Pink Narcissus have been wowing audiences in Brighton, London and Hastings since 2009 with their unique take on flamboyant rock ‘n’ roll. Combining elements of alternative, glam, punk, cabaret and metal with echoes of eastern European inspired Yiddish and gypsy music.
Though Pink Narcissus are a band of the moment who sound unlike any one else, they are very much part of a creative lineage that stretches back to acts such as The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, Bowie, Jane's Addiction The New York Dolls, The Doors and beyond into Brel, Brecht and Weil.
In the short time since they formed they have headlined gigs for Brighton Live and performed all over London and Brighton including a set on the main stage of Brighton’s Komedia, Brighton's Pavilion Theatre and Standon Calling Festival.
The band took its name from a cult 60’s art / porn film, continuing a tradition of bands named after films that includes, among others, Black Sabbath, Mudhoney, The Misfits and White Zombie.
In 2010 they released their debut EP. They are currently working on 2 music videos and 5 new tracks for release in summer of 2011.
Ladyaslan presents: PinK NarCiSSus
LadyaslanDDTTRH: Do you think Duran Duran deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Pink Narcissus:
Cookie:
Yeah
Cod:
Hell yeah
Spleen:
They wouldn’t be number one on my list, but sure.
Cod:
They’d probably be in my top 5.
LadyaslanDDTTRH: Tell the fans how you came up with the name Pink Narcissus? Tell us about yourself and the band members?
Pink Narcissus:
Spleen:
I had a book on underground cinema and I saw the name of this cult art / porn film from 1970 and liked it. It’s a great film too. Other bands named after films include Black Sabbath and Mudhoney. I thought the reference to narcissism was appropriate as well; I used to masturbate to my reflection.
Cookie:
Well I’m Cookie and I’m a man with a vagina, Pink Narcissus is awesome, we’re like a family.
Cod:
I’m Cod I’m from Daventry, I came down here to go to go to BIMM (Brighton Institute of Modