HullVibe chats with Fonda 500
Ring Ring.....Ring Ring...
Simon: Hello?
Lucy: Hi Simon it’s Lucy from Hullvibe
Simon: Oh hiya
Lucy: Are you free for a couple of minutes, are you awake?
Simon: Yeah I’m awake, am I on speakerphone?
Lucy: Yeah
Simon: How many other people are in the room?
Lucy: It’s just me! Don’t panic! I’m just gonna ask a few questions
Simon: Ok go ahead,
Lucy: Ok, you go down really well live everywhere else. Why do you think that hasn’t translated into the band being universally loved as it should be?
Simon: Err..because there are no record labels in Hull. I think it just goes to fashionable people these days
Lucy: Do you think it’s down to the difficulty of trying to recreate the sound you have live down on record without the aid of a bigger budget?
Simon: You’ll be surprised to hear that the new album has the same sound as we do live, we just haven’t been bothered to do it before, its not been necessary!
Simon: You don’t always want to hear what you hear live on a record you cant always get away with constant noise!
Lucy: So you think your newest album is the closest you’ve gotten to hearing the same sound as you do when you play live?
Simon: It certainly has, ticks all the boxes!
Lucy: Do you think if you’d relocated to somewhere trendier than Hull, a bigger record company may have been willing to take you on?
Simon: Erm, I don’t really know, I don’t know if we’re really doing this for a record deal, we’ve got a lot of support from smaller labels, I wouldn’t want any Kn**head involved, we make what we get and we get what we like!
Lucy: When’s your new album out, or is it out now?
Simon: In about 5 minutes! Every album is self produced it’s the first time we’ve actually bothered to write more than a four letter album, that’s why its taking so long! We’re trying to write longer songs rather than little doodles.
Simon: Did you have a good time on Friday night?
Lucy: Yeah I loved it! Really impressed!
Simon: Was it the first time you’d seen us?
Lucy: Yeah it was!
Simon: How old are you, 12?
Lucy: Ha Ha! I know, I don’t know where I’ve been hiding!
Simon: I bet you’d rather go see the Paddingtons wouldn’t you?
Lucy: No, not really, I prefare those smaller gigs, I did record some of it but not sure if the sound does it justice.
Simon: We could re-record it for you? Maybe put some Libertines over the top of it?!
Lucy: HAHA, ok ok, who said I liked the Libertines? Next question seeing as though we seem to be going off on one…
Hull crowds tend to have a reputation for being quite hard to excite and impress. Do you think that is still true?
Simon: There’s just something wrong with Hull audiences. We played London on Saturday night and it was 15 quid to get in, 200 people (wasn’t for us obviously, it was for the main band) but a lot of people enjoyed us! I think London is more of our hometown for gigs rather than Hull.
Lucy: Aww you can’t say that, your from Hull!
Simon: I can, Hulls lost its grip on reality with all these new buildings, they should spend their money on a bigger adelphi!
Lucy: That’s why people like Adelphi though, because its never changed
Simon: Nope, I can vouch for that, I’ve been going there since I was just about over an inch tall. I hate watching bands, that’s why I started a band, so I could watch the crowd instead. If there’s nice looking people are there and people are happy. Europe its different because everyone gets excited so it makes you excited.
Lucy: You get excited?!
Simon: Yeah
Lucy: What’s your fascination with bees?
Simon: Err..i don’t know!, it’s the first letter of the word BMX?! It’s more of an animal?! I wanted to call the band the Electric Bees but then of course theres a band called the bees and a band called the Electric. It’s a word and also a letter too! A lot of people just write about their worst stories, The Paddingtons especially.
Lucy: You really don’t like The Paddingtons do you?
Simon: I don’t like any Hull band!
Lucy: Apart from yourselves?
Simon: I don’t really like us. Nah its all just a bit difficult because we all have to work jobs aswell. We don’t have rich parents. I don’t dislike The Paddingtons I just think that they’re successful for their theme rather than their music, it’s the same with The Raywells. Last people on earth are good, The Bonnits, I think the Bonnits are nice people and if your nice people you play good music.
If your serious about music you should be less serious about your life.
Music’s easy really, anyone can do it. Anyone can get a keyboard, anyone can beat box and anyone can sing.
Simon: What do you do for a living?
Lucy: Work for Hullvibe of course! Taking pics, interviewing, reviewing bands and nights out, videoing and editing them
Simon: You’re a good egg
Lucy: Thanks!
Simon: There isn’t many people in Hull who do stuff like that, I think the culture in Hull’s changed too much.
It's too hot! Just took the dog for a walk in the park.
Lucy: Where do you work?
Simon: Kingston Communications!
Lucy: Is it fun?
Simon: It’s alright but I’m off sick at the minute because I had an operation on my eye!
Lucy: Oh dear, you alright?
Simon: Yeah im alright!
Lucy: You want people to come round and bring you chocolates and flowers?
Simon: Nah, I’ve got chocolate biscuits, me and the dog ate ‘em
Lucy: How much money did Nick make by auctioning his moustache?
Simon: Not enough! His Mum & Dad bought it, £6, if that.
Simon: Maybe I should auction my beard.
Lucy: Or maybe your hat?!
Simon: No I can’t do that, my girlfriend made it.