nirvana and Toto. That’s one thing for sure. To say that Kerbdog have a sound of their own would have to refer to the noises their arses make because their music (which I imagine is on a par with the noise their arses make) is nothing but second rate American alternative. Nirvana, R.E.M and Pearl Jam can all be sensed turning in their respective graves as Battle and co fail to loose their covers influence. ‘Mexican Wave’, which is the fourth track on the album is probably the best due to the remarkable shifts in gear speed that the song takes. It starts off with a few rounds of the old ‘edgey and unstable melody being followed by the bursting chorus’ before everything suddenly dies away leaving the reverb of a lagging guitar string over which Battle sings some pretty depressing and heart wrenching stuff, before you guessed everything explodes once more. You’ve listened to the first four songs and then it’s time to call it a day. Because the rest of the album repeats itself and becomes one of the most boring records that you’ve ever listened to. The only part of your memory that the rest of the album stirs is all those awful student band competitions you had to put yourself through. Song number five is aptly named, ‘Severed’ and this is where you should severe audio contact with your Kerbdog album. If you don’t it means you’ll have to go on to listen to ‘Pledge’ which is like all the others but not as good and ‘On the Turn’ which is a mish mash of raging ‘scwarks’ and noise pollution.
By Mike Williams
