Retrofin

Essex five-piece Retrofin have clear ambitions. Frontman Peter Hackshaw is set on opening a midget bar in Thailand and bassist Al Twist is threatening a revolution. But until such (pipe) dreams are realised they're committed to reviving classic rock together with guitarists Dean Ford and Wez Woodward and drummer Tony Lewis.
Rallying against the current wave of “jingly-jangly-indie-ska-disco-shit”, Retrofin promise a sound that's going to become good again and labels are finally stirring.
Music News wanted the lowdown and managed to squeeze some formal questions into the riot that is a pre-gig conversation with Pete and his motley crew of “Eastern Saxons”.

MN: You've had a line-up change recently.

Pete: Basically a couple of fellas who were in the band previously told us they wanted to do other things in the same week and within another week we'd replaced them both with two shit hot members who are even better in our opinion. We've got Wez who studied guitar in Los Angeles which is quite prestigious and we've got “Wolfie Smith” on bass who's done a bit of session work. He likes reggae which is strange but completely acceptable. I stress that we're not taking our music in a reggae direction… no matter how hard you try!

Dean: We've done about as many gigs as we've done rehearsals but it's better than before.

Tony: I think it helps having much more competent musicians.

Pete: Oo you bitch!

MN: Big things are in the pipeline and you're heading into the studio this summer…

Pete: Hopefully this time next year we'll have an album out, that's what we're working for. The first song we're going to try is probably the hardest one we do ‘Road To Ruin'. It's an anti-love song. The chorus really kicks in with the distortion which shocks people because they think it's going to be a very slow ballad. It's got a bit of a funk element in the second verse which Al produced. It kicks off in the middle at a different tempo, I don't know the technical words for it but I fucking love the song!

Al: It's a little bit different to the other songs, quite full-on rock because we're playing for a rock audience and they want a bit of distortion, they want a bit of loudness - give them what they want really.

Tony: In the chorus you really get to whack one off.

Pete: I just want to say Tony does not put his cock anywhere near the drums throughout ‘Road to Ruin'!

MN: You recently closed a London fashion showcase for NYC designers. What was that like?

Al: It was in association with another artist who had just come over from America. It was well-produced and well-managed. The only problem with it was it was so slick. That's a problem with the Americans. But there were two halves: at the beginning it was very glitzy, very slick and at the end that was the best place for us to step in…

Tony: …because the girls got naked and we were all up for that I think!

Al: Well the fashion show was over and it was a chance for everybody to let their hair down and let loose. It was a good gig for us.

Pete: The organiser would like us to go out to the New York and Boston area. We'll definitely go over this year or next but it all depends on our time with recording and doing other things. If we get a big support come up rather than a mini fashion tour of the States we're going to weigh it out.

MN: How do you relate to fashion as a band?

Pete: We like chicks who wear sexy little hot pants!

Al: It's more about the street. When you talk about fashion it comes round to the high street. What do the young people really want to listen to when they get home? I think for these people who are really in touch - or a bit bohemian if you're going to talk in fashion terms - the underground is better. It's more of a closer link than what you see in the mainstream.

MN: Is your October tour of Finland now on ice?

Pete: Until next year. Again we're going to have a look exactly what's going on with our time. We're not signed and a couple of us have full-time jobs. It's frustrating sometimes when you are getting a bit of a reputation and a buzz that you've still got to get a train and go to work.

Al: That's real artists. I've played with some of the best people in the country and you'll find the best musicians in the world are those in your local bars and local clubs. Those that we see on TV and the whole media concept: it's all very plastic. I think the public know if you want to see a decent act rather than put on a record you can go and see a real band play.

Pete: Can I just add something? We've got a My Space site and it's a good tool. We've got over 5000 people on there but getting them into a live gig is hard because these people spend a lot of time behind a computer and they don't go out. And it's the same now with record companies where they are not going out to see bands. Some of the bands might sound good on the demo but it's shit live and we are a good live band.

MN: Pete, you've got a dirty vocal going on! How do you maintain those husky chords?

Pete: Part of that is through drinking. I've never smoked in my life. On some occasions it's to do with having a bad sound and you're just screaming! I think girls like that and blokes like that. They don't like a bloke to sing like he's in Boyzone. The people I like vocally are Jim Morrison because he's a fucking legend, Billy Idol who's my hero and Paul Rodgers to me is a great vocalist.

MN: You seem to be a real “rock n' roll” band. Are you living the dream?

Al: I live on fuck all. I can't survive without music so I have to play everyday. Rock n' roll lifestyle just means living on fresh air.

Pete: We drink a lot and we have a girl (fan) who's got our band name tattooed on her hip which is quite rock n' roll.

Tony: I think to sum it up a musician is what you're about - all you want to do is music. You live music and that's what rock n' roll is about, it just happens to be in bars.

MN: You have a song called ‘Tattooed Doll'. Is a tattoo the ultimate accessory for a (female) Retrofin fan?

Pete: Yeah. We actually got into a bit of trouble at the last gig because it was an all ages event. I said: I'm urging all the girls to go out and get tattoos and if your parents have a problem with it, just get it done anyway! Yeah we do like tattoos and they are sexy as fuck, especially in certain regions.

Tony: Like girls' arms! As long as it doesn't say “love” and “hate” on their knuckles.

MN: Your merchandise range boasts t-shirts and thongs… what's that all about?

Pete: We had a song called ‘Slut Like You'. We're going to re-invent it. It was doing well live, a lot of girls were really singing along to bits of it, so we ended up getting thongs with “slut” written on ‘em. They went down like a ladyboy in Rio!

MN: Finally to all those plugged into My Space who have yet to see you play, entice them.

Wez: It's just no bullshit rock n' roll. It's pretty much the good stuff. That's it!

Tony: It comes down to a night. If you want a good night out… go lap dancing!

John the band's fluffer): (You've got to see this band! They're loud, they're in your face, they are the epitome of rock n' roll.

Log off and go get some! Gigs listed on www.myspace.com/retrofin