Computerman at Fairview Recording Studios (2/3) By Michelle Dee

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

The band managed to return to a slightly more even keel with some gigs at Trent University and Leicester at the beginning of the year. More dates were planned for London Metro, and Salford. They hope to play as many different venues during this year to promote the newly recorded CD. Computerman have received airplay locally: Jim Coulson on his Sunday session show on Viking fm played, Increasingly So, late last year.

Three or four months ago, after being relatively unknown to record companies, they played a gig at the Spice of Life, Leicester Square in London, at the same time their demo of Neon/Increasingly So was sent to the BBC.

These two events resulted in them attracting the attentions of Jon White from Step 2 Management, who saw them at the London gig and was incredibly enthusiastic. He helped the band get more high profile exposure for their CD and looked after their interests. Not long after, there were Reps. from Sony, Island and Universal taking an interest in the group. They gained valuable experience from the record labels interest and decided to go away to write more songs and develop a more definitive sound. They are hoping to re-spark the interests of the AnR men with the slightly different eight track CD and re-create the buzz around them that was there before.

The band appear to be very close despite the tensions mentioned earlier, in a one of meeting it is hard to gauge all the nuances of their interaction but they had a genuine easiness around each other. I have no other life apart from the band, jokes Rob. All the band have jobs to go to during the day, apart from Rob, who is enjoying his student days while he can. Judging by the reactions from the rest of the band they are not particularly happy in their current positions, with either their salary or job satisfaction. So to alleviate this tedium, they spend all their spare time thinking how to make things run smoother, Rob again.

The rest of the time seems to be taken up with gigging, writing songs and wherever possible buying new equipment. Perhaps Rob wasn't joking about not having a life.

So to alleviate this tedium, they spend all their spare time thinking how to make things run smoother, Rob again. The rest of the time seems to be taken up with gigging, writing songs and wherever possible buying new equipment. Perhaps Rob wasn't joking about not having a life.

To have such a love for playing live music, a burning passion must have been sparked of somewhere. Many of us see our heros/heroines on stage or on screen and long to emulate them. These moments have a way of shaping the rest of our lives. I think every musician whether they can already play or not remembers that moment when they say to themselves I want to do that, I want to play in front of hundreds of people.

Computerman members have an eclectic list of first live music experiences including: Michael Jackson at Sheffield 95, Lightning Seeds and Ash at De Montfort Hall, Stereophonics at NEC (this one causes lots of uproar between the five guys as if it's too much of a cliché). I will go on record now and say I saw the 'Phonics at Wembley before they knocked the towers down and it was very memorable; there's nothing wrong with the 'Phonics though Kelly is losing his looks. I digress.

Paradoxically, for a band so concerned with technology they agree that vinyl is far superior to CD format; mainly because the thing is bigger and has larger, more detailed artwork. Paul recalled the days when the records would have free gifts inside; posters, postcards and more. He also loves listening to Pink Floyd whilst doing the washing up thinking, is it going to skip or not. He adds that it is harder to lose a record. Somebody then mournfully announces that the needle's fallen of their record player, a comment that is widely ignored, by the rest of the group.

They decide if Computerman release a vinyl recording that it would have to first, be on coloured vinyl: I love Turquoise myself, and secondly, have freebies inside. I have a heartbreaking story about the free stickers that came in a sealed copy of Dark Side of the Moon; beautiful they were, with all the pyramid artwork in orange and yellow with palm trees, two fabulous posters as well. I came home one day, to find that some idiot (she shall remain witless ahem nameless) had carefully peeled the stickers from their backing and stuck them on the bloody fridge. I can still see them next to the magnetic sheep and the A friend is... thing, twelve years on. So bring back vinyl and while you're at it, the birch can make an appearance also.

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