Quick interview: Smilex

Posted on by simonminter

 Smilex have performed with the likes of The Damned, Towers of London and Pretty Girls Make Graves over the last seven years, developing a fearsome live reputation in the process. They are currently working on new material for their new album, entitled La Petite Mort and due for release in 2010.

1.What do you think you sound like?

We have changed loads over the seven years we have been together. Previously it was short sharp shocks, all blood, sweat and carnage – now we play mostly slower sets of gentler and epic stuff, dotted with a few punkier tracks (there is much more singing and clean guitar nowadays!).

2. What do you do when you’re not making music?

I make yet more music and do various local music stuff… the others work hard. Real-life stuff!

3. Recommend us a good band or album and tell us what’s good about it.

The Lonely Island debut album is the funniest record in ages – a truly great comedy album!

I would also like to big up Chinese Democracy – what’s so good about it? Everything! Not least the debate it sparks, the way it has people spouting inane crap like ‘it’s no Appetite‘ or ‘there’s no Slash’ or ‘it’s too much money and time’ (like any band, let alone the one that made it, could make Appetite again! And who liked the last Velvet Revolver record? Was it your money? it only cost £10 to buy! Why did you not get on with your life in the meantime? What is the correct amount of time to replace every player, get new chemistry going and record dozens of songs?). Most people that slate it have not even heard it and if they have, listened with extreme prejudice.

4. Where did you get your band name from?

It is the name of the chemical the Joker (from Batman) uses to kill people for vanity and avarice, leaving them with hideous grins on their faces! Tim Burton then reused the name for the toothpaste company that employs Charlie’s dad in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – so I always worry that people will think we named the band after that!

5. What do you like and dislike about Oxford and its music?

Like: A continuous flow of new bands,  making it always easy to discover fresh talent. Having a whole network of good musicians and talented (lovely) people on my mobile phone.

Dislike: A continuous flow of negativity towards my band just for having the nerve to continue! People that get wrapped up in the whole ‘scene’ thing and dehumanize themselves in the process.

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  • Jay Rival

    Love Smilex !

    no smoke blowing intended when i say they are without doubt one of the most exciting fun loud and just plain cool live bands ive seen since arriving in the land of the Ox. (and Lee is one of the most welcoming open minded nice people in the ‘scene’)

    mad props.

  • http://www.gappytooth.com gappy

    Lonely Island’s “Jizz In my Pants” is indeed fantastic. Top marks.

    Not heard Chinese Democracy, but considering I don’t like the GnR LPs everyone tells me are supposed to actually be any good, I don’t imagine I’d be cock-a-hoop for it!

  • Jo Witch

    Just a word on Chinese Democracy:

    No problem with the idea of Axl releasing a new album. Just don’t call it Guns N’ Roses. Because it isn’t. The way he held the band to ransom with the name before the Use Your Illusion tour was just unforgivable.

    I am sure it’s a good record, just have no interest in listening to something which calls itself Gn’R and isn’t.

  • Phill

    I think contractually it had to be guns n’ roses – “gun n’roses” had a contract to release a certain numbers of albums, axl held the copywrite to the name so he had to release it as “Guns n’Roses”.

  • Jo Witch

    Axl had the copyright because he demanded it before the UYI tour, saying he wouldn’t tour unless the name was signed over to him. He had them all over a barrel.

    I’m sure bands have split up before fulfilling contractual obligations. I am sure Interscope would have been as happy for him to release the album under his own name or even with a new band name – it’s Axl Rose for fucksake!

  • colinmackinnon

    Oy! Less of the potty mouth you guys! My work network is blocking the site. Get a swearbox!

  • Big Tim

    Bloody hell Colin, don’t go all Trev on our arses.

  • Jo Witch

    Sorry Colin – wasn’t aware we were censored over here 😉

    I am just very very passionate about my (original line-up) Guns N’ Roses. A purist, you might say.

  • Clouds

    Smilex are one my favorite bands in Oxford…Actually they just one of my favorite bands ever!
    Seeing them live was an experience I’m glad to have had, as they are absolutely captivating, brutal and charismatic. Their music punches you in the gut and makes you wanna jerk your body in a weird manner.

    They are just pure quality!

  • phill

    Jo: “I am just very very passionate about my (original line-up) Guns N’ Roses. A purist, you might say.”

    Does that mean you don’t like “use your illusion i & ii” cos Steve Adler isn’t on it?

    Or The Rock of Travolta’s new stuff cos me, deadly and ros aren’t in them anymore?

    Or even new Witches stuff cos you and Martyn are in them now?!

