Futureheads
Devotion: Don't be fooled by the retro sci-fi name. This is not another bunch of Devo-obsessed dweebs brandishing vintage '80s synths, wearing identical boiler suits and playing tunes about nympho robots. Actually, maybe it is. The Sunderland four-piece count Devo as an influence, they have a song called Robot, and they once played a gig dressed as Dr Who's Cybermen. But they all play old-fashioned guitar, bass and drums, and none of them wears a flowerpot on his head. Futureheads are a rock combo influenced by Fugazi, Queen and Kate Bush. Think Freddie Mercury singing Wuthering Heights to a headbanging punk guitar riff. On second thoughts, don't.
Lip service: What Futureheads really sound like are a spiky, energetic rock/ dance band in the mould of Franz Ferdinand, Dogs Die in Hot Cars and Radio 4. They nicked their name from a Flaming Lips song and confess to an unhealthy interest in 1980s hardcore punk bands such as Black Flag. Which can only be a good thing. The band comprises guitarists Barry Hyde and Ross Millard, bassist Jaff and Hyde's brother Dave on drums. All four of them sing in thick Sunderland accents, so imagine The Strokes replaced by the cast of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. They've been compared to Gang of Four (aren't they all?) but they're more like XTC circa the Go 2 album. Their own self-named début album is produced by the Gang of Four man himself, Andy Gill, so put that in your art-rock pipe and smoke it, Alex Kapranos.
Cool as f***: It all started in November 2000, when Barry brought a bunch of friends into his freezing garage to rehearse. The place was apparently so cold that the guys found themselves playing faster just to keep their fingers from becoming frostbitten; hence their heated punk sound. Luckily, that's exactly the sound Futureheads wanted, so when they moved to a rehearsal space in a local youth project, they brought the abrasive punk energy with them. "We wanted to make startling, surprising, sensational music," says Barry. "Most bands were devoid of sexuality. They didn't even look like they were enjoying it."
Army screamers: Futureheads' local gigs were oddly themed affairs; one show saw them dressed in military attire, complete with medals. They made their first jaunt to Europe with Newcastle band Milky Wimpshake, but have so far avoided getting sucked into the London scene. The album features such Futureheads favourites as Stupid and Shallow, Meantime, Decent Days and Nights and - yes - a cover of Kate Bush's Hounds of Love. There's also a deranged a capella tune, Danger in the Water, that sounds like the ultimate Geordie barbershop quartet. They've also contributed Decent Days and Nights to the new Songs for Sudan charity album, which also features Ash, REM, Primal Scream and David Gray.
Kevin Courtney
