The Mysterious Freakshow are female-fronted, UK based Alt-Rock and Steampunk Band. Influences range from DarkWave, Punk, Rock & Goth with splashes of Ska. The Freaks are a unique & eclectic bunch! We had the pleasure of watching them perform in Exeter when they played support to Bob Geldof and his Boomtown Rats, we sat down after the show and had a good chat about Steampunk, fascinating band member facts and meeting Sir Bob, here's how we got on....
Please introduce yourself and describe your music in one sentence….
Hi! We are The Mysterious Freakshow and we mix our eclectic time travelling sensibilities with punk sensibilities.
First song you learnt as a band?
Hedge Witch
What music are you currently grooving to?
Fey –Frenchy and the Punk
Tom – William D Drake
Tracy - Dio
Kye – Black Flag
What does the term ‘Steampunk’ mean to you?
Fey – Victorian Punks
Tom – Well, its like an…. Imaginary past future…
Tracy – Industrial Victoriana
Kye – Goth with goggles
Tell me a fascinating fact about a member of the band?
Fey – Is a real faery
Tom – Is actually a clockwork automata
Tracy – Is related to the 6 Million Dollar Man and also Austin Powers – Yeah Baby!
Kye – has bad credit rating
You’re called ‘The Mysterious Freakshow’, I was expecting performers to be on stage with you, is this something you have considered as part of your live show?
Yes we have, and it is something that we are considering for the future. Watch this space.
Favourite Saturday night and Sunday morning album?
Fey – Saturday = Bikini Kill , Sunday= Cerys Matthews on BBC 6Music
Tom – Saturday = Parliament – The Clones of Dr Funkenstein, Sunday = I am aslepp
Tracy – Saturday= Royal Blood, Royal Blood Sunday = Mezzanine – Massive Attack
Kye – Saturday = Machine Gun Etiquette, The Damned, Sunday= CAN
Name three people (alive, dead or fictional) that you would like as dinner party guests?
Fey – Lewis Carroll, Kathleen Hanna, Sinead O’Connor
Tom – Prefers to eat alone!
Tracy – Amanda Palmer, Eddie Vedder, Keith Moon
Kye – Hunter S Thompson, Oscar Wilde, Russell Brand
Any advice you would give to new/struggling musicians?
Follow you heart, not money or fame as you’ll be much happier for it.
Which social media channels have ‘helped’ you the most?
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
What does music mean to you?
Everything and nothing
We saw you perform when you supported The Boomtown Rats, did you meet Bob afterwards? If so, what did you say/talk about?
We met him, he was energetic, charming and incredibly supportive. Their live show blew us away! Such amazing energy!
In your opinion, what is the BEST album/ record ever released?
Fey – Manu Chao: Radio Bemba Sound System
Tom – Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers
Tracy – Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
Kye – The Damned: Damned, Damned, Damned
Favourite book you have read?
Fey – The Merry Begot – Julie Hearn
Tom – Books – Pah!!
Tracy – I am more of a magazine or comic kinda girl
Kye – Arthur C Clarkes – Mysterious World
Explain the track ‘Run Nazi Run’
It was inspired by a proposed EDL demonstration in Exeter where over 100 of the Exeter anti-fascist community gathered to peacefully oppose them, but only 5 of the EDL turned up and they were chased down the high street. This inspired Fey to write the lyrics. Fey's family are Polish so there are some real connections she makes with the far right in the UK and Nazis in WW2 Poland.
What classic song would you have liked to have recorded and why?
Fey – Re-work War of the Worlds, because the next generation need to hear it
Tracy – Rhiannon, Fleetwood Mac. The live 1976 video from The Midnight Special Show I must have watched over 100 times now. It is perfection.
Kye – Nancy Sinatra,These Boots are Made for Walking, because I like boots and it sounds kitsch
First gig you ever went to?
Fey – Lenny Kravitz, Let Love Rule Tour, Bournemouth International Centre
Tom – The Hawk Lords at Fairfields Hall, Croydon
Tracy – The Prodigy, Fat of the Land Tour, Plymouth Pavilions
Kye – Poke it With a Stick, Cage Club, Taunton
You draw influence from a LOT of bands/artists, which do you think had the most impact on your sound?
Souixie and the Banshees, The Stranglers, The Cure, Kate Bush, Can, All about Eve, Skunk Anansie, Sinead O’Connor, The Damned, Bikini Kill to name but a few …
There are many good bands and musicians out there, who would you ask the readers of musicmuso to check out?
Penny Black Remedy, The Wattingers, Frenchy and the Punk, Professor Elemental, Martyr De Mona, The Men that will be Blamed for Nothing.
Who would you like to know has your music on their iPod, MP3 or cassette Walkman?
Manu Chao, Amanda Palmer, Andrew O’Neill, Russell Brand
If you could describe your music in the form of a fictional character, who would it be?
The Muppets with goggles meets Nosferatu
Do you think we can ever live in a world where a chicken can cross the road without having its motives questioned?
Depends on the chicken
Have you had any ‘Spinal Tap’ moments? If yes, please share!
Too many!!! Fey said EDL was ELF at the Respect Festival…. A smoke machine incident where Tom our guitarist was lost in the smoke! Kye’s dread once got stuck in his bass while we were on stage and we all thought “wow Kye’s really rocking out” but he was just trying to free his dread from the string!
We couldn't let them go without having rammed a load of quickfire questions down their throats....
Coffee or Tea?
Fey – Coffee
Tom – Tea
Tracy – Coffee with milk and one ;)
Kye – Coffee in the morning, then afternoon tea
Coke or Pepsi?
Fey & Tom - Neither
Tracy – both
Kye - Coke
Drum machine or the real deal?
The real deal!
Kye – though you only have to punch the information into a drum machine once…
Mac or PC?
Fey, Kye, Tom – PC
Tracy – Mac
Fry up or Sunday roast?
Fey – Fry up
Tom – neither
Tracy – Fry up and HP Sauce, invitations welcomed!
Kye – Fry up
Lemmy (Motorhead) or Ozzy (Black Sabbath)?
Fey – Lemmy
Tom – Lemmy
Tracy – Can I say both? I saw Ozzy at Download Festival a few years ago and I really enjoyed his show. It might have had something to do with Tommy Clufetos drumming for him though…swoooon J
Kye - Lemmy
CD or Vinyl?
CDs are more practical but Vinyl is where the heart is
Professor Elemental or Lord Montague Jacques Fromage III?
No comment – Love them both!!
Car or Motorbike?
Car! Its harder to fall off a car….
Frozen or Maleficent?
……
On stage or recording studio?
Fey – Recording Studio
Tom – Recording Studio
Tracy – On Stage
Kye – On Stage
Shower or Bath?
Fey – Bath
Tom – Shower
Tracy – Bath with lots of bubbles
Kye – Shower or wet wipes or WD40
Tattoos or Piercings?
Fey – Tattoos
Tom – neither
Tracy – Tattoos
Kye – Tattoos
Robert De Niro or Al Pacino?
Fey – Al Pacino
Tom – Robert
Tracy – Al Pacino
Kye - Robert
God or Google?
Google! Much easier to find!
We'd like to thank the band for taking part in our Introducing feature and we wish them every success in 2015, keep in touch with the band by clicking on the links below.
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