Bonefish may have started to gain a well-earned reputation
for partying as hard of the rest of them, but while locked away recording the
album which, according to FWN, could
be The Greatest British Album of All Time they abided by the eminently sensible
credo of not taking any drugs while they were actually in the studio. After they had formed, there was a real sense
of anticipation about what the band could produce, although they were seen as
outsiders. Andy McCann had been first choice to take on the role of producer,
having worked with the band’s first single ‘Bantor’ but he had to pass as
Kasabian had started work on ’48:13’. Tom Young was chosen in part due his
early experience working on records by the likes of Ian Brown and Julian
Casablancas, which meant he’d learnt his tricks of the trade. This meant a lot
to Bonefish’s frontman Alex Laidlaw who was brought up listening to The Smiths,
as well as Pink Floyd and The Stone Roses. He told FNW’s Gerard Williams: “I didn’t hear a bad song until I left
home”. Drummer Charlie Newton was less attached to his musical upbringing,
admitting: “I had an uncle who tried to get me into Led Zepplin.” Laidlaw
sympathised: “Horrible thing to do to a 10-year-old isn’t it?”.
Watching Bonefish rehearse is undoubtedly a rare and
altogether different experience to seeing them play a normal gig. Newton is tamed, towering
over a tiny kit almost as if he’s playing timpani, while bum notes on the
guitar and bass-from both I might add-abound and nobody really bats an eyelid.
It’s much better to fuck it up here than onstage at the Echo Arena on their
home ground Liverpool in August, right?
A lot of the band’s success undoubtedly comes down to the
fact that they really are The Full Package. Cool enough to grace the cover of
the magazine. Big enough to hop of the back of the train of acts to perform at Glastonbury this year.
Enticing enough to have fashion rags devote entire rags devote entire spreads
to their threads. And now important enough to fly first class around the world
as well as get “free shit” as bassist Michael James put it.
Bonefish have made quite a name for themselves within the
last couple of months and people are starting to recognise their “new sound”
that they produce. “A magician never reveals his tricks does he?” quotes
Laidlaw, insinuating that we will never know their secret. Newton then fired back with “Yeah but we’re
not magicians, we’re musicians and I reckon we’ve got our own genre of music
and gonna take the world by storm.” Their sound can’t be matched and stand out
amongst the rest of the music world as saviours to the sound. But, we can’t
even tell what that sound is, it has no explanation but we love it. That’s why
Bonefish are individuals, they don’t know how they produce “genius”, they just
do it.
Towards the end of the interviews, I’m politely booted out
as there is work to be done. As the door to the rehersal room closes, I hear a
final strain of ‘Chronometric Clog’ blaring out. It sounds totally ready for
the masses to my ears.
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