1.
Could you tell me a bit about how you promote your band and how/if
that's
changed over the course of your career?
Like
most unsigned acts who have self released an album and spend a lot of money
on sexy stage-wear our promotional budget is a tad thin. Therefore we've relied
heavily on the internet to promote the band. Facebook, Twitter,
Youtube and our own website have been essential to reaching new fans and interacting with current ones. We have been lucky to get some publicity in
various radio shows and print publications over the years but the internet is
definitely where we've had the most success; it's the one constant in our
publicity strategy and the main cost is time.
2.
What obstacles have you come across being in a band from Northern Ireland?
The
main obstacle that is unique to Northern & Southern Ireland is the Irish
Sea. Getting the money together for us to travel over the Edinburgh Fringe
for example was not easy.
3.
How do you think Northern Ireland's music scene compares to others ie.
Southern
Ireland/UK?
It's
hard to define a music scene and it's difficult to determine what aspects
make one better than another. If we're going purely on the quantity
of quality bands from the countries you mentioned then the UK is of
course leagues ahead of both the Northern Ireland and the South. They've
got more variety of genres, magazines, festivals; you name it. A lot
of that is down to the population size over there. When you take into consideration
the smaller numbers over here however I think we do still have
a wealth of talent and some extremely hard-working bands, both north and south
of the border.
4.
Do you think it's harder for an alternative band to gain support from
the
local press/promoters?
I
guess it depends how alternative. Support and exposure are two different things.
Gaining exposure through local press and promoters is relatively easy
- one of the advantages of our smaller population size. You just have to hound
them a bit or find a friend of a friend who knows somebody that can
help you out. From my own experience, I play in a band that's pretty misunderstood
by NI's mainstream music media - probably because it's hard to
pigeonhole us into a particular niche (or because they don't like us!). Despite
this we've managed to gain some exposure that would be considered widespread
on a local level, such as being interviewed for the Across the Line
radio show. Getting press or promoters to SUPPORT you is different, this
means they'll actively help you out on a very regular basis and endorse
you a bit more overtly. This requires a lot more legwork on the networking
front, and creating music that the people you want to network with
are into.
5.
How was supporting Electric Six for you (the whole experience) and what
do
you think it'll do for your band?
Supporting
Electric Six was a great experience! I really enjoy their music and
Mental Deficiency are often compared to them. We made a lot of new fans
at that gig and and we always have fun playing to large crowds. In the
long run, it's a great thing to have on your CV. I know that the manager
of Alestorm, another international band we're supporting next year,
was impressed that we were opening for Electric Six which helped convince
him we were a good choice for the opening band. Good support slots
help you get more support slots which is all all good for your profile.
6.
What do you think of Shine Productions and MCD buying over Limelight
and
Katy's? (I read your blog on this and was just wondering what you
think
it'll mean for bands playing these venues in the future)
It's
a good thing. They've guaranteed the venues' future as a live venue and
both MCD and Shine appear to be business-savvy enough to ensure they continue
to be mainstays of Belfast's nightlife. I'm looking forward to seeing
what changes they make to the club nights which have long been in need
of an overhaul.
7.
What do you think of the talks of scrapping the BBC Introducing NI
radio
show and do you think there is adequate support for NI bands?
This
is a difficult question as it presents with me a conflict. I think the
BBC is an institution in need of major reform, to the extent that I feel
a publicly funded TV/Radio company is an archaic idea and that the whole
thing should be scrapped. However, we can/have benefited from exposure
on it; in particular we've been featured on both BBC Introducing and
Across the Line. We're very grateful for this exposure, especially to James
Loveday for playing us on his monthly slot on BBC Introducing. However
I get the impression that, in Mental Deficiency's case, the regular
BBC staff aren't really digging our music and scrapping Introducing
NI would have little effect on us. Either that or they buy into
the myth about us that all our songs are x-rated and therefore won't play
them (7 of the 10 songs on the album are radio-friendly).
That
said, if other bands from NI do benefit from it then I wish them the best
of luck - more power to them. If the BBC continues to exist then keeping
the show on the air it would be a good thing as there's no harm in it.
At the same time if it gets scrapped it's not a major loss - properly utilizing
the internet as a marketing tool can achieve a lot more for a band
than a few plays on the radio in the middle of the night. To be honest
though I think the entire BBC should be scrapped for the greater good,
even if my band does stand to benefit from its continued existence.
8.
Any general thoughts on the NI music scene and how/if you think being
from
Northern Ireland affects your chances of success?
It's
like any scene; it's got good, bad and ok bands. A few of my favourites
would be Roysta, Darkest Era, Gama Bomb, Gascan Ruckus, DutchSchultz, LaFaro,
Sinocence and The Answer. There's a ton of NI bands who have sadly called it a
day who I also really like.
The
Internet has democratized the music business somewhat. Despite our awkward location I believe any band can find success with enough savvy, perseverance
and a clear idea in their heads of what they stand for.
The opening was exemplary in it's visual clarity showing Blanche's failed marriage, the demise of her family, her descent into alcoholism and degradation. Eve Musto was skilled in taking Blanche's characteristics and making them physical, her dancing was delicate and graceful, a stark contrast to the dancing style of Tama Barry's Stanley, aggressive and abrupt. Adam Blyde as Mitch was especially good as he had the task of deliberately dancing badly to come across as clumsy, awkward and by that extension less of a man than Stanley. Another aspect the production managed to carry off very well was making Blanche a sympathetic character. In any production, including the Elia Kazan film adaptation, Blanche always comes across as delusional, conceited and unwilling to tell the truth when confronted about her past. In the ballet she is a fragile character thrust unwillingly into a rough world who, constantly reminded of the past can only escape through alcohol. The harshness and lack of understanding she experiences because of this makes her fate all the more poignant. The music throughout was simple and minimalist, never becoming overbearing as was the stage design.
