New Year's Eve. For some, one of the most memorable nights of the year. A time to celebrate, for pleasure and enjoyment, and to take hold of life's excesses and shake them generously, waving goodbye to the joys and pains of the previous year and richly embracing the unknown. A time of transition, a recurring stake in the ground to slip away from the old and embrace the new.
It is on 31st December 1984 that our story begins, although at the time none of the participants were aware of it. The place is the Tunnel Club in Greenwich, England, a corner of East London just south of the river Thames. Whilst this is generally perceived as a wealthy area, like all locales it was not without it's rough spots and one of those is the part which surrounds the exit to the dark and dreary Blackwall Tunnel, the connecting road which runs underneath the river dividing London's two distinct halves. A dirty and grimey area which, in the Tunnel Club, housed one of the most notorious gig venues in all London, a place where bands were regularly booed off stage and where the locals would show their dislike with a carefully aimed bottle or, on some occasions, even an enthusiastically pitched bar stool.
On this particular New Years Eve, two of East London's best bands were sharing the stage, both on the cusp of record deals, critical acclaim and commercial success.....or so they thought! First up were Radio Radio, a thunderous frenzy of new wave 70's rock, led by boater wearing guitarist/ songwriter Dave Humphreys. The band had always held a reputation for riotous behaviour, both on stage and off, but now they were at the top of their game since the recruitment of new bassist Richard Scarr four months earlier. Richard's driving, wiry basslines had pushed the band into a more attacking sound, neatly embellishing Dave's fluid guitar lines and naggingly catchy choruses, and that night they were on top form. There was even a stage invasion by the more enthusiastic members of the audience at the set's end. This was not going to be an easy act to follow, but the other band that evening, T-34, contained within their ranks a less than secret weapon, whose presence would regularly raise the game of their Kinks-esque sound, so that they would trample over any other band's who shared the same bill as them; drummer John Baker, unwilling to be upstaged by their local rivals, playing like a demon, pushing his bandmates onto harder and more expansive playing, delighting both the packed audience and themselves, providing a grinding frenzy of outstanding technical drumming and pure, unblighted passion.
Watching that night was guitarist and keyboard player Kevin Wallbank. Kev was a friend of Richard's, the pair having played together the previous year in the synth led psychedelic outfit, The Fabulous Ghandhi Brothers. Kev was now playing in another group, The Little Things, where his 60's influencs and love of early psyche were given full reign.
Fast-forward eighteen months to the summer of 1986. Kev was still with The Little Things, plugging around the London circuit and building up a following. T-34, had dissolved and Richard had left Radio Radio in order to form his own group, where, as well as playing bass, he could also be singer and lyricist. Radio Radio were still forging on and it was while Richard was watching them at the Marquee club that he heard that that John was now playing in another group, As We Speak, and they had had a gig at the same venue the following week. Eager to check them out, Richard duly attended and, after their set, cornered John and in his usual blunt manner said " you're a fantastic drummer, but your band is boring rubbish, what on earth are you playing with these people for? Come and join me instead" John recognized Richard form his time with the Radios and, despite being somewhat taken aback by his frankness, agreed to rehearse with his fledgling outfit.
For the next ten years, the pair played together in Ship of Fools, cementing themselves as a sublime and inspirational rhythm section, becoming a regular fixture on the European club circuit and sharing stages with a host of prestigious names including Blur, Sleeper, The Sound and Jah Wobble.
During that ten year period, Dave and Kev were not idle either. At the end of the 1980's, when it became apparent that Radio Radio were never going to achieve the commercial succes they deserved, the band called it a day and Dave retired to his home recording studio where he continued to work, crafting his skills as a songwriter and singer; releasing the occasional solo album on his own independant label. Around the same time, The Little Things folded and Kev moved away from London for a number of years, but continued to write and record, whilst also working in a recording studio in Essex.
We now move ahead to more recent times, Autumn 2006 to be precise. After a decade of focusing on families, career and, in Richard's case, a PhD ( he's a doctor now!), the Ship of Fools rhythm section were keen to get back to playing regularly again. Richard had been involved in a number of small projects over this time, including stints with both a Western Swing outfit (The Palominos) and a while playing double bass with a jazz trio ( The Stevie B3). He'd also worked alongside Dave in a studio only outfit called Miracle Cure who provided a track for the 'For Young Moderns' Bill Nelson tribute album. Dave had played some exemplary E-bow on that particular cut and so, when the iea of combining 60's psychedelia with 70's avant garde, new wave and a sprinkling o arly classic rock, Dave was the first choice that sprang to mind. Key to the band sound would be a big fat Hammond organ and for that there was only one name in the frame.
Kev had been working with many bands, either as road crew or tour manager and had also been responsible for staging music festivals. He'd also worked with one of his childhood musical heroes The Electric Prunes on their visits to Europe. Listening to the rough, keyboard-less demos, it was soon apparent just where Kev's particular playing skills would fit in. With this fourth core component in place, Honeymoon on Mars were complete and began gigging in anger around the London/Essex/Herts music scene. 2007 was the year they concentrated on honing their sound, writing new material both individually and through group jams, balancing the different musical styles in order to develop a form that not only reflects it's influences, but also sounds contemporary and cutting edge. Their songs speak of a world which other artists often strive to avoid: the real world!
In 2008, the band are set to build on their fast growing reputation as an exciting live act. Ensconced in the studio for the first few months, they have recorded their, as yet untitled debut album. A UK tour is planned for later this Summer and the band are looking to travel to the US for the first time if all goes well. They sound like nobody else who is gigging right now, the music is vibrant excitng and dynamic. They play with the passion of teenagers and the skill of the talented seasoned musicians they are. A band for the future in every sense of the term.
-- by Kevin Wallbank
