01Profile
A Death Of Guitar Pop Photo
Death Of Guitar Pop
Musicians — Essex
03Interview
Name?
Death of Guitar Pop (Silky & Top Kat).
Where are you from?
Essex.
What do you do?
2-Tone influenced Ska.
Describe your style in three words?
Skinhead Mod Fusion.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Silky: Foo Fighters at Wembley Stadium. Dave Grohl is a living rock icon and I felt like the lucky 90 thousand of us that crammed into Wembley that day, got to share his career-defining moment with him. I was young, dumb and E'd up to my eyeballs, totally caught up in the euphoria of it all.
Top Kat: Stone Roses at Heaton Park. It was a coming of age for me in so many ways, many of which you can imagine when spending a sunny day in a field with some of Manchester's finest ravers! I don't remember many details of the actual gig except for the overwhelming euphoria of dancing to the jam that closes 'I Am The Resurrection' with about 4 generations of Roses fans. Some who'd waited since the mid 90's to hear it again and some (like me) who'd waited their whole lives!
If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
Madness & The Specials. Imagine that, Madness, The Specials & Death of Guitar Pop on the same bill! The pair of us watch "Dance Craze - The Best of British Ska Live!" all the time and fantasise about DOG-P being part of that iconic 2 Tone Tour.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
Definitely the skinhead and mod subcultures. The music, the image, the community. The scenes have merged somewhat nowadays and it's a great time to be part of it all.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Silky: I'm gonna go with Suggs. He was my first idol and the reason I became a musician in the first place. I'd like to buy him a few Guinness's to say thank you for inspiring me.
Top Kat: I'd have to say Stanley Kubrick, so I could discuss the ending of 2001 with him. To be fair, I'd probably need more than an hour though!
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
Silky: We played our debut full band headline show at The Oslo Venue in Hackney a couple of weeks ago. That's a great gaff! Although we've only just started gigging with DOG-P, we have both gigged extensively in our previous band's and would have to say Camden Underworld has always been a personal favourite, it's Camden's version of CBGB's!
Who is your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Silky: The Rifles. They've got a huge mod following on the underground and are one of the few bands from their era that survived the "indie landfill" but they deserve much more recognition. Joel & Luke are super talented, quintessentially British songwriters and their live show's are always a cracking night out. Long live The Rifles!
Top Kat: Paul Heaton for sure, one of the great lyricists of the last 30 years. He deals with the same theme's as great's like Jarvis & Turner and does it just as well! He get's nowhere near the amount of credit his talent deserves.
Death Of Guitar Pop released their fan-funded debut album '69 Candy Street' in November 2017.
Bad Manners horn section The Mafia feature on the record throughout and two-tone icon Neville Staple on the single 'Suburban Ska Club'.
02Playlist
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
Silky: 'The Prince' by Madness. When I was 5 years old, my old man handed me a VHS titled "Divine Madness" (a collection of all the band's music videos.) Their seminal debut performance on Top of The Pops (R.I.P) opens the video and it's a performance of this track. I took one look at Suggs in his purple tonic suit and decided that's what I wanted to do in life.
Top Kat: 'I'll Be On My Way' a beautiful throwaway gem on 'The Beatles at The BBC', which my Dad had on cassette and we played endlessly growing up.
A song that defines the teenage you?
Silky: 'Break Stuff' by Limp Bizkit. Limp Bizkit were my heroes as a teenager. The first time I heard that track was flicking through the music channels as a kid. It came on MTV2 and blew my angry, little, pubescent mind. I still love Limp Bizkit.
Top Kat: Has to be 'Mardy Bum' by Arctic Monkeys. It was the first Arctic Monkeys song I ever heard when I was either 12 or 13. I bought a guitar about 3 months later and spent the next ten years trying to rewrite it.
One record you would keep forever?
Silky: Mine would be '69 Candy Street' by us. I love our record, I'm so proud of it and I'm not ashamed to say I'm probably our biggest fan.
Top Kat: 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. It takes me back to my childhood. There's such an abundance of ideas flowing through the music and the characters in the songs are as colourful as the artwork. 'A Day In The Life' still has a power almost unrivalled in pop music.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
Silky: "Don't take these boots off me when you're thinking I'm dead, I'll still be running from the demon in my head" from the track 'Black Thumbnail' by Kings of Leon. There's a beautiful humility in that line from Caleb Followill, I think so many artists can relate to what he's saying there... one way or another, we are all a bit f*cked up. When I heard that line for the first time, I thought to myself "well f*ck it, if the lead singer from Kings of Leon feels that way too and is still kicking arse in his band, then there's hope for me yet!"
