Rotating Leslie

http://www.rotatingleslie.co.uk/

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Rotating Leslie - The Junction 27th September 2006

Rotating Leslie are a local band from the Hertfordshire area making rapid progress in the local and national scene. Having already headlined the new bands stage at no less than the Isle Of Wight festival and having gained radio play on XFM among other stations they are doing well as an independant unsigned band. We caught up with the guys just before they took the stage for The Big Ask Charity event where they played alongside the Dog's, to ask them a few questions.....

So the gig tonight is for the Big Ask charity, how did you guys get involved in this?

Adrian: Yeah it's in aid of Friends Of The Earth which Thom Yorke and others are involved in so hopefully we will get a good turn out.
Dan: We've sold 95 tickets which is much more than the last event so it should be pretty busy.

And you organised the gig yourselves?

Adrian: Yeah we have organised it this year, although 2 bands have dropped out at the last minute so we've had to phone around and get another band at the last minute, luckily .... ...... agreed to play at 10pm last night when I gave them a call!!!

You seem to be a very self sufficient band, organising the running of the band yourselves, how is that going? Do you enjoy it?

Greg: It's hard work sometimes but yeah we definitely enjoy it. We don't see the reason in paying someone to do all the work that we can more or less do ourselves.
It also means we can have a say in what we do all the time which is really good.
Adrian: Here we have our stylist/promoter and producer(all present for the interview) so we pretty much have all we need as a band to gig/record and promote oursevles.

Tell us about the festival you organise at your Farm every year?

Greg: Basically it started a few years ago as a house party and it just grew into being a kind of mini festival. This year we had over 500 people there and some really good bands. It enables us to put on our own gig for not very much money and have a great time.
Dan: Although we are still clearing up the rubbish from this years, thats the worst thing!!
Greg: Eventually we would love to take our festival and have it as a stage at a bigger festival, that would be good. We have heard a new major festival may be starting in Cambridge and we would love to be a part of that if it happens.

How did you end up living on a farm then?

Greg: Well the band had been together for a few years in various forms when we all lived in London. We started as an acoustic guitar band but I don't like to talk about that and I wouldn't play it to anyone now!! It wasn't what we wanted to do.
Dan: I liked some of it, it was like soft pillow music!!!
Greg: Yeah we were working at clubs putting our own nights on, getting into acid hardcore and stuff like that, but the main reason for moving out of London is that we had no money and rehearsing was difficult and expensive for a whole band. So we found a farm, moved in and then started putting our heads together to come up with the kind of music we do now.
Adrian: And our producer lives up the road in another cottage so it's like a proper village music thing!!!

Is it easier to write on the farm than in the city?

Greg: Yeah it's pretty quiet.
Dan: There isn't much else to do to amuse ourselves really!!!
Greg: So we just get together, away from all distractions of say the city life and come up with what we like.

How would you describe your music?

Greg: Like being gently caressed by a wet flannel!!
Adrian: Strangely erotic
Dan: Suck it and see!! We don't really like to describe it as it could put people off.
Greg: I think it's better for people to make their own minds up about it really.

What are your musical influences?

Dan: Again it's difficult to say, it can be anything from Slayer to Leo Sayer to ELO!!

And what bands at the moment are you into?

Dan: Bands like the Rakes and The Rifles who we have played with in London a few times, also the Strokes because every band can take inspiration from them at the moment.

Tell us about the Isle Of Wight Festival?

Adrian: Yeah that was pretty good!!
Greg: We played the new bands stage at the same time as Lou Reed was playing the main stage!!!
Adrian: And we headlined it!!

How did you get that gig as an unsigned band?

Adrian: Through a contact in a London club who said come and play...so we did.
Greg: This summers been good for festivals, we also played the Secret Garden Party which is a cool festival.

So you will also be touring with the Dog's in the near future?

Greg: Yeah we are planning that in the next few months, it's really expensive and hard work putting on your own tour so it's great if we can suppport a band like the Dog's on tour.
Adrain: We just have to get some dates sorted out and then we hopefully will be playing some gigs with them.

How is your new single 'Fire' 'Fire' going?

Adrian: It's sold out of the 500 7" copies, and it's going well on the downloads from myspace and our website.
Greg: We have had some radio play as well, on XFM and others.
Adrian: Phil Jupitus said it's the best single he's heard all year which is good, and also the best name for a band!!!

Sounds promising, and what are your plans for the near future?

Adrian: We are just recording three more tracks, one of which we will be releasing as a single, we're not sure which one yet.
Greg: You need to put your vocals down though Adrian!!(jokingly gestures over)
Adrian: Yeah I know I'm gonna do it tomorrow!!
Greg: And the bagpipe solo isn't going too well.
Dan: Or the xylophone!!
Adrian: We will be obviously doing the tour to promote the single.
Greg: Also we are hoping to do a few dates in Australia and Japan because apparantly they love us in Japan!!!

And any plans to record/release and album?

Adrian: No not yet
Greg: Not untill someone pays us to do it!!
Adrian: I think they way to go is through singles on the radio, EP's and through myspace because thats when the music gets out to more people, then you might think about releasing an album.
Greg: Like in Japan, thats why myspace is so good because it means we could go to Japan and people might know us through myspace, where before they wouldn't have a clue!!!

Check out Rotating Lealies latest single 'Fire Fire' available to download from their website and on myspace.....fire!fire! is currently playlisted on mtv2 and is on every day for the next two months . A new single - 'radio' will be out in March supported by a Feb/March tour.

Elliot Porter