KIRK BRANDON | INTERVIEW
Forty years and change in ‘the biz’ has seen Kirk Brandon evolve from a young punk in The Pack to more thoughtful rock styles in Theatre Of Hate and Spear Of Destiny, who he splits his time between. With a new ToH release out this week, it falls to Carl Marsh to have a natter.
When I listen to your new Theatre Of Hate album, it takes me back to the early 80s. Was this a thing you had in the back of your mind when you were writing the tracks?
No, not at all. No, I’m just not that clever [laughs] – “Let’s aim this at 1982!” It’s difficult, really, because it was recorded over a period of years. I’d done several recordings, and we had half of it recorded, let’s put it that way – even if it’s just bass, drums, or my guitar, and everything else just came on later down the web. And obviously, I had to sing it, which was at least a week in there. So it came together that way. But it’s definitely not aimed at the 1980s.
How far back are you talking about when you say over a period of years?
I’ve got recordings and stuff going back on my phone – I don’t even know how far, but maybe 20 years on my phone. I’ve never used this stuff, so I’ve got a whole reservoir of things going back to God knows when.
20 years or more! Indeed, some of these songs could have been Spear Of Destiny material?
Some of it is definitely Spear type music. I don’t know how Spear has become what it is, but it is. But then there are also things which are definitely not Spear. So I developed the ones that are much more Theatre Of Hate.
Truthfully, it was quite a long process. And obviously, the words are the most challenging part, as any songwriter will probably tell you: what is it you’re trying to say that hasn’t been said 600 times before? You become overly self-analytic in what you’re writing about. On the other hand, things just turn up, and you write it down and go, “Wow, okay. Wow. What’s that all about?” It’s like automatic writing or something.
So it wasn’t aimed at recreating 1981-82. It’s just a set of songs, you know – a set of riffs that were mostly old, and then put together in different ways with parts added. I shudder to use the word organic… I will use it. Yeah, it’s organic, but not in that way, it’s a pretty twisted weed.
But how do you differentiate, when you are writing lyrics, between Spear Of Destiny and Theatre Of Hate – or are you always writing the music elements first before any lyrics?
It’s always music first. The stuff for Theatre of Hate is much rarer. They’ve got a kind of a feeling to them and are probably a little bit darker. There are some songs that potentially cross over – not a lot, to be honest.
It’s quite a process, you know – almost like the process of hearing this stuff again. And then thinking about it, and then hearing it again, and somewhere in the back of your head your brain makes a decision and goes, “go with it!” It’s almost automatic – it’s like the music itself talks to you, if you want to put it in those terms. Maybe it’s just, dare I say, artists’ internal dialogue? [laughs]
Before Theatre Of Hate and Spear Of Destiny, there was your earlier band, The Pack. Were they as angry as they sounded?
Oh, man. That’s beautiful. That gets an 11 out of 10 for the question! The answer? Yes, absolutely. They were fucking crazy people – they and everyone around them were mad people. It’s all full of violence and drugs and craziness, and it’s a nuthouse – a nuthouse that just so happened to have a band at the centre of it.
That’s probably why the band didn’t last that long…
We’d been trying for a couple of years to get some gigs, but it was so hard – no-one was willing to give us a break. One guy did – he was a reggae promoter from Notting Hill Gate, and for whatever reason he loved us. He thought it was hilarious. I can see why now, looking back; he must have thought, “this fucking bunch of nutters have landed in my lap. Who are they? They’re just fucking crazy. Let’s put them on! I want to see more mad people.”
It was different back then, living in ‘Squatland the Brave’ – which is different to Scotland the Brave! Squatland is not a very nice place to be if you’re completely skint, breaking into disused buildings and taking out fireplaces, metal bars, and stuff like that. It was a pretty hectic way of life. A very alternative way of life.
Do you miss the craziness of those times?
Are you ready? Are you ready? Watch [shakes his head profusely]. Absolutely not, fucking loonies. Loonies.
Theatre Of Hate’s new album A Thing Of Beauty is released on Fri 30 Apr. Info: facebook.com/TheatreOfHateOfficial
words CARL MARSH photos SIMON DRAKE
