My Passion
Can you introduce yourselves please?
Hey! My Name is Jonathan Gaskin and I play drums, sing, and control the electronic onslaught in My Passion.
Can you give us a quick background to the band?
They are four of us in the monster that is My Passion. Laurence Rene on vocals and guitar, John Be on guitar, Simon Rowlands on bass, and myself.
When did you form? Any CDs out?
We formed around three years ago. We have had two singles out released on our own DIY label ‘Style Suicide Records’, and our debut album ‘Corporate Flesh Party’ comes out on the 25th of may.
Why did you form a band?
When we were growing up nothing excited us apart from music. We used to love live music and live bands but we couldn’t really see anyone locally doing something great. It was definitely our combined determination to get out there and do something fresh that brought us together.
Which band or musicians have had the biggest impact on your life?
We all share similar music tastes, however we each have our own bizarre quirks. We like anything from Britney Spears to Thrice and Norma Jean. Obviously our roots lie with the darker side of life, but the electronica world inspired us greatly. Hopefully listening to bands like The Cure and Roxy Music means that we have no boundaries.
Can you describe your sound to our readers?
We play raw ‘disko punk’ music. Its high energy, high impact, moving and emotion inspiring music. There are groovy riffs, synthetic saws, and melodies and hooks that get into your skin. There is something for everyone in our music. It Epic and its pure.
Describe your live show to us..
We are a band known for relentless touring, hard work, and hi energy shows. The effort that we put into each show is the same, as we consider this paramount. It doesn’t matter if we are playing a toilet venue or Wembley stadium, we always put our hearts and souls into it! We have an amazing light show to go along with our set which makes it even harder for us to stand still.
Tell us about your first gig together?
Our first gig together was at a brilliant night in London called ‘Stay Beautiful’. It was a themed night called ‘Night Of A Thousand Ziggies’. We played a cover of a David Bowie song called ‘Queen Bitch’. It was brilliant.
Any funny gig stories you can tell us about?
Whilst on tour we tend to have a lot of fun. You find the funniest situations often arise when you are most bored so the bus is where most things happen! I have been locked outside naked before in the freezing cold. We also used to have a megaphone which provided us with much entertainment! We normally just abuse each other though, its more fun and the repercussions are not as bad!
What are your goals with the band?
We are a band with massive ambition. We all want to take our music as far as it can go. We want to be able to play for the rest of our lives, and be successful in as many places as we can. We are not afraid of the world and we want to take it on!
What do you think about the rock scene at the moment?
I think the rock scene is being watered down heavily by copy cats and trend followers. There is a void waiting to be filled by something fresh and new, not just another re-hash of another southern rock band. It seems that every year the trend changes and all of these bands come out of the wood work. I find it hilarious because some bands change from year to year to keep up with the scene. It’s pathetic. I wish more people would have the balls to not be scared about what the cool kids might think.
What are your upcoming plans?
Our album comes out this May and we are supporting that with a full UK Album Tour. It’s going to be a spread of dates throughout May to promote the release of ‘Corporate Flesh Party’. We will also be going back to Europe later on in the year which is always great.
Which member of the band has the most annoying habit?
Everyone annoys one another at some point in the day, but at the moment it’s probably John Be. He likes to shout to our sound man from the stage during sound check which really annoys me!
If you had a question for any musician out there alive or dead, who would it be for and what would the question be?
I would probably ask Freddie Mercury how it felt to have a lifetimes music inside of you and not be able to get it all out. It must have been the most frustrating and sad feeling in the world. To think that you may never know if you had written your best song is something I always fear. To also know that you have so much more to give but your time inevitably run out must have been horrible.
What advice would you give someone thinking of forming a band?
I’d say only form a band if you love music. Don’t form one to be cool and fit in with everyone else. Do it for yourself and stay true to what you like. Be prepared for hard work as its probably a lot tougher than you could ever imagine! Find people you get on with well and spend lots of time writing songs and rehearsing before you start playing live. Once you are good enough, play as many shows as you possibly can!
Thanks for your time. Anything else to say, plug, complain about, promote?
Thank you.
Interview by Graham Finney
Myspace Page – http://www.myspace.com/mypassion
