Nordy But Nice

Smiling from beneath his standard issue TopShop fringe, General Fiasco’s Owen Strathern is sharing war stories. “When we were touring with The Enemy the first thing they told us is that we would have pints chucked at us on stage. They’ve sort of got a football hooligan crowd, whereas we’re a bit emo-y.”

So they brought you on tour to have glasses lobbed at you by their fans. Lovely!
“No... the funny thing is, the fans actually seemed to like us. Apparently, it’s a good sign when they throw pints at you. It means they’re into the music. We were talking about it afterwards and The Enemy said, ‘that’s fantastic – we always come off stage covered in beer.’”
Beer chucking lad-rock devotees aren’t the only ones to have gone jelly-kneed for the Derry trio’s full-bore punk-pop. In the UK, their legion of fans include influential DJs such as Jo Whiley, Steve Lamacq and Zane Lowe. Those names don’t carry a lot of weight in Ireland – but in the UK making their playlists can be the difference between your single going top ten and plunging into bargin-bin obscurity (or whatever the filesharing equivalent of a bargin bin is).
“The way rock music is at the moment,it can be harder to reach out to people,” he reflects. “Synthpop seems to be the big thing. So to have people like that playing your stuff is hugely helpful. We got playlisted by Radio One [that’s the UK station – you won’t hear them on Derek Mooney anytime soon] and suddenly all these other DJs were picking up on it.”
They’ve also got firm fans in fellow Ulstermen Snow Patrol who handpicked them as support for one of their sell-out run of dates in Belfast’s Odyssey Arena.
“I don’t remember that gig, it was such a rush,” smiles the baby-faced Strathern. “It’s weird because we saw a lot of familiar faces in the crowd, people who we would have known and lost touch with. They didn’t know we were doing music. And suddenly, there we were supporting Snow Patrol. It’s funny.”
To a young Northern Irish band such as General Fiasco, the success of Snow Patrol has, he says, been hugely inspirational.
“If you think about it, they are well on the way to becoming one of the biggest bands in the world. Maybe they already are. And they’re such nice guys. We only met them once and found them totally normal and unassuming. They’ve gotten where they are by having the right songs and by communicating with the public. It’s an example the rest of us should follow.”
So they don’t subscribe to the Snow Patrol = Poor Man’s Coldplay school of thought? Strathern shakes his head.
“When something becomes very popular naturally there's going to be a tendency to kick it. We don’t go along with that. They write hits that lots of people love. It’s an amazing feat.”
Working their way up the UK toilet circuit has, he confesses, been something of an ordeal.
“We’re back from the continent and there's a huge difference in people’s attitudes towards bands. In Ireland, and to a greater extent in the UK, promoters will throw on support bands to get them to bring in their friends. The fact of the matter is, people have no interest in support bands. By the time the headliners are on, people have been drinking for a few hours. It’s more a night out than anything else. On the continent, there wasn’t the same drinking culture. People are there for the music. They’ll give you a chance.”
General Fiasco have played some very odd bills in their time. There was that corporate showcase at Cannes where they performed alongside kindred Nordie Duke Special, folkie Seth Lakemen and ex-Darkness singer Justin Hawkins' Hot Leg. On another occasion they opened for stadium goths Placebo, winning over frontman Brian Molko in the process.
“He was standing side of stage during our slot and they were rocking out to it. For me, it was a weird experience. The first album I bought was Placebo’s Black Market Music. To be able to fit on a bill with them was amazing. Afterwards, I did the whole fan thing. I had my picture taken with Brian and everything. He’s a really sweet guy.”
He may look all of 12 years old but Starthern has his head screwed on. It’s clear that he regards music as a career, not an excuse to get drunk and meet girls.
“You have to be aware of how you present yourself to the world,” he avers “You need to be professional at all times. And you have to be good at what you do. If your bass-player is terrible, then people won’t bother with you. There are so many other bands around, why would they? The thing is, you have to figure these things out for yourself. It’s so competitive. Nobody has time for messers.”
On the other hand, at least General Fiasco aren’t the only Northern Ireland band trying to forge an international career at the moment. In particular, Belfast is awash with fantastic new talent. And, in a telling break with the past, these artists aren’t satisfied with merely being the best group in the North. Their ambitions are much grander than that.
“It’s so, so positive. You’ve got us, And So I Watch You From Afar, Two Door Cinema Club, Foy Vance, Fighting With Wire. There’s so much diversity. No way could you say there was a ‘Belfast’ sound. When we go over to London, it’s clear we’re not trying to be the next White Lies or the next Glasvegas or what have you. We’re our own distinct thing. And I think that will stand to us.”