FIRM TO THE BITE
By Henning Koehler
02 September 2006. Somewhere in a stifling and dirty basement in Denmark Street The Firm rehearses for a gig at the Clockwork on Pentonville Road tomorrow. Easily blasting away some lousy metal band in the next rehearsal room the band sets a remarkable starting point for a consistent further development that is about to become a central benchmark of The Firm’s work. Obviously The Firm proceed to be much more than just a successor of the previous band of singer Ross Liddle and bass player Julia Sieradzki called Sub-Culture. Merging a weakness for the C86 era and a justified self-confidence within their definition of indie and shoegaze, The Firm seems to be more than ready to make the first step into a restless future.One year later, going through several line-up changes and gigs, Ross Liddle, Julia Sieradzki, guitarist Alex Avery and drummer Marcin Kasjanowicz built the fundament for the next step in the seemingly relentless development of the band. “There has always been a certain idea what The Firm should be, or should have been, but only this year it’s actually come to the point where this has materialised. Which is probably because we’ve finally got the right line-up right now, and we know what we want to do musically and there are no clashing opinions on which way we should go musically.” The determined sound of their latest recordings and live appearances isn’t at all the only evidence for the veracity of Julia’s statement. As the (not too) “shadowy organisation” behind their own clubnight, The Vapour Trail, The Firm implemented the significant aspect of their ambitions: “Our key inspiration for it was the clubnights from the C86 era, where bands put their own nights, DIY scenes and even fanzines together. Like-minded groups would play together in what seemed to be a reaction to the dull artifice of the times. The whole idea is based on wanting to do our own thing, a night where no doubt good music will be played and good bands will be seen, and to attract people who are actually into music, not JUST about dressing up and showing off their wardrobe, as an example.”As a matter of fact the concept of the Vapour Trail clearly bears the hallmarks of The Firm as Ross points out: “The Vapour Trail shows a love of good music and there really is nothing more to it than that. We're just tired of the same old arserot and London is ours, after all, and we shall do with it as we see fit”. “Whatever happened to the magic where you're counting down days to a gig you're looking forward to, or the release of a record? These are some of the most exciting things about being into music, and those who agree will surely love The Vapour Trail. It seems that about 99% of the times when you play a gig where more than one band plays, the bands will have nothing in common whatsoever. The first band could be a jazz act, followed by a man with bongos, followed by death metal. And noone quite knows why...One thing I know, this certainly won't ever happen at The Vapour Trail....” Julia adds.After all taking their destiny into their own hands probably is the most significant indication of what’s The Firm’s essence.Lately the band recorded an EP, containing four songs that aren’t less independent statements. The Opener ‘Fulfilment For The Faint-hearted’ is the only song on the EP that remained from last years rehearsals and gigs and proves the progress of The Firm. “Fulfilment could well have been the very first thing The Firm made, and lyrically it was a cry of defiance against our favourite subject of complacency, I suppose. And, as such, we crammed as many ideas into it as its groove would allow - but we still wanted to retain its energy.” ‘If You Don’t Want To Know Life’s Dismal Results’ is “quite clearly amusing, although it's also quite tragic” and as such a prime example for The Firm’s merciless and sarky attitude towards modern life or at least with the things that make it so hideous at times. ‘The Art Of Saying No’ is, according to the band, “a carefully constructed comment on conversation, no more, no less” and definitely worth a listen. The last song, ‘My Beautiful Launderette’, is clearly about the film of the same name (guess what, it hit the cinemas in 85/86) and places the band in the orphaned section of pop-culture that refuses to ignore. Asked about his dearest intolerance Ross comes up with a counter-question: “Must we narrow it down to one? We could be here till next Friday.” Alright, what about, let’s say, ten intolerances? “Obvious ones would be ignorance and stupidity. Blandness, complacency and mediocrity are pet hates. Other than that? The modern concept of beauty, fascism, The Pigeon Detectives, lame excuses for eating meat, politicans, Paris Hilton and the 29 bus to Wood Green can all be filed under ‘dearest intolerance’.” Julia remains within the subject of music: “Music talent shows like X Factor really annoy me - it's just another money-grabbing institution, all that money could have been invested in signing real bands with real talent that even write their own songs. Since all that bollocks is around it's so much harder for a band to get widely known, plus people buy less records anyway since you can download it all for free.” Ross bluntly declares, that “pop-culture is a very boring joke with no discernible punchline. Instead of wondering why the world is falling apart before their very eyes, people just immerse themselves in Heat magazine instead. I might actually be able to understand it if there was anything of interest in such garbage but, alas, there is not.” Nonetheless for The Firm pop culture nowadays isn’t inevitably happening in the hypocritical ivory tower of gossip and a consumer society. It might just as well happen at The Vapour Trail or in some grotty rehearsal room at Denmark Street. With this in mind The Firm again head for more. “Things are changing all the time and hopefully for the better. The plan now is to get as many people to be a part of The Firm and to grow as we go along.” According to drummer Marcin The Firm’s ambitions are yet to be satisfied. “We've just sent away about 300 our demos to labels and we are still trying new things in our music. But we have a solid base and we know who we are. Our plan is to record an album soon. We are working on it right now.” As Alex mentions “you don't get any characters in pop anymore, pop music should be about anyone and everyone having a go.” The Firm aim to rediscover the wit, the potential and the anti-formal attitude of pop. “The Firm's journey has only just begun so it is very much early days in terms of national exposure. But we intend to make everywhere our manor and we won’t stop at anything in trying to achieve that. As long as our music continues to explore the humourous in the bleak and the tragic in the trivial, then that's its best definition for now.” You had better not miss the band’s further development, or be blasted with relentless doom loops of middle-of-the-road-, let’s just say, europop.Anyway. Finally intelligent pop music is back.
