The book of Revelations

The Revs might be comparatively new to the rock scene, but they don’t suffer from shyness.

The end of the interview is nigh and I have just received a very kindly offer to be stripped naked and tied to a bed.

It’s not one of the more usual lines you hear in a rock interview (and surely not something Dave Fanning encounters often?), but then, The Revs are not your usual Irish band.

The three-piece pop rock group from Donegal are known for taking risks and making waves in a music scene where many other bands have been content to lie low and appeal to a ‘select’ following.

A few months ago, The Revs agreed to perform nightly at the Dustin and Socky Big Little Christmas pantomime – a move that many groups would have deemed beneath them.

“I think that’s one of the reasons why we did it,” says guitarist/vocalist John McIntyre. “Music is about fun and enjoying yourself. I think the ’90s kind of lost that. I don’t want to go over people’s heads. I want to appeal to as many people as we can.”

Lead vocalist and bassist Rory Gallagher (and yes, his father was a fan) agrees. “Once you appeal to the masses, you’re set,” he says, “because then you can change a generation, the way the Beatles did.”

As teenagers, Rory and The Revs drummer Michael O’Donnell played in heavy metal bands together – “bashing away in the garage, going mad,” as Michael describes it. They became friends with John when he came to the area from Dundalk in the summer.

In April 2000, they formed The Revs. They began playing gigs in small towns and villages and had to tailor their sound accordingly.

“There’s a huge difference between growing up and playing in a band in Dublin and growing up and playing in a band in the country,” Rory says. “A year ago, we used to do maybe fifty percent covers, because in the country, you can’t expect people to sit for an hour and a half and listen to stuff that they’ve never heard before.

“So, even when we started doing our own original set, we had to make it as lively and up-tempo as possible. That really helped us because then, when we went up and played in Dublin, we sounded so different to the rest of the bands. We were like a burst of energy.”

Was it difficult to break into the Dublin scene?

“The Dublin scene is very clique-ish,” John says. “Most of the bands that play in Dublin are friends of each other. David Kitt seems to be a mate of The Frames. And Damien Rice seems to be a mate of The Frames.” He begins to laugh. “Everybody seems to be a mate of The Frames.”

The Revs didn’t mind the fact that they were outsiders, though.

“We always set out to be successful rather than worry about how cool or respected we were,” Rory says. “It’s only Ireland at the end of the day. We were just hoping that we would get signed by a major because we were always in awe of major companies. But then we saw that you don’t even need a major to break the charts. It’s just really about hard work and having a good team around you.”

And The Revs do know how to work hard. Under the guidance of Robert Stephenson of the independent label Treasure Island, the band set a record for the quickest and most extensive tour of Ireland – playing 26 gigs in 26 counties in three days.

The frequency of their touring honed their sound and won them fans. When they released their first single, a catchy slice of power pop entitled ‘Wired To The Moon’, it rocketed to No.15 in the singles charts.

In December, the band took the unusual step of releasing a live album, SonicTonic, as their debut. Aside from the fact that it was cheaper to produce, the group felt that a live release would most accurately reflect the best components of their sound.

“We’re not really a studio band at the minute,” Rory offers. “We’d spent a year touring the country, playing five nights a week at times. We were just so confident with what we were doing live that we decided that, rather than waiting for a major to put in some money, it felt like the right time to get out an album.”

The record has so far done well, reaching No.5 in the first week of its release.

True to Irish form, The Revs discovered that they had achieved a level of fame in their hometown when people began trying to beat them up. Michael, the smallest and most fragile-looking member of the group, speaks in reverential terms of his good friends who have fended off many an attacker.

The guards are also now taking a more than healthy interest in The Revs. Last Saturday, when the boys went separately to their local disco, there was a surprise awaiting them. “They’d worked it out that we were there,” John says, “and we were pulled out of the queue individually and drug-checked.”

Of course, the guards may also have been looking for incriminating photos of Dustin The Turkey. On the last night of the pantomime, Rory nabbed Dustin to pose for some rather salacious pictures, which held the personnel in the shop where they were developed agog. Rory is now waiting with trepidation for a phone call from RTE. “We’re probably screwed,” he grins.

Reviews of SonicTonic have been generally positive. But there have been one or two negative critiques, the notice from The Irish Times being a case in point. The band aren’t too bothered, though. John, in particular, radiates confidence.

“I can’t see the point of bands worrying about reviews,” he says. “If you’re totally in love with the music you’re playing and you’re totally happy with how it came out, why should anyone else’s opinion matter? I’m over the moon with the album, I don’t think we could have done it better.”

Record companies around the world are now expressing strong interest in The Revs. Although Rory proves coy on the details, Australia, Asia and Canada are all earmarked as places where major deals are likely be signed.

After the Heineken Rollercoaster tour, the band will travel to America to play five showcase gigs. Rory mentions that the main one will be in Austin, Texas.

As I shudder at the prospect of country-music-loving Texans coming out to watch The Revs perform, the band simply grin.

“People who think Kylie Minogue is a bit too arty, we play for them,” Rory laughs.

The Revs. Clearly a global prospect.