Data Panik
DIY caught up with the threesome who spawned our very own name to talk new music, pre-gig nerves, and inescapably, the legacy of Bis.
Posted 2nd March 2006, 8:04pm in Interviews, by Stuart McCaighy
On the night of their debut London gig as Data Panik, DIY caught up with the threesome who spawned our very own name to talk new music, pre-gig nerves, and inescapably, the legacy of Bis.Sitting in a King's Cross pub, the three core members of Data Panik are animated and in a cheerful mood. "It feels good to be playing a guitar again", opens Steven. A mere three weeks has passed since the band's debut gig in Glasgow. "We were very nervous..." adds Amanda "...but now we're more excited". They all express the same excitement about making and playing music together again. "We never wanted to stop" Amanda explains, "there was never any question that we weren't going to reunite".
Planning to get together again almost as soon as Bis ended, it took them two years to make something happen. John mentions that he subconsciously knew it would take around this amount of time. "But we haven't been slacking in those two years" Steven explains. They have amassed a lot of material and have made the most of their own self-built studio, Seven A, to write and practise in.
Looking back on their days as Bis, the band feel they have all learned a lot. "We were young and naive with Bis, all the things we wanted to happen like play Top of the Pops and tour all happened really quickly". Amanda agrees with Steven's comments, adding "I didn't appreciate it, I want to make the most of it this time around". Despite their presumption that they were known only for 'Kandy Pop' and were mostly ignored by the music press, they are proud of Bis. They see familiar influences in today's success stories "I've lost my cynicism about hearing other bands use the same influences Bis did", adds Steven smiling ruefully.
At the current time Data Panik feel they are in a fortunate position. They are in a band with old friends, they're ambitious, and free from the pressures of record company control for the present. They're making music for the love of it, and their sheer enthusiasm is infectious. All the necessary is in place for the band to take to the next step. They have material ready, and a burning desire to get out on the road and prove themselves under their new guise - a band they utterly believe is worthy of notice and attention.
They are keen to be recognised as a new band and "not just Bis as a new thing". The addition of a bassist and drummer has fleshed their sound out and makes a marked difference to their live performance. They feel they have more realistic ambitions this time around and that they are more experienced as artists, aware of the pitfalls of the music industry, but determined to enjoy the ride nonetheless.
Now that some time has passed since the demise of Bis, Steven feels that they may have the chance of a new audience "there is a massive generation of people out there who will have missed out on Bis and who won't know us from that period". Seemingly always ahead of the game with Bis, the band are confident that this time around they're making music in the current fashion.
It is clear that this trio of still young artists have put their past disappointment behind them and are carrying on for the best reason of all - personal satisfaction. "We just want to get out there, be a working band, make some good records and if we get success then great, but if not, at least we know we gave it another shot". We wish them luck.
RSS Feed
Comments