    I don’t even know why i’m discussing this as I haven’t even heard all of chinese democracy – seeing as Axl took 14 years to make it, i’ve made a vow to take 14 years to listen to all of it. Lee keeps telling me to listen to the whole album….but I don’t want to do it….

  • http://www.joechapman.org/ Joe

    Swear in a foreign language, that’ll confuse it.

  • Jo Witch

    Phill, I do think it’s different, probably because I’m completely incapable of being remotely rational on the topic of Guns N’ Roses. I’m the first person to admit that…

  • jamess

    ohcrap(sorry) g&r -some good songs, utterly appalling cliched image that was waaay out of date even when they first started, then it all descended into bandana and cycle shorts hell.

    though i did hear a song on the radio the other day, and it was a bit good – turned out to be summat from CD. fairy nuff.

  • jamess

    – oh – and i forgot to say, and i really mean this – i’d rather listen/watch smilex any day of the week, rather than g&r – much better!

  • Jo Witch

    “some good songs, utterly appalling cliched image that was waaay out of date even when they first started, then it all descended into bandana and cycle shorts hell.”

    You are SO WRONG about that Jamesss. Their image only really became ‘out of date’ when the whole grunge thing kicked off in 1991. But then who cares about their image anyway? It’s all about the songs.

    And Axl Rose is one of the only men I know who looked well hot in cycling shorts!

  • Jo Witch

    You are SO WRONG about their image Jamesss. Their image only really became ‘out of date’ when the whole grunge thing kicked off in 1991. But then who cares about their image anyway? It’s all about the songs.

    And Axl Rose is one of the only men I know who looked well hot in cycling shorts!

  • Beaver Fuel

    Is it the cycling shorts that make him sound like his testicles are being strangled?

  • Jo Witch

    The best rock and roll singer of the eighties. Bar none. What a voice.

  • phill

    “And Axl Rose is one of the only men I know who looked well hot in cycling shorts!”

    That’s cos he stuck a cucumber down there. Or was it an armadillo?

  • http://www.myspace.com/smilex leesmilex

    ha! awesome to see g’n’r still spark so much debate! more than smilex ;-( damn!

    to gappy i would say give it a whirl as there is stuff on chineses democracy that is unlike anything they have done before and the new line-up have very different skills!
    (new line up including members like buckethead, brian mantia, and ex members of tool, nin etc) its an album like one by the beatles or queen or led zeppelin – really bold!

    to jo i say – tracii guns was never in the signed line -up of g’n’r therfore u must have never liked them! 😉 faith no more were better after chancing singer/frontman as were nirvana after changing their drummer, guess axl just needed better players?!
    if u listen to the album you will see why – the old band could never handle these songs!
    and u really are missing out btw cos his voice has never sounded better than on ‘c.d.’!

    also for those who just don’t get it and never did, cos they don’t like axl, think about the fact that axl has never done any of the cheap things most musicians do to keep in the eye of celebrity gossip mags etc in fact when this album was released unlike most who are in media loads (like celeb whore slash!) axl disappeared from public eye and has yet to release a single, video or even do a tv appearance or tour the record, in fact he has only done one fan chatroom session and one interview to promote it at all. in these days of artists dragging themselves over hot coals and hanging with reality tv stars in the hope someone will download their newest timbaland-style produced attack on the charts,i think that is pretty dignified (more than the cylcle shorts, anyway!)

    to jamesss i say: awesome! thanks! i would love to argue with u but my ego prevents!

    to beaver fuel: your jokes are so bad and obvious sometimes it feels like i am trapped in some sterile 80’s sitcom which should never be rerun let alone celebrated – humour has so many levels, i would suggest trying something slightly more sophisticated next time, like: ‘the dude from hot chocolate looks like a malteser’ or ‘bum -hahahaha!’ ? 😉

    to clouds i say a very humble thanks and may i commend u on your fine taste! 😉
    to jay rivals: thanks dude, that means lots to us – let’s do more shows together soon! :-)

    to phill i say: i’m sorry for youuuuuu, not sorry for meeeeeeeeee! (it’s from track 10 so he won’t get that joke for almost another decade!)

    i only judge music by one thing – the music! i think it’s a classic album, check it out! x

  • phill

    No, I know track 10 – it’s tom’s favourite cos, cos like him, it’s the gay one.

  • http://www.myspace.com/smilex leesmilex

    this is why i don’t like the internet! i am now chatting with my housemate online when we could easily just shout abuse at eachother in person from where we are!

  • Jo Witch

    So Lee – how do you justify Axl refusing to tour unless the name of the band was signed over to him back in 1991?

