Dirt Box Disco

It's really all still a bit of a joke explains 'Spunk Volcano'.

It started that way with the first gig. We all wore dresses and we were all in different bands and we were having a laugh.

This is all just, and then he loosely waves his arm about to express the gigs, the supporting of The Misfits and such .....and then he looks at WEAB.I.AM to take over.

The interview continues in this vain.

It's like a wrestling tag team.

One starts answering while the other finishes.

There's a solid connection between them that I'm going to assume extends to the rest of the band to.

For all the theatrics and downplaying of being serious this is a real band in every sense of the word.

There's the gang mentality that The Ramones and the Clash had, but also an 'I don't want to grow up' attitude that's keeping their feet on the ground.

I mention a couple of times about the response that the Rebellion set of last year drew.

How people who had no previous knowledge of them had returned home claiming that they were the best act of the festival, and this praise bounces off them, sort of skitters over the surface and fails to get any traction.

SV- We had no idea what it would be like. None of us had ever even been to the festival before.

We drove up on the day and arrived and then the nerves kicked in when we seen the size of the hall we were playing in. We just did the gig and at one point I looked up and it was just a sea of people and...well it's not what we expected.

WEAB - One of the band who shall remain nameless was crying after it.

Really? Do you think that was just the adrenaline crash?

WEAB - That's it. You do the show and then it all gets processed after it.

When they are asked if this stepping away from accepting plaudits is partially down to an idea that if they do then they may jinx any future success they laugh and side step it again.

SV - We are a good band and there's a lot of work goes into it, but there's no real plan.

WEAB – The idea is just to have a good time. Dress up and enjoy it.

The good news is that with the second album still to get an official release the third is well on it's way to being written.

WEAB - Spunk does all the work. He's the main songwriter.

SV – I had a moment when I was writing 'People Made of Paper' and the nerves kicked in about matching 'Legend', but you have to shake them loose and get on with it.

After we had done 'Legend' we had asked Stu of STP what was next? Would we be doing another release?

He was straight in saying yes.

That's was good.

I write the songs with the idea of what we would all do so when I take them to the rest of the band there's rarely any problems.

A benevolent dictator?

WEAB – No (Laughing) we sometimes don't go with one thing or another.

Spunk – I write the songs with an idea in my head on how everyone in the bands wants them to sound so when I give him the songs and wait for him to say something and usually he says it's fine.

When it's put to them that the material is strong enough to carry the band without the theatrics being needed it is the one subject that they are equally as passionate about.

Spunk – Look at us. Without that dressing up would we have grabbed the same attention?

From the start it's been there anyway. I love superheroes and wrestling and everyone else brings their part to it in dressing up.

WEAB - With millimetres of make up I can be someone else. I've got the best job in the world when I put it on.

We didn't plan it out. We don't really plan anything. This is how the band started and it's the just the continuation of it

We're a couple of fat guys having fun. That's part of it to. Who would want to see a skinny guy in a baby grow anyway?

They are right though.

Apart from Slipknot fans who would want to see a skinny guy in a baby grow?

In a time when image is everything they have stumbled into providing one, and like the best bands who use theatrics, from Cooper to Kiss, they will ultimately be judged on the music and that alone.

Thankfully from witnessing them in full flow live I can attest that the Trauma-esque characterizations re the icing on a cake rather than a distraction designed to disguise a lack lustre clutch of songs.

When it comes to covering touring Spunk is still processing it.

Spunk – Both of us have jobs and kids so we are still moving from the playing a date here and there to taking on doing a run like this.

It's a bit of a culture shock.

WEAB – You have an idea in your head about what it will be like.......

Spunk...and it's not.

Travelling for hours and then playing for half an hour.

We were about an hour outside Glasgow and I was wondering how I was going to do it tonight, but then you just plough through it.

WEAB - ...and there's the difference in the sizes of the stages.

Spunk - I like the small venues and getting out there in people faces to push for a reaction and get a sing a long started, but with this you have to approach it differently and it's a learning process for us.

WEAB – It's good though. I don't think any of us thought we would be on tour with Goldblade and The Misfits.

It's not something you think about.

Spunk – They are all good guys. I was in the elevator with Jerry and he had this bench thing for doing sit ups and I asked him if he was getting some reps in.

he said he was and I said I was thinking that I might to and then laughed and said fuck that I'd rather have a pie.

He was cackling and saying 'you're a funny guy, you're a funny guy'.

He's alright.

Everyone has been.

Over all it's been good and meeting new fans is good.

WEAB – We always head to the merch table after a show. It's not just a good business thing, but it's great to meet people.

Spunk – Best bit is when people don't recognize me without the mask on and asj for a photo with WEAB and get me to take it with their phone or camera.

It's sort of obligatory to end an interview by asking what's next, but Dirt Box Disco are a bit too busy just taking it all in to think about that.

There's a headlining tour, and album launch and another to record to record all loosely planned out, and I think that in the near future they are going to look up from the work and wonder where it all went right.

Did I mention they were feckin excellent live?

No.

Well take it from me. They were.

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