Top Kat: "And she won't be surprised, and she won't be shocked when she's pressed the star after she's pressed unlock, And the verse and chapter's sat in her inbox, And all that it said was that you drank a lot" from 'The View From The Afternoon' by Arctic Monkeys. Hearing that as a 14-year-old set the benchmark for everything I wanted to achieve in my lyric writing. It's got the lot. The humour, the details and pop culture reference of describing how to unlock those old Nokia phones, the wordplay and use of rhyme! And yet somehow, it still feels like you're in your local talking to him over a pint. F*ck knows how you write that at 19!
A song you wished you had written?
Silky: 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' by The Verve. It's my favourite song of all time. Imagine unloading that from your arsenal when you're headlining the Pyramid Stage! I was there when they headlined in 2008, it's the only time I've ever cried at a gig... the strings got me good n' proper!
Top Kat: For me, it's got to be 'God Only Knows' by The Beach Boys. I rarely get through that one without shedding a tear. The perfect pop song. The words work on so many levels and the music is complex and challenging but always accessible. A true masterpiece and one that's all over in under three minutes!
Best song to turn up loud?
Silky: 'Dollar in The Teeth' by The Upsetters. That's one I love spinning in my ska DJ sets, the dirty bass sounds great ratlin' off the walls of a dive bar.
Top Kat: Gonna have to go down the same route as Silky and pick a ska banger. Gonna go 'Watermelon Man' by The Baba Brooks Band. There's so much mischief in the brass part. Never fails to ignite some serious skanking on the dancefloor!
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
Silky: 'The Winner Takes It All' by Abba. I fucking love Abba. Our bassist Bonzai does a hideous cover of this tune, it hasn't made it outside the rehearsal room yet and I will die before it does, to be honest.
Top Kat: 'Moon River' the Audrey Hepburn version although, Andy Williams goes alright as well. Love this tune so much that I sampled it for a different project a couple of years ago.
Best song to end an all-nighter on?
Silky: 'I Am The Resurrection' The ultimate 5 am knees up in your best mates kitchen tune.
Top Kat: 'Live Forever' One last tin of Nelson Mandela as the sun comes up, you sing your heart out till your lungs are sore then try and get off to bed for some shut eye!
Any new bands you are listening to now?
Silky: There's an amazing new blues singer out of Leyton called Davey James, he's a true artist, currently playing every toilet venue that'll have him whilst he perfects his craft. His track 'Aint Worth The Pain' is well worth a listen.
Top Kat: The Skatuesques from Dublin are a great new ska band worth checking out. We recently caught their set when we played at Skamouth weekender, they tore the roof off!
03Interview
Name?
Death of Guitar Pop (Silky & Top Kat).
Where are you from?
Essex.
What do you do?
2-Tone influenced Ska.
Describe your style in three words?
Skinhead Mod Fusion.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Silky: Foo Fighters at Wembley Stadium. Dave Grohl is a living rock icon and I felt like the lucky 90 thousand of us that crammed into Wembley that day, got to share his career-defining moment with him. I was young, dumb and E'd up to my eyeballs, totally caught up in the euphoria of it all.
Top Kat: Stone Roses at Heaton Park. It was a coming of age for me in so many ways, many of which you can imagine when spending a sunny day in a field with some of Manchester's finest ravers! I don't remember many details of the actual gig except for the overwhelming euphoria of dancing to the jam that closes 'I Am The Resurrection' with about 4 generations of Roses fans. Some who'd waited since the mid 90's to hear it again and some (like me) who'd waited their whole lives!
If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
Madness & The Specials. Imagine that, Madness, The Specials & Death of Guitar Pop on the same bill! The pair of us watch "Dance Craze - The Best of British Ska Live!" all the time and fantasise about DOG-P being part of that iconic 2 Tone Tour.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
Definitely the skinhead and mod subcultures. The music, the image, the community. The scenes have merged somewhat nowadays and it's a great time to be part of it all.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Silky: I'm gonna go with Suggs. He was my first idol and the reason I became a musician in the first place. I'd like to buy him a few Guinness's to say thank you for inspiring me.
Top Kat: I'd have to say Stanley Kubrick, so I could discuss the ending of 2001 with him. To be fair, I'd probably need more than an hour though!
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
Silky: We played our debut full band headline show at The Oslo Venue in Hackney a couple of weeks ago. That's a great gaff! Although we've only just started gigging with DOG-P, we have both gigged extensively in our previous band's and would have to say Camden Underworld has always been a personal favourite, it's Camden's version of CBGB's!
Who is your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Silky: The Rifles. They've got a huge mod following on the underground and are one of the few bands from their era that survived the "indie landfill" but they deserve much more recognition. Joel & Luke are super talented, quintessentially British songwriters and their live show's are always a cracking night out. Long live The Rifles!
Top Kat: Paul Heaton for sure, one of the great lyricists of the last 30 years. He deals with the same theme's as great's like Jarvis & Turner and does it just as well! He get's nowhere near the amount of credit his talent deserves.
