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THE MICHELLES
It's really not that often when youngsters with guitars have bags of talent, buckets of great songs under their arms plus genial,
infectious personalities...so step forward The Michelles, an east London band who are rare enough to deserve such an
accolade.
The band are definitely international and reflect the diversity not only of the east end music scene but of east end culture itself.
SInger/guitarist Tim is a recent American traveller who has settled in London, Bassist/singer Gustaf is originally from Sweden
and lead guitarist Marc and drummer Graeme are as local as it gets in London - being from Surrey and Wales respectively. In
between gigging profusely and getting thousands of new fans by the day thanks to that great old medium of Myspace, the band
take some time out and invite SSS round for a chat in their cosy flat in Bethnal Green. Let the questioning commence...
It's Tim birthday and he greets me wearing a t-shirt, boxers and a blue hairy blanket that makes him look part indie rocker/part
muppet baby. He also looks very unhappy. "I'm just really tired," he says. "Me and Gustaf walked all the way round Kensington
today, we like going for long walks..and I was up really this morning," he says with a wry smile. Gustaf is sitting on the other
side of me and laughs. "Yes, we took this really long route and walked for ages..we should have just crossed the road!"
Despite having a mountain of a day to climb the boys still have plans to celebrate Tim's birthday. "I baked him a lasagne and
hid it in the flat downstairs so he didn't know. It's got loads of meat and cheese on it! I tried to grate the cheese so that it would
spell 'happy birthday' but it was hard!" The mention of lasagne certainly cheers Tim up. "I love Gustaf's lasagne and I love his
cooking!" Tim also mentions how he loves bananas. I tell him that I don't know anyone whose favourite food is bananas. "What
about monkeys?" he says. Point taken! Tim’s quick wit and sarcastic humor is certainly a pleasure to hear and be around. In
fact, all the band are fun, energetic and slightly mischevious. I’m tempted to fold each band member up into my pockets for
safekeeping when I leave.
infectious personalities...so step forward The Michelles, an east London band who are rare enough to deserve such an
accolade.
The band are definitely international and reflect the diversity not only of the east end music scene but of east end culture itself.
SInger/guitarist Tim is a recent American traveller who has settled in London, Bassist/singer Gustaf is originally from Sweden
and lead guitarist Marc and drummer Graeme are as local as it gets in London - being from Surrey and Wales respectively. In
between gigging profusely and getting thousands of new fans by the day thanks to that great old medium of Myspace, the band
take some time out and invite SSS round for a chat in their cosy flat in Bethnal Green. Let the questioning commence...
It's Tim birthday and he greets me wearing a t-shirt, boxers and a blue hairy blanket that makes him look part indie rocker/part
muppet baby. He also looks very unhappy. "I'm just really tired," he says. "Me and Gustaf walked all the way round Kensington
today, we like going for long walks..and I was up really this morning," he says with a wry smile. Gustaf is sitting on the other
side of me and laughs. "Yes, we took this really long route and walked for ages..we should have just crossed the road!"
Despite having a mountain of a day to climb the boys still have plans to celebrate Tim's birthday. "I baked him a lasagne and
hid it in the flat downstairs so he didn't know. It's got loads of meat and cheese on it! I tried to grate the cheese so that it would
spell 'happy birthday' but it was hard!" The mention of lasagne certainly cheers Tim up. "I love Gustaf's lasagne and I love his
cooking!" Tim also mentions how he loves bananas. I tell him that I don't know anyone whose favourite food is bananas. "What
about monkeys?" he says. Point taken! Tim’s quick wit and sarcastic humor is certainly a pleasure to hear and be around. In
fact, all the band are fun, energetic and slightly mischevious. I’m tempted to fold each band member up into my pockets for
safekeeping when I leave.
I first saw the band play in early January at the Buffalo Bar. They are a dynamic foursome
with melodic, harmonic songs and are instantly likeable. The boys have wonderful songs,
can certainly play their instruments (they swap instruments between songs) and gel well
as a band. They are becoming increasingly popular with both new fans and industry folk.
Although a man down at our recent SSS/Decay of Living night, the band played
magnificently; they turned up, played 4 cracking songs and left us all in a Michelles’ haze.
Lead guitarist Marc says they’re enjoying their batch of gigs and look forward to playing
elsewhere. “We’d love to do Reading/Leeds..that would be the best! We are actually
playing Leeds soon however we’re down to play on April 1st and we’re not sure if it’s a
real gig or a joke…” Marc is tall, funky-haired guitarist with a keen interest in writing and
reading. “I’m currently reading a biography on The Velvet Underground which is great,” he
says. The band are also huge fans of The Beatles although both songwriters Tim and
Gustaf are yet to pursue the Lennon/McCartney co-writing. “We’ve both been writing
individually for years and it’s kind of stayed that way,” Tim says. “However we’d like to write
some songs together,” Gustaf says. Having recently recorded a 3 track demo (which you
can hear on myspace) the band are out and about to grab you, your mother, your lesbian
best friend, just about anyone and sink you into a state of mindful, toe-tapping
bliss…Definitely one of our tip-top bands of 2006.
with melodic, harmonic songs and are instantly likeable. The boys have wonderful songs,
can certainly play their instruments (they swap instruments between songs) and gel well
as a band. They are becoming increasingly popular with both new fans and industry folk.
Although a man down at our recent SSS/Decay of Living night, the band played
magnificently; they turned up, played 4 cracking songs and left us all in a Michelles’ haze.
Lead guitarist Marc says they’re enjoying their batch of gigs and look forward to playing
elsewhere. “We’d love to do Reading/Leeds..that would be the best! We are actually
playing Leeds soon however we’re down to play on April 1st and we’re not sure if it’s a
real gig or a joke…” Marc is tall, funky-haired guitarist with a keen interest in writing and
reading. “I’m currently reading a biography on The Velvet Underground which is great,” he
says. The band are also huge fans of The Beatles although both songwriters Tim and
Gustaf are yet to pursue the Lennon/McCartney co-writing. “We’ve both been writing
individually for years and it’s kind of stayed that way,” Tim says. “However we’d like to write
some songs together,” Gustaf says. Having recently recorded a 3 track demo (which you
can hear on myspace) the band are out and about to grab you, your mother, your lesbian
best friend, just about anyone and sink you into a state of mindful, toe-tapping
bliss…Definitely one of our tip-top bands of 2006.
L-R: Gustaf, Marc and Tim
Special thanks to the band.
For more info: www.themichelles.com
Article and photographs by Dee
For more info: www.themichelles.com
Article and photographs by Dee
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LIVE PHOTOS OF THE MICHELLES
@ DECAY OF LIVING NIGHT BELOW!!
@ DECAY OF LIVING NIGHT BELOW!!