Fifty Nine Violets at the New Adelphi (1/3) By Michelle Dee

(1/3), (2/3), (3/3),

Their Christmas card lists run to half a dozen names, they have a penchant for blowing up amps; they are a thrilling live experience; they are of course the Fifty Nine Violets: from Barton upon Humber, North Lincolnshire. For the majority of this interview one or more of the Fifty Nine Violets: were in fitful mirth. And I hadn't prepared a damn thing so was very much winging it. Thankfully they saw the funny side.

Come to think about it, they seemed to find a funny side to almost everything; in fact, I think the very notion of interviews amuses them greatly.

The Violets fondly remember a gig some of their number played at Baysgarth School when they were still pupils there. They only played three songs. Some one nearly broke their neck slam dancing so they hastily removed themselves; then were probably sent to the Headmasters office for provoking unruly behaviour. You couldn't ask for a more laidback clean living band. Okay you could, but these guys would probably get up and volunteer their services anyway. After producing a number of demos, the Barton four have completed their debut album. Prime Numbers: was recorded over five days at Fairview Recording Studio.

Then a further two days were needed to mix the recording to produce the eleven-track masterpiece.

Once again the extraordinary talents of John Spence were utilised to create a distinctive sound. The Violets all wax lyrical about his extensive knowledge of the engineering desks and technical arrangements. You can go to some places and they might have all the latest gear but it's useless if they don't know how to use it. John is always good for a Happy Mondays story anyway. I suspect these cherished tales help pass away the time in between takes.

The Fifty Nine Violets: have a fondness for Scrabble and book reading that occupies them on tour and don't get up to rock n roll shenanigans, so they tell me. They laugh at the likes of Kasabian: and their tour troubles: like when the youngsters complained to our bookish lot that the DVD and telly had packed up on their no doubt huge tour bus. The Violets don't even have the room for every one to sit down in their touring van: no wonder they told Kasabian: to push off when the singer asked them for contraband substances. So these are the straight men of Rock n Roll then? Lots of laughter followed then some desperate attempts to deny the pipe and slippers image they were fast creating for me...

The Violets have an ongoing challenge every time they play out of Barton; that is getting the fans from home to the gigs. If they play a gig in Hull the cost of ferrying a whole load of Barton folk over the bridge would be astronomical. Likewise for Hull fans to travel to go South side. There are only a few venues in Barton where the Violets can play, so out of area gigs are a necessity. There is a certain pub in Barton that has a special late licence called The Red Lion:. At about ten past eleven you can see the people queued half way down the High Street to get in, just for that extra half hour of drinking.

It's hard to believe that no one has thought to open up a club there. There is also the Carnival Inn up near the Tate Shopper, where the Fifty Nine Violets: headlined at the Raw Talent: live broadcast on the eighteenth of December last year. Over three hundred people turned out for that special gig, so they are far from being a group of Billy-no-mates, and there can be no question as to their popularity. Alan Raw has said that, that night in the Carnival Inn was the best BBC live broadcast he had done in seven years.

Continued ...next page

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