Patchwork Grace are, in their words, 'sleazytrashyquirkyfuckedupstageshowpeepshow freakshowpornosuicidehotlineteenagesexwannabepinkfuckingliars', but are otherwise known as Tori Trash (vocals), Joey Strange (bass), Crip, (guitar) and Danny Gunn (drums). Their debut single Zebra is a screamtastic face-melter of a tune, they’ve already gigged pretty much everywhere in the UK, and their stage show brings to mind a fuzzed-out Moulin Rouge (the French gaff, not the chip shop on Trinity Square). Oh, and their oldest member is a mere 19 years old. Jealous?
What’s the story behind Patchwork Grace?
Crip: Me and Tori met through school and started a band with some other friends. Joey began rehearsing with us. After our drummer left over commitment issues, we had the best stand-in-drummer ever, Scott, for about 10 months, and then saw Danny about 5 months ago. We all thought he was shit hot, and looked like a great shag so we bribed him into playing with us.
Dan: I saw them when Joey and Scott had joined. They blew me away! I wanted to be in the band ever since. When Scott left, they asked me to audition. I’ve been a part of Patchwork Grace for about 4 months now.
Crip: The original Patchwork Grace was born about 18 months ago. This line-up has been together since March 2006.
Dan: I saw them when Joey and Scott had joined. They blew me away! I wanted to be in the band ever since. When Scott left, they asked me to audition. I’ve been a part of Patchwork Grace for about 4 months now.
Crip: The original Patchwork Grace was born about 18 months ago. This line-up has been together since March 2006.
Do you ever get patronised because of your age?
Dan: Not really, but if people have any pointers I’m always ready to listen - even if it’s bullshit sometimes.
Crip: It’s normally from bands twice our age who’ve done half the number of gigs.
Tori: There’s bound to be a little bit of it. I’ve always been taught to respect my elders and I think some of them take that for granted and abuse that respect, but I’ve always managed to get on with everyone I’ve worked with, older or younger.
“I don’t want to be a Zebra” - what are you going on about?
Dan: It’s about not wanting to be hunted and killed by lions, hyenas and various other African predators, isn’t it?
Crip: Ask her…
Crip: Ask her…
Tori: It’s basically about youth culture and people going out of their way to be strange and hoping in some way this will get them accepted. For me the song says; “I don’t want to be black and white, I’m happy being shades of grey”.
Who are you always getting compared to?
Dan: Any female-fronted band. The funniest was Kelly Osbourne. I don’t think Tori was too impressed by that…
Joey: Queen Adreena, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Distillers…it can get pretty annoying being compared to bands we sound and look nothing like, apart from the fact we have a female lead singer.
Tori: It’s a case of ”I cant really put my finger on what it is these guys are doing so I’ll say they sound like…”. I don’t mind, but it gets annoying when people imply that you’re trying to become one of those bands.The whole gender thing never enters my mind unless somebody brings it up. I’m more of a boy than any of the guys in the band will ever be!
Dan: Any female-fronted band. The funniest was Kelly Osbourne. I don’t think Tori was too impressed by that…
Joey: Queen Adreena, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Distillers…it can get pretty annoying being compared to bands we sound and look nothing like, apart from the fact we have a female lead singer.
Tori: It’s a case of ”I cant really put my finger on what it is these guys are doing so I’ll say they sound like…”. I don’t mind, but it gets annoying when people imply that you’re trying to become one of those bands.The whole gender thing never enters my mind unless somebody brings it up. I’m more of a boy than any of the guys in the band will ever be!
Dan: HA!
You’ve scoring gigs in venues that you’d normally be barred from. How does that feel?
Tori: Amazing! We’ve worked hard and it’s really starting to pay off.
Crip: Most venues don’t have a height restriction. But when I was 16 and playing places like Rock City and Rescue Rooms, it was pretty awesome.
How does it feel to play to audiences who are older than you?Crip: Some people like it, some don’t. You can’t please everybody. But say, if we play in Nottingham or Derby at an all-ages club, there’s normally over 100 on a good night.
Tori: Many students are still in the Indie generation. They’re all still swooning over Pete Doherty. Some of them love us, some of them hate us and some of them just don’t get it.
Crip: If the show was 18-plus, there’d probably only be about 30 people actually come to watch us, who’d stand at the back away from the stage, with a pint, thinking ‘Yeah this is weird, but the singer is hot’.
Tori: Our core fanbase are growing up with us, which I think is a brilliant thing.
MySpace: necessary tool to promote new bands, or a bit of a wank?
Dan: It’s just an easy way of promoting ourselves and creating a more personal relationship between us and our fans.
Tori: Yeah, it allows people to get an idea of what you're like musically and it’s easier to get people off their idle backsides to come to a gig. It’s really helped.
Tori: Yeah, it allows people to get an idea of what you're like musically and it’s easier to get people off their idle backsides to come to a gig. It’s really helped.
Joey: But you can have a million friends, but if the system crashes you lose everything. You have no way to get in touch with them and they have no idea your real website even exists so you’re fucked.
Do you think that the importance and role of the record label is diminishing?
Dan: Not really. There are so many bands on MySpace. Getting spotted by a record label, indie or major, is still a big deal for a band.
Tori: At the end of the day you can’t do everything on your own. We did for a while but since we’ve had help from the TrashPit label it’s given us all a boost; we have more time to concentrate on the music side of things.
Inspirations?
Crip: Kurt Cobain made me pick up a guitar, then I spent my early teenage years playing Blink 182. At around 14 I realised I was English and Noel Gallagher was on my wall. He’s still there actually, even though the new Oasis stuff doesn’t appeal at all. Nowadays it’s Acey Slade (Murderdolls/Trashlight Vision), Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue) and Rob Lane (Teenage Casket Company).
Dan: I like hard hitters! John Bonham, Chad Smith from the Chilli Peppers, Tommy Lee’s showmanship…
Joey: Robin Black, Murderdolls, Ramones, Bon Jovi, Trashlight Vision, DIP, Teenage Casket Company… I could go on and on.
Joey: Robin Black, Murderdolls, Ramones, Bon Jovi, Trashlight Vision, DIP, Teenage Casket Company… I could go on and on.
You’re very anti-Shoegazer onstage. How important is the whole spectacle to you?
Crip: It’s everything. I see so many bands who bore the hell out of me, so I try to entertain. Some people think it’s wank, others love it. I’d be pretty pissed off if I paid £3 to watch some lad stand with a Telecaster staring at his lovely brown shoes.
Joey: If you wanted to listen to a band, you could save yourself some time and money and listen to the CD in your bedroom all day long. If you want to go out and watch a band they should be worth seeing.
Tori: If you’re going to perform, then fucking perform.
Who do you love and hate in Notts right now?
Joey: DIP and Teenage Casket Company are both fucking awesome. I despair of the million Indie bands that people seem to like at the moment that all sound EXACTLY the fucking same and boring as fuck. Feel free to replace the word ‘indie’ with ‘emo’ in that sentence.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Joey: Tie your shoelaces or you’ll trip over them and hurt yourself.
Dan: Put down the gun and let the marching band go.
Crip: Use a condom.
Tori: Don’t give up.
Zebra is released on August 21 on TrashPit Records.
Zebra is released on August 21 on TrashPit Records.
