It was with a hefty
amount of trepidation that I made my way to see The
Towers of London (previously The Tourettes). But I reminded myself
as I approached the building that my blood flows with mindless journalistic
bravery; that thought would get me through the frightening night ahead.
I had already decided that if getting punched in the face would be the
story then that is how it would be, I could take a black eye for a few
column inches.
I was armed with a reasonably sturdy dictaphone and was about to meet
one of the most notorious bands on the UK circuit today - notorious
but punctual.
Things
get broken when The Towers of London are
around - furniture, speakers, guitars, drum-kits, photographers, bystanders
of varying innocence - I had decided to challenge them on the subject.
Beside the stage a few hours into the night I am waiting by the entrance
to the green room. My reserves of Dutch courage are in good supply and
I am poised with my dictaphone outstretched, ready to ask some serious
questions.
The Towers of London have been skulking in their bus all evening, but
I spotted a flurry of activity from their scruffy entourage and I am
sure they are to appear very soon. I am right. The first of the band,
Donny Tourette (really Patrick Brannan
from Chalfont St. Giles in Buckinghamshire!), stalks past me.
Me:
What are you going to break tonight?
Donny: We’re
not gonna break anything.
He hurries
on and slumps himself on a sofa a short distance away eyeing me with
suspicion. I follow and continue.
Me:
So you’re not going to break anything tonight then?
Donny: Yeah we are; we’re
gonna break you.
I’m
doing well; I’m off to a strong start, threats have been made
and I’m feeling confident. I glance around to see if the other
band members will be passing soon and something small and pointy bounces
off the side of my head. Observing the crown cap off a beer bottle from
their rider hitting the floor I look up to see the man Leo Sayer would
later call ‘a harmless Johnny Lydon’ grinning and pointing
at me, his missile’s recipient.
There is little more opportunity left as another rush of activity envelopes
me and the rest of the band are whisked by. My hurried pleas for damage
prediction are all but lost in the confusion save for a few bewildered
glances. I must get another drink. I wait until after the gig.
Following much shouting, monitor balancing, speaker climbing and bouncer
bothering (them not me) I catch up with the band as they leave the stage
denying the crowd an encore. I get lucky and catch the attention of
Donny, the lead shouter, who much to my dismay managed to ignore my
loud attempts to question his sexuality during their set, but I feel
sure that a bit more unnecessary bothering will rile him and provoke
some violence and destruction.
Me:
Why aren’t you going back on?
Donny:
We’re drunk...
Me: You’re drunk?
Donny:
Let’s get drunk.
Me: Why aren’t you going back on?
Donny: ‘Cos
we can’t be arsed.
Me: So what’s the band all about then?
Donny:
What do you mean what are we all about? What are you all about?
Me: I just saw the set; I want to know what you’re
all about. Where’s the next gig then?
Donny:
Tomorrow night, Huddersfield.
Me: What are you going to do in Huddersfield?
Donny:
What do you mean what are we gonna do, we gonna do the same shit we
do every night and that’s fuckin’ play rock n roll music.
Me: You play rock n roll?
Donny:
Yeah.
Me: What is rock n roll?
Donny:
Eh, mate, fucking hell man, you stood in the crowd there, you was watching
us for forty five fuckin’ minutes - you tell me what’s rock
n roll.
Me: I know what I felt - what did you feel?
Donny:
I felt fuckin’ great apart from falling off some big fuckin’
shit on the side of the stage.
Me: So what’s your mission in life?
Donny:
To keep playing great gigs like we did tonight, fuck as many birds as
possible, and drink every brewery out of house and home.
Me: Okay.
Donny:
How’s that for ya?
I don’t
know how to tell him I’m disappointed. I can’t help thinking
his off-stage self is somewhat dull compared to his drunken stage persona.
I resolve to keep asking the same kind of questions over and over again
until I receive either a decent answer or a punch in the face…
I know which is more likely, but I just want something, anything worth
writing about.
Me:
What’s going on with Towers of London then?
Donny:
I suppose you can see the scene as art-rock, you know like Franz Ferdinand,
Bloc Party.
Me: Art-rock, so it’s rock and art?
Donny:
It’s nothing to do with us, the scene; the scene ain’t nothing
to do with me.
Me: OK, I get the scene, Towers of London what’s…
Donny: [shouts away] cheers for
coming down alright!... No look, there’s a scene, the scene that’s
dominating British music is art-rock, and that’s nothing to do
with the shit I’m involved with you know.
Me: OK, forget the scene, what’s Towers of London
all about.
Donny:
Towers of London, oh just like, just like having a fucking laugh and
doing what you want really.
