London ghoul duo DEVILISH PRESLEY have just released their second album, the glammed up graveyard stomptastic ‘Flesh Ride’. Vive Le Punk tracked down bass slinger Jacqui for the lowdown on all things devil related.
Tell us about the new album?
Jacqui Vixen:
Flesh Ride is probably the best album to come out of the UK underground scene for years, if not ever. The songwriting is head and shoulders above the competition - and the range of material way is beyond most current bands. The reason is simple, we have gone back to the roots of where punk came from, just like we did with our early gothic material. A heavy dose of bubblegum glam-metal guitar is at the heart of our sound, that and a true DIY spirit. If we are ever satisfied with just rolling out a Clash by numbers album - you have my permission to shoot us! We have also a widened our lyrical scope too, the acoustic songs like "Lonesome No More" & "Viva Lost Vagrants" have words and a broad range of influences that have already been praised by discerning reviewers.
And theres influences on the album from the 50s right thru to the 70s/
Jacqui Vixen:
Yeah but earlier than that too, we go back to the Devil's music of the Thirties, we are 100% influenced by Robert Johnson, Leadbelly and Blind Lemon Jefferson. Although we will admit to admiring seventies stuff like Silverhead and Jobriath, we are really genre defiant, we aren't punk, psychobilly, goth or anything else, we are unique. That is why bands like The Meteors and The Damned like us, we aren't satisfied with just getting the tattoos, just getting the hairdo's - we have ideas. Never forget that any band that is hailed as being "the real thing" is just as fake
as the next lot - 'cos in rock 'n roll just as in life - just being yourself is the biggest pose of all.
Dare I ask exactly what a Flesh Ride is??!!
Jacqui Vixen:
Lady Fucking Godiva.
Is it hard being a 2 piece band?
Jacqui Vixen:
In some ways yes, for example until we got a full time driver/roadie in the shape of the wonderful Brian - we had to do everything ourselves. Arriving home 6am Monday after a weekends worth of driving and gigs - then going straight to work was fucking hard.
Also we were usually two or three people down on most bands - either on stage or off -so we were always doing twice the work!! On
the other hand we don't have to rely on - or get fucked about by - other people. Because drummers are almost 99% fucking useless
we are so pleased to have proven conclusively that we can do a proper tour of top class venues (supporting The Damned) without one
of the fuckers being involved. However being drummer-less still does work against us in some areas, because a lot of people are so fucking
boring and CONSERVATIVE!! They think they are punk rock but they are really narrow minded!
Any good tour stories recently?
Jacqui Vixen:
I have so much gossip you would not believe. Some of the people you think are horrible are not, and some of the people who come over SO
cool are total cunts, but I have been offered a little book deal by a publisher friend of mine to write "I Created A Monster" which has EVERYONE we have ever met in it.
And where to next for the Devilish Presley rock n roll machine??
Jacqui Vixen:
We have a brilliant live DVD being released in June, it was filmed in Birmingham which is our spiritual home, well the midlands
is really - we always have great crowds there 'cos people always fucking turn out to shows! The LTD edition pre-sales have
been so good that it is virtually sold out already, but there will be a few copies available when we hit the road again in June
& October. Next year 2010 we are back in Europe and then start recording the 5th album.
Cheers & beers.
Jacqui V.xx
Flesh Ride is out now on November Tenth records.
www.myspace.com/devilishpresley
