PRICK & DING #53: THE BIRDMAN RALLIES

Each week Fresh On The Net invites an artist or band to answer a short series of questions in Prick & Ding: the two and a half minute interview. It's convenient and quick - like enjoying a tasty microwave meal!

THIS WEEK:THE BIRDMAN RALLIES

The Birdman Rallies are a 4 piece band from Harrogate making lovely music that they call alternative rock,I think its got a style & flavour all of its own and is well worth further investigation – and I’ll let you decide on what style you’d call it – great music is what really matters isn’t it?

the birdman rallies

The Birdman Rallies have an excellent album out called ‘Moons’ and double prizes-Its a FREE Download!!!

When music as good as this is coming to you free,we need to be (imo)

1. Extremely grateful
2. Feeling blessed & glad we are alive
3. Dancing!
4. Recognising that to ensure music as great as this actually reaches your ipod/laptop/stereogram/cassettedeck/mobile telephony device for Nothing!!! – this band – alongside countless others – would probably really welcome us checking them out further by perhaps buying a ticket to one of their shows or purchasing one of their other albums or buying a t shirt or maybe even just sharing news of this music with your friends.

oh & 5. Overjoyed with the power of music to excite & challenge ,soothe & inspire :D.

I really like this band after they were voted onto our Fresh Faves recently by your good selves.
I not only like their use of facial hair,their weird band name (which is apparently a competition where people construct home-made gliders, hang gliders and human-powered aircraft, and jump off into the void for entertainment value-*source Howard Gorman),their lovely choice of alternative melody,their songs about I don’t know what and don’t care either but as I am now officially a champion – and an exponent – of quirky leftfield pop (*source-Tom Robinson via here hehe) I just really love their take on warm & toasty quirky leftfield pop.

Their journey is one all of their own making but if you are into acts like Gruff Rhys & Tunng,you will really like the good that is The Birdman Rallies.

Welcome to Prick n Ding 53 and to The Birdman Rallies

1. What are you up to at the moment?
As a band we’re rehearsing new songs, getting more tracks from “moons” into our set list. We’re also in the process of making a video for ‘Full Moon Every Night’ (free download on soundcloud), which involves light-up laces, gold skulls on turntables and a lot of face glitter.

2. Favourite childhood memory?
Outdoor pursuits residential with school, seemed like heaven, the world was ours. Getting muddy, eating sweets and sleeping in dorms. Awesome.

3. Hero?
Kate Bush.

4. Villain?
Dick Dastardly

5. What/who makes you laugh?
Family Guy, Louis CK, Ricky Gervais, people saying bad things with good timing

6. Describe what you do?
I write songs. Playful and usually melancholy songs. On the guitar. But I am easily distracted and far too interested in the last thing I heard that I liked, so this usually appears in the song production. Like ‘What Is This House’ (Fresh Faves batch 64) is an acoustic strummer but with a hip-hop beat fixed to it’s underbelly; Storm Cloud Heat is a skiffle song, but found itself propelled along by a dubstep baseline. That sort of thing….

7. Who’s hair would you like to have for just one day?
Beyonce’s, or Patrick Stewart

8. Best musical experience to date
Supporting Stornoway and Gruff Rhys were particularly memorable gigs where we won the crowd.

9. What artist inspires you?
Bjork

10. What does Fresh On The Net mean to you?
A great place for interested people to find out about acts like The Birdman Rallies.  For acts who are skirting round the edge of the music business, receiving approval but not quite there yet, it’s a really good platform. I mean this week’s Fresh Faves are a shockingly good bunch, and I think that trend will continue – ‘unsigned’ or ‘under the radar’ music becoming higher and higher quality as people take things into their own hands.

Johnno Casson

Johnno Casson is a London-born/Colchester-based singer, musician, songwriter and show-off. He also compiles and releases compilations and is a serial supporter of new music. Johnno releases his own music as Snippet ,Old Tramp and also under his own name Johnno Casson.. As far as we know he was the most-played artist ever on Tom's legendary late night Fresh On The Net radio shows on 6 Music - having been featured no less than 18 times and appearing as an interview guest. You can also find Johnno on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube...

1 Comments

  1. Ape Love to The Birdman Rallies & Snippeditotial. I hear Patrick Stewart would like his hair too! ? Dan B-) xo

    Fyi: These Bandcamp embeds were very clunky or just ‘ nonstarters’ on Android 🙁

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