Fat Digester are 20 years old
For anyone reading this that may not be aware of the band, how would you describe your sound?
I would describe our sound as BIG! We have three front people, up to six horns, keys, percussion, funky guitar, crazy drumming and the whole thing being driven by the bass. We don’t really do subtle, we just want people to dance.
What do you put the longevity of the band down to?
Well, we have never made it in commercial terms but have strength in our own convictions and abilities to bring people together, break down barriers and give people a good time. We have always got the job done no matter what the audience, and we have played dance tents, rock venues, indie clubs, dub all nighters etc. and it cuts through all genres. It certainly isn’t about the money, as venues don’t always budget for big bands, but more about the fun of playing our music and the thrill of seeing people’s reactions, especially if this is their first time. That is its own reward and the reason why we have managed to entertain audiences up and down the country and further afield playing original music with no record label support for 20 years.
It has now become an extended family that, like other families, has its own challenges but ultimately the good times always weigh out the bad. We are now all friends for life and this band remains strong because the people involved in the wider 'Fat Family' always come back and help out when needed and also care for each other beyond the confines of the music.
How much has music, both making and playing it live, changed since you started out?
We have evolved over the years from what we once described as 'high energy guitar funk’, to a more horny - so to speak - sound and have incorporated more genres as we have gone on to include hip-hop, dub, D&B, jazz, Latin and almost anything that makes you want to get up and dance. The music scene in 1996 was a lot different - Britpop, The Spice Girls, Gina G and Robson and Jerome were the top sellers - and many of the venues we used to play have gone - Hearty Goodfellow, Dubble Bubble, Sam Feys. For a time, superstar DJ's threatened to see the back of live music, but, as always, it has bounced back and now run's very nicely along side DJ culture. We have gone from full time gigging schedules down to something more manageable (for the old knees) as we used to play in Cheltenham one night, London the next and then back to the almost weekly Maze shows (long live the Maze). Making music is totally different in 2016. You can demo a tune on GarageBand in a few minutes and message the whole band instantly as opposed to recording rehearsals on cassette and posting them to each other. Technology, like ridicule, is nothing to be scared of!
Where was your first ever gig and can you remember much about it?
This was the Old Angel (of course), the summer of 1996. It was packed and sweaty and Ben's bass drum skin broke about three quarters of the way through, having to finish the gig playing bass-drum beats on his floor tom (not easy), although, to be fair, no one seemed to notice as the famous Angel sound made sure you couldn’t actually hear what we were playing. We also used to distract audiences with 'humorous' asides like fire eaters, beat boxers, belly dancers, phone calls from Darth Vader (mid song), didgeridoos and Aliens......
What have been your most memorable shows to play in Nottingham?
Playing to huge crowds at the Riverside is always a joy, filling The Maze on many occasions with many more people queuing down Mansfield Road hoping to get in; our residency at Dubble Bubble in the early 2000's was always interesting; closing the Afro Caribbean or Rock and Reggae Festivals in mid-2000 with people climbing the marquee poles while barking at the moon; and more recently our gig's at the Contemporary. To be fair, playing at the Lion over the years has always been fun; Saturday evenings at The Fleece before playing at the Maze with Helen the Belly Dancer shocking the tea time punters was a sight to behold; and some crazy nights in the Lord Nelson beer garden in Sneinton at the end of the Sneinton Carnival…so many.
What can we expect from your 20th anniversary show at Nottingham Contemporary?
Three sets starting at 8pm. Set 1 - the original lineup reunited with some very old tunes reanimated. Set 2 - mid period band with Kyle on drums, what we refer to as the manic gigging years. Then the current lineup in Set 3 but with quite a few musical and 'other' guests turning up throughout, which hopefully includes the Alien MC. The big question is can get everyone on stage for the final number, which, as always, is Funky Muthas!
How hard was it to get the original line-up back together and when was the last time you all played together?
Very difficult! I started chasing down people before Christmas. Ben has been living and gigging in London for 12 years, Fish now lives near Bristol where he plays with The Egg, and Mick is up in Northumbria. Getting a date to agree on and a set we could remember has been another difficulty, but, as it stands, they should all be there (Fish – are you reading this?)
To be fair every gig is a challenge as everyone has their own stuff going on; Mick (Skanks) is currently in Europe touring with Nada Surf; Fish plays with The Egg across the globe; Miles plays with Symphonica & Mr Switch, who rocked Glastonbury this year; Mr Q plays with The Invisible Orchestra; Tom with Cheshire and the Cat; Sho is in demand for recording work; Deriq is out with Highness Sound System, amongst others, and various players work with Miss 600, LICK, The Money and have previously worked with somer great Nottingham bands from the past like Skinny Sumo, Royal Gala, Ersatz Jazz, Pillow Talk…
Where do you find the musicians that you collaborate and perform with?
Musicians tend to find us when either they play a gig with us with another band (Dave from Pillow Talk, Dom from Ersatz etc) or they have been recommended to come and see us and introduce themselves. I don’t think we ever go looking as such, people keep dropping on our doorstep and more often than not they are the more left field, non conventional types who are looking for freedom to express themselves, which we also encourage. The whole band is very fluid and therefore people don’t expect to see the same band each time we play, which changes the songs and the sound and keeps both the band and the audience interested and on their toes.
What advice do you have for any bands who are starting out now?
Simple - play music that you want and that works for you. Don’t try and copy or emulate as people can see through that, no matter how talented you are. If you stick to your guns, a market big or small will find you. Yes, you can always go for the money, but experience suggests that there is no future doing this on someone else’s terms. Have fun, enjoy what you do and please yourselves first, as, on these terms, wherever you end up in musical pecking order and whatever your audience size, you will appreciate it more when you know what you are doing is right. Heart and Soul!
A quick story: When Jason from Sleaford Mods lived with Sho, he had a vision about what he wanted to do and stuck to that vision. Sho invited him to perform early at one of our shows when there were only about 20 people in attendance (everyone arrives late for 'Fats' gigs) and they played like it was Glastonbury. Eventually the same performance would win sales and industry recognition, but the essence of what they do is still the same as it was on that night.
We have kept at it, doing it the way we want for twenty years and we still attract a crowd and still deliver and still, more importantly love what we do. To be fair, I wouldn’t mind their sales, so please feel free to download our stuff through Amazon, iTunes and Spotify and, who knows, one day.
What's next for Fat Digester?
New recordings, more festivals and hopefully getting to work with more new musicians. Watch our Facebook page for details and roll on the 25th anniversary.
Fat Digester's 20th Anniversary Spectacular is at Nottingham Contemporary on Saturday 2 July 2016. Facebook event.
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