The Casino Brawl - Q&A Interview w/ Jonny Ferguson

"We all took to the stage in childrens skeleton suits from Asda"

November 10, 2008, 03:47 PM

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Altsounds.com You've all played in previous bands, can you tell us a bit about that and how The Casino Brawl came about?
The Casino Brawl [Jonny]: Well a couple of the guys have been playing together since they were 13, getting local support slots for bands like Rueben, Bloc Party and Johnny Truant. Then after that they sort of took a rest from it whilst finishing school etc. They then came back under the name of 'Ethereal' which is where myself and a second guitarist got on board. As Ethereal, we managed to get a support slot for The Hurt Process; the singer of which, Ivan took a took a shine to us and asked us to sign to his label. We then got a further phone call from him after The Hurt Process split, concerning a merge of the bands. After talks, we took Ivan on board and so 'The Casino Brawl' was born. After a few changes in line up on the guitar front and Ivan deciding to leave to concentrate more on the management side of things, here we are today.

Altsounds.com: How did you come up with your name?
The Casino Brawl [Jonny]: The name came from the original 1967 version of the movie 'Casino Royale'

Altsounds.com: Who or what are the main influences behind your sound?
The Casino Brawl [Jonny]: Whilst sharing a common interest for bands such as Oh Sleeper, Underoath, As Cities Burn, that kind of thing; we all have completely different music tastes. My favourite all time band is the beach boys; their melodies and vocal work really influences me. Adam on the other hand listens to loads of weird instrumental stuff and Jamie i know enjoys his house music!

Altsounds: You haven't made any videos yet, have you got any ideas for your first one?
The Casino Brawl [Jonny]: We're throwing some ideas around at the moment for our first video which i think we're going to do right after finishing the record. You'll have to wait and see for that one.

Altsounds: You played a Halloween show on Friday in Middlesborough, how did that go and did any of you dress up?
The Casino Brawl [Jonny]: Yeah, the show was really fun. It was our first chance to really play a lot of our new material and yes we dressed up. We all took to the stage in childrens skeleton suits from Asda. Not the most flattering attire I have to say but it's a a bit of fun right?

Altsounds: You've played quite a few sold out shoes now, where is your favourite place to play in the UK?
The Casino Brawl [Jonny]: Yeah, we're always flattered and extra excited when we hear a show is sold out. I think Stoke would probably be our favourite. We've sold that out a couple of times, the kids go nuts and we always get a really warm reception. Hometown shows are always fun too.

Altsounds: What's the weirdest thing a fan has asked you to sign?
The Casino Brawl [Jonny]: A fan (in Stoke none the less) asked me to sign their head once haha. I remember thinking "you're gonna sweat that straight off."

Altsounds: Do you guys have any pre-show rituals or warm ups?
The Casino Brawl [Jonny]: We normally just kind of huddle for a minute and and psyche each other up. We also usually stretch out a bit to avoid pulling every muscle in our bodies when we hurl ourselves around.

Altsounds: You're currently writing for your debut album out in early '09, what can we expect from that?
The Casino Brawl [Jonny]: We're really excited for our first record. We're trying to emphasize everything that's already in or music. That is bringing the vocals right to the front, have some innovative guitar work and mess around with timings a bit. We think it will be something quite different and exciting whilst not straying too far away from our sound.

Altsounds: Describe your music in 3 words…
The Casino Brawl [Jonny]: Deep, uplifting, beastyAltsounds: Please use this space to plug or promote anything you want.
The Casino Brawl [Jonny]: We finish recording at the start of December for release in Spring 09 on In At The Deep End Records, after which we're straight out on tour in the UK with The Ghost Of A Thousand and Rolo Tomassi which is gonna be sick. We also have a split CD hitting stores on November 17th on Small Town Records with our good friends Elias Last Day and First Signs Of Frost. Keep a look out!

Well thanks very much gents, it was a pleasure chatting with you.

http://www.myspace.com/thecasinobrawl

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