In February 1997, members of Muzzle and Diffusion convened to form a spunky ska-punk quinted by the name of Mixtwitch. In November 1995 they gave the world the first taste of their recorded endeavours with the Five Songs and A Prick mini-album, sold at gigs. Ploughing a neat line in power pop furrows, the boys played a multitude of all-ages shows.

"When we were teenagers we couldn't go to shows, so we try to play to people who are our audience," begins vocalist Cags.
"It works both ways, because it s far better to play to hundreds of kids bumped up on Dutch Gold and vodka rather than a handful of suits going this isn't for me , adds guitarist Clemo.
On the subject of Dutch Gold, the 'Twitch have included a song called Golden Goodness on their debut LP, paying their tribute to the amber nectar of Gods available in sixpacks for a fiver. "I like goodness when its Gold/ I hope I drink this shit when I get old 'cos its smooth..." sings Cags in a textbook lesson in subtlety and obliqueness.
Funny Because It s True is a debut that was over two years in the making due to financial constraints. The end product is a loud and poppy combination of playful teenage angst and downright surrealism, typified on such excellent ditties as Where Have All Our Groupies Gone?
There is no point being po-faced about everything, says Clemo. There is too many bands out there doing that already. We take the piss seriously...no! Make that secretly taking the piss. There's your second album title for you."
"The thing about Mixtwitch is when you take all the different musical backgrounds we have and put them all together you get a...mess!" explains Cags. "Clemo is a metaller at heart and the rest of us are into a mad mixture of metal and American stuff like the Smashing Pumpkins and punk. NO FX are gods! I'd also listen to Whipping Boy and I think it is an awful shame they broke up.
Clemo picks up the theme. "We've been trying to rip off bands no one has ever heard of! Striknein DC called us the Spice Girls of the punk world. Years ago, the Dublin punk scene used to hate us. They wouldn't give us gigs or anything and said we were such a sell out band. We'd be asked whether we were in a band to put across our views, or are we a sellout like Green Day. What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Look at Rage Against the Machine. Are their views irrelevant because they've sold millions of albums?
Amidst all the fun and piss taking, Mixtwitch are also utilising their position to promote Greenpeace. Their next event is a one-day Halloween Rock Festival that takes place on Oct 30th in Dublin's Temple Bar Music Centre. This event is part of a global effort to send ten million e-mails to world leaders as they meet at the forthcoming world summit in the Hague in November, urging them to "Turn Down the Heat."! and reduce global warming etc. (see www.greenpeace.org).
They conservatively expect this campaign to generate
100,000 plus emails from within Ireland. The 10 million signatures and messages generated by the campaign globally will be delivered to both President Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern amongst hundreds of world leaders. The Irish focus for the campaign is this festival which is also showcasing 10 of the best young up and coming bands and launching a compilation CD of their songs. These bands are from the 4 corners of Ireland and with special guests from the UK.
So to conclude? "Apart from Westlife there are no other real punk bands in Ireland." Fair enough.

Funny Because It s True is out now now on Treasure Island