Last night a JD saved my life

The PR legend has it that, thanks to a courthouse fire that destroyed his birth certificate, no-one’s entirely sure of the exact birthday of legendary whiskey distiller, Mr. Jack Daniel. All that’s known is that it was sometime in the middle of September 1850. Not wanting to miss the big day, the good folk at Jack Daniel’s spend a full month celebrating (responsibly), culminating in the Birthday JD Set, billed as “the ultimate birthday celebration.” Yee-haw!!

Given the whiskey’s longstanding association with rock & roll (think Keef and Slash for starters), for the last decade the famous Lynchburg distillery – where every single bottle of Jack Daniel’s is distilled – has played host to some of the more interesting rock acts out there. Your Hot Press correspondent saw The Flaming Lips play in 2004. Last year, Patti Smith did the honours.
The 2008 gig was planned as something special, and indeed it proved to be just that. Hosted by JD’s ‘Icon of the Year’ Hugh Cornwell, the line-up featured Young Knives’ oddly monikered House Of Lords, the legendary Roisin Murphy, and Ash’s Tim Wheeler.
Backing these artists were the New Silver Cornet Band (the original band were formed by Mr. Daniel back in 1892). The nine-piece serve as the “official Jack Daniel’s band,” and between them they have some serious musical credentials. Trumpet player Wayne Jackson has played on no less than 51 US No 1 singles (including songs by Elvis and U2); guitarist Jon Tiven produced Frank Black’s two Nashville albums; drummer Craig Kampf played on Dylan’s ‘Lay Lady Lay’; bassist David Hood has produced the Stones and Willie Nelson; percussionist Billy Block worked with Jackson Brown and Al Green; guitarist Duane Jarvis has played with Lucinda Williams. These guys are a serious bunch of players.
On Saturday, October 11, all of the participating artists held separate round table press conferences in a small building on the grounds of the distillery. What follows are highlights from their Q&A sessions...

HUGH CORNWELL
Have you been rehearsing much with the New Silver Cornet Band for this gig?
Yeah, yesterday a bit, and also the day before. And I came in on Wednesday night. So I’m sorted out.
What’s the plan for tonight’s show?
I’m doing an old Stranglers’ catalogue song with each of the other artists, and that’s gonna be good fun. And then I’m doing a couple of songs from my last solo album.
How did the band prepare for the show? Did you send sheet music or something?
They got sent the songs – and they just got on with it. They showed me these sheets, they came out after a song in rehearsals and somebody asked me about something and he shows me the sheets. And it just looked like hieroglyphics to me. He was going, “You see this bit here?” And I was going, “Erm... yeeaaaahhh.” (laughs) I don’t read music. I’m completely uncouth as far as music goes. I just do everything by memory and ear. I’m not a musically trained person.
Do you keep up to date with new studio technology?
Nah, there’s no point really. If you do that, you wouldn’t have any time to do anything else. It’s like I don’t even know much about what’s happening with bands. That’s one thing I’m pleased about with this Jack Daniel’s thing – it gives me a chance to find out what’s going on new bands-wise. Because I don’t pay much attention, really. It’s just too much.
Do you read the music press?
No. It’s probably a terrible thing to say because you’re all music journalists here. But just because I don’t isn’t any reflection on its value or worth or anything. It’s just that I’m in the business. It would be like a jumbo jet pilot getting a planespotter’s magazine that comes out every month. It’s their business so why would they bother?
Do you often play gigs like this, with musicians you don’t normally work with?
Well, since I left The Stranglers – because that was a pretty stable line-up when I was there – the line-up of my band has changed quite regularly over the years. So I’ve gotten used to playing with a lot of different people – though it’s quite a stable line-up now. It’s good fun. When you’re in a band for a long time and you do it – I think Tim (Wheeler) agrees with me about this – you feel when you’re playing with other musicians that you’re being almost unfaithful or disloyal. And it’s exactly right.
Is that why you regularly changed the band for your solo career?
No, if I could’ve kept guys then I would. But people wanna do different things. You can’t control their lives.
Does it bother you that The Stranglers never really broke America?
I don’t think people could really relate to it in America. I mean, how could they relate to the things that we were coming over and saying? What could they complain about? “Well, I’ve only got one swimming pool!” Because America was a very bountiful place in the 1970s. So I don’t think they could relate to it. They could probably relate to it better now.

