Quando Quango Second NME Interview
The atom rock attack - will it start with QUANDO QUANGO, a group from the Factory? JAMES SHELLEY tackles this serious problem... pic KEVIN CUMMINS
Just before I arrive for my meeting with Quando Quango, it occurs to me that their music is perhaps rather too much like the people that merrily produce it: polite, modest, calm, cheerful, agreeable, rational. A little plain.
Are they radical?
"We're more radical now than ever. I don't think anyone else is doing what we're doing now."
And say what I will, he's right. Active, nifty, alert, enterprising, earnest, Quando remain a diverting entertainment, particularly live ("We've had great fun, given a great night's entertainment. We're the only Factory band that works on our audience, who jump around a lot").
Ideally speaking, they seem to lack a thrust, a final feeling for threat, for flair, the urge to thrill and thrive, to set alight. Things seem so friendly...
“Yes they are. It's just enjoyment really. There’s no point in doing it if you're not going to entertain."
We get stuck here. It takes two interviews, three months apart before I begin to appreciate QQ's happy attitude, their straightforward pragmatism and for Mike Pickering (their blunt, dull, sensible, enormously affable singer-saxman), to comprehend the value of the mad impulses and stubborn insistence I throw at him.
The imminent reactivation of ‘Atom Rock' / ‘Triangle', their third Factory single, now appearing with a substantially bolder beat, a severely more disruptive Marie Kamins remix, offers us some middle ground. Formerly infectious but thin, just a flimsy, frisky hand-clap, Kamins has made ‘Atom Rock' persuasive and attacking, tricky and delicious: twice as noisey!
" ‘Atom Rock' and ‘Love Tempo' were singles but they're not by any means the strongest material. They're like Bo Diddley or something— it's fun to get a rhythm, a very simple beat and turn it into a record. But we're moving away from that functional club record now, the rhythm's not the most important thing anymore. I think the LP will surprise a lot of people "
'Atom Rock' still has a sort of flat enthusiasm to it though, I protest. A forced spontaneity, sort of happy-happy-clap-along holiday camp momentum. Like Black Lace in fact.
“Yes they are. It's just enjoyment really. There’s no point in doing it if you're not going to entertain."
We get stuck here. It takes two interviews, three months apart before I begin to appreciate QQ's happy attitude, their straightforward pragmatism and for Mike Pickering (their blunt, dull, sensible, enormously affable singer-saxman), to comprehend the value of the mad impulses and stubborn insistence I throw at him.
The imminent reactivation of ‘Atom Rock' / ‘Triangle', their third Factory single, now appearing with a substantially bolder beat, a severely more disruptive Marie Kamins remix, offers us some middle ground. Formerly infectious but thin, just a flimsy, frisky hand-clap, Kamins has made ‘Atom Rock' persuasive and attacking, tricky and delicious: twice as noisey!
" ‘Atom Rock' and ‘Love Tempo' were singles but they're not by any means the strongest material. They're like Bo Diddley or something— it's fun to get a rhythm, a very simple beat and turn it into a record. But we're moving away from that functional club record now, the rhythm's not the most important thing anymore. I think the LP will surprise a lot of people "
'Atom Rock' still has a sort of flat enthusiasm to it though, I protest. A forced spontaneity, sort of happy-happy-clap-along holiday camp momentum. Like Black Lace in fact.
"Oh no, I couldn't say that was so. I know you're convinced but I could never say that. It's not just dance music what we do, although you can dance to any of our songs. 'Love Tempo' is as serious as anything New Order have done. 'Triangle' has a lot of anguish."
But the lyrics: “Come on girl, please be mine. Atom Rock from the bottom to the top / Atom Rock tell me when's it gonna stop": so trite, flat.
“I never write a glib lyric," Pickering tells me calmly There’s a meaning to everything."
WELL!?!
"I won't explain them, they either mean something to people or they don't".
I continue, vainly, to try and prise a declaration of fierce intent but they effortlessly flatten my every spur with lines like “If you believe in what you're doing...", "As long as we enjoy it . .", "Music's to be enjoyed.. .“, Phil Collins and Nik Kershaw would be cheering.
