music
f u s e s
everything
and anything:
“There’s not many
styles I can think of
that we don’t taste.” The
range of influences come
from Birmingham’s vibrant jam
scene, where basements across
the city provide the perfect antidote
to the monopoly of indie bands:
“People love the scene because they
get a chance to play with different kinds
of musicians,” explains Ross, “instead
of going to a jam where they’re all doing
Babyshambles, you come to a jam here
and you’ll end up playing a little bit of
salsa mixed with reggae, or a little bit of
Hawaiian music, and then go into someone
free-styling.”
Although Ross takes creative credit, he
admits the band is ‘blessed with some
amazingly talented people.’ Most members
play at least two instruments, and the
three-piece brass section are not just there
for show: “Once we get an idea going, they
go off on their own and work out their
parts,” clarifies Scott, “and if it sounds
good, we give them the thumbs up”.
“And if not, we say ‘sort it OUT!’” jokes
Ross. Despite recently being given
the chance to record with Bob Lamb,
who produced UB40’s first album
Signing Off, some of 360’s better
moments have come from
Ross’s own home studio:
“We record new stuff there
all the time. You always
get the vibe in your
own set-up”, he
explains.
But it is
out
of the
studio that the band really shine.
Live, they ooze showmanship, while
their music invites you to dance. They are
flying high after playing all four nights at
Glastonbury, but even in a grey park in
Birmingham the boys put on a show. The
crowd has dwindled and the rain begins to
fall, but those remaining can’t help but grin,
especially for the enthusiastic rendition of
‘Keep Your Smile Up’. When ‘I Ran’ begins,
Ross encourages everyone to get up and run
— which they all obligingly do. The man was
born an entertainer and every cheeky remark
is met with laughs by parents and children
alike — even risqué comments about sports
bras and ex-girlfriends go down hysterically.
On stage, the brass trio provide a beautiful
accompaniment to the melody, while the
guitars delicately pluck a skanker’s rhythm.
Ross’s melodic lead-vocals are reminiscent
of Joe Dukie from Fat Freddy’s Drop, catchy
but still meaningful.
Playing Glastonbury has been 360’s
pinnacle, but even that was a struggle to
achieve: the band had to audition in front of
Michael Eavis to secure their slot, and it was
only after a stellar first performance that
three more gigs were scheduled. The fact
it has taken eight years to get to this point
shows how tough it has been: “One of the
reasons that we’ve taken so long,” admits
Scott, “is that we don’t really conform to a
certain genre — and it’s tough to break ska
and reggae in the UK.”
The last two years have seen the band’s
fortunes change: a new belief instilled by
current manager Mark George accompanies
a sense of professionalism. “He’s not just
someone who says they’re an agent because
they’ve got a card,” states Ross. Previous
‘agents’ have come and gone, never
delivering, and one ‘business deal’ they were
offered even demanded the band cough up.
“They put a contract in front of us,” explains
an amazed Ross, “but they wanted a grand
upfront!” By contrast, George has mastered
the business side, allowing the boys to
concentrate
on the music:
“Without him
we’d have been a
mess at Glastonbury,”
acknowledges Ross.
The belief among the band
is that they have what it takes:
“We’re here, ready to go, we just
need the break,” declares Scott.
From hearing their songs at jams
across Birmingham to someone’s
ringtone playing ‘I Ran’, 360 are
making their presence felt: “Walking
round Glastonbury, I saw complete
strangers wearing 360 t-shirts,” adds
Ross, proudly. They even have a dedicated
groupie, who, at said festival, “comes over
— totally ruined — to sit with us, slips over,
tits fall out of the boob tube, and then she
pukes up all over herself,” laughs Ross.
“That’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen a fan
do!”
With recording time scheduled at Gavin
Monaghan’s Wolverhampton studio
(recently visited by Birmingham band
Editors) and an album geared to set
tongues wagging, the members of 360
can start considering music as their
nine-to-five. Nothing is set in stone,
but finally coupling their talent
and experience with a competent
manager should send the band on
their skanking way — that is, as
long as hard-done-by Del isn’t
left in charge: “I wouldn’t
even have them polish
my shoes, cos they’re
that SHIT! And you
can quote me on
that!”
Photograph by Clive Booth
www.myspace.com/360sound
To view a Ceros magazine you need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser and have the flash player 8 or higher installed. To install the latest flash player, click the icon above, install the flash plugin and then click here to refresh this page.