2. 23 SkidooSeven Songs
A really good record shop called Handsome Dick’s opened up in Weymouth run by a couple of dudes who were considerably older than me. It became a meeting point for all tribes. They turned me on to Joy Division, The Birthday Party’s Prayers On Fire, and 23 Skidoo’s Seven Songs, as well as things like Throbbing Gristle. So much music was doomy at that time, but I think the first festival I ever went to was a Futurama festival that 23 Skidoo played. I went to see people like Theatre Of Hate and Bauhaus, but the things that blew me away were 23 Skidoo and Bow Wow Wow. There was so much life to them, and they stood out as a real polyglot of information. It was really celebratory funk and jazz, but psychedelic as hell. I just wanted to dance and lose my shit.
What I loved about the Seven Songs album is how it inspired me to make music myself, with a TASCAM Portastudio that a friend of mine in Weymouth had at the time. We were just trying everything out sonically. I love the album by Skidoo because it’s absolutely experimental, but it’s also got absolutely sick grooves. I’m not so into experimental music for experimental’s sake. I want something that’s avant-garde in approach, but has the meanest groove propelling it, and that Skidoo album is just riddled with sickness in the best way.