    How exactly is Slash a media whore? Can you explain?

    Ha – this is exactly the debate you were talking about. Love it!

  • http://www.myspace.com/smilex leesmilex

    1. he was the only one with a nominal right to it being that he and tracii guns did but tracii was no longer in the band and was in la guns. anyone who knows gnr history will remember slah and adler joined from road crew last minute when the tour was booked and tracii etc dropped out! this makes slash no more a member than gilby?
    2. he was in a band with a load of junkies who could hardly get it together to play and saw his future career in music being ruined by this. he took control, is that so bad?
    3. it was not so much refusing to tour as threatening to quit entirely (i think a bluff as axl loved gnr more than life itself, he just knew how much he was worth to them)
    4. without axl it would not be gnr (much more so than others – proved by gnr’s family tree, the only really strong argument is slash whom axl tried to appease but ultimately could not convince him of gnr’s need to evolve (justified in the late 90’s).
    5. ultimately gnr by that point was being run by axl, doug goldstein and slash, so the argument actually becomes axl vs slash not the big band love in u like to imagine!

    as to why slash is a media whore: has wrote a book (axl has not) dishing dirt (tacky),
    playing gnr, stp and any other cover he could to get velvet revolver off the ground, collaborates with all and sundry (mj, icp, cypress hill, paul rodgers, ozzy, alice cooper, lenny kravitz (whom he went to the same hollywood proto-celeb school with) and so many more i cant be bothered!( not saying some good did not come from these btw)
    i think axl keeps a dignified silence and only answers when someone asks him. i do think it would have been better for him to not call it gnr tho – if only because without the preciousness attached to that name chinese democracy may have got some credit!

  • EDGE

    Sorry Lee, I typed up and submitted an answer to this which seems to now not be here…dunno if it’s awaiting moderation or what. Anyway I think the upshot is that I’m being very pro-the others and you’re being very pro-Axl. The truth will lie somewhere in the middle as is usual in these cases. I think it’d be best to debate this in person at some point!

    Anyway good debating skills. See you soon!

  • http://www.myspace.com/bphilsounds BenPlaceAboveB-Phil

    Sorry to change the subject completely from Uncle Axl and his band of merry men (whom incidentally i’ve seen live twice and I think are fantastic!)

    I’m usually quite happy to just sit in the shadows like an armchair football fan on say the Nightshift forum and chortle quietly to myself in the background at the musings of young scallywags like Trev and Leigh, as well as the poetic recollections of some of our “fathers of rock”, (sorry jamess and Ronan 😉 ) but I read something today that’s made me peek out my head and want to hold the conch for a minute or two.

    I was most disappointed to read in the Oxfordbands interview of Smilex that they have received criticism for not giving up the ghost owing to their lack of stadium status and soldiering on so tenaciously has they have over the past seven years. I’m sure every band member, forum postee and gig goer in the local area, and people who have been involved in our local music down the years would agree that Smilex are a testament to everything that was, is, and will be great about our local scene. Not only have they worked tirelessly to bring us new and exciting music down the years (as well as breathtaking live shows), but their members along with their management have organised festivals, showcases, compliation CD’s and endless amounts of local shows to ensure that brand new talent is heard, particularly focusing on nurturing the younger talent that has emerged. I cannot tell you how much everybody involved in Smilex helped and encouraged me when I was in a local band at the age of 16, along with many many bands who were my peers at the time, and once my band was done with, it was LeeSmilex who put me on at my first ever solo show, which helped me get onto the circuit by myself.

    We’ve seen a great deal of acts over the years who showed much promise come out one day with a myspace blog entitled “over and out” or something equally as witty, which upon opening we have found some large bitter rant about pouring hearts and souls time and money into something only to be raped in the arse by a record company and have thus decided it’s not worth it anymore. Surely these are the people who deserve the raised eyebrow, not those who carry on regardless of what the public think or the effects that are suffered at the hands of those who might have screwed them over? (which is something that I am pretty sure Smilex has come across at least once in the past, and still come out fighting).

    I know that Smliex have ploughed their hearts and souls into the band, some may argue for little reward, though I’m sure they would argue that the experience and enjoyment they have had through doing it has been and continues to be wonderful. They have done this out of sheer passion for what they do, and deserve nothing but commendation for continuing to bring us exciting music and electrifying live shows – we are lucky to have them!

