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All conflicts of interest aside, I had a lot of questions
for the prez of my UK label, Andy McGibbon (Motor
Sounds distributes Rock ‘n’ Roll Monkey & the
Robots in the UK). Andy is the singer/guitarist for the
Bonevilles and operates Motor Sounds Records
located in Lurgan, Ireland (just outside Belfast). Andy
pipes up about hot rods, lazy bands, Ireland’s rock ‘n’
roll past and present, and lots more. So pour a pint of
Smithwicks and listen in. --Craig Campbell
for the prez of my UK label, Andy McGibbon (Motor
Sounds distributes Rock ‘n’ Roll Monkey & the
Robots in the UK). Andy is the singer/guitarist for the
Bonevilles and operates Motor Sounds Records
located in Lurgan, Ireland (just outside Belfast). Andy
pipes up about hot rods, lazy bands, Ireland’s rock ‘n’
roll past and present, and lots more. So pour a pint of
Smithwicks and listen in. --Craig Campbell
ANDY McGIBBON IN THE BONEVILLES
Drastic Plastic Press: In light of the currently dismal outlook for record sales, what kind of man
decides to start a record label?
Andy McGibbon: Fair question. Honest to God, it kinda just happened. There were some contributing
factors though, I remember a few years back, sending off some demos to labels, like you do, and the
realization came to me that if some label wanted to sign me, I couldn’t do it, because a label requires the
bands to go on tour and stuff, and there was no way I could do to much of that, because I’m madly in love
with my wife and kids and could not be away from them to much, not even for music. So I decided to sign
myself, hence Motor Sounds Records, but it was never meant to be something to sign other bands, that’s
the bit that’s just happened, no, that’s not true, what happened was I bumped into people like you and
Chris Jack from the Routes, and couldn’t believe that no one was out there trying to work with you.
decides to start a record label?
Andy McGibbon: Fair question. Honest to God, it kinda just happened. There were some contributing
factors though, I remember a few years back, sending off some demos to labels, like you do, and the
realization came to me that if some label wanted to sign me, I couldn’t do it, because a label requires the
bands to go on tour and stuff, and there was no way I could do to much of that, because I’m madly in love
with my wife and kids and could not be away from them to much, not even for music. So I decided to sign
myself, hence Motor Sounds Records, but it was never meant to be something to sign other bands, that’s
the bit that’s just happened, no, that’s not true, what happened was I bumped into people like you and
Chris Jack from the Routes, and couldn’t believe that no one was out there trying to work with you.
Garage rock got pretty trendy a few years back but now it seems to be tapering off here in the US.
Yeah, I agree with that, it’s the same in Japan, although the garage thing never really got a huge foothold,
not like grunge did before it and metal and punk before that.
In the US “the scene” is as eclectic as ever in history; every genre seems to have a place, is it
the same in the UK?
I like the garage thing, its small enough to remain alive, when these things get too big they burn out, but
garage has been merrily tip-toeing along for generations now, raising it head every so often. Although as
you know garage is a very sweeping label, it covers everything from dirty blues to almost heavy metal, I
mean listen to The Pretty Things and then Federation X, they’re both thought of as garage but completely
different, I like that. One of the things I’ve noticed though, garage bands are only too willing to be labeled as
garage, whereas in a lot of other genres, the bands don’t want the chains of a label.
Yeah, I agree with that, it’s the same in Japan, although the garage thing never really got a huge foothold,
not like grunge did before it and metal and punk before that.
In the US “the scene” is as eclectic as ever in history; every genre seems to have a place, is it
the same in the UK?
I like the garage thing, its small enough to remain alive, when these things get too big they burn out, but
garage has been merrily tip-toeing along for generations now, raising it head every so often. Although as
you know garage is a very sweeping label, it covers everything from dirty blues to almost heavy metal, I
mean listen to The Pretty Things and then Federation X, they’re both thought of as garage but completely
different, I like that. One of the things I’ve noticed though, garage bands are only too willing to be labeled as
garage, whereas in a lot of other genres, the bands don’t want the chains of a label.
How is the 60's garage punk scene thriving in Northern Ireland?
Ha, it's not mate, 60’s garage punk and Northern Ireland do
not mix, unfortunately heavy metal and indie took a foot hold
years ago and refuse to loosen their grip. You would think that
the very small country that produced bands like, Them, The
Belfast Gypsys The Undertones, Stiff Little Fingers, would
have retained a little of the legacy that help create them, but
no, garage is not a force to be reckoned with at all over here
at all. There are only a few bands, The Childish Thoughts, The
Keepers, The Bonevilles, The Tupelo Incident that’s about it in
fact, and that’s everything from garage punk to rock 'n' roll.
not mix, unfortunately heavy metal and indie took a foot hold
years ago and refuse to loosen their grip. You would think that
the very small country that produced bands like, Them, The
Belfast Gypsys The Undertones, Stiff Little Fingers, would
have retained a little of the legacy that help create them, but
no, garage is not a force to be reckoned with at all over here
at all. There are only a few bands, The Childish Thoughts, The
Keepers, The Bonevilles, The Tupelo Incident that’s about it in
fact, and that’s everything from garage punk to rock 'n' roll.
