Lo-Fidelity Allstars

“Look what I’ve found/On a brand new journey into sound.”

This doesn’t happen very often. Dozens of bands come and go every yearbut great ones are as regular as a passing comet. Truly original outfitsare rarer still. Which makes the arrival of the Lo-Fidelity Allstars oneof those special musical moments. Perhaps the planets have shifted intosome seismic alignment, because they seem so significant, destined foran impact that matches Primal Scream or the Stone Roses. The shockwaveshave started already.Eighteen months and two singles into their lifespan, the press and musicbusiness have frothed so hysterically over their potential that you’dthink they’d swallowed their washing powder. All kinds of lucrativefinancial carrots and treats have been hurled their way, including tripsto New York strip clubs and offers of their own personal dragsters. Theyalso won best new band at this year’s NME Brat awards on the basis ofthose two stupendous singles, released last year on Brighton’s acclaimedSkint records. The swaggering “Kool Rok Bass” and frenzied “DiscoMachine Gun” weren’t rock, they weren’t dance and it’s not even fair tosay they were a bit of both. We’re not dealing with some retarded hybrid here: berks with Chilli Pepper funk bass, turntables and a mealy mouthedMC. The Lo Fidelity Allstars are a fresh virulent strain all of theirown. House guru Terry Farley went mad for a white label of their ownremix of “Disco Machine Gun” thinking they were some brand new, puredance outfit “Search it out,” he said in a review. “This could buildinto a monster.” Meanwhile the band’s treatments of Cast’s “History” andPigeonhead’s “Battleflag” re-equipped two rock bands with more powerthan they’d ever possessed before. On top of which, the Lo Fi’s liveshows are equal parts gig, rave, and call to arms. If seeing themdoesn’t convince you of their stature, then check yourself for signs oflife.The Allstars draw inspiration for their barrage of words and music fromlife’s more elegant desperadoes. Honorary Allstars include ChristopherWalken, the Wu Tang Clan, hard living former Bolton Wanderers centreforward Frank Worthington, P-funk bass genius Bootsy Collins and Spiritualized who they supported in Ireland this February. However therare no prima donnas within the Allstars themselves, just buddingsuperheroes with a common purpose. There’s singer, lyricicst and artworkoverlord Dave a.k.a. The Wrekked Train, songwriting engineroom Phil,alias The Albino Priest and engineer and keyboard mastermind Martin,otherwise known as The Many Tentacles. They’re joined by bassplayingAndy alias A One Man Crowd Called Gentile, drummer Johnny, a.k.a. TheSlammer and keyboard boy Matt, who also answers to Sheriff John Stone. They have personality and more importantly they have taste. The firstgigs Dave and Phil ever went to were on the same Def Jam tour of theU.K. in 1987. The first rock bands to impress them were the Roses, HappyMondays and Jason Pierce’s old outfit, Spacemen 3, all because they knewhow to deploy bass. None of them saw any point to moping about toIndie-rock when there was fun to be had during acid house. Their musicis the perfect end product of the post-hip hop, post-house and post-rockworld but their attitude is timeless. “We’re a rock ‘n’ roll band,”insists Dave. “At the end of the day, it’s all rock ‘n’ roll.”Like all the best rock ‘n’ roll bands, the Lo-Fidelity Allstars were born of suburban frustation. Dave was born in Horsham, the Brightonsatellite town almost famous for being home to DJ’s like Dave Clarke. Hespent his youth spraying graffitti on the side of factories andlistening to Mike Allen and Tim Westwood’s hip hop radio shows. After anabortive year at art school he moved to London, working on buildingsites to make ends meet. He’d been writing lyrics since he was ateenager, inspired by watching films of the things that happened aroundhim in everyday life, but had always kept them to himself. Like the arthe designs for the Lo-Fi’s record sleeves, his words are more imagerythan anything specific. His friend Matt, also a Horsham ex-pat knew he’dbeen writing and put him together with Phil, who’d moved to London fromLeeds to pursue his DJ-ing career in 1996. Matt and Phil had alreadybeen DJ-ing together, putting together eclectic no holds barred setsunder the name Lo-Fidelity Allstars. The first recording session theyembarked on in Phil’s bedsit in Highgate, produced “One Man’s Fear” (theB-side to “Kool Rok Bass”) and went so well that a proper band was soonput together. In the mean-time, their demo tape had found it’s way toSkint records head Damian Harris, and the rest – blowing John Squire’sSeahorses off-stage on their UK tour, seeing in 98 at the Alexandra Palace New Year’s Eve bash – will become history.This doesn’t happen often. So cherish the Lo-Fidelity Allstars.”Are you coming with us?” Lo-Fidelity Allstars “Kool Rok Bass”