The Caezars are back with an upcoming UK tour. If you haven’t heard been to see them I highly recommend you to go and check this very talented, unique band….
“Vintage styled Rock’n’Roll that Tarantino would be proud of” – Timeout Magazine
“I can certainly see what all the fuss is about“- Mark Lamarr BBC Radio 2
“The Jim Jones Revue meet The Johnny Burnette Trio“- Mojo Magazine
“Now is that good time music or what?” Bob Harris BBC Radio 2
“They’re brilliant, passionate and they experiment too – it’s about 70 per cent Rockabilly with a big chunk of post-punk, with an electricity I love” – Imelda May
“They have the song writing skills and live ability to re energise rockabilly music for a whole new generation.” Paul Hastings- Mudkiss Fanzine
“Surf-infused rockabilly badasses” – Vive Le Rock Magazine
I say no more……..
I caught up with Dannyand AJright at the beginning of their UK tour to see how they are getting on and what they have in store for people coming to their show…
Hi there, how are you and what are you up to today?
Danny: I’m promoting dates and organising guest lists for the upcoming dates of our UK tour
AJ: All good, recovering from the first few days of tour and itching to get back at it
To those not familiar with you, how would you describe your sound?
Danny: MOJO magazine summed us up in a way we quite like which was “The Jim Jones Revue meet The Johnny Burnette Trio” so a 50s styled punk-rock band put simply I suppose. We’re not a Psychobilly band though, which I guess is why so many people say we sound like The Cramps, which we quite like as well!
What is it about music that inspires you to write and try to conquer one of the toughest industries in the world?
Danny: I’m not too sure any artist would be able to fully answer that question, I guess the main reason is that I love doing it. I know it’s cliche but the conquering of the industry isn’t really what drives you, what drives you is gaining more fans over time and having people respond positively to what you are performing and how you’re playing it. There’s no better feeling in the world than watching people enjoy something you’ve invested time and effort into, whether that be through the songs we write or the events we put on to help share that music.
AJ: Yeah I agree with Danny. It’s also, for me, a mixture of not having to worry about anything when you’re fapping out a chord (yes – even the chord formation), and just the general human desire to drive yourself and keep improving until you’re moldy and worm-sodden in the art’
You have a very unique 60’s Garage/Rockabilly style to you, what inspires you to make music today in such a commercially dominated industry?
Danny: Because that’s the music I love! I was brought up on Link Wray & The Sonics so I was never going to start singing along to Britney when I was a kid haha I first heard the White Stripes when I was around 10 and they’ve become one of my biggest influences personally. Loud guitars and rock’n’roll are what excite me, whether that’s me playing on stage or just listening to records at home.
AJ: When we first started out we had some interest from the Venga Boy’s manager (yes really),we entertained scanning the contract, and the nice dinner our manager at the time put on, but that’s about it. It’s important that music makes you feel something, whether it be lamenting or the sort of tone that you feel you could almost bite it’s so exciting and “there”. I don’t think that’s available in a lot of commercial music. YES you can have fun singing choruses, and respect a song-writer that’s invented something so commercially viable, it all has its place; just not a place we wanna be.
Where does the inspiration come from? Do you write about the past or are you writing in the present with a 60’s spin on it?
Danny: I’m not the writer of the Lyrics but when I come to write guitar lines I’m not trying to sound authentic or old I’m just trying to put together something that fits. If that sounds like The Shadows then that’s great but if it sounds like The Arctic Monkeys then that’s cool too.
AJ: It’s hard to give a consistent answer for me because, we started when I was 17 and back then I didn’t care very much.. Haha but the newer stuff we do, I try to write something a bit interesting or a maybe try my best to paint a bit of a picture. You always avoid the kind of “My baby left me and now I’m sad” thing, but being brought up so heavily into 50s and 60s music ingrains phrasing and melody that you can’t really leave behind.
What are some of the key pieces of gear you use to write your tracks?
Danny: Well story behind both of my guitars is quite interesting I guess. My dad played in bands for 20 years and had to sell his beloved Gibson when I came along and my parents needed a new washing machine. He built his own guitar to use after that (by butchering an old Westbury) as he vowed to never own an expensive guitar again. When I was 10 years old he had an accident, which left him wheelchair bound, and unable to ever play again so the guitar was left redundant. Then, on my 18th birthday it was given to me after no one had played it for 8 years as a kinda coming of age present I guess. It’s signed by Link Wray and makes every gig I do with it even more special to me. Because of the guitar being so precious though, my friend “Little Carl” and I built another guitar in the same way, inspired totally by dads guitar, which I now use as my main instrument.
