1. Stu Taylor punk rock peddlar extraordinaire - tell us where your punk days began and how you got involved with the promotion of bands.
T'was a day like any other in school until I noticed a new chap, no uniform, crass engraved on his arm.
That was the start of my association with all things noisy music wise and from that day to this I still do things how I want, when I want and listen to what Ii want.
The promotion of bands and gigs came about as I simply got tired of having to travel to Bradford, Leeds, Liverpool etc. to see bands. So with a mate we simply decided to start asking bands to come and play in Manchester and so began a great time of working with the Star and Garter in Manchester putting on shows.I even got to do some shows outside Manchester in Wales, Derby, Stoke and a few other places.
2. Give us an insight into what bands you have dealt with and what are the ones that have given you the greatest pleasure?
I've been very fortunate to have been involved with too many bands to mention across the punk and rock spectrum from around the world and that continues today with some great new bands as well as some established names.
Greatest pleasure at the moment is seeing the Vice Squad resurgence in the states and thats just been heightened even more with the recently completed west coast tour to promote the new album "Defiant".
Lots of moments from past gigs have given me pleasure as well from simply being one of the paying public to actually working with bands.
3. Eddie Onion once podded 48 pea pods in under 2mins using nothing more than his sphincter muscle and fairy liquid. I myself have tried to peel vegetables and fruit with my shit snipper but have ended up in casualty with a raw ring. Where am I going wrong and what tips have you got for vegetable deviants all over the world?
The trick is to use soft vegetables when attempting the rectal veg world records. Highly recommended are week old sugar snap peas or any boiled veg for that bit of give (so I'm told naturally) and it goes without saying that when attempting fruit don't attempt pineapples, you're just asking for trouble of biblical proportions.
4. What would be the best words of advice you could give to anyone just starting in the promotion game?
Whether promoting a show, a band or event, the only real advice is to know what you're doing and doing the work before hand, during and after, targetting similar events, and making sure you have contacts to be able to do what you want to achieve.
Naturally you learn as you go along as with anything in life and once you have the basics you're basically then just building on your initial set up and expanding what you can offer.
Never be afraid to ask for help or advice from somebody better placed than yourself, that slice of humble pie leads to a yearning for baking bigger pies yourself.
5. Who are the heroes and zeroes you have met along the way in your punk rock adventure so far?
I don't really have heroes as you know and others who know me are aware. Ii do however admire people for hard work, determination and a basic talent.
Also as you know I'm far too much of a gent to mention any zeros. What I will say is that there is good and bad in any walk of life and music is no exception.
6. Frank Cannon vs Kojak in a no holds barred game of rectal table tennis. The balls would be pickled gibbon nuts and the table would be made from compressed copies of the porn classic 'Distorted Nipples'. Freddie 'Parrot Faced' Davies could be the umpire. What would be the outcome of this enthralling sporting encounter?
Therapy ! I wont sleep for a week now just picturing that game over and over.
7. Any regrets in your career and any unexpected piece of good luck that have helped you on the way?
No regrets at all I always look forward and not back.
I also believe you create your own luck when it presents itself and I'im no exception to that. I was in the right place at the right time when the opportunity to work with Vice Squad came along, not through luck but through my work already doing shows. I then accepted the challenge the band presented me and the rest as they say is history as the story continues........
8. When promoting gigs one never knows what to expect - what have been your lowest and highest turn-outs and which has been the best gig you have ever put on?
Yes putting on shows can be very frustrating at times and exhilarating at other times as anybody who has done them will tell you.
When starting out we used to get shows that had around 20 - 30 people but I've also had shows where the venue sold out and even ran out of beer on one occassion during an all dayer so its give and take.
I've enjoyed all the gigs I've put on for different reasons and the best gig I've ever put on is yet to come further down the line if and when Ii do take up putting on shows again.
9. James Giblets once rode a moorhen the entire length of Peru living on nothing more than tobacco ash and anal wasp larva. Unfortunately his moment of celebration was marred by Peter 'The Limb' mcvulva who invaded the party dressed as a 1920's argentinian homesexual. The question is - what is the greatest fete of endurance you have had to undergo and will the aforementioned Mr mcvulva win next years presidential election in Timbuktoo?
Mr Mcvulva won't win as I've been asked to stand in. Just gotta figure out where Timbuktoo is now and do my homework on how to woo the populace there.
I also believe it wasn't a moorhen Mr Giblets rode but an Emu so it wasn't real endurance as there was a ready made plumage bed for him for the entire journey.
I think my epic treks through the upper and lower wastes of Fairfield Street and Piccadilly on many occassions avoiding the creatures of the night and searching for the elusive pot of gold that was the Metrolink easily eclipse any trek across Peru as anybody who has tried it will agree with.
10. What would be your ideal gig put on and where would you stage it?
Tricky one, Ii think an ideal gig for me to put on would be an outdoor show.
I was impressed this year with Twinwood Arena down in Bedfordshire which is a natural grass bowl similar to the Milton Keynes bowl.
It has everything needed for a great day or two festival - lots of space for camping, lots of purpose built areas for merch, stalls etc. so at the moment that would be favourite as it was a hot sunny day as well which made it even better.
11. What are your plans for the future and have you any new bands we should be aware of?
Plans for the future are to keep enjoying my music.
Also to continue to work with Vice Squad and build on making them ever more popular worldwide via the many sites we have ,live shows etc.
Also to sign a few more bands to SOS records as they're like another extension of family now alongside the Vice Squad family.
I get to see lots of great bands as well as lots of upcoming bands, as always the bands I sign to the label naturally I enjoy. 4 Past Midnight, DBD and then there's bands I'm currently in the process of hopefully signing like the Valentines from Italy. There's a lot of good stuff around the UK at the moment and abroad as well and naturally I get a lot of demos I get new stuff I like every week and this week I have been mostly listening to The Exposed from Portsmouth, The Tommys from Crewe, So Unloved from T exas, The Ghouls from Philadelphia, Rust from Australia, and Ridinghood from Wales.
12. Stu Taylor - give us a message with which we can live our humble lives and how we can help punk flourish?
Ooh wouldn't dream of telling anyone how to live their lives, just do what you feel is right for yourself I suppose.
Punk will flourish the more people become involved so just buy an album, see a show etc. or at the other end of the spectrum do even more and put on shows, work with bands etc.
And in a final flourish I would just like to say thanks OMD for this brief intrusion into your world.
Although I risk my next pint being spiked by sherry in a couple of weeks I'm now going to watch Godzilla beat the living tar out of Mothra knowing your love of all things mothlike.
And a final lesson for all would be promoters etc, always always get your stuff advertised in your interviews so without further adieu check out the following:-
www.lastrockers.com
www.sosrecords.us (where you can buy the defiant album)
www.stutaylorpromotions.co.uk (my own site)
www.myspace.com/vicesquad
www.stores.ebay.co.uk/vicesquadshop
Cheers dave and see you soon mate,if anybody wants to contact me for any reason i can be reached at stutaylorpro@hotmail.com
