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Franklin Fest 2016 - Pre Festival Interview - The Courettes

In the run up to this years Franklin Fest in Edinburgh, our very own Girl in the Garage @ Muso's Guide will be profiling some of the acts taking part, as well as chatting to the organisers and DJ's (or at least the one's who replied to my questions!).   

First up are Brazilian and Danish garage rock duo - The Courettes, who will be playing on Friday 24th June (that's a week on Friday already!) before hot-footing it down to the Big Smoke to play at the Weirdsville club night with Les Darlings on Saturday 25th. 

Daringly describing themselves as 'A blast of Jungle wildness & Scandinavian rock 'n' roll! and ‘Riot grrrl in the garage’. Let me introduce to you Flavia Couri on atomic fuzz guitar and screaming raw vocals, and ‘Beat! Beat! Beat! man’ Martin Couri on loud as hell drums. They are one of the busiest bands on the scene. Juggling gigs and family life, is just a walk in the park... 

Debbie: What are you guys up to at the moment in terms of gigs/releases?

The Courettes will bring the brand new single 'Boom! Dynamite!' + B-side killer 'T-C-H-A-U' recorded at Toe Rag Studios and produced by Liam Watson. And for those who still don't have we're also bringing our debut album Here are The Courettes, released in 2015. Still unreleased split 7' 'Hoodoo Ho' by The Courettes + 'Big Butt Bonnie' by Powersolo is also in our suitcase.

We played this year at The Cosmic Trip Festival in France, the Garageville in Germany, the SPOT Festival in Denmark - from where we got a great review by Rolling Stone's David Fricke  - and we are gonna be at Gutter Island Festival in Denmark and the great Franklin Fest in Scotland. We have one more show in the UK the 25th in London at Weirdsville.

Debbie: For those not in the know, would you like to tell our readers a bit about yourselves? 

The Courettes' history is full of interesting facts! It all began 10.000 km apart. Flavia (from Brazil) met Martin (from Denmark) on a tour in Brazil in 2013 with our former bands and fell in love. Now together in life and music, we are The Courettes! In February this year, two became three with the arrival of our baby boy Lennon (Debbie: sweeet!! congratulations!!). The very day after his birth, we played a show! We went straight from the hospital to the soundcheck. We're always up to some full-speed garage madness!

Debbie: Love it. Why should we come and see you play at the Franklin Fest (if the above is not reason enough!)?

You should come and see us play at the Franklin Fest if you're up to some wild fuzz guitars, go-go rhythms and riot grrrrl from Ipanema screaming! And I bet you never saw a half Danish half Brazilian band before, huh?

Debbie: You've sold me. What you are looking forward to the most about playing at the Franklin Fest?

We are really looking forward to play in Scotland for the first time! And also to play with so many cool bands, it's really a great line up!

We can't disagree with that. Thank you so much to Flavia and Martin for taking the time out to chat to Muso's Guide.

Links for tickets to the Franklin Fest can be purchased here:

http://www.franklinfest.co.uk/franklinfest2015/ticket-sales/

https://www.facebook.com/courettes

https://soundcloud.com/thecourettes

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Les BOF! And Logan's Close - Franklin Rock 'N' Roll Club

  • Published in Live

It’s been too long. This is my first trip out this year to the no-less-than legendary and always welcoming Franklin Rock ‘N’ Roll Club.

As my friend and I approach the groovy green shack, we see Logan’s Close walking in the opposite direction across Leith Links. Finished already? It’s only 9pm, surely not... it turns out they are just off to buy chips. That’s rock 'n' roll people.

It’s 10.20pm before Logan’s Close take to the floor - but that’s okay by me, more time to listen to some top tunes spun by Franklin regular DJ Tony Twoeyes. Finally the beat-ific four piece from Dunbar, a new bass player in tow (the last time I saw them play at the amazing Franklin Fest 2015, they didn’t have a bassist) open their set with a classy cover of ‘What’d I Say’. They continue at a pace with more self-penned numbers ‘Everybody Wants The Girl’ paying homage to a girl they all fancied in school, and ‘Listen To Your Mother’ played with absolutely no hint of irony. They all (bar the new bassist) have a crack at vocals. Drawing comparisons to The Beatles, The Yardbirds and a slurry of other big Beat and R’n’B ‘60s popsters would be too easy, but what the heck.    

They are clearly very talented, and I hear that they have recently appeared on STV, and have a gig lined up in the big smoke. Vocalist Scott Rough has a stunning voice reminiscent at times of Mike Nesmith, and at way over 6ft, he’s definitely omnipresent. However, I am kinda willing them to rough it up a bit - well okay, a lot. They are very clean cut, however I do see devilment in those eyes Mr Rough. The high point (for me) is the mini wig-out during (and I hope I’ve got this right) ‘Where The Blues Don’t Go’ a Lightning Hopkins tune inspired by Them’s ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’. They wrap up quite a long set and encore with beat band standard The Revels ‘Comanche’ and a decent stab at Dick Dale’s ‘Miserlou’.

It’s been at least 8 years since I last saw Les BOF! My recollection of that night is somewhat fuzzy, on more than one level. And tonight they don't disappoint. They give us exactly what we've been waiting for - fuzz, fuzz and more FUZZ. Yes, yes and OUI!! It’s practically impossible not to have a good old shimmy and shake. They are a good time band and make no mistake, they are not afraid to let loose. They are taking us on an exhilarating ride tonight. Vocalist Laurent Mombet (of flippin’ fantastic The No-Things) always knows just what to do to une) get the party started and deux) keep it going on, and on. They are tight, and with wild songs like ‘Ne Me Jette Pas’ the driving ‘P-Club’ and the séduisant ‘Ils Vont Tuer Le R'n'R’ they are really hitting the g-spot (that’s the garage spot ladies and gents!). Did I mention that Mombel sings everything in his native Francais? Oui mon petite pois. It kind of adds to the whole aloof too cool for school-ness, think Jacques Dutronc and Ronnie Bird.

They wrap up a très énergique, excellente and passionnant set with a cover of Plastic Bertrand’s ‘Ca Plan Pour Moi’. The crowd is a sweaty mess, we leave collectively and light a metaphorical Gauloises…          

The Franklin Fest 2016 takes place on 23rd, 24th and 25th June, including a Saturday afternoon special (woooo!). The line up includes the hottest bands of now peddling yesterday’s finest wares. Featuring such delights as the exceptionnel Les Grys Grys!! Hula-hooping ho-dads Oh! Gunquit!! Bovver boot-iful Thee Jezebels!! The fantastiske Courettes!! Spooky space bods The Sine Waves!!! and many more. It’s an international cast, and you would be a FOOL to miss out. Muso's Guide are proudly covering the event, so watch this space during the coming weeks for interviews with some of the upcoming bands. Tickets are selling fast so don’t delay! The full line-up and details of where to purchase tickets can be found here.    

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