Death Of Guitar Pop released their fan-funded debut album '69 Candy Street' in November 2017.
Bad Manners horn section The Mafia feature on the record throughout and two-tone icon Neville Staple on the single 'Suburban Ska Club'.
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
Silky: 'The Prince' by Madness. When I was 5 years old, my old man handed me a VHS titled "Divine Madness" (a collection of all the band's music videos.) Their seminal debut performance on Top of The Pops (R.I.P) opens the video and it's a performance of this track. I took one look at Suggs in his purple tonic suit and decided that's what I wanted to do in life.
Top Kat: 'I'll Be On My Way' a beautiful throwaway gem on 'The Beatles at The BBC', which my Dad had on cassette and we played endlessly growing up.
A song that defines the teenage you?
Silky: 'Break Stuff' by Limp Bizkit. Limp Bizkit were my heroes as a teenager. The first time I heard that track was flicking through the music channels as a kid. It came on MTV2 and blew my angry, little, pubescent mind. I still love Limp Bizkit.
Top Kat: Has to be 'Mardy Bum' by Arctic Monkeys. It was the first Arctic Monkeys song I ever heard when I was either 12 or 13. I bought a guitar about 3 months later and spent the next ten years trying to rewrite it.
One record you would keep forever?
Silky: Mine would be '69 Candy Street' by us. I love our record, I'm so proud of it and I'm not ashamed to say I'm probably our biggest fan.
Top Kat: 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. It takes me back to my childhood. There's such an abundance of ideas flowing through the music and the characters in the songs are as colourful as the artwork. 'A Day In The Life' still has a power almost unrivalled in pop music.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
Silky: "Don't take these boots off me when you're thinking I'm dead, I'll still be running from the demon in my head" from the track 'Black Thumbnail' by Kings of Leon. There's a beautiful humility in that line from Caleb Followill, I think so many artists can relate to what he's saying there... one way or another, we are all a bit f*cked up. When I heard that line for the first time, I thought to myself "well f*ck it, if the lead singer from Kings of Leon feels that way too and is still kicking arse in his band, then there's hope for me yet!"
Top Kat: "And she won't be surprised, and she won't be shocked when she's pressed the star after she's pressed unlock, And the verse and chapter's sat in her inbox, And all that it said was that you drank a lot" from 'The View From The Afternoon' by Arctic Monkeys. Hearing that as a 14-year-old set the benchmark for everything I wanted to achieve in my lyric writing. It's got the lot. The humour, the details and pop culture reference of describing how to unlock those old Nokia phones, the wordplay and use of rhyme! And yet somehow, it still feels like you're in your local talking to him over a pint. F*ck knows how you write that at 19!
A song you wished you had written?
Silky: 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' by The Verve. It's my favourite song of all time. Imagine unloading that from your arsenal when you're headlining the Pyramid Stage! I was there when they headlined in 2008, it's the only time I've ever cried at a gig... the strings got me good n' proper!
Top Kat: For me, it's got to be 'God Only Knows' by The Beach Boys. I rarely get through that one without shedding a tear. The perfect pop song. The words work on so many levels and the music is complex and challenging but always accessible. A true masterpiece and one that's all over in under three minutes!
Best song to turn up loud?
Silky: 'Dollar in The Teeth' by The Upsetters. That's one I love spinning in my ska DJ sets, the dirty bass sounds great ratlin' off the walls of a dive bar.
Top Kat: Gonna have to go down the same route as Silky and pick a ska banger. Gonna go 'Watermelon Man' by The Baba Brooks Band. There's so much mischief in the brass part. Never fails to ignite some serious skanking on the dancefloor!
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
Silky: 'The Winner Takes It All' by Abba. I fucking love Abba. Our bassist Bonzai does a hideous cover of this tune, it hasn't made it outside the rehearsal room yet and I will die before it does, to be honest.
Top Kat: 'Moon River' the Audrey Hepburn version although, Andy Williams goes alright as well. Love this tune so much that I sampled it for a different project a couple of years ago.
Best song to end an all-nighter on?
Silky: 'I Am The Resurrection' The ultimate 5 am knees up in your best mates kitchen tune.
Top Kat: 'Live Forever' One last tin of Nelson Mandela as the sun comes up, you sing your heart out till your lungs are sore then try and get off to bed for some shut eye!
Any new bands you are listening to now?
Silky: There's an amazing new blues singer out of Leyton called Davey James, he's a true artist, currently playing every toilet venue that'll have him whilst he perfects his craft. His track 'Aint Worth The Pain' is well worth a listen.
Top Kat: The Skatuesques from Dublin are a great new ska band worth checking out. We recently caught their set when we played at Skamouth weekender, they tore the roof off!
Death Of Guitar Pop ft. Neville Staple | Suburban Ska Club (2017)
Death Of Guitar Pop | 69 Candy Street (2016)