by
Regulars at DiS’s DiScover Clubs should know all about Collapse: we put the punk-rocking trio on at Notting Hill Arts Club back in June with Meet Me In St Louis, Applicants and The Boss. If our misted-over memory serves us right, it was good. They might’ve screamed a bit. It’s what they do.
The band are made up of Steve, Matt and Brett; one has been known to sport a mighty fine quiff. Often seen in London’s scuzziest basements and occasionally its trendiest clubs, Collapse’s 2007 begins with a set at the free-entry RoTa afternoon at Notting Hill Arts Club on January 20. Full details for the show are here.
With a few limited-edition releases under their belt, the next few months could well see Collapse assemble songs electrifying enough to constitute a debut album proper. May, they say, release date wise. DiS continues to watch their MySpace with baited breath. ‘Til tomorrow comes, though…
How did Collapse first come together?
(All answers by Steve)
Me and Brett started the band when we were born. Matt was created at a later date and so joined the band later. Matt was created in a lab about three years ago when Gerry, our original guitar player, stopped working and eventually died. Before Collapse there was nothing.
What releases are out there for our listening pleasure, currently?
So far we have released two CDR EPs on Chaos Vs Cosmos Records, a 3" split CDR with Men of Unitus andThe Phill Collins 3 on No Lite Records, and a 10" mini-album on Fake Product Records. You can buy them from us at shows, on our MySpace or at about 17 good records shops, including two in Japan. PLEASE BUY RECORDS, YOUR CLAPPING AND CHEERING ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH.
What’s the usual Collapse live experience like? You can be quite volatile on stage – ever rubbed a crowd up the wrong way?
Um... I know that people have seen us before and hated us and then seen us again and loved it. I think it’s because we are different every time we play. Sometimes the emphasis for us is on playing the songs correctly; sometimes it’s on energy. It depends on so many things, like the different moods all three of us might be in at a particular time, whether or not we feel comfortable where we are playing (some places we don’t, some we do), how the crowd reacts to us, the sound quality. Extreme reactions of any sort are best! All shows we do are usually either amazing or totally shit, we are never in between. Is that really long-winded? You know what I mean, anyway: WE ARE THE SHIT, NO MATTER WHAT, LIVE AND ON RECORD!
Have you had the opportunity to play with many bands you admire? You played a handful of dates with xbxrx not so long ago, and DiS caught you with Wives one time. Are you able to tour as often as you’d like to at the moment?
We have played with a lot of bands that we love and it’s been fun – it’s better than playing with shit bands that you hate! We played with AIDS Wolf again in December at the Barfly; we've played with Coachwhips, USA Is A Monster, Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower, Neptune a couple of times, xbxrx, Men Of Unitus, Hunting Lodge, The Phil Collins 3… and loads more bands we love. We have jobs, so touring is difficult but we fit it in. It is important for a band like us to tour and play outside of London as much as possible. Unless we go and play other places it is unlikely that many people in these places will hear us. People from London think that London is the UK and playing London is the most important thing. THEY ARE WRONG!
So do you have any favourite places to play?
Bristol is great, Brighton is cool... best show ever was in Southend, they went fucking nuts.
And what’s upcoming for the band in 2007?
Lots of UK shows, and a couple of shows in France. Then we’re recording a couple of new tracks – we need to get someone to put them out as a 7". All this by about March, then we’ve a couple of shows in Ireland, and then an album by May at the latest!
Keep up with Collapse developments by clicking to their MySpace, here. The band play Notting Hill Arts Club with Popular Workshop and more on January 20 – click here for details.
