HOLY SHITBury Bores Thee Vicars
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Photo by David Canning
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Anyone still waiting for the revolution in sound and vision promised by the Horrors a couple of years ago can probably go home now. Southend’s finest have left their mark, though, because today a whole bunch of bands are happily thriving below the radar, breaking things and getting in people’s faces with zero regard for who is listening or, in fact, if anyone is listening at all.
These bands share bills, club nights and labels while somehow managing to sound nothing like each other and could easily hoot and holler right past the waiting world while giving less than an eighth of a shit as long as they get to play approximately 20 times more a month your average pointy-shoes-and-trilby band thought humanly possible. In fact, they’ll probably be annoyed we’re even telling you about them. Labels such as Dire and Static Shock have been putting out records by bands as varied as snotty Guildford garage punks The Shitty Limits and destructive power-punk guys The Scepters, who play nights like Dirty Water in places like the Cave Club and the Guildford Youth Club for ages. If you want to have a good time and not sit around ingesting pizza in front of Strictly Come See Who’s Got Talent or whatever, you could do worse than check out those places.
With their liberal “appropriation” of Standells twang, Dead Boys snort, Headcoates blustering and nice matching suits, Thee Vicars might be our favourites of the lot. So we gave Mike the singer guy a call in sunny Bury to see what’s up. Vice: Hello Mike, how is the Bury scene these days?
Mike Whittaker (bass and vocals): Shit. Nothing good happening in Bury at all?Mike: No. Playing is fun and you get to get away. We’re playing Valencia with the Mummies next month. That’s better than day jobs in Bury. Thee Vicars brings in some extra money but some aren’t being as generous with the donation plate. Hang on, isn’t your guitar player 16? Shouldn’t he be doing his GCSEs or something?
Mike: Yeah, I’m the old one. Jasper (Kemp) who plays the drums is 17 but Marcus (Volkert, guitars) and Reuben (Kemp, guitars) are both 16. You dress a bit too snazzily to be actual vicars. If you had to choose a religion to belong to, what would you go for?
Mike: Probably the Five Percenters. Like the RZA?
Mike: Yeah, he’s good at chess as well. I like chess.
SHADOWS OF KNIGHT Thee Vicars’ “…Let Us Play” single is out now on Dire Records. myspace.com/theevicarsuk
See all articles by this contributor Anonymous, on Jan 1, 2009 wrote:
fuck the interview, Thee Vicars are shit hot and gonna be big in 2009 you watch...good work vice for finding them i say | | Anonymous, on Nov 2, 2008 wrote:
The Horrors always sucked, and thee Vicars have always been great!! | | Anonymous, on Sep 25, 2008 wrote:
THEE GREATEST BAND IN THIS UNITED KINGDOM!(AS OF 14.49)!
LOS COYOTEMEN | | Anonymous, on Sep 23, 2008 wrote:
Yeah Vice you guys sucks ass big time,what kind of newly hired dick did you get to do that crappy interview?!Thee Vicars rule...they dont come across shy.Have you just found out about them through the great vast void without seeing them?!?!And yeah The Horros do suck,but if you are gonna blow a band off and sing their praises,dont slag them off when something new comes about!I feel like a rock n roll extremist sometimes,you lot should have nothing to do with rock n roll.Thee Vicars should skeep clear of no nothings like you lot,you didnt even ask them dumb or retarded questions.I’m sure they would have loved retarded questions,I would.But I guess theres a limit to the quality of questions jocks at Vice can conjour......The end of Vice is near.......Thank God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | | Anonymous, on Sep 22, 2008 wrote:
bad article, but all too true those bands are all awesome especially thee vicars. next time get a better writer on the case | | Anonymous, on Sep 19, 2008 wrote:
What journalists write and what the facts are...well, they’re more often than not two very different things. I’ve seen Thee Vicars a bunch of times now. They’re fun. They’re having a good time. They’re not shy about being in the press, I don’t think. Being talked about is better than not being talked about, after all. The main thing is that they (and others like them) are doing what they want to do without compromising or chasing trends. And, as I said, having fun while they do it. I certainly had fun in the audience! | | Anonymous, on Sep 17, 2008 wrote:
Listen to this band - they have talent!
They are all so young and deserve a lot of credit.
Unfortunately this interview doesn’t do the band justice. | | Anonymous, on Sep 8, 2008 wrote:
No one is buying that these kids are bummed you’re writing about them. | | Anonymous, on Sep 7, 2008 wrote:
the chess part made me laugh, but the rest was a bit bit boring? most of the article was talking about the horrors and stuff and the interview was pretty rubbish. didnt really give the band a fair chance... | | Anonymous, on Sep 7, 2008 wrote:
That interview was vastly boring and makes me never want to read articles by this guy or listen to this band. It’s an obvious thing to say, but true nevertheless. | | Anonymous, on Sep 5, 2008 wrote:
thank god finally some kids who just want to play. and dress well. | | Anonymous, on Sep 5, 2008 wrote:
"It is pretty crappy that you promote a band and talk about cool they are and then drop them. I never liked the Horrors, or many recent bands for that matter. At least stick to your guns Vice London. You suck." this faggy rant would be a lot more pertinent IF the next line wasn’t:
"Southend’s finest have left their mark..." | |
| neezy, on Sep 5, 2008 wrote:
and because typos suck I meant to say that "angle" | | |
| neezy, on Sep 5, 2008 wrote:
yeah dude, if there is one thing modern, cool rock bands abhor it’s EXPOSURE *shudder*
never got that angel personally. like, dude, cobain was famous, he could have been happy his band was on top of the damn planet, but maybe the amount of heroin you do when you’re him eventually leads you to hate, like, everything. Except being on heroin maybe.
Why I’m talking about heroin is beside the point though, it’s just like this: do you NOT want success in your industry? do you NOT want to be recognized for your efforts? do you want your PARENTS to pay for a lot of stuff forever? etc etc
stupid article got me soapboxing (I’m stoned) | | Anonymous, on Sep 4, 2008 wrote:
"Anyone still waiting for the revolution in sound and vision promised by the Horrors a couple of years ago can probably go home now"
It is pretty crappy that you promote a band and talk about cool they are and then drop them. I never liked the Horrors, or many recent bands for that matter. At least stick to your guns Vice London. You suck. | | Anonymous, on Sep 4, 2008 wrote:
the horrors promised a revolution to sound and vision? to who, hot topic managers? | | Anonymous, on Sep 4, 2008 wrote:
jesus, if my 16-year-old dressed like that i’d scar his face with my belt. | | |
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