Strange Fashion: Interviewed June 2004 (From News Shopper)

Strange Fashion: Interviewed June 2004

12:48pm Tuesday 29th June 2004 in Search By Mel Wallington

- Who is in the band?

Lee Bates (lead vocals), Andy Edmondson (guitar and vocals), Phil Sargent (drums and vocals), Perry Ridley (guitar and vocals), and Tony Turner (bass and vocals). We must also mention our sound engineer and road manager, Shaggy.

- Where are you from?

The band originate from south east London and Kent.

- How old are you?

We are all fractionally over the magic 40 mark.

What do you do for a living?

Three members are with Royal Mail (two postmen, one delivery manager), one is a fire safety site inspector and the other an electrician.

- How long has the band been together?

The band formed in the late 1970s and did their first gig in 1979. It developed from Andy and Phil's friendship. Later they met Lee. The band had some success in the 1980s when they were signed to Duran Duran's producer Colin Thurston and changed their name to Industry. They split up in the mid-1980s but reformed in 1996 with the original name of Strange Fashion. Perry Ridley joined in 1997 to give the band a more guitar-based sound and Tony Turner followed in 2001, replacing Paul McNeill on bass.

- Describe your sound

The material is best described as melodic rock. It is extremely varied, ranging from ballads to good old-fashioned riff rockers.

- Which artists inspire you?

The influences are many and varied, ranging from Genesis to Queen to Ian Dury to The Stones to more contemporary Brit rock.

- Any releases?

None yet, we are waiting for that elusive deal, although we do have our demo CD.

Best gig?

The Queen's Golden Jubilee celebration in Upper Warlingham, Surrey, in the summer of 2002 where we played to a jubilant audience of more than 3,000.

- Worst gig?

O'Neills, in Wardour Street, W1, where we played a charity gig to raise funds for two people sadly killed in motorcycle accidents, only to have the doorman refusing to admit anyone thinking it was a private party. There were less than 20 people there in the end.

- Career highlights?

Our biggest highlight by far is being included in The Guilfest (Guildford Festival), which is on Sunday, July 18. We will be on the bill with none other than UB40, Ocean Colour Scene, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Midge Ure, and The Hamsters, among others.

Plans for the future?

We have recently passed an audition for The X Factor, which is the next generation of Pop Idol, and designed for bands as well as solo artists. We will be returning for another audition, this time in front of Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne. Music-wise, we hope this and our appearances at the festivals, can give our material the wider audience we all feel it deserves.

As well as seeing Strange Fashion at the Guildfest (see above), you can also watch them at the Maidstone River Festival on Saturday, July 24, and The Catapult Club, Amersham Arms, New Cross, on Wednesday, July 28.