“Punk Rock Bon Jovi” - Teenage Casket Company interview

(Jamie Delerict - guitar/vox & Rob Lane - Bass)

What happens when you have four guys growing up with four different music tastes and two of them happen to be the lead singers of the same band? What happens when one lead singer wants to roar and shout out and the other wants to sing a sweet melodic pop tune? The result is the Teenage Casket Company. Drawing their influences from a wide variety of roots in punk, glam, rock and pop - it’s no wonder that people are starting to pay some serious attention to Nottingham based TCC.

Fronted by Jamie Delerict and Rob Wilde, TCC’s live shows are entertaining and inspiring and even if its your first gig going to see them - whether you like the harder stuff or the sweet pop melody, you’ll be a fan guaranteed. Recently touring with the Erotics from the USA and the Dangerfields from Ireland, TCC have built up a strong following across the country and they don’t intend to stop there.

Recently, drawing on the passion from their influences - they decided to embark on a ‘Punk Rock Bon Jovi’ campaign to try and get on the support slot for Bon Jovi in June. They were unsuccessful, but not by much. It did bring them an awful lot of press and interest from those that might not otherwise heard of the Caskets.

Joint singer Jamie Delerict and bassist Rob Lane speak to Nix in the tour van in Junktion 7's car park, Nottingham about how it all started, the conflict of music interests and how it makes such a catchy sound, being ‘Punk Rock Bon Jovi’, touring, their new EP and what’s next for TCC.

Nix: How did you come up with the name? Is there some kind of morbid background?
JD: Well, I was in the same band for ten years called Panic and I always had this thing in the back of my mind - the Teenage Casket Company - and should I ever do another band. Luckily I wrote it down on a bit of paper -
RL: I still got that piece of paper!
JD: Have you? That’s a slice of history. I’m like, right - I’ve got an idea and they all looked at me like (puts on a disappointed face). They all warmed to it in the end. Its something that people will remember.
RL: That’s the hardest thing in the world. Every band name is gone now.
JD: Everything is ‘The’. You’ve had ‘The Shins’ - That’s a random word then put an ‘S’ on the end of it and that’s a band that is forgettable to me. I don’t mean to slag off ‘The Shins’ by the way, I’ve got a mate in that band (winks).

Nix: A little bit about both of you?
JD: Ooh, personal stuff or stuff about the band? Well, my name is Jamie - and I’m an alcoholic! I’ve been three days sober on this tour since it started. So there’s a bit of personal information. I’m trying my best, so hard to make it to the end of the tour and have a little drink to celebrate.
RL: My name is Rob Lane, I play bass. I also play in another band called ‘Dip’. What else is interesting about me Jamie?
JD: You have a magazine dude!
RL: I have a magazine called Trashpit magazine which focuses on hard rock bands similar to Pure Rawk. I like me fingers in lots of pies.
JD: I don’t know where you find the time. Two bands, a magazine and a job - and a girlfriend and a rabbit (laughs).

Nix: How did it all start?
JD: My band was on it’s last legs and I’d always turned other people down when they said ‘do you wanna jam’? I don’t want to do jamming. Do you want to do another band? I was like no, I want to concentrate - that was my life’s work. I ran some rehearsal rooms and our other singer - Rob Wilde’s other band played there. I thought they were great - they sounded like the Survivors - like the Rocky Soundtrack. They needed a stand in bass player for one gig and I thought f*** it, I thought it would be funny. It was at Rotherham sports centre or something! We just kind of hit it off. He loved my kind of arrogant swagger stuff because he had very straight laced band mates. I think I inadvertently split them up because I wanted to push them to do better things other than sports centres - so we just started jamming before Christmas 2003. It clicked, I burst his ear drums properly with my guitar playing. Properly burst them, hurt him. I said, ok - I’ll do this if you find a bass player and a drummer, I’m just too busy right now. Then within about two weeks he had and I was like ‘oh s***!’. Rehearsal time! But the first rehearsal was awesome.
RL: I think I actually spoke to Rob (Wilde) in November of that year. He mentioned that he was putting a band together and he’d sent me some demos and things like that. Its always been hard to find. That’s the kind of music that I grew up on which is me. The music business and what bands are ‘in favour’, have never actually found anybody that wants to do that kind of stuff but with a modern twist on it as well. So when I ran into Rob who I’d seen at gigs for ages and never actually spoken to him said ‘oh, you play bass don’t you?’ so I said ‘yeah’. I knew he played in China Doll - I’d seen him support Danger Danger and stuff like that. He said I want to do something a bit more Goo Goo Dollsy, something like that. Catchy stuff but a bit more relevant in todays music scene.

