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“When Bikini Atoll split up,” recalls Viva, “I had to convince Gideon we were going to be [a band of] two people, and, instead of having the whole band, I was going to do it all!” Two years have passed since then, and their enthralling live performances have gained them some notable fans. First coming to our attention in support of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds last November, we met them at Leeds Academy ahead of their support slot for Seasick Steve.
“Last time we played in Leeds it was at the Brudenell Social Club to about four people,” Gideon notes with some relish, “the stage here is, alone, bigger than the venues we normally play in.” In the five dates of this tour, thousands will hear them play: “it’s been a novel experience playing to such great crowds and getting to surprise them, and hopefully they like us.”
The surprise on offer to these gig-goers has been mostly focused on Viva’s tightly played drums, digital piano and vocal loops. On ‘Hide and Seek’, her piano part and rhythmic vocals are set up to repeatedly play while she switches to the drums, and the effect is brilliant. Each song tells a story, some more fictional than others, and Gideon’s delivery onstage is pointed and confident.
Such intensity is confined to the stage alone though; they are warm in person. It becomes clear that their explicit, matter-of-fact stories arise from a contrasting, private nature: “I tried writing cryptic songs in the past, but whenever anyone asked me what they were about I got really embarrassed”, Gideon admits, “I had to write direct songs so I wouldn’t have to explain.”
Their debut album, Harum Scarum, was recorded in two weeks late last year, and will be released in March on Bronzerat Records. Listening to the disk promises to be a different sort of experience to their live sets.
Whereas Viva’s commanding stage presence is the main thrill of watching Joe Gideon & The Shark play, the act relies on the collective dynamism of both. Although the loops remain impressive on the album, not physically seeing their construction will allow greater prominence to Gideon’s storytelling.
His style is well-defined, and he acknowledges the lyrical influence of writers including Kurt Vonnegut, and the musical inspiration taken from the Velvet Underground and Bill Callahan (who records under the moniker Smog): “I’ve been dead into him [Callahan] for an awful long time; it’s a challenge trying not to sound like him, he’s been such an inspiration.”
Joe Gideon & The Shark are experiencing the first glimmers of acclaim, but there’s a long road ahead of them now; named by Time Out as “one of the best live acts we’ve seen all year”, and by others as the underground act to watch out for in 2009, it seems the siblings have a lot to look forward to this year.
Joe Gideon & The Shark’s debut album, Harum Scarum, is out on March 9, followed by a headline UK tour.
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