"Nu-Metal's shit, wank and worse than bad"

Pinhole are Matt McManamon (vocals/guitar), Ben Gordon (guitar/vocals), Charlie Turner (bass/vocals) and Bryan Johnson (drums) and they are all 19. And in the words of their official biog they are “Combining their love of primetime Clash, Beatles, Who, Smiths and Pixies, Pinhole are mashing up the classics and making guitar driven pop that combines the rush of killer choruses, cranked guitars and a youthful love of the power of rock n roll.”. Nice. DiS caught up with the lads for a quick chat.

DiS: Fellow Scousers Number One Son recently commented to DiS that they found it hard getting noticed in the music industry and not being from London, have you found this?

Matt: If you sound like them (Number One Son) no-one's going to take any notice of you!

DiS: What’s your deal with Thrill City and how did you get it?

Brian: John Robb (Thrill City President) liked the band, our manager bumped into him at a Queens Of The Stone Age gig, and he offered a deal on the spot. It’s a single deal.

DiS: You’ve made no secret of your love of The Beatles and The La’s, but do you feel that any new band from Liverpool will be judged by and compared to the success of these two bands?

Charlie: You only get compared to them if you rip them off... which a lot of bands in Liverpool tend to do.
Brian: Yeah.... There’s too many bands like that; more bands need to be themselves or look further afield for inspiration.

DiS: Ben, you’ve said that you wish to play the Main Stage at Glastonbury and then have a shag with Charlotte from Ash. You can only have one, which one do you choose?

Ben: Playing Glastonbury mainstage is a forgone conclusion anyway, and as we'll be massive I'll probably already have shagged Charlotte anyway..........

DiS: Your form of pop punk is more similar to that of The Clash, Buzzcocks and Ash, what’s your view on bands like Sum 41, Blink 182, et al?

All: They're all shite. Clash, Buzzcocks, Police (But not in a rainforest or 80's Sting way) etc. are where it's at.

DiS: Matt, you’ve said that your favourite album is ’Live At The Point’ by Christy Moore. Explain yourself.

Matt: I found it inspiring when I was a kid and I loved his lyrics. Anyway, what's wrong with Christy Moore?

DiS: I should explain that when I was a kid, my dad tortured me with the music of Christy Moore and Patsy Cline. I’ve managed to get over Patsy, but Christy has left me with demons. Right, Nu-Metal: good or bad?

Matt: Wank
Ben: Worse than bad or wank
Charlie: Shit, wank and worse than bad
Brian: Badmetal

DiS: The “New Acoustic Movement”: good or bad?

Ben: It's quite ironic to call it "movement" when the tossers don't actually "move" at all.
Brian: At least there'll be no shortage of firewood this winter.....
Matt: No comment.

DiS: The Music or The Coral?

Matt: The Coral
Brian: The Coral
Charlie: The Coral – sometimes they try a bit too hard to be different, but they're alright.
Ben: The Coral

DiS: The Tweenies or The Tellytubbies?

All: No Comment.

DiS: The Strokes or The White Stripes?

Matt: White Stripes - Strokes try too hard and are rich bitches.
Charlie: Strokes - better tunes
Ben: I prefer the Strokes, 'cos although they're both buzz bands, The Strokes seem to have more longevity. The White Stripes are too bare musically.
Brian:: The Strokes. That IS it.

DiS: Last question: First and Best gig?

Ben: My first gig was Bullyrag AT the old Lomax. I didn't get in at first, but did eventually. My best is Foo Fighters at the Royal Court - it was absolutely rammed and I was just in awe for the whole gig.
Brian: First gig - Boo Radleys & Electrafixion at the Royal Court and my Best gig is Supergrass at the Royal Court.
Matt: Cranberries and Dodgy at GMEX - I was only about 12. Best gig is Therapy? in the Krazyhouse. None of this American Shite for me!
Charlie: First gig was Blur the GMEX... they were very far away and I was very small, but now I am very tall. Best gig is Supergrass at the Royal Court.

Thank you very much to Pinhole. Their next release will be in February, but for now you can make do with their debut release ‘Breaking Hearts and Windows EP’, out now on Thrill City.