Nix: Have you two had rock n’ roll backgrounds?
JD: Completely unmusical parents! It's actually amazing that I even picked up an instrument. I started at 17 and bought a bass purely to play the bass riff for ‘Unbelievable’ by EMF. I just completely taught myself then I joined a hardcore band within two months. I didn’t even know how to tune the bass! I tightened the pegs as tight as I liked to play them! I moved onto guitar and taught myself in a couple of weeks and I haven’t improved since! (Laughs) and I’m f***ing proud of it!
RL: Same for me, my family is not very musical apart from my mum. She’s just a very big pop music fan from the eighties. That’s probably why I’m still a sucker for cheesy pop music!

Nix: You’re biggest influences?
JD: For me, I’d say the Ramones. They were kind of like a template for my old band. I just loved the fact that when playing guitar, Johnny Ramone just spread his legs and hit downward strokes. Just hammered it and didn’t play any solos. I’m rubbish on guitar and I thought I could do that!
RL: Mine are quite different ones. I remember hearing the Def Leppard ‘Hysteria’ album, which today is the most polished, lightweight stuff that you can get. I remember at the time, it just sounded dead heavy to me! It was at the same time that I heard ‘Bad Medicine’ by Bon Jovi. I was listening to pop music at the time. It sounded so heavy but so catchy and melodic at the same time - so there was that which turned me onto rock music. Seeing Poison videos was when I wanted to be in a band (JD lets out an evil laugh). I then went to see Extreme play in Sheffield in about 1992 with a band called Hardline supporting them. I met the bass player who had played with David Lee Roth and stuff. I was playing guitar at the time but I was s*** - he was really cool on bass, a really nice guy.
JD: Todd Jenson
RL: Ooh, I hadn’t mentioned his name had I? Yeah, a guy called Todd Jenson. (Laughs) I don’t see a bass player and think oh he’s great, stuff like that - I’m more into the personalities of the band.
JD: Oh, that’s why you like me so much!

Nix: You’ve got a ‘Punk Rock Bon Jovi’ thing going on. You use that to describe yourselves and you tried to get on the bill for the Bon Jovi show in June - how did that come about?
RL: Everybody has a band that they would really like to support. I think the sound would go down really well. I think for us it wasn’t because they played to thousands and thousands of people, it was because we’d go down well with them. I’d been to see Bon Jovi a few times and I often think that the support bands are on there because the record company thinks it would be good because they are playing to just so many people - to me, that stinks a little bit. I’d rather see a band on there that’s going to entertain the Bon Jovi fans. Me and Rob (Wilde) were discussing it, what with MySpace exploding where you can put stuff up on there and people can pass it on. Its cheesy to say, but it was kind of getting the people to make it happen rather than us to buy our way onto that. We did a MySpace page which got shut down after two weeks.
JD: Within a couple of days, the MySpace was inundated with messages and stuff. Someone, somewhere - I don’t know. I know that record labels have actually got divisions dedicated for looking for bands on MySpace, I know that for a fact. I heard it straight from the horses mouth. So now I think the big bands have got divisions set out so that nobody sets up a fake Jon Bon Jovi page. I’d like to know what happened. It gained momentum and then it kind of slowed a bit but it’s got the name about a bit more - it’s got good press for us at least.

Nix: Where does the inspiration for the song writing come from?
JD: Well, in a nutshell. Me and Rob write the songs. He’ll come up with something quite glammy sounding, quite poppy. He mentioned the Goo Goo Dolls thing, he’s quite into that. I’ll be like, come on - we can spice it up a bit! Give it a bit of raucous guitar - a bit of Johnny Ramone downward stroke! Then it will turn into a TCC song. Then I’m the other way. Maybe I’ll write something a little bit too raucous and maybe he’ll polish off the edges - make it a little bit poppy.
Nix: So he brings the cheese, you supply the bread?
JD: Hey, That’s good - say I said that!
RL: I’m just the arrangement side of things. I like to chop out as much as I can.
JD: So it gets completely changed at band practice to what its supposed to be!

Nix: Do you think you’ve got what it takes to crack the market? You’ve got some very bizarre new acts on the mainstream scene. Do you think you have what it takes to take over?
JD: Yes - next question! (Laughs) We wouldn’t be so full on into it if we didn’t think we could do it. We whole heartedly believe in what we do.
RL: I think the band Orson are a good reference. I think that if it is a good song it will become successful. They’re not spring chickens. Its lets put hats on these guys so people don’t know how old they are. It’s just a great song and it got to number one. They’re not like a trendy band, it got on the radio - people liked it and wanted to hear about it.
JD: I do agree. A good song is a good song in whatever genre. I remember when I heard System of a Down on Radio 1 in the daytime. It was like ‘whoa! That’s going to freak so many people out’. It’s because it’s a good song, it’s as simple as that.

Nix: Who have you enjoyed most playing alongside - your best gig?
RL: I think, the past two or however many. I think we’ve been very lucky to have gone out with the Erotics and the Dangerfields. They are great people.
JD: I think we can name check the bands that we’ve played with and they were great gigs and great people but when you’re on tour and you’re seeing them every day - the Erotics and the Dangerfields are just great people. We brought their music to other people and vice versa. It’s a wonderful thing!

