Extricate first encountered Sir-Vere when they headlined a jam-packed line up of Wall of Sound-affiliated live acts at Birthdays in Dalston. Among the many things to love about this trio of Milton Keynes misfits was the way they seemed the very opposite of the studied cool that their hipster-friendly surroundings appeared to demand of them. A shaven headed man in an x-rated t shirt stood behind the decks, one ear of his headphone clutched to his ear, as a syccession of crashing breakbeats, bleeps and rumbling basslines poured forth. To his right, cloth capped, bearded guitarist Gary Morland alternated between overdriven power chords and superfly funk licks, while front man Craig Hammond stood centre stage, throwing menacing, effect-laden vocal pronouncements into the resulting collision of sounds.
It's a sound that could only really have been concocted away from London and its legions of subcultural tribes, where every sub-genre is catered for. Sir-Vere sound more like the product of that one alternative space that exists in most towns and smaller cities, that bar or pub or club that acts as the only refuge from mainstream pop culture. Where you'll hear Prodigy or Kraftwerk on the jukebox one minute, AC/DC or Metallica the next, where Kraftwerk and Killing Joke rub shoulders with James Brown or Parliament on the playlist.
All of which is particularly relevant when it comes to their latest single 'Night Time', the teaser for their September-scheduled 'Psychoballistic Funk' album. The lyrics revolve around a weekend spent embracing smalltown delights to the full – jumping in taxis, hitting dancefloors, getting wasted and pursuing objects of desire, in this case a mysterious woman just back from Milan who plays her Rickenbacker “like Johnny Marr.”. The simple pleasures in life, basically.
That's all set to a soundtrack that's every bit as riotous and unrestrained as their live show. Rampaging live drums processed with precision, guitars that sound closer to explosions than melody and vocals with just a whiff of the late, great Mark E Smith. It’s an irresistible combination whatever time of the day or night you encounter it, and one that’s got us salivating at the thought of their impending long player. Sir-Vere, we salute you Sir!
Text by John Robbins July 2018
Photo by Frazer Waller
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