BLACK #5

Black #5 are a new UK band who have a debut EP available and were originally called Bad Dog Biscuit Thief, before a name change to Black #5. You may know their former name as it wss name checked by journalist Mark Blake in a recent 'Backstage Heroes'.

1. What are you currently up to?

Dave: Got a few gigs arranged, recording a new 4 track ep at the end of this month as we had a bit of record company interest from our last one. The new one will, we hope, take us way up the ladder.

2. Who were your influences?

Phil: It was Pearl Jams '10' LP. We were just coming into our teens and realised that music like THAT was out there and decided we wanted to be part of it.

3. Brief history of the band plus the style of music you play.

Dale: We've only been together as this line-up for a few months. The usual things, trying to get other members who are committed as us, stopping playing covers as we had enough songs that we thought were good on their own... Phil: We call it 'odd-rock.' Intense yet with melodies and hooks.

4. What do you think of the current state of UK radio and the live music scene? How easy/hard has it been to get exposure for the band?

Phil: Although in a lot of ways it's good, the problem is it's too diverse. Where do you start? It used to be just a few radio stations and magazines but now every band can get coverage, so it's hard sorting the wheat from the chaff. UK radio is pretty dire, but then music is so personal that it would be impossible to get a station that catered perfectly to any one person, let alone thousands

5. What has been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?

Phil: Highpoint was playing France (see biography) as it's the first time we got across to an audience who, although they don't speak the language, really got into us. Haven't really had any low points yet- I'm sure they'll come!

6. How did you come up with the band's name?

Phil: Well...Dale was pretty broke a while ago. Rather than go into a bank, get a loan, up his credit or stuff like that he went to the casino and blew everything-EVERYTHING-he had on one chance. He decided to play roulette and put all his cash on one number-black, number five. He ended up winning £8,000. So it seemed like a lucky kind of number that we decided would make a good name!

7. Any other new bands and/or new albums that you would recommend checking out?

Phil: Ooh, Audioslave I s'pose, but it's difficult to hear new bands. Any we recommend you'll probably have heard already!

8. If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?

(Each member of the band chose their own instrumentalist) Vocals-Chris Cornell,Guitar-Brian May,Bass-Jack Bruce,Drums-Travis Barker

9. What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?

At the moment only one, 'The Station ep'. It's four tracks and is available at £3.00 from Loose Management, Hillside House, 34 Brigg Road, Barton Upon Humber, North Lincolnshire DN18 5DH. <

10. Message to your fans... why?

Dale: 'Stick with us while we're at the bottom and when we're at the top we'll buy you jewels and fags.'

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