Vice Interview: Cleckhuddersfax

THREE GEDDY LEE'S?

Cleckhuddersfax are men, not aubergines

Cleckhuddersfax are part of a group of vaguely London based outfits like Spin Spin The Dogs, Man Aubergine and Poltergroom. They have all somehow ended up sounding weird and intensely fun withouth that ever really being the intention. In their own heads they probably think they just sound like an even pop-er version of Devo. Which they sort of do. If Devo were covering the Blackadder theme tune with a bag full of MDMA strapped to their eyeballs. Oh, and the band’s singer Lawrence Abu-Hamden has a tendency to wear a pretty revealing all in one Speedo affair on stage which is more than a little revealing.

Some people who don’t really know much about anything have been calling these groups ‘art-school’ bands. What does that even mean? None of Cleckhuddersfax even really went to a school where they teach you art. They are however all into things like painting and drawing and making funny noises. The music they’ve ended up making is just an extension of wanting to do something instead of sitting around all day watching Deal Or No Deal and smoking cheap hash. Except that they like doing that too. Hmm.

Vice: Is it true that you stole your stage outfit from Sacha Baron Cohen while you were working part time on a soundstage at Shepperton Studios?
Lawrence (Vocals): No.

It looks a lot like that though, like a big bright orange Speedo suit. Who had it first you or Borat?
Lawrence: Me. Mine is a little less revealing but somehow more repugnant.
Shakeeb (bass): His definitely stinks worse. He never washes it. The crotch area gets pretty bad on tour.

You guys are all pretty willful, do you ever get into Cleckhuddersfights?
Tom (keyboards): No we just sulk.
Shakeeb: Lawrence and I were bought up as Druze in Lebanon so we are pretty calm in general.

You sound sort of like five different bands playing at once but in a good way. If you could each make up your own backing band, who would you choose on what instruments?
Shakeeb: 3 Geddy Lee’s.
Lawrence: Prince and Danzig.
Joe (drums): My friend Denesh.
Tom: Can I just have four of me?

What exactly is a Cleckhuddersfax? It sounds like some magical stone that Merlin might use to banish evil spirits away back across the Styx before retiring to his chamber to converse telepathically with Paragon Belial or something.
Joe: It’s just the name of a naturally occurring triangle in Yorkshire.

CIRCLE JAMS

http://www.myspace.com/cleckhuddersfax

Cleckhuddersfax have a cover of Oneida’s "Sheets Of Easter" out now on Furniture records. Their self-titled debut album will be released in the not too distant future.