Me: I’m up for a laugh, I get what you’re
doing, you want to throw things about…
Donny:
Listen mate, I just wanna enjoy myself, and I wanna do it to the full,
and at the end of the day, that’s it.
Me: I’ve been asked to talk to Towers of London,
why am I talking to you?
Donny: ‘Cos
we’re the most important band of this generation, as much as people
are in denial about it, and most people are scared of what we do, because
it changes everything in music right now. We’re out there by ourselves;
they can’t deny what’s happening with our band. What’s
happening is people are realising you don’t need to look at your
shoes; you don’t need to wear a shirt and a tie to be into great
music anymore.
Me: That’s what I’m after ‘cos I
don’t know music.
Donny:
Everybody knows music mate.
Me: I know what I like…
Donny:
Yeah basically man, we’re just doing our thing and having a good
time doing it.
Me: It’s all about good fun.
Donny:
Yeah it’s all about having fun, and also, you know you wake up
sometimes and you feel like shit. It’s about venting your fury
in a positive way and getting rid of it whilst watching a band or whilst
being in a band and getting rid of it that way instead of just being
negative. There’s nothing negative about what we do.
Me: I was playing around with you at the start, because
all I had was just the story that goes with you guys. You break things;
that’s the story that I have, that’s all I’ve got
to talk about.
Donny:
Well things have been broken but it’s not exactly what we do,
you know.
Me: Right, so what you do is…?
Donny:
What we do is have fun, on stage with our music.
Me: I see so the fun is just live life to the full
is it.
Donny:
Yeah the fun is, basically mate, just fucking anything you’ve
ever dreamt of doing, anything you’ve ever dreamt of being, just
have it all ‘cos tomorrow may never come.
Me: I see that, you’re living it and you’re
just going with what you got and…
Donny:
Have it all basically.
Me: Totally. So is there any message?
Donny:
Message? That’s the message! To do what you want and don’t
be fucking scared of looking different, don’t be scared of being
yourself and like, don’t let people push you into a direction,
do your own thing you know.
I think
he’s getting a little rattled by my questioning, but I’m
starting to get to grips with the inner complexities of the enigma people
call the Towers of London; I’m starting to understand what makes
them tick. They’re telling me I shouldn’t be scared of looking
different, I shouldn’t be scared of being myself. This makes me
feel good, I’m realising that these loud young men actually care
about me more than I ever realised. They want to make sure that I don’t
feel scared; they don’t want me to ever be afraid again. I think
they’ve been misjudged. I respect the fact that Mr Tourette is
a very busy gentleman but I can’t help but want to spend more
time with him. The time I spend in his company has an indescribably
addictive care-free quality that fascinates me. Maybe I’ll ask
those questions again and see if he notices…
Me:
So what’s the Towers of London all about?
Donny:
Look man, Towers of London is just five young kids doing what they do
best alright?!
Me: What do you do best?
Donny:
Play fucking rock n roll... like no fucking other! That’s what
it’s about, five fucking kids, that don’t need to put up
with their lives, wanting to get out of the shit hole they’re
from, getting together like that, after being brought up on Beatles
records, The Stones, bit of The Clash, just giving it some. Oh I’ve
got an idea, lets join a band, and fucking enjoy it while we can, as
simple as that, that’s it.
Me: So what does rock n roll mean to you?
Donny:
Rock and roll don’t mean shit to me.
Me: What does it give you in your life? Something has
got to be there in your life to make everything go, surely.
Donny:
The only thing in my life that makes me go is my band that’s all
it is.
Me: What gets you out of bed in the mornings?
Donny:
Knowing that I’ve got rehearsals, knowing that I need to rehearse,
write some tunes, hang out with my best mates and go party. It’s
easy, it’s not hard, some people try too hard. We’re not
grinding it out every day we’re just fucking, ringing everybody
up, get out, get up, let’s play rock n roll and get fucked. Us
five guys in this band, have got nothing going for them, we’re
like that, we play well together, we’re best mates, you don’t
get bands these days that are best mates and can do anything with each
other, it’s not like we grind it out at rehearsals, we just do
what we do, we’re playing.
Sadly at
this point our conversation ends, his busy schedule has got the better
of us and he returns to his shabby battered tour bus. I can’t
help thinking that I’ve made some new friends this evening. I
came expecting violence but what I got was love, tenderness and understanding.
I think the world can learn a lot from the Towers of London.
by Keith
Jeff
‘The Towers’ have
a single out in February 2007 and will be touring in March.
Keith
Jeff interviews The Maggot