HOUSE OF LORDS (YOUNG KNIVES)
Your real name is Tom Dartnall. Why do you call yourself House Of Lords?
We just decided at the start that I should have a silly name to get a bit of attention. And it stuck. And you kind of regret it after a bit. You’re going, “Why did I do this?” At gigs, people shout up at me, “House Of Lords!” and I’m standing thinking, “God, this is so stupid!” (sighs and shakes head sorrowfully).
What do you think of Nashville?
I haven’t really seen it. I’ve only seen the Holiday Inn and this place. I had a quick look around Lynchburg earlier. But I’ve not really seen Nashville. I will in the next couple of days. I’ll be trying on some boots and some hats.
You’re not the frontman of the Young Knives, yet you’re singing tonight. Are you nervous about it?
I was really worried about it up until the rehearsal, but everybody seemed to know what they were doing. But you’re right, I’m not strictly the lead singer in our band. My brother, Henry, and I both sing, but I sort of sing less than him. I do lead vocals on some tracks, but not on others. So I don’t think I’ve ever done a gig like this where I’m fronting it. I made a few mistakes earlier. I’ll try not to later.
How come you’re the one playing and not your brother?
I dunno. They asked me and I said, “You know I’m not the singer in the band?” and they said, “Yeah, we know.” So I kind of had to ask my brother. He said, (sulky voice) “Alright – it’s okay.”
You didn’t have to ask (drummer) Oliver’s permission?
No. He’s rubbish at singing!
So you haven’t really rehearsed properly?
Well, one of the covers I’m doing is ‘Wave Of Mutilation’ by the Pixies. And you know the video game Rock Band? Well, it’s on that – so I’ve been practicing at home. I’ve got the high score!
How do you feel about playing with another band?
I’ve actually never played with another band. Young Knives is the only band I’ve ever been in. When I was 14 or something, my brother and I started playing together and we haven’t played with anyone else. So it’ll be weird. Not playing bass will be very strange as well. I was gonna bring my bass, but someone pointed out that there’ll already be a bass player and it’d be pointless us both playing the same thing. And he’s much better than me anyway! But I don’t know what I’ll do with my hands. I’ll have to work something out.
How has America responded to the music of Young Knives?
With massive indifference, so far. We’ve toured here a bit, but it’s really difficult for British bands to break America. We’ve not really tried that hard, to be honest. We haven’t given it much of a chance. We come over every now and again and play a handful of shows. But none of us want to do that big thing of coming over regularly for two-month American tours. We’ve always said that if it comes to that, we’re not doing it. It’s not what it’s about. It’s not about getting big and famous in America – or anywhere really. We just wanna go places and play, and make enough money to do it. When we’ve done really big tours in the UK and stuff, it becomes unbearable. We start hating each other and fighting and stuff. So we’re not interested.
So do you have any long term ambitions for the Young Knives?
We’d like to be huge – like U2! (laughs). Nah, we just wanna keep going, really. Just keep going and plugging away and trying to write something different to the last thing we wrote, and something that keeps us excited about being in a band.