  • jamess

    good points, eloquently put, and thank you for diverting attention away from G&R, and back to smilex. i had to re-read the interview, because the negativity point had bypassed me the first time.
    Now, i really really like Smilex, both in terms of their stage show, and general attitude towards gigging and the promotion of other bands, and was genuinely surprised to hear that there was a “continuous flow of negativity” – i have honestly never heard anyone at all say anything bad about them further than “ooh – i saw smilex and that scoundrel lee spilled my pint”, so i’m a bit gobsmacked that there’s any serious critique. Look beyond lee’s excellent antics and there’s a damn fine rocking band there.
    my tuppence worth, jamess, missing link of rock.

  • Beaver Fuel

    Funnily enough, I can’t actually remember hearing anyone much say anything bad about Smilex either, whether online or in real life.

  • http://www.joechapman.org/ Joe

    I don’t remember hearing a single negative word about Smilex. It’s their perception though and there may be something specific that bothers them.

  • colinmackinnon

    I’m with Joe, james, beaver- never heard this before from anyone! Lee was obviously feeling a bit down when he wrote that. What do people make of the criticism of the band that they put their stage act above song-writing and musical performance? Itwas something Lee mentioned to me the other day- I’ve only caught them live once or twice so I don’t feel qualified to say if that’s true or not.

  • jamess

    “We have changed loads over the seven years we have been together. Previously it was short sharp shocks, all blood, sweat and carnage – now we play mostly slower sets of gentler and epic stuff, dotted with a few punkier tracks (there is much more singing and clean guitar nowadays!).”
    lee’s said it best himself. The first few times i saw smilex, the antics and general hooning around caught my attention. after a while, it almost became the expected thing, and almost a bit of a distraction – you’d be there, waiting for blood, rather than paying close attention to the song structures and presentation, which are a credit in themsleves. i’d say smilex’s focus on getting the songs tighter than a sharks arse at 50 fathoms has gone a long way towards establishing them as a class act, and they retain the ability to surprise.

  • Big Tim

    Oh do shut up Jamess. Personally I can’t wait for Smilex to call it quits and break up.

    (Kidding – they’re great!)

  • colinmackinnon

    Not wanting to change the subject, but Tim’s post (32) made me laugh. It reminds me of the longest-running British comedy (“tonight all 7 episodes will be aired!), ‘Do Shut Up’ and it’s hilarious sequel, ‘Shut Your Gob’.

  • http://www.last.fm/music/spiral+25 Joe

    “What do people make of the criticism of the band that they put their stage act above song-writing and musical performance?”
    It depends on how important the stage act is to the band and what is meant by “above”. Personally I think with many bands, not all, concentrating on the stage act is a good thing, if you have worked together for so long, as I’m sure Smilex have, writing songs can actually just happen without the band needing to spend much time on it, this means you can spend a little more time getting the flow of the set right, thinking about the best places to stand, thinking about the image of the band. For me being in a band isn’t just about playing music, yes, music is the most important thing but it all about what the band wants out of it, how it makes them feel.

    I prefer it that music is something that I just do, it’s something that occurs naturally, even involunatarily, thinking hurts my head and shortens my life expectancy so I leave the thinking for things that thinking is essential for, not music.

    Sorry, what was I going on about?

  • http://www.last.fm/music/spiral+25 Joe

    I used to do a little but a little wouldn’t do it so a little got more and more, just keep tryin’ to get a little better said a little better than before.. or… I used to love her… woa yeah…!

    Er… yeah.. OK dad.

  • http://www.smilex.co.uk leesmilex

    hi there! sorry for late reply – i only go onlne once in a while!
    just wanted to say thanks to everyone who said nice things – i promise i was not fishing for compliments though they do feel nice and warm! i just wanted to also say that ben rules and i thank him so much for that very nice essay! i will always be supportive of new bands cos a. they are moreexciting than the mainstream acts and b. cos i was in a band when i was younger and we got shat on most times! still we were funk rock so i guess we had it coming! its important to encourage and nurture or the scene dies! btw lee beaver fuel – funny you should say that cos i have seen u bitch about smilex coverage in oxfordmusicscene! i also hear alot of what is said in my absence cos i know alot of people in this city soi do know that we have our ‘haters’ !
    honest it is not the weed making me paranoid! or an axl-like persecution complex!
    speaking of which, jo – are u honestly going to defend ‘the others’ properly (i.e. listing what they have done that was any good recently, howmuch u own etc – i do btw!)
    cos i think u are onto a loser with either drummer, duff’s new stuff or gilby or izzy’s solo records – slash’s snakepit is bereft of personality and only one vr record is ok! x
    btw shameless plug – i would like to say some new shit is about to pop up smilex-wise!

