Rising Stars Ratings (Don't forget to vote !):

 

Q1. Where are you from?

Singer/guitarist Francis Elliott is from Camberwell, London, but now lives in Bethnal Green, London

Andy Symes, the bassist, is from Leytonstone by way of Canvey Island, Essex, but now lives in Stoke Newington, London.

Following the grand tradition of PIL, Graham Hadley, our drummer, is from Canada but lives in Ealing, also London.

Q2. Musical influences?

Post punk bands like Joy Division and PIL, New Zealanders Straitjacket Fits, alt rock like Pixies and Sonic Youth, new studioistas like Radiohead and Portishead, and modern classical like LaMonte Young and, in particular, George Brecht. Still working out how to square the circle, though. We like guitars a lot, and want to find out just exactly what they’re capable of. Not so keen on midi and click tracks.

Q3. What’s your song writing process?

Studio based experimentation, using all sorts of guitars and amps, and then rearranging the song for threepiece and rehearsing until it comes together, often quite quite differently. The songs then change organically as we play them live. We might continue to re-record them to chart the evolutions.

Q4. Most bizarre gig experience?

Playing after a heavy rock band, Neuron Spoiler, with a tiny guitarist wearing a metallic blue waistcoat who kept jumping in front of the singer every time he had a guitar solo. We kept assuming the singer was going to nut him, but he never quite did. The same night included the legendary ‘Hello Islington!!!!!!’ to a crowd of bemused pub regulars. Class!!!

Q5. If you could share the stage with anyone, who would it be and why?

Early Peter Laughner-era Pere Ubu for tips on how to do it properly; Joy Division for reminding us to work a lot harder, and maybe the Thirteenth Floor Elevators when they were living in San Francisco. If we were really lucky, we could end up at a party with the Chocolate Watchband and Jefferson Airplane at the Grateful Dead’s house on 710 Ashbury. Now that would be an interesting evening.

 

In their own words

Formed about 8 months ago by singer/guitarist Francis Elliott, voodoo rays have already released a well received (but exceedingly rare) album, descension, and have been steadily playing intimate gigs in and around London in preparation for the second album, entitled Crabwise.

The band is a threepiece in the mould of classic leftfield guitar/noise trios like Hüsker Dü and The Chills; as well as Elliott, Andy Symes plays bass and Graham Hadley plays drums. Described as early Pink Floyd played by Sonic Youth, live the Rays are loud, often drenched in feedback, and unapologetically careless. On record, the sound is a bit more contained, but still deliberately raw and under-produced.

“….We want to go somewhere we’ve never been before…try out everything we can, and a few things we can’t.”

 

 

 

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