25 Past The Skank

01/05/2012

Parisa Eliyon put some questions to A-drum Wild, the drummer from 25 Past The Skank who play The Maze 15th Birthday Extravaganza this Saturday

When LeftLion and I'm Not From London were asked to put on a party to celebrate the 15th Birthday of The Maze, there was always one band we had in mind to top the bill - 25 Past The Skank. With their raucous party licks, raw brass hooks, gritty breakbeats, and percussive licks, we thought they were ideal for a night where people just want to dance and be merry. Only problem was that they've been in exile for most of the past year, except for the odd festival appearance. Thankfully we managed to persuade them to get them back together for one evening only...

How many of you are there?
We have seven core members of the band, plus anyone who wants to get involved at the time. We are constantly growing and evolving.

What can we expect from your live shows?
Our live shows are built around some songs written years ago and others invented on the spot. You can expect beverages, snacks, japes, skags, fags, skanking, bass and breakbeats.

Do you prefer playing live or studio time?
Our live stuff always works better, so far anyway. It seems to be a recipe that is difficult to replicate in the booth.

What’s been the highlight of your band’s lifespan so far?
The time we did an impromptu set on forest recreation pavillion steps, stupid promoters, wedding parties, commune trampolining, drinking, big bogger, peanut curry, brown fags, dragon stout, small children on the mic, blown amps, snapped strings, dropped sticks, public transport, no money, wine, spliff, stealing, getting robbed, loosing stuff, getting paid, not getting paid, being appreciated, not being appreciated and urinating on property.

25 Past The Skank

What exciting things have you got coming up?
In the near future 25 Past The Skank are just looking forward to being in the same room together for a while - who knows what kind of business will transpire when that happens. Its been a while. And the small matter of us playing Boomtown Fair!

Tell us a story from your past...
We used to be called the Mindless Rascals and we played a whole gig in mansfield to an empty room.

Have you collaborated with other bands/vocalists we might know?
Probably more than we can remember. Everyone should get involved, variety is the spice of life.

What’s different when playing other cities?
The price of drinks can vary greatly, as can the accents, the reception is always positive and everyone is cool, its wicked to get good vibes off other soundsystems, and bump it up with fresh faces.

Is there anything about Nottingham that stands out for you?
Nottingham is home. Its where the fun began.

Do you try hard to create your own sound? Or is it natural?
The sound is a summary of our parts, 100% organic.

What’s the hardest thing about being in your band?
Hardest thing is getting everone in the same room at the same time, between bus fare and space exploration its sometimes hard to find the time, but its love thats brings us together in the long run.

Do you change your set depending on the crowd/gig?
The croud get what they deserve, BiG Riddimz + Bad Boy Stylez.

Tell us what you think about Leftlion, The Maze and I’m Not From London...
All the hard workers, artists, musicians, soundsystems, all the real heads doing it for the cause are the people responsible for lives we live. We thank all involved and have much love for all the crews keeping it real across the globe. Safe!

25 Past The Skank play play The Maze 15th Birthday Extravaganza this Saturday, alongside Seas of Mirth, Just James and The Austin Francis Connection. Tickets are £5 or £4 if you come along in some item of fancy dress.

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