AJ: My unpredictable Recording King resonator is providing me with a lot of crunchy joy at the moment, along with a 60s Reslo vocal mic, but I haven’t managed to steal that off my Godfather yet for live use.
Do you have any information regarding upcoming releases, projects in the pipeline that you would like to tell us about?
Danny: Well, we have an upcoming single release on Darrel Higham and Imelda May’s label Ambassador Records called “Even The Graveyard’s Dead” B/W “Oh! Odette” that will be released digitally in the next few weeks with the physical vinyl 45rpm release coming in a couple of months depending on how long the pressing takes. Hopefully there’ll be the third album in the winter too but the songs aren’t written yet.
What are the 5 albums and artists that have influenced you the most?
Danny:
1) Here Are The Sonics – The Sonics
2) Link Wray The Early Recordings – Link Wray
3) White Blood Cells – The White Stripes
4) Veni Vidi Vicous – The Hives
5) Goo – Sonic Youth
AJ: I can’t talk so much for albums because I tend to pick and choose my favourite singles and take inspiration from any old rubbish that catches my ear, but yes to The Sonics, Link Wray and The Hives. I also borrow chord shapes and the odd progression from Bob Wills And The Texas Playboys, and wouldn’t be anywhere without Mr. Hank Williams!
What other artists do you really like at the moment and why?
Danny: The Wytches are my favourite band right now and I love their blend of grungy surf music, they have such a great sound. I’m also a big fan of The Amazing Snakeheads because of how dark their music is and The Fat White Family are ace too because they have that real element of danger in their live show, like anything could happen at any moment. The Wave Pictures recent work with Billy Childish has a great garage rock vibe to it too which I’m a fan of and I’m looking forward to seeing The Ex Hex on their UK tour as they’ve got such great energy in their records.
AJ: Yea I love the Fat Whites and Snakeheads at the moment, I think Danny’s covered all bases on that one. But also seem to have found myself listening to a lot of dodgy 60s/70s country recently. Statler Brothers, Kenny Rodgers, maybe we shouldn’t print that.
What’s the best gig you have ever done and why?
Danny: Definitely a toss up between main stage Saturday at Viva Las Vegas, our trip to Moscow and opening for Imelda May at the 3Arena. I think I’d have to say Vegas, we played at 1am to a packed room of about 5,000 people upstairs at The Orleans Hotel and it was just amazing. Moscow was amazing though to a smaller sold out crowd of 400 people which meant the gig was just totally mental but I didn’t have my own guitar so couldn’t let lose in the same way as other shows.
What’s the worst gig you have ever done and why?
Danny: I’d have to say Denton Labour club always sticks in my mind with the DJ more focused on telling the crowd what flavour crisps there were on the table than what records he was playing. It was also a weird split-level stage with a terrible northern rock’n’roll social club crowd. It was the first gig we ever played Heartache Overload at though so it wasn’t all bad I guess.
AJ: Hahaha! Yes!! I got picked up out the toilet bowl on my first date that too.
You have a UK tour coming up, where are you looking forward to playing the most and why?
Danny: I’m looking forward to Southampton because it’s about as close as I get to playing to a home town crowd personally but I think Bristol will be great as we have quite a large following down there and well, Sheffield obviously because it’s sold out!
AJ: Yea I can’t wait to do Bristol, as it’s my home. Live music is always electric there too. Also, being in the West we don’t have to settle for Strongbow cider.
Why should people come and see you on your next tour?
Danny: I think live is where the band truly come into their own and what makes us unique. A lot of Rockabilly bands in particular are very hung up on the fashion and sound of their instruments, so much so that they forget that rock’n’roll is meant to be wild, fast and out of control. That’s exactly what we try and deliver every time we set foot on-stage, otherwise you might as well be sat at home listening to our records.
AJ: To criticise my new facial hair!!
If you weren’t a musician what would you be?
Danny: I am studying a degree in music industry management at the moment in my third year so really want to end up in the music industry at some level as I enjoy booking the gigs and dealing with promoters etc. I am considering law school as well in order to become an entertainment lawyer so that may be what I end up pursuing.
AJ: I prefer either a) something that’s not in an office, or b) something in an office I can do hungover!!
Go and check them out and remember you can purchase tickets and receive updates from the following places:
http://www.thecaezars.com/
