“The more stupid, the better”

Posted on 31st Oct 06 by Contributor | 0

Artist: Beveren"s toy"""Interview
Author: Maaike Mijland

Beveren"s toy reveal their explosive recipe

How to introduce a band like Beveren"s Toy without doing them injustice" Let"s take the easy way out and just copy/paste their own brilliant description" found on their myspace site:

" "The Toy"" as the band is sometimes known" is a five"piece anarcho"rock post"funk demipunk quasi"vegetarian infra"soul outfit" though if you confront them with such an accusation they will most likely deny it. Formed in Cork from the elements carbon" hydrogen" oxygen and nitrogen" the boys are chiefly concerned with narrating " often at length " all the little things that matter" such as""

"well" Maaike finds out as she gets down with her fave toy boys in town.

Like anyone who wants to know something about a band" I usually get onto my virtual surfboard and catch a wave to the band"s website. Sometimes it can be a useful resource to learn more about their members" history" discography and other stuff. Often they show long" disappointing" boring stories. Or the biography is packed with superlatives and exaggerated self"esteem" but hey" that"s all part of selling yourself.

This time I surfed unknowingly to Beveren"s Toy"s myspace site. I certainly was not bored or disappointed. Overwhelming would be a better description. Exactly like a Beveren"s Toy gig "which always are very extravagant". The propaganda pictures" the information" the music that almost blows up the tiny computer speakers. Very suitable.

So what do we learn about the band" That their names are Rex Mundi "lead vocals" guitar" bass"" Jazz Hand "lead guitarist" vocals"" Max Monroe "baritone guitar" bass" harmonica" vocals"" Bad Marxx "drums" percussion" and Lucius Mendacori "keys" horns" vocals" percussion" guitar". That their influences are: "Lack of Sleep" The economic crisis in Tanzania" Cake" Ween" Flaming Lips" Rainy Sundays and Andrew Ridgelys Haircut. We firmly believe that louder is the new loud. Individually" our influences overcome us. Together" we overcome them. It's a handy little arrangement." And that they sound like Beveren"s Toy" "which is an astonishing coincidence." Very helpful to prepare an interview" lads"

Coagulation
So basically" we start from scratch. Their real names will always remain a dark mystery" but I strongly suspect that the boys are not from planet earth anyway and therefore we wouldn"t even understand their names" so in the end it doesn"t really matter now does it"

Formed in January 2006" they already rocked quite some stages in and around Cork. Jazz Hand: "We kinda coagulated." Max: "Like when you"re a kid and you put all your mum"s cleaning products together." Jazz Hand used to be in Mongoose and Lucius sometimes played with them. "I was also on the album to play the trumpet"" Lucius adds. Jazz Hand: "We used to practise in Lucius" house. That"s how we met." Lucius: "Well we kinda knew each other before." Max: "We have a looong history."

Work it up
Their musical backgrounds are very diverse. Lucius used to play classical music and later in a folk band "Bob Dylan" Neil Young"" "Then I met the lads and found out how to work it up. This loud" kinda fast band is new to me." Bad Marxx: "I"ve never hit the drums as hard as in this band."

Max reveals Beveren"s Toy"s recipe: "Everybody does their own thing" we don"t care about what the other one does. We all start playing at the same time and stop at the same time" coincidentally." Jazz Hand: "The basic idea of a song is there" and then we just start jamming." Max: "We agree on a general vibe. It"s kinda up to you yourself" everybody can play to their own style. And it works"" It certainly does.

Four leather straps
Hundreds of people came to the video shoot of "Action" Adventure" Romance" Love"" their latest single" which can be seen on MTV" Channel 6" TG4 and YouTube. People were asked to come all dressed up as one of these themes" and they actually did. Hundreds of people showed up" dressed like Wonder Woman" doctors" Homer Simpson" and much more" beyond your imagination.

Lucius: "There were so many people we never met before" who really made an effort. It was amazing"" Max: "If WE put on our costumes" we become someone else" but we didn"t realise that if the crowd dresses up" they would actually follow their characters and were not being themselves." Jazz Hand: "There was a lot of insanity" which was appreciated by us." Lucius: "There was a woman there wearing four leather straps and nothing else." All sorts of people kept turning up. Max: "Wonder Woman changed outfits and I"m sure some of the lads didn"t mind that." Bad Marxx: "She knew we were watching" she left the curtains open""

Fresh and innocent
So that single is out" but when can we expect their first lp" Jazz Hand: "We"re gonna release a cd once we"re more confident playing with each other. Hopefully before the end of the year. We don"t wanna wait too long because we want to catch our songs "fresh and innocent"." Lucius:" We
have dozens" dozens" dozens of songs." "More than 42"" adds Bad Marxx.

"We have the luck to have a studio. Even rough ideas are all recorded. From anything we do we can get a song. If we have an idea" three hours later we can have a song recorded"" Lucius explains. "We also listen to stuff we recorded earlier to see if "that was a good idea.""

Don"t die" lads
They"re not too happy with the opportunities that Cork offers bands. Lucius: "Cork is packed with talent" but has nowhere to express it." Max agrees with him: "There"s a few venues" but nothing big like. Nobody"s broken out of Cork since The Frank " Walters and Simple Kid." Lucius: "In Cork there are a lot of people to look up to" who are amazing to watch." The boys name bands like Fred" Ten Past Seven" Wiggle" Cartoon and My Corduroy as some of their favourites.

Have you any advice for new young bands" Bad Marxx: "Neil Young bands"" Lucius: "Come to our gigs." Jazz Hand: "Just don"t die" lads. Never ever" ever" ever stop. Keep going. Eventually you"ll crack. And ignore "advice""" Bad Marxx: "Traditions are made by those who dare to be different. And that"s a message to aaall those young bands from Bad Marxx." Also" if you don"t like what Beveren"s Toy are playing" throw paper money and chocolate.

We love toys
Max: "With everything we"ve done together so far" we were always surprised by the response" it gets bigger every time." Jazz Hand: "The crowd participation gets bigger with every gig." Max: "We try to get the crowd back into their childhoods." Bad Marxx: "It"s very much a group effort. All of us have a part in playing a part in the band." Lucius: "Whenever one of us has a stupid idea" Rex goes: "FUCK YEAH""" Jazz Hand: "The more stupid" the better." Max: "We"re all enthusiasts." Bad Marxx: "I"m not""

Lucius: "It"s too bad Rex isn"t here. He"s the one that really"" "" he gives us pep talks" and he"s dancing around you. You just can"t help being enthused by that"" Jazz Hand finishes his sentence. Bad Marxx" while he"s moulding a tiny blue turtle: "I need more blue tack""

Lucius: "My dream is to rotate instruments during a gig." Jazz Hand: "We"re not gonna change places" we"ll have a moving floor"" Bad Marxx: "We"re all gearheads." Jazz Hand: "In a musical sense." Bad Marxx: "We love toys. And gadgets."

Fun and show
The toy boys don"t want to get stuck in Cork" but expand their horizons and go via Ireland to Europe. Max: "We"re not like spotty teenagers. We"re all old enough to be mature about this." Uhm"mature" As mature as cheddar maybe"

"First we want to get experienced and make contacts. It"s just a matter of finances and time" so no earlier than 2007. Now we need to get out some merchandising and recordings"" Jazz Hand says wisely. Lucius: "There"s loads of crazy people that come to our shows" they"re very supportive." Jazz Hand: "Rock music is about fun and show"" Max: "We"re lucky enough to have good songs and we plan a good show""

www.myspace.com/beverenstoy