By Henning Koehler
02 September 2006. Somewhere in a stifling and dirty basement in Denmark Street The Firm rehearses for a gig at the Clockwork on Pentonville Road tomorrow. Easily blasting away some lousy metal band in the next rehearsal room the band sets a remarkable starting point for a consistent further development that is about to become a central benchmark of The Firm’s work. Obviously The Firm proceed to be much more than just a successor of the previous band of singer Ross Liddle and bass player Julia Sieradzki called Sub-Culture. Merging a weakness for the C86 era and a justified self-confidence within their definition of indie and shoegaze, The Firm seems to be more than ready to make the first step into a restless future.One year later, going through several line-up changes and gigs, Ross Liddle, Julia Sieradzki, guitarist Alex Avery and drummer Marcin Kasjanowicz built the fundament for the next step in the seemingly relentless development of the band. “There has always been a certain idea what The Firm should be, or should have been, but only this year it’s actually come to the point where this has materialised. Which is probably because we’ve finally got the right line-up right now, and we know what we want to do musically and there are no clashing opinions on which way we should go musically.” The determined sound of their latest recordings and live appearances isn’t at all the only evidence for the veracity of Julia’s statement. As the (not too) “shadowy organisation” behind their own clubnight, The Vapour Trail, The Firm implemented the significant aspect of their ambitions: “Our key inspiration for it was the clubnights from the C86 era, where bands put their own nights, DIY scenes and even fanzines together. Like-minded groups would play together in what seemed to be a reaction to the dull artifice of the times. The whole idea is based on wanting to do our own thing, a night where no doubt good music will be played and good bands will be seen, and to attract people who are actually into music, not JUST about dressing up and showing off their wardrobe, as an example.”As a matter of fact the concept of the Vapour Trail clearly bears the hallmarks of The Firm as Ross points out: “The Vapour Trail shows a love of good music and there really is nothing more to it than that. We're just tired of the same old arserot and London is ours, after all, and we shall do with it as we see fit”. “Whatever happened to the magic where you're counting down days to a gig you're looking forward to, or the release of a record? These are some of the most exciting things about being into music, and those who agree will surely love The Vapour Trail. It seems that about 99% of the times when you play a gig where more than one band plays, the bands will have nothing in common whatsoever. The first band could be a jazz act, followed by a man with bongos, followed by death metal. And noone quite knows why...One thing I know, this certainly won't ever happen at The Vapour Trail....” Julia adds.After all taking their destiny into their own hands probably is the most significant indication of what’s The Firm’s essence.Lately the band recorded an EP, containing four songs that aren’t less independent statements. The Opener ‘Fulfilment For The Faint-hearted’ is the only song on the EP that remained from last years rehearsals and gigs and proves the progress of The Firm. “Fulfilment could well have been the very first thing The Firm made, and lyrically it was a cry of defiance against our favourite subject of complacency, I suppose. And, as such, we crammed as many ideas into it as its groove would allow - but we still wanted to retain its energy.” ‘If You Don’t Want To Know Life’s Dismal Results’ is “quite clearly amusing, although it's also quite tragic” and as such a prime example for The Firm’s merciless and sarky attitude towards modern life or at least with the things that make it so hideous at times. ‘The Art Of Saying No’ is, according to the band, “a carefully constructed comment on conversation, no more, no less” and definitely worth a listen. The last song, ‘My Beautiful Launderette’, is clearly about the film of the same name (guess what, it hit the cinemas in 85/86) and places the band in the orphaned section of pop-culture that refuses to ignore. Asked about his dearest intolerance Ross comes up with a counter-question: “Must we narrow it down to one? We could be here till next Friday.” Alright, what about, let’s say, ten intolerances? “Obvious ones would be ignorance and stupidity. Blandness, complacency and mediocrity are pet hates. Other than that? The modern concept of beauty, fascism, The Pigeon Detectives, lame excuses for eating meat, politicans, Paris Hilton and the 29 bus to Wood Green can all be filed under ‘dearest intolerance’.” Julia remains within the subject of music: “Music talent shows like X Factor really annoy me - it's just another money-grabbing institution, all that money could have been invested in signing real bands with real talent that even write their own songs. Since all that bollocks is around it's so much harder for a band to get widely known, plus people buy less records anyway since you can download it all for free.” Ross bluntly declares, that “pop-culture is a very boring joke with no discernible punchline. Instead of wondering why the world is falling apart before their very eyes, people just immerse themselves in Heat magazine instead. I might actually be able to understand it if there was anything of interest in such garbage but, alas, there is not.” Nonetheless for The Firm pop culture nowadays isn’t inevitably happening in the hypocritical ivory tower of gossip and a consumer society. It might just as well happen at The Vapour Trail or in some grotty rehearsal room at Denmark Street. With this in mind The Firm again head for more. “Things are changing all the time and hopefully for the better. The plan now is to get as many people to be a part of The Firm and to grow as we go along.” According to drummer Marcin The Firm’s ambitions are yet to be satisfied. “We've just sent away about 300 our demos to labels and we are still trying new things in our music. But we have a solid base and we know who we are. Our plan is to record an album soon. We are working on it right now.” As Alex mentions “you don't get any characters in pop anymore, pop music should be about anyone and everyone having a go.” The Firm aim to rediscover the wit, the potential and the anti-formal attitude of pop. “The Firm's journey has only just begun so it is very much early days in terms of national exposure. But we intend to make everywhere our manor and we won’t stop at anything in trying to achieve that. As long as our music continues to explore the humourous in the bleak and the tragic in the trivial, then that's its best definition for now.” You had better not miss the band’s further development, or be blasted with relentless doom loops of middle-of-the-road-, let’s just say, europop.Anyway. Finally intelligent pop music is back.
