One fallacy of the modern music Press is the burning desire to pigeonhole' bands.
In the modern age of reality television stars, overnight success and artists getting the heave-ho for an album not selling two million copies, it seems everyone must be dubbed The new......'.
Anyone attempting to force such a tag onto London four-piece Gin Panic, though, would not only meet with stiff resistance but would also face an unenviable task, as lead vocalist Alex Robertson explains.
"We could literally list you millions of influences", said Robertson.
"If we had to describe ourselves, it would be post-rock-inspired landscapes mixed with suffocating noise, all dressed up as a pop song.
"No matter how aggressive and intense it gets, there is always a melody.
advertisement
"They are pop songs but pop songs that like to behave badly."
Robinson formed the band back in 1999, along with fellow Stafford University student Kerrie McEvoy, out of a mutual love of music.
A few personnel changes later and Gin Panic now has its line-up - Alex on lead vocals/guitar, sister Kate Robertson on guitar/vocals, McEvoy on bass/vocals, and Scouser Mono on drums.
And Robinson admits it is not only the line-up that has changed.
He added: "I grew up with the whole Britpop scene so, when we started out, it was just things like Gomez covers.
"But we got bored and started making our covers last 20 minutes and taking things in a completely new direction.
"Music is very much a confidence issue - you need to build a repertoire and find an audience."
One audience who certainly seems to have been found' is the Kingston scene, with Gin Panic having been regular visitors to the Fighting Cocks over recent years.
And Mono admits having connected with other local heroes, such as Meet Me In St Louis, has made the difficult journey much easier to bear.
Mono said: "It is a fight to succeed as an artist, especially in London.
"It is a struggle and having like-minded bands around, both playing with us and as friends, gives us a lot of hope."
Gin Panic will be using the Kingston gig as an official launch for new EP Punching Numbers into a Machine, a follow-up to 2005's album Moved By Remote.
But don't expect to see the band strutting their stuff on the likes of the Paul O'Grady Show anytime soon.
Kate explains: "When I tell people I am in a band, they usually ask if we are looking for a big record contract.
"I say no and people look at me like there is something wrong.
"But that is not what we are after - we are musicians who just love to make music."
McEvoy agrees, explaining that the band has set itself very different targets.
He said: "We self-finance all our records from the money we made from the last one, so success would be to be able to continue.
"Music is an absolute release. It may sound horribly cheesy but music is my church.
"Welcome to the church of Gin Panic."
Gin Panic, The Fighting Cocks, Old London Road, Kingston, on
Saturday, February 2, at 7.30pm, £4. Call 020 8974 6469 or visit the-fighting-cocks.co.uk.
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
Print
Email this
Comment
