Shake Rag and The Trial live @ Hot Box

Shake Rag, ace punk-blues rockabilly act from Hyde, has been invited to play Chelmsford’s Hot Box again, despite nearly taking the roof off a couple of years ago. The support for this Saturday’s show comes from local trio The Trial.

Discover the connection between Shake Rag and Elvis Presley

Ahead of the show, Richard Moses and Garry Parvin of Shake Rag joined me for a video chat. We covered loads of topics in our convo, from their intriguing name to their upcoming appearance at Strummerfest to their latest release. Just click on the image of the man in the hat below to listen to the interview.

So, after watching that video, you’ll be fully up to speed on all things Shake Rag. A reminder that the band’s fantastic new four-track EP, Telesales Pharaoh and His Pyramid Scheme, is available now on various streaming platforms.

The next band to receive an intense cross-examination is The Trial. Below, each band member represents themselves in turn.

The Trial

Elliot Meydan (sticksman extraordinaire)

Q: What inspired you to start whacking the skins?

I was about five or six years old when I first started playing drums. I’ve always been into music since I can remember really, running around the living room when I was about three singing ‘Seek and Destroy’ by Metallica. I didn’t take it seriously until I was about 15, when I joined my first band. I guess I was mainly inspired by a lot of metal artists, such as Metallica, Slipknot, Sabbath, and Trivium. As bizarre as it sounds, listening to St. Anger by Metallica was the first time I really wanted to learn how to play drums properly.

Q: Which drummer (alive or dead) inspires you most?

I have a fair few drummers that have influenced me, all from different eras. I would have to say, currently, my favourite drummer is Eloy Casagrande of Slipknot, mainly for his aggression and power. He’s new to the group but he’s been around for quite some time. I believe he’s the best in the world. You won’t find that many drummers who can play up to his standard. I’d also like to give a shout to the legendary Alex Bent of Trivium, an actual drum machine. Never seen a guy look so comfortable playing blast beats for five to six minutes a song and then doing it all over again.

Q: Your father’s family has Armenian and Turkish ancestry. Does that rich musical heritage inform your approach to music?

I’ve learnt some stuff from that part of my life. My dad used to own a djembe that now belongs to me, which I still play occasionally for a laugh at home. I even had it on my old drum kit for some time too. I’ve always had my dad in my ear encouraging me to improve.

Regarding my Armenian roots, I’ve taken some inspiration from modern nu-metal group System of a Down, the majority of whom are Armenian. Perhaps there is some in me, but from a traditional Turkish perspective, I wouldn’t say it’s played too much on my personal influence and inspiration.

Q: So, The Trial has been playing for just over a year. You must be well pleased with the band’s progress?

It’s been a fantastic blast the last year or so with the guys. We’ve been ambitious and we only want to keep going and keep making ourselves better. I’m very happy with the direction we’re going in. The evolution of our sound the last few months has incredible to play and listen to.

I’m excited to finally get into the studio soon and be able to have something out there for everyone to listen to. You can only play so many gigs before you go deaf! I just hope these fantastic chances keep turning up to play these great venues and meeting some fantastic bands and people.

James Murray (singing/axe strangling)

Q: Can you remember a moment, while listening to music or watching a band, when you thought: ‘Yes, that is something I want to do seriously.’?

Some old archive video of The Fall playing ‘Industrial Estate’ made the cogs whir. Contrarily, it was things I didn’t like or didn’t want to see that made me want to play.

Q: You are a mercurial stage performer. Reminds me a bit of one of my absolute heroes, David Byrne of Talking Heads. What are your thoughts on that?

I appreciate that. I just try and be honest.

Q: Briefly describe your writing process please?

Constant and irritating.

Q: By giving only the name of the headliner and location, please list the three top three gigs you’ve been to.

Divorce Finance at Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes
Gloop Unit at Sebright Arms
Saul Adamkzewski at The Theatreship

Extended to Barbican Estate at The Grace. The Underground Youth and, separately, BJM, both in Manchester. (Erm, that’s more than
three – Ed.)

Reuben McCulloch (bass vibrations)

Q: What do you consider to be the critical, fundamental skill that a bass player brings to a band?

It’s not a stretch to say that if you can’t hold time well with your drummer there’s not much of a future for yourself on the instrument. Beyond that, I’d say a nice groove and some expression where applicable. A bass line should support the back line but accent the song.

Q: After consistently playing together for such a decent amount of time, do you think The Trial is ready to start recording music for release?

As we progress as musicians, songwriters, and, of course, as a band, our songs are constantly being improved. Therefore, we are ambivalent about producing anything concrete too soon. But, we have an opportunity to record a demo towards the end of March, which we are thoroughly forward looking to.

Q: In your dreamworld, which band would you most love to support at a gig?

I think our songs have a great dynamicism and plenty of inspirations that contribute to them. People may not bracket us with Wolf Alice in terms of style, but I have enjoyed their music from a young age, am fascinated by their songwriting, and would relish the opportunity to support such a creative, UK-based band. I think you’d find that the response to this question would differ greatly across the band.

Q: During a gig, are you ever tempted to follow James’s example and start throwing shapes round the stage?

When we played our first gig, I can remember how rigid I felt while playing. A year on, I finally feel much looser and able to express myself on stage. Whether I can pull off James’s moves, I’m not sure.

Final thoughts

All the tickets for this Hot Box free show on 8 March have been snapped up. Click here to join the waiting list. Why not keep tabs on Shake Rag and The Trial on their respective socials so you don’t miss their upcoming shows and releases?

Instagram:
@shake_rag
@thetrialitinerary

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