Were there many garage bands in Ireland in the 60s?
Not really, Ireland suffered from a thing called "show bands," which where basically 10-piece cover bands
and all the venues and dance halls couldn’t be accessed by original bands, there are many stories of
people like Van Morrison and Rory Gallagher literally being booed off stage and having to play support act
to fucking cover bands doing the worst chart pop crap that was around at the time; unfortunately the
Legacy of that still lives on today, no where near as bad as it was, but it's not dead yet.
Are there other labels doing the real deal rock ‘n’ roll thing in Ireland?
No just me, although there are now a few club nights being started up in Derry Belfast and Dublin, which is
fantastic, it makes everything a whole lot easier.
Psychotic Reaction has been run by The Things in Dublin for a few years now, but in the past year,
Beatnik Soul in Derry, Club Flicknife in Belfast and The Stomping Ground Club in Dublin. It makes gigging
and touring a lot easier, in mainland Europe people know what a garage band is, not so much over here,
like I said before, metal and indie are the thing, but these club nights are gonna prove invaluable I think.
Ireland as a whole is small, under four million, and in the North we have around one million of those, there
are as many people in Detroit as there are in Northern Ireland, plus we don’t have the history to draw
upon, so the potential audience is quite small.
What, if anything do you hear that is unique about garage punk from Ireland and/or the UK at
large, compared to the US?
I think the best garage has to lean towards the US no matter where its from. I have a French friend who
thinks that popular music, for want of a better term, has to be sung in English and if not it doesn’t work, this
guys is a translator and speaks 6 languages, he should know. I don’t wish to sound like a Luddite, but, if
your singing in Finnish or Latvian or French, I’m not gonna get it. I like to hear a French girl singing in
French because I think its sexy, but she could be reading a menu for all I know, I’m gonna miss the point,
unless of course the point is to give me a hard on. I think the same about what we do, theres no point
trying to be too colloquial if you're from some back water, singing in a language I don’t understand, I won't
get it. That doesn’t mean don’t mention what you know about in your lyrics, just sing it in a language I
understand and for rock 'n' roll that’s American. In the UK it all started with kids buying imports of blues
records, even with Billy Childish, the most English man in England, you hear it, and that’s good.
Not really, Ireland suffered from a thing called "show bands," which where basically 10-piece cover bands
and all the venues and dance halls couldn’t be accessed by original bands, there are many stories of
people like Van Morrison and Rory Gallagher literally being booed off stage and having to play support act
to fucking cover bands doing the worst chart pop crap that was around at the time; unfortunately the
Legacy of that still lives on today, no where near as bad as it was, but it's not dead yet.
Are there other labels doing the real deal rock ‘n’ roll thing in Ireland?
No just me, although there are now a few club nights being started up in Derry Belfast and Dublin, which is
fantastic, it makes everything a whole lot easier.
Psychotic Reaction has been run by The Things in Dublin for a few years now, but in the past year,
Beatnik Soul in Derry, Club Flicknife in Belfast and The Stomping Ground Club in Dublin. It makes gigging
and touring a lot easier, in mainland Europe people know what a garage band is, not so much over here,
like I said before, metal and indie are the thing, but these club nights are gonna prove invaluable I think.
Ireland as a whole is small, under four million, and in the North we have around one million of those, there
are as many people in Detroit as there are in Northern Ireland, plus we don’t have the history to draw
upon, so the potential audience is quite small.
What, if anything do you hear that is unique about garage punk from Ireland and/or the UK at
large, compared to the US?
I think the best garage has to lean towards the US no matter where its from. I have a French friend who
thinks that popular music, for want of a better term, has to be sung in English and if not it doesn’t work, this
guys is a translator and speaks 6 languages, he should know. I don’t wish to sound like a Luddite, but, if
your singing in Finnish or Latvian or French, I’m not gonna get it. I like to hear a French girl singing in
French because I think its sexy, but she could be reading a menu for all I know, I’m gonna miss the point,
unless of course the point is to give me a hard on. I think the same about what we do, theres no point
trying to be too colloquial if you're from some back water, singing in a language I don’t understand, I won't
get it. That doesn’t mean don’t mention what you know about in your lyrics, just sing it in a language I
understand and for rock 'n' roll that’s American. In the UK it all started with kids buying imports of blues
records, even with Billy Childish, the most English man in England, you hear it, and that’s good.
--Craig Campbell
February 17, 2007
February 17, 2007