Nix: What’s your worst gig that you’ve had?
JD: Ah, easy. On the Dangerfields tour in February we had a day off either side of a gig which was unfortunate but it was just booked that way. Southampton was bang in the middle of these two days off so we drove from Nottingham to Southampton and I think there was the promoter and his two mates there. The support was an acoustic guy who’d p***** off before we’d even played - it was just appalling. It’s probably the furthest away that we’ve ever played in the UK. It was a Tuesday night. Unfortunately when you’re on tour, you have to do Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays and stuff but that night took the biscuit - we were very depressed after that.
RL: We got fed and we got paid.
JD: But the money counts for nothing if the gigs are s***. I’ve learnt that over the years. It’s always nice to get paid but someone giving you three hundred quid and there being two people there is deflating any way you want to look at it (not that we got paid three hundred quid for that gig, but you know what I’m saying!).

Nix: Any label interest recently?
JD: We’ve had bits and bobs here and there but in our best interests, we’ve decided to do it ourselves. We’re releasing a new EP ourselves as well. We’ve had promises made to us and we’ve heard all the talk and no one has really stepped up and backed it up. We’re not the type of people sitting around waiting for something to happen. If we’ve got new material - lets record it, lets release it and see what happens. We’ll only do it with the right people.
RL: I think in today’s market there’s nothing stopping you being what’s deemed a ‘proper band’. I think our stuff stands up against anybody else’s out there and we stay busy. I think from the outside we could be signed to some people. I think it’s the way that you market yourself. My favourite bands - when you get into the in’s and outs of it, they’re not quite as big as you’re lead to believe. Its’s just the way that they do it and hats off to them.

Nix: Have you had any odd fans or road stories that you’d like to share?
JD: Odd fans? (Thinks) Dead air is terrible isn’t it? (laughs) There hasn’t been any weridness really no.
RL: There was a strange dancing girl in Colchester the other night.
JD: There’s strange people in whatever town you go in. Young or old. You’ll end up talking b****** with someone and trying to get rid of them. I think they’re technically not fans. The people that come to see us are amazing. We’ve made some incredible friends - just people that have started being fans of the band and we see them at all of the gigs. We end up going out with them socially and stuff which is brilliant.

Nix: Are you self managed or are you managed my somebody?
JD: You’re speaking to the co-managers.
Nix: Have you found that a stress on stuff or is it bearable?
JD: I personally have yeah. Some days while you’re at work all day and then come home and work on the band. I sit on the computer doing stuff from the morning til dark some times. Sometimes its like ‘Christ, when’s the pay-off going to come’? Again, we’ve had talks with a manager before. I had a talk with one particular guy and he promised us the earth and I was devastated when it didn’t come to pass. Dealing with people like that makes you a little bit harder. At the minute we can handle it. People look at our gig listings on the website and go ‘how are you doing this? How are you doing that? Who’s your manager? Who’s your booking agent? - us!. Bands expect success on a plate and we’re trying to go out there and grab it because it’s the only way and we work damn hard. It’s stressful, but we’re ok aren’t we? (RL nods his head and chuckles).

Nix: What’s your favourite TCC song?
RL: My favourite TCC song is a Panic song!
JD: That’s still your favourite?
RL: That’s a song from Jamie’s old band that we took and made it into ours. Still my favourite song!
JD: Wow. I don’t know, there’s none that I don’t like playing. It’s not even one of our songs, it’s a cover that we do. We do it every gig regardless because everyone else loves it. We do a song called “Hatred” by D-Generation and they’re one of my favourite bands of all time and written by one of my favourite songwriters of all time. I get a buzz even at band practice playing it. I find myself striking poses even though there is no one looking at me - I just get into it! The aggression of it and everything.
RL: Maybe my second favourite is “Aint’ Got Nothing On Me”.

Nix: What are the aims for this year and what’s next?
JD: We had a band meeting just before Christmas and we said we’d work our nuts off and take everything that came our way until September and then see where the land lies. I’d like to think that we are a huge step closer to where we want to be come September.
RL: Everything this year is going so fast. The Dangerfield’s tour from February to March. Straight off the back of that, we were straight in the studio. New EP in June, Irish dates in June. Then its over to America for a couple of weeks. Then come back from that and there’s talk of some stuff in Italy as well. It’s panning out for the rest of this year - it’s just kind of riding it. Its will be interesting to see what reaction we get to the new EP!

For more information and where to catch TCC, look up their MySpace www.myspace.com/teenagecasketcompany or their official website www.teenagecasketcompany.com . Their new EP “Eat Your Heart” out is now available and those that have not yet found us at one of the gigs listed on our MySpace page - the fantastic “Eat Your Heart Out” track is on Pure Rawk’s “Unleashed and Loaded” Volume 1 so come and tap us up for that!

- Words and images by Nix.

© Pure Rawk 2006