ROISIN MURPHY
When did you get over here?
Two nights ago. So we’ve only had an hour-and-a-half to rehearse seven songs. It’s gonna be a real seat of your pants business... but we’re all old pros (laughs).
Your music is generally electronic. Do you play with bands like this often?
More in Ireland, actually – with my family. My uncle Jim was a big musician and he had lots of bands and things, and there was always singsongs and stuff. Usually my thing is more rehearsed and plotted out and stuff, and has to have all these different edges to it. So that takes a little longer than just going and rocking it out like we’ll be doing tonight.
What’ll you be playing tonight?
I’m doing three of my own songs, and a duet of ‘Peaches’ with Hugh. And I’m also playing three cover versions – an old Womack & Womack track and 'Slave To Love’. I’ve done a version of that for an advert for Gucci, but I’m doing a very different version of it tonight. And I’m doing a Tom Waits song called ‘Down In The Hole’. I’m doing that because I’m obsessed with The Wire. Have you seen it? Each series of The Wire somebody does a different version of it. It’s over now so I’m not pitching for a gig, but I just wanted to do it.
Didn’t you have an onstage accident in Russia recently?
Yes. I hit me eye off a chair accidentally. I was on a very small stage so... I was in a rich man’s folly. I was opening a rich man’s nightclub. On a shelf with the rest of the band and I hit my head off the back of a chair. It knocked me out of action for a week. I had to cancel gigs and go back to the UK straightaway for some really minute surgery on my eye.
Did you hear that Kanye West recently expressed great admiration for your music?
It wasn’t me music, it was me outfits (laughs).
Speaking of which you were in the front row of London Fashion Week recently.
Yeah, and Milan – and all over the place. I love fashion.
Would fashion be something you’d pursue? In terms of developing clothing lines or something?
I dunno. I like clothes with a lot of research and development in them. I like things that you pick up and you feel soul in it. It’s not just how it looks or how it feels, etc, etc. So for me to really make an external product about that thing... God, I’m not about to do a line of t-shirts!
Do you ever worry that some of the more outrageous costumes you wear on stage could overshadow the music?
It’s in the eye of the beholder, I think. I don’t think so, and lots of people don’t think so, but some people are intimidated by it. That doesn’t worry me so much. But I’ve done interviews where I’ll be dressed up – I like dressing up, that’s what I do, sorry, that’s my thing – and she’ll start the interview by writing, “Roisin Murphy is looking me up and down, checking out my clothes. . .” And it’s like, I couldn’t care less about her clothes! I’m not in any way judgemental, but I think that when you make a strong image sometimes that gets put onto it, too. It’s unfortunate, but it’s not gonna stop me. It sometimes makes me feel a bit more edgy. Like I’m walking a bit of a tightrope as a performer. And I’m trying to say something complex, not simple. So I don’t rock up looking like a rock and roll cliché. It doesn’t interest me.

TIM WHEELER
How does it feel to be playing with such accomplished musicians as the New Silver Cornet Band?
I’m only just starting to get into it. I was talking to Wayne Jackson, who was telling me about Memphis and recording with Al Green and stuff, and then I got dragged away to come here. But the band are amazing. I haven’t even got to the bottom of what half of those guys have done.
Have you soundchecked yet?
Yeah. I did a rehearsal yesterday, and a soundcheck just now, so I’ve run through the set twice.
Are you looking forward to playing with Hugh Cornwell?
Absolutely. He’s amazing. I remember ‘Golden Brown’ when I was a kid, just this crazy spooky record. It was cool to talk to him on the phone. Very weird.
Are you still living in New York?
Yeah. I’m there a few years now. I see it as a permanent thing. Or indefinite, at least. I go home about four times a year, though. Continental Airlines do direct flights from New York to Belfast, so it’s pretty easy.
When you released Twilight Of The Innocents, you said it would be Ash’s last album and the band would concentrate on downloads from now on. Is that still the plan?
Well, we’re not just gonna exclusively do downloads. We’ll release in physical formats as well – probably 7” vinyl. Because nowadays you’ve got the extremes of having a tiny couple of megabytes on your iPod, so if you’re gonna have something physical, you may as well have something that’s really beautiful and you can appreciate the artwork. But we’re through with albums. I feel that if we kept doing that, we’d just be repeating ourselves. And there’s a load of limitations with albums that I got sick of. There’s recording, then waiting for the release, then a tour – and repeat, repeat, repeat. If you do a lot of touring then you only have the time to release 12 songs every three years, and I find that creatively frustrating.
So are you recording at the moment?
We’ve been recording all year, and we’ve got a big stockpile of songs. At the minute, we’re setting up a whole new system of being able to release them and once we get it underway I’ll feel this real freedom, where we can record something and release it the next week. It’ll go straight to the fans and keep a lot more of a constant connection. Like a musical blog.
To what do you attribute your retaining your boyish good looks?
Ha, ha! That’s nice of you to say. Em... I guess I take care of myself more these days than I used to.
What’s that tattoo on your arm?
It’s the cover of out fourth album, Meltdown. It’s a tattoo I got done and then we used it on the artwork. I hate to namedrop, but Dave Grohl hooked me up with the artist who did most of his. It took five hours in San Diego.
Is it strange Ash being a three-piece again now that Charlotte’s gone?
We’re used to it now, because we’ve been touring for a couple of years without her. We definitely missed her the first while, but we started out as a three-piece anyway, so we were just going back to what we were used to.
Do you use another guitarist for the shows?
No. And part of me was thinking that this is gonna be a lot more work for me, it’s a lot harder. But another part of me really relishes getting to do all the guitar stuff – and getting all the glory! (laughs)

A few hours later, as the Tennessee sun slowly went down over Lynchburg’s BBQ Hill, some 250 guests – mainly journalists and competition winners – gathered in the purpose-built wooden venue where distillery employees hold their parties for the 2008 JD Set.
The show started on the scheduled second, and the house band didn’t hog the stage for a moment. A neatly suited House Of Lords was first up and won most of the crowd over before even singing a note with a frank admission that he was “nervous as hell” without a bass guitar to hide behind. He got over his stage fright pretty quickly, though, belting out the Young Knives track ‘The Decision’ with tub-thumping gusto.
While the crowd was obviously unfamiliar with the YK material, his covers of ‘Wave Of Mutilation’, The Doors’ ‘Hello I Love You’ and David Byrne’s ‘Glass Concrete And Stone’ were extremely well received. However, the highlight of his set came when Hugh Cornwell joined him for a blistering rendition of The Stranglers’ ‘No More Heroes’.
Following HOL’s well received set, Cornwell reappeared and played a track called ‘Do Right Bayou’ (which sounded alright Ba’me). Then 'twas the radiant Roisin Murphy, wearing a bowler hat and a heavily medalled Admiralty jacket – with a glittering seahorse hanging from her belt. Alternating between marching and moshing, Ms. Murphy gave it her all with her opening number – a storming cover of Bryan Ferry’s ‘Slave To Love’.
Good as it was, you couldn’t help feeling that her set would’ve been better played in reverse order. Her cover of Womack and Womack’s ‘Baby I’m Scared’ was equally intense, but then she slowed down when she should’ve probably speeded up (though maybe our respective whiskey buzzes just weren’t in synch). Having said that, her duet with Cornwell on ‘Peaches’ was a serious highlight. And it’s a shame the producers of The Wire didn’t get to hear her cover of ‘Down In The Hole’ before the series ended. She would’ve got the gig.
Cornwell played another solo track, ‘Picked Up By The Wind’, before calling Tim Wheeler up to play. “This is fuckin’ brilliant,” Wheeler enthused, “I can’t believe I’ve got two drummers!”
He opened with ‘Goldfinger’, a track the Silver Cornet Band weren’t best suited to, but fortunately it was all upwards from there.
“A lot of people say that U2 are the greatest Irish band ever,” Wheeler said, “but that’s bullshit. Thin Lizzy were Ireland’s greatest band!” He played a stunning version of ‘Running Back’. Ash’s ‘Dark And Stormy’ followed, before Cornwell joined him for ‘Always The Sun’. Two unusual covers – obscure Wreckless Eric and Roky Erickson numbers – closed his set, before everybody came up on stage to perform an extended version of Van’s ‘Gloria’. The show ended on the scheduled second.
So what if it was all a slick PR exercise for a drinks corporation? An unusual mix of musicians, an ever-flowing river of fine Tennessee whiskey, and some great Southern hospitality all combined to make this one of the best gigs your Hot Press correspondent had witnessed all year. It won’t ever be seen again.
So a very happy birthday, Mr. Daniel (RIP), and thanks for the party. Hic!