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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