It was there that we came across some familiar faces squatting in our den, namely ex members of Blakfish and MMISL who now go by the name of Vietwow! The guys agreed to perform a couple of exclusive acoustic tracks for us in this months video podcast available on the youtube channel www.youtube.com/squattersden
We thought we'd also have a chat with Vietwow! about their new band and what lies in store for the future.
As the lads from Vietwow! were already chatting with some friends (known to us as Big Scary Monsters' favourite Shapes) we decided to interview the lot of them, killing two birds with one stone.
However, the guys were clearly getting in the festival spirit and the interview rapidly descended into a wonderfully chaotic circus.
How much we learnt about Vietwow! is uncertain. But we did however learn two things:
Vietwow! are not lying on their myspace, they are four very serious dudes...
Secondly; never try to interview multiple bands at the same time because you end up with this...enjoy.
Sitting on floor clockwise: Rich / Steven / Gav - Shapes
SQUATTERS DEN- Vietwow! and Shapes hello!
ALL- HELLO!
SQUATTERS DEN - So you're here today at the Morton Stanley festival in Redditch... what is your favourite thing about Redditch?
STEVEN-SHAPES - The access system on the ring road! That's a real favourite of mine! Access 7! I recommend access 7.
ALEX-VIETWOW! - Notice how he didn't pause at all then when you asked us that question!
SQUATTERS DEN - How did you hear about such a small festival?
BOB-VIETWOW! - (poor Geordie accent) err what? Ai its big up in the toon mon! (laughter) everybody knows about this festival up in the toon mon!
TOBY-VIETWOW! - It's not V festival is it!
BOB-VIETWOW! - (still in a poor Geordie accent) Ai, it's not V festival it's THE festival! They can stick that on the tag line next year! ...That's if it happens next year it might not.. 'cause its not been that well attended. (laughter)
BOB-VIETWOW! - I’m joking I don't know, I don't know what the projected attendance was.
SQUATTERS DEN - Vietwow! you've been joined by your friends Shapes. Would you say your sound is anything like theirs?
SAM-VIETWOW! - No! Don't even like um let alone sound like 'em.
ALEX-VIETWOW! - I don't even know what they're doing here...
SQUATTERS DEN - are they crashing your interview?
ALEX-VIETWOW! - Yeah!
BOB-VIETWOW! - Piggy-backing.
SQUATTERS DEN - stealing your limelight?
ALEX-VIETWOW! - Scumbags!
SQUATTER'S DEN - How would you describe your sound then?
SAM-VIETWOW! - Um well have you heard of Weezer and the Pixies? well err we ripped um both off... Shamelessly.
BOB-VIETWOW! - We? it was you!
SAM-VIETWOW! - Sorry yeah... I ripped um both off shamelessly... this is my backing band!
ALEX-VIETWOW! - We're just on an hourly rate!
SQUATTERS DEN - Shapes, have you got any advice for Vietwow! playing today after your experience yesterday?
GAV-SHAPES - ermmm... Don’t climb on things! You get told off.
STEVEN-SHAPES - Yeah you get really told off for that.
SQUATTERS DEN - Are you talking about when they tried to pull you off yesterday?
STEVEN-SHAPES - yeh they tried to cut our sound off
BOB-VIETWOW! - (Laughter) they tried to pull you off?
STEVEN-SHAPES - That was because Rich was stood on top of... his own amp... which is the thing we don’t understand...
GAV-SHAPES - It's illegal in Redditch, standing on amps...
STEVEN-SHAPES - So yeh, they were screaming at us and told us they were going to cut us off.
SAM-VIETWOW! - Have you got liability insurance though? 'Cause y'know he could have fallen off, hurt himself and sued um?!
STEVEN-SHAPES - There you go Sam... that is why you are wearing a suit and I'm not.. right there.
...
STEVEN-SHAPES - Nah.. my advice to you would be.... enjoy the moment!
SAM-VIETWOW! - Well it's our first show so we're really nervous...Toby's never played on a stage before... ever! Bob's only been playing drums for two weeks and him...(pointing to Alex) well he'll be alright!
ALEX-VIETWOW! - I'm always alright!
STEVEN-SHAPES - Just enjoy the moment, promise me you will!?
SQUATTERS DEN - So how did Vietwow! get together?
SAM-VIETWOW! - There's a good story here, Bob'll tell you!
BOB-VIETWOW! - Ermm... Toby asked me to be in a band (after quite a long pause)... I don't know about these lot... how did you get in? It's your band anyway.
ALEX-VIETWOW! - (at Bob) Were you at the auditions in Newcastle?
BOB-VIETWOW! - Yeah yeah.
ALEX-VIETWOW! - I went to the err Birmingham auditions, just saw Sam there... it was really cool man.
ALEX-VIETWOW! - Yeah yeah yeah! She was really nice man...
SAM-VIETWOW! - Yeah she err, tried to audition for my place... but I told her it weren't gonna happen.
GAV-SHAPES - It wasn't up for a debate.
SAM-VIETWOW! - But if err, Alan Shearer had asked.. it would have been a different story.
BOB-VIETWOW! - (bad Geordie accent) What 'bout king Kevin? ...Aii
RICH-SHAPES - Kevin?
BOB-VIETWOW! - (still in a bad Geordie accent) Kevin... fuckin' Keegan...oops sorry bad language.
SQUATTERS DEN - So what's in store for you guys? Vietwow!?... or Shapes?
STEVEN-SHAPES - (at Vietwow!) What is in store? I wanna know?
SAM-VIETWOW - What's in store for us? Well these guys (Shapes) what you doing.. you actually do things... so you can talk about that...
STEVEN-SHAPES - We're... we’re releasing an album... at the start of next year... That’s going on.
SAM-VIETWOW! - You're doing a remix album as well...
STEVEN-SHAPES - Oh yeah yeah, Gav give um a chat about the remix.
GAV-SHAPES - We're doing a remix release.
(long pause) ...
GAV-SHAPES You'll like it...
STEVEN-SHAPES - That's our drummer...
SAM-VIETWOW! - He's alright this one ent he.. (patronising shoulder pat)
ALEX-VIETWOW! - He's a little bit special sometimes..
SQUATTERS DEN - Is that remixes of your songs or..?
GAV-SHAPES - Yeah our last E.P....the passion of the oil. We've got loadsa different people, Sam being one of them, to remix all the tracks.
SAM-VIETWOW! - ..Mastering services y'know! ...sam.manville@googlemail.com... ermm free most of the time..
SAM-VIETWOW! - Not all the time!
STEVEN-SHAPES - ...If he's not fucking an he's not fighting then he's free!
www.myspace.com/vietwow
www.myspace.com/weareshapes
Article by Richard Perry.
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