Finally: "We don't philosphise. Joe Public's interested in a good tune, that's all."
They'd rather talk about Music, Technique, the skills of their new team: the diversity of Connie's intricate synth shifts, Simon Topping's pattering percussion, Barry Johnson's fluently purposeful bassplay, Pickering's soft saxes, the deft luring guitars of the guest-player, Rocking Johnny Marr.
But the lyrics: “Come on girl, please be mine. Atom Rock from the bottom to the top / Atom Rock tell me when's it gonna stop": so trite, flat.
“I never write a glib lyric," Pickering tells me calmly There’s a meaning to everything."
WELL!?!
"I won't explain them, they either mean something to people or they don't".
I continue, vainly, to try and prise a declaration of fierce intent but they effortlessly flatten my every spur with lines like “If you believe in what you're doing...", "As long as we enjoy it . .", "Music's to be enjoyed.. .“, Phil Collins and Nik Kershaw would be cheering.
Finally: "We don't philosphise. Joe Public's interested in a good tune, that's all."
They'd rather talk about Music, Technique, the skills of their new team: the diversity of Connie's intricate synth shifts, Simon Topping's pattering percussion, Barry Johnson's fluently purposeful bassplay, Pickering's soft saxes, the deft luring guitars of the guest-player, Rocking Johnny Marr.
But should something so comfortable be so at home with Factory—pioneers of a more radical practice?
"There's no radical ethic at Factory, they just like what we do. I don t know if they've got less radical, the 'Riverside' week was the start of trying to push themselves, I think. The thing is that Factory could be really big—'Blue Monday' proved that but they don't know when to push. They should've pushed 'Love Tempo' when it charted.
‘But they've done other things. 'Love Tempo' was the first South American Factory release and things like that are much more important than worrying about England. Factory's still the only label with any honesty or integrity."
Do you care that you don’t matter?
“A bit, we got an American deal with Fourth & Broadway but we're fucked if we'll give in, toe the line and go elsewhere over here. The old Factory problems still exist, no radio plays, no press, all that. A reviewer accused us of wearing "nationalistic Fred Perry T-shirts" which was quite funny. We get round all that by selling from the dancefloor. 'Atom Rock' sold 15,000 and the new remix is much heavier.
“I get annoyed when people like Prefab or The Bluebells are known and people haven't heard, or even heard of, James, Life, Marcel King. Obviously I'd like more people to know Quando."
"There's no radical ethic at Factory, they just like what we do. I don t know if they've got less radical, the 'Riverside' week was the start of trying to push themselves, I think. The thing is that Factory could be really big—'Blue Monday' proved that but they don't know when to push. They should've pushed 'Love Tempo' when it charted.
‘But they've done other things. 'Love Tempo' was the first South American Factory release and things like that are much more important than worrying about England. Factory's still the only label with any honesty or integrity."
Do you care that you don’t matter?
“A bit, we got an American deal with Fourth & Broadway but we're fucked if we'll give in, toe the line and go elsewhere over here. The old Factory problems still exist, no radio plays, no press, all that. A reviewer accused us of wearing "nationalistic Fred Perry T-shirts" which was quite funny. We get round all that by selling from the dancefloor. 'Atom Rock' sold 15,000 and the new remix is much heavier.
“I get annoyed when people like Prefab or The Bluebells are known and people haven't heard, or even heard of, James, Life, Marcel King. Obviously I'd like more people to know Quando."
Despite Pickering's "manic life" (managing the Hacienda, managing Quando, writing lyrics, booking tours, playing saxophone, singing) the band are still rehearsing three times a week, preparing for an LP later this year with hopes to incorporate admired acquaintances like Marr, Adi Newton, Martin Fry, James White, Alan Vega into their flexible line-up to add some edge to their vitality and diversity.
Are they radical?
"We're more radical now than ever. I don't think anyone else is doing what we're doing now."
And say what I will, he's right. Active, nifty, alert, enterprising, earnest, Quando remain a diverting entertainment, particularly live ("We've had great fun, given a great night's entertainment. We're the only Factory band that works on our audience, who jump around a lot").
Just after I leave, it occurs to me that I should like them more. I keep my fingers crossed.
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