We haven’t interviewed any musicians on FMCS for a while so I decided to track down one of my favourite bands of the moment - The Sticks. To me they sound like the bastard offspring of Dick Dale and Link Wray playing on a ghost train….but I’m probably talking out of my arse. Let’s meet The Sticks!!

FMCS: Who are the men that call themselves The Sticks?

The Sticks: Me - James Tranmer; Stuart Cartland and Iain Paxon.

FMCS: Where are you based?

The Sticks: Brighton, England.

FMCS: Describe the sounds you like to make and why you like to make them.

The Sticks: We try to make music but don’t really have the know-how so it becomes more of a percussive bashing of instruments/notes.

FMCS: Do you play gigs and if so, where?

The Sticks: We’ve played many gigs over the last 3/4 years, probably around 70 now. Favourite locations include Berlin; Oxfam; a big basement in London and one of our early gigs when we started dancing after we got off the stage and everyone joined in.

FMCS: I’m sure you’re always asked this, but to what extent have wave-machines, teapots and other things had an impact on your writing?

The Sticks: Writing? We don’t consider ourselves to be songwriters. We like minimal vocal gestures, they seem to have more impact that way. I would like to go surfing on a wave machine.

FMCS: If you could score a movie soundtrack what film-genre would it be and which famous actor (dead or alive) would take the leading role?

The Sticks: An extremely low-budget, early sixties horror movie, think Herschell Gordon Lewis with Erica Gavin and Spike Milligan.

FMCS: Do you have any other musical projects or practise any other art forms?

The Sticks: I like to draw but am too busy with music (a poor excuse). I have another band The Pheromoans as well as my own solo electronic music, Bogen Erase. I also do a collaboration with Iain called The Mark. Stuart is in a band called King Alfred (Man Of Leisure) with Iain. Iain is the main component of Hamilton Yarns and does solo stuff called Prince Volume.

FMCS: So many incarnations! If the Sticks were a kitchen utensil what would they be?

The Sticks: A cheese grater.

FMCS: And if you launched a Sticks-branded cheese grater what would the advert look like?

The Sticks: A billboard with naked pictures of us on grating cheese.

FMCS: I’ve heard you define your sound as ‘like a radio pissing’ which I thought was marvellous. Could you describe other contemporary music styles or bands? How about Snow Patrol for instance?

The Sticks: I think there is a real crisis in mainstream music at the moment. Its so transparent; you can totally see the music biz`s crude marketing tactics, but still people fall for it and don’t create their own opinions about music…It just becomes another material commodity which is easily digestible and doesn’t challenge people in a revolutionary way. Snow Patrol are pretty boring.

FMCS: They’re a bunch of parking tickets.

FMCS: Imagine you are having a dinner party and can invite 5 of your greatest heroes (dead or not dead) – who would they be?

The Sticks: I would definitely include The Monkees.

FMCS: And what would you serve as the main dish?

The Sticks: A giant cheese salad sandwich.

FMCS: The basic Sticks ingredient is a guitar and a drum. If you were to introduce another instrument to the line-up what would it be and who would play it?

The Sticks: The kid from Deliverance on banjo.

FMCS: What is worse, ice cream or slavery?

The Sticks: Ice cream can give you the squirts, so probably ice cream.

FMCS: Do the Sticks take Marmite?

The Sticks: Ooh yeah!

FMCS: If you could go on a magic carpet ride and fly above the Earth, who would you spit or shit on as you floated overhead?

The Sticks: I’d explode and hope some of it would land on that band The Killers. I think they are single-handedly responsible for the death of indie music.

FMCS: Excellent choice of target. I see you wear 3-D specs on stage sometimes. If you could take 1 dimension out of anything in the world (thus making it 2 D) – what would it be?

The Sticks: Nothing. We like sensory overload.

FMCS: What plans (if any) do the Sticks have for the future?

The Sticks: We our recording our first album with Upset The Rhythm Records which will be two 7″inch vinyls packaged in a lush fold-out sleeve. It’ll also be available on CD. We’re hoping to get something out on Waks Records in the future too….and a split with a band that can’t be named as yet.

We have a film being made as well - yes, a pop video! And touring: we have GOT to get up north to lay on some gigs!

FMCS: Well best of luck with it all. We think you guys are ace. Cheers James.

So anyone out there who requires a band that sounds like a radio pissing to perform in their local Oxfam, gym or Assembly Room please get in touch with The Sticks at www.myspace.com/thsticks

Interview by : Arlo for FMCS