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Army Application
Army Application
-Raz- by Raziq Rauf April 21st, 2003
Wales is where to go to find hot hot music these days. With the recent increasing success of Funeral for a Friend and the previous explosion of LostProphets a couple of years ago still in our thoughts, it is hard to disagree. New label Mighty Atom is seemingly at the forefront of the current “Nu-Welsh Movement”, championing Funeral… and the 3 Colours Red renaissance attempt as well as a host of other uprising talents.

One of these talents goes by the name of Hondo Maclean. Taking their name from the man labelled as “too black, too mean” in the legendarily un-PC 80s range of children’s battle toys, MASK, the 5-piece are running the risk of being labelled a comedy band. But only by people that don’t care to venture as far as one of their performances for their vicious live ambushing of you will not be forgotten in a hurry. Nor will it be scoffed at and disregarded as just another band of angry young kids.

The best place for angry young kids over the years has either been prison or the army. The greatest army in the world ever has and always will be MASK. Bright ideas ahoy: Hondo Maclean have been made to run the gauntlet and fill in their own application form for entry into suspected oblivion…

Name
Gavin Burrough & Grant Robinson

DOB
17/09/1981 & 02/05/1983

Rank
Guitarist & Drummer

Location
Bridgend, South Wales

Qualifications in the field
I think it’s hard to generalise our music and place it under a particular genre. We all listen to a wide array of music, which we each bring to the band. It’s definitely metal as fuck but I think we balance aggression with quieter and more melodic moments. As far as musical influences go, I would probably say Drowningman, Poison The Well, Slayer, Hopesfall and also Mogwai at times.

Previous experience
We have recorded a 3-track demo (Finding Joy) in January 2002, and have our first official release, a 4-track EP called ‘Plans for a Better Day’ out on Mighty Atom Records on June 2nd. So far this year we have played with the mighty Steve-O of Jackass fame which was a real test for the band. After those shows I don’t think any gig would faze us! We have also played other high profile shows including Anthrax and Stone Sour. We’ve also played numerous shows around the country through the last year including ThisGirl, Shadows Fall, Funeral for a Friend, and Snapcase.

Current posting
We’ve got a tour with Poison The Well which starts 27th April. Hopefully we'll have some promo copies of our EP for that, plus we got a date on the Sikth tour in May. Obviously we're just going to try to plaster our music in as many unsuspecting peoples faces as humanly possible. We should be in loads of magazines some time in the next few months, which we’re all looking forward to so check it out! We are also writing new material for our forthcoming album, which will be out sometime next year.

Future targets
I personally just want people to enjoy our music as much as I love playing it, and we're just so fucking determined to make everyone who sees us play live watch, listen and take notice (and a circle pit wouldn't be too much to ask for). I'd play naked if I though it would help, but I think it would have the opposite effect!

Allies
Johnny Mental are a cool band from South Wales they sound like Stampin' Ground meets Deftones. They've just done their first demo, and it’s hotter than the sun! Check ‘em out at johnnymental.com.

Most Successful Posting to Date
I would say the Steve-O shows. We got to play to so many people in some amazing venues. We enjoyed the experience and made a lot of friends as well as enemies hehe! Meeting Corey Taylor was pretty cool, although my memory is a little hazy, thank god for camcorders. The day Asia Argento contacted us was pretty damn special - the girl is a fox! Rich drinking his own urine back stage at Stone Sour was fairly memorable, and I think after Anthrax, Ben actually sampled a bit of Burroughs' spew, and then consequently violently vomited. Rock & Roll!! Lets all have a pear!!

Medical issues
I cut my fingers open once, whilst playing and bled all over my snare drum then, like a rock god, wrote “METAL” in blood over it. I love writing on my snare drum.

Disciplinary record
We always get in shit when we drink too much. Come out for a drink with us and we’ll show you what debauchery really is! Every time we go out on the piss is just as bad as the last as far as trouble goes, the bouncers can't stop staring at us, just waiting for an excuse to chuck us all out!

Hondo Maclean clearly share an ethos with the big man - they too work hard, play harder and drive around in an Aquamarine with flame detail ‘57 Chevy [metaphorically speaking] – and with five of the scoundrels in tow, that probably makes up a squadron of some sort. However, I believe that their talents would be wasted in the ranks of MASK or any army, and so have advised them to stick to grinding out brutal metal. In your face.

Go see Hondo Maclean on their forthcoming tour, supporting Poison The Well:

April
27th London Camden Underworld
28th Manchester Academy 3
29th Glasgow King Tuts
30th Newport TJ's
May
1st Northampton Soundhaus



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