INTRODUCING LONDON BASED ALT-SKA ACT IMPERIAL LEISURE....
Imperial Leisure go from strength to strength, forever evolving their style but sticking true to their reputation for delivering fun and high energy live performances.
We caught up with the band at a Musical Genre Creation Workshop in Shoreditch, hosted by a groovy hipster called Colin who carried an old skool typewriter with him everywhere. Having given birth to Alt-Ska earlier in the session, we were throwing other ideas around, hot contenders for 2nd and 3rd place were Grind'Pipes (a combination of grindcore and Highland music) and Cattle'Dub (a blend of cattle core and reggae). Just before we went our separate ways, we asked them some questions, here's how we got on....
Please introduce the ban and your music in one sentence....
We play a music of the energetic variety, mixing ska punk and hip hip, we call it Alt-ska
You’re called Imperial Leisure how did you come about choosing this name?
We didn’t someone else did and we stole it from them hahahahaha!
What has been happening since the release of debut album the Art of Saying Nothing?
shit loads, a few births, deaths and marriages, touring, recording and partying! Since the first album one of my most favorite events must have been seeing a girl dance naked on stage with a stormtrooper helmet on. Currently we are working on our third album, should be ready to go out early next year.
You have been placed in a genre as Alt Ska...what does that mean?
We certainly were not placed, we created the genre! Alt-ska is a fun mix of many musical styles but predominantly influenced by ska reggae or dub with an alternative edge. It’s not a new thing but it is a new idea to group bands like this together, someone should have done it years ago.
Give me 3 words that best describe you as a band?
inside your pants
The video of Nasty Boy has many people destroying a flat, was it really your place?
Yes, well i used to rent it, landlord might be a bit pissed off now....
Who in the band never buys a round?
no one, we’re all frightfully gentlemanly and intolerant of round buying absconders. If we were to have someone in the band that didn’t by a round they would be hoofed to the kurb with 2 shakes of lambs tail
What does music mean to you?
Everything
In your opinion, what is the BEST album/record ever released?
tough question, i change on this like the wind. But I do find I go back to Paul’s Boutique by Beastie Boys time and time again.
Is there something you would like to tell each of the band members that you haven’t told them before?
not without risking legal proceedings being taken up against me.
What classic song would you have liked to have recorded and why?
love to have played bass on Womack and Womack Teardrops, check out the video that guys is just having it!
Name three people (alive, dead or fictional) that you would like as party guests?
1) Mel Clarke, I’d charm her ass off, get her drunk and have sex with her…...a lot
2) Random black guy from Superman 1 in his 70’s clober saying some badass shit every few minutes
3) Jimi Hendrix after faking his own death climbs into a time machine and travels through time then arrives at my party, is given a guitar, a loop station, a sampler and plugged into an amp.
There are many good bands and musicians out there, who would you ask the readers of musicmuso to look out for?
Youngblood Brass Band are pretty strong right now, I wholly endorse them.
If you could describe your music in the form of a fictional character, who would it be?
you got me there! My resources of fictional characters is rather limited given that I hardly ever read fiction but having said that one does springs to mind. The attorney Dr Gonzo from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Tompson.
Do you think we can ever live in a world where a chicken can cross the road without having its motives questioned?
As the human race dives deeper into the ever more ridiculous and corruptible, we must continue to question everything.
Have you had any ‘Spinal Tap’ Moments? If yes, please share!
We got lost in the late and great Astoria Tottenham Court Road once, tried to find our dressing room no luck so after 30mins we had to give up and start again from the beginning this time with the assistance of the rep. and although it wasn’t in the USA we have also played an army base except unlike Spinal Tap it was actually a really good laugh apart from the bit where I stage dived and almost killed someone.
What are your plans for 2014?
as ever, I plan to do what I want, when I want, all the time
After the workshop, we all went to the local coffee shop and I treated the guys to some Gingerbread Latte's, whilst they were wondering WTF was in front of them, we threw some quick fire questions at them....
Coffee or Tea? Tea
Coke or Pepsi? neither
Drum machine or the real deal? real
Mac or PC? both at the same time
Fry up or Sunday roast? Fry up
Lemmy (Motorhead) or Ozzy (Black Sabbath)? Lemmy
CD or Vinyl? neither
Car or Motorbike? Yacht
Acoustic or electric? Acoustic
Terry Hall or Zack De La Rocha? Zack
Shower or Bath? Shower but i wish I had a Bath
Tattoos or Piercings? Surely you can have one without the other?
Robert De Niro or Al Pacino? They are the same man aren't they?
God or Google? Google is God and God is Google
SOCIAL MEDIA
Musicmuso would like to thank the guys for sparing their time to answer our questions, we wish them every success in the future and look forward to telling you all about future Imperial Leisure newsworthy things.
Interview by Mark Wincott