  • http://davidmurphyreviews.blogspot.com david

    Hi Lee

    In Beaver’s potential defence, I would say that it’s easy to get fed up with incessant media coverage, without disliking the artist in question. It’s even worse at a local level, some lazy writers latch onto about 3 or 4 acts and then continue to promote them as the encapsulation of Oxford music. Jesus, there was a time when I couldn’t stand the sight of one more Little Fish photo, even tho they’re a decent band. I’m afraid OMS is pretty guilty of this, they do have their favourites…and the prefer pictures to words, which doesn;t help.

    Anyway, that’s as may be. Would you believe I was watching a DVD of Smilex doing “Sex 4 Sale” at Charlbury 2004 (?) the other day!! Good stuff it was too.

  • Beaver Fuel

    I remember that comment, it was about as serious as any other comment I make. Like the one about Axl’s cycle shorts.

  • Beaver Fuel

    In fact, people can judge for themselves – this is from a thread about OMS#4:

    [quote=”gappy”]Disappointed you didn’t manage a Winter Warmer review, as at least one of the journalists we guestlisted for you was writing reams of copy & asking all sorts of intelligent questions of the organisors.

    Still, pretty colours… :roll:[/quote]

    [quote=”Beaver Fuel”]C’mon Rich, they’d have had to drop one of the Smilex features for that :twisted:[/quote]

  • http://www.last.fm/music/spiral+25 Joe

    I’m starting to wonder if I am really me now.

  • phill

    Mr Fuel, I think Mr Smilex probably had a bit of beef with you about that seeing as in that issue there was 8 pages of photos yet you said they should’ve dropped one of the smilex features – despite the fact they were the covers stars. Plus Smilex went to a lot of effort and expense for that feature – getting 2 photographers, lights, make up, costumes etc only for it to be a one page feature (all previous cover stars have had 2 pages) so of course he was going to get a little rattled when you said it should have been dropped.

  • Beaver Fuel

    One throwaway comment, which was more at the expense of OMS than Smilex. Hardly bitching, is it? Surely you can see the irony in the fact I didn’t mention the umpteen pages of photos – as Lee himself pointed out, humour works on many levels…

  • phill

    But i thought your humour only works on one level?!

  • http://www.gappytooth.com gappy

    You’re being generous, Phill.

  • http://www.smilex.co.uk leesmilex

    as u can see i really don’t spend time on the internet much but i do ge your point david but i think there are plenty of bands who are far more over-exposed than smilex!
    (although perhaps none who have been as exposed!) actually i need a copy of that dvd!
    could i possibly ask u to sort me one? leigh: have re-read it, still sounds bitchy and it seems a tenuous, bad cover up dude! quick to diss on the net, slow to grow a set? ;-)x

  • Beaver Fuel

    It’s all about context, maybe things were clearer at the time of posting. One thing is for sure, if you were to read all the crap I’ve ever posted on the net you would see that I have said far worse things about a lot of other bands, mostly ones that I like…
    Can we leave it there?

  • http://davidmurphyreviews.blogspot.com david

    ‘Twasn’t my DVD, I’m afraid. It was official Riverside product, so I’m sure the organisors could give you a copy. Or maybe Pat has one in his shed, or something.

  • http://www.smilex.co.uk leesmilex

    david : yeah i used to have a copy but it went awol…will hunt it down, tho! ta! :-)
    leigh: another bad excuse: ‘oh i talk crap all the time’ – maybe just stop it then? and isn’t amazing how u get to say ‘can we leaveit there?’ as if u were not the one who started it. however i will leave it because i have better things to do with my time.

  • Beaver Fuel

    In summary:
    I say Axl Rose has a crap singing voice.
    I get a load of abuse, supposedly negated by a winky face.
    I ignore this and say something positive.
    I am accused of bitching about Smilex.
    I attempt to get things into perspective.
    Things get blown out of all proportion. Again.
    I attempt to get things into perspective. Again.
    Blah blah blah…

    It seems to me someone has their knickers in a twist all because I insulted their favourite pop star. If this is not the case, let’s clarify what this is about. If it is the case, let’s all shut the f*** up.

  • http://www.smilex.co.uk leesmilex

    it has absolutely nothing to do with axl, he is not even my favourite popstar!
    it has to do with u being bitchy about smilex coverage we worked hard for, then saying u have never heard anyone diss us! then covering your tracks by saying u post shit all the time, like that is a valid excuse or that it was humour that only u understand, another invalid statement, if u are too simple to work that out perhaps u should shut up! no winky faces here anymore, i thought u wanted to drop it, dude!
    i cant believe i am actually beefing with leigh from beaver fuel – is this what my life has come to? please will someone in a better band pick a fight with me soon?! :-) haha

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