Getting To Know Asterix

England, I Will Break You
This week-long radio station tour is Asterix s first concerted attempt to crack the British market, their previous visit in March being restricted to sessions for London-based GLR and Virgin. It s an audience that Big Pete Fleming, gregarious Schism label founder, believes to be an important stepping stone. You need England on your CV, but it s not important in itself, he rationalises, dreams of mainland Europe bubbling before his hangdog eyes.
He is, though, excited to have been offered a session by London alternative station XFM, which he volunteers as evidence that the County Derry quartet are making definite inroads despite their low-key approach. In terms of exposure and prestige he sees it as vital, justifying the postponement of a full tour until early autumn. If they came across now they d just be playing in front of half a dozen people, he says.
With only their well-received debut album (I Know Your Soul) and one single ( Laura Loves ) currently available in England, their harmonised Teenage Fanclub dusk rock remains largely unknown. As such the tour is about raising profile rather than shifting units. A combination of financial and logistical factors means that frontman, route finder and mobile phone receptionist Donal Convery aptly clad in a T-shirt from Northern Britain , is their sole representative on this visit.
Replacing the traditional sweaty transit with a red Mitsubishi reeking of air freshener the bespectacled, slightly-built frontman is travelling the length of the country with only Peter and a CD player blaring out Mercury Rev and Garbage for company. At separate times his three band mates Vincent Harkin on lead guitar, Frankie McEldowney on bass, Darren Gallagher on drums have all taken their turn at solo promotion throughout Ireland, so while their staggered mode is rare it s not entirely unprecedented.
During such periods Peter acts as musical proxy (he makes a point of playing on all of his acts releases, guesting acoustically on Asterix s album), a role for which he s suitably experienced having been grounded in dark pop merchants Scheer. At some point he s covered all instruments save vocals ( Thank god he can t sing! laughs Donal), and participates in most interviews. Turning sessions into unofficial joint Asterix/Schism promotions he pulls off a marketing coup brazen enough to make Robbie Williams appear retiring in contrast.
Good Times
I ve been on a lot of tours, and this has been the most relaxed, enthuses Peter on Thursday. The stations rarely keep you more than half an hour, and we re doing one a day. With only two guitars to tune and two minds to focus the time it would usually take to soundcheck, perform and in-fight has been spent sight-seeing. Realising that Loch Ness wasn t far from their first port of call in Inverness they made a diversionary visit, and they ve also managed to squeeze in a couple of gigs along the way: an aimless blues jam at York s Fibbers, PJ Harvey wannabe trio Paul at Camden s Barfly, and promising locals Dreaming Liars at Highbury s Garage (though Donal opted out to meet a friend, slurring stardom s freeloading respectability by returning to the hotel room he s sharing with Peter by two in the morning).
Radio Radio (1)
Thursday, 15:00, and at long last the much-anticipated XFM session has arrived. Sitting in the spacious, brightly coloured reception that the station shares with Capitol Radio in Leicester Square, Donal begins yawning with nerves. Despite nearly eating himself whole, he maintains that radio shows don t make him as apprehensive as actual gigs.
Appearing on radio shows may be viable in terms of economics and raising profile, but as this is England s first real introduction to the band, the acoustic arrangements could lead to a distorted impression being given. Although I Know Your Soul doesn t rely exclusively on electric instrumentation, its visceral dynamics are what sets it apart from the pedestrian indie rock bands found playing local pubs every Friday night. Donal quietly demurs, reasoning that it s simply another aspect of their sound.
One of the songs we do over here, On Jane s Stairs (flip-side of current single Somewhere In Bhutan ), is just like that on record. So I think there are recognisable elements.
The sessions should be inter-cut with album tracks, interjects Peter, which will give a true reflection of their characteristics. It s a fair point. The unplugged arrangements expose the songs subtleties and shows that beneath the volume there s a Belle and Sebastian album waiting to be unleashed. They also complement Donal s vocals. His lack of technical projection means that in an electric setting they d run the risk of getting lost in the mix, whereas here t hey provide murmured intimacy. Sitting strumming rhythm guitars, it sounds like he s singing to himself, and if anyone else is listening then they re gatecrashing his private party.
Sprawled across his hotel bed after a brief soundcheck earlier in the day, Peter explained the importance of landing a session with the alternative station thus: Most of the work we ve been doing has been evening specialist shows, where XFM are treating the session separately; as part of the everyday playlist. Because of the way it s structured they can whack it on during the day purely to say this is a session we ve done with Asterix . And that s the great thing about it, that it doesn t have to be nine o clock at night. Now there s just Radio One that they have to break.
Engineered by Corin, a quietly efficient New Zealander, they benefit from professional patience in ensuing that the best is brought out of their performance. The initial recording of On Jane s Stairs is rejected after crackles are picked up on Donal s microphone, and halfway through the second input Peter s mobile phone rings. Answering it with an embarrassed laugh of, We ve halfway through a session . . . he shows outward perturbation for the first time.
Former single Laura Loves is also run through three times, with Peter and then Donal hitting wrong chords. It is only Don t Go , not previously played on the tour, that they managed to nail in one take. Although they re offered the opportunity of playback they adamantly decline, trusting Corin s judgement that the guitars are in tune.
Despite these minor hitches Donal emerges from the building quietly glowing with pleasure that it lived up to expectations. The relaxed atmosphere, combined with the opportunity to replay material, gave his nerves a chance to settle. With the date of broadcast being set to coincide with the release of their next single (a re-recorded version of Laura Loves ) there s every reason to believe that the future s so bright they re gonna transcend the eclipse.
Bad Times
To date the tour s Spinal Tap moments have been nothing worse than the occasional bad meal or difficulty finding accommodation. Peter may also add to the list receiving a parking ticket outside London s Columbia Hotel shortly after booking in at noon on Thursday. Donal additionally revises this rose-tinted picture on Friday when, travelling up to Birmingham, he peers round from the rear seat after a burst of friendly sparring and asks, Remember what you said yesterday about low points? Receiving an affirmative nod he stabs an accusatory finger towards Peter and declares, It s his snoring!
Have you not heard yourself snoring last night? retorts the driver, with the ease born of camaraderie. Given the number of school masterly Don t do that! chastisements he receives (and gives) during the three days spent in their company it s fortuitous his unsavoury habits which according to his charge include speaking with his mouth full, chewing his finger nails, and using the sunroof as a sky-shaped rubbish bin aren t sore points.
He also laments that their vow to avoid the usual junk food frenzy of touring by sampling the world s culinary delights has been somewhat wasted on Peter. Meeting up with them in Nottingham he s already sampled Thai, Mexican and Chinese delicacies, picking York as a special high point after, having a lovely Indian and a couple of pints of Kingfisher. Peter, on the other hand, has been craving burgers and steak. On Wednesday night when, placing an order in an Camden pizza restaurant, he asks a disgusted waiter whether chips are served. By the time he asks for tomato ketchup to garnish his Margarita, no attempt is made to hide his disdain.
Radio Radio (2)
The contrast from radio station to radio station is striking in terms of professionalism and ambience. Whereas at XFM the band were given the opportunity to replay material until suitably satisfied, the undertone at Leicester Sound on Wednesday is time means money.
Met by bright strawberry blonde Victoria in a forum decorated with signed discs from Alisha s Attic and Texas they cut two tracks and conduct an ill-researched interview within half and hour. They reconcile themselves to the wham-bam pace with the knowledge that the show goes out to seven different radio stations on a Saturday night over that Midlands area, which is huge. They pack their equipment and debate the benefits of finding accommodation in Leicester (favoured by Peter) or travelling on to London (favoured by Donal). The debate was settled when no vacant rooms could be located in the vicinity.
The final session is at BBC WM on Friday, 14:30. Concurrently their final appointment and DJ Ian Wood s final live act before his old skool Mark and Lard show is taken off-air, the recording is informal yet informed. Prior to the actual session Ian takes them on a brief tour of the famous Pebble Mill building, wryly commenting that the coffee machine is the edifice s one concession to modern technology (it s the one studio that still records on tape reel), and buys them light refreshments. Over coffee they establish a common acquaintance in the band s home town of Magherafelt, implausible given its small population, and by the time they enter the studio they ve built up a relaxed rapport that s reflected in the song s performance and light-hearted interview. Although Donal thinks his singing was a bit ropey ( More ropey than usual?! Peter responds incredulously) he concludes that it was a nice one to end on .
Equipment packed into the boot one last time they plot the route back up to Scotland s ferry port and take their leave, the car powered by hot air from three days suppressed bickering. n
Asterix will be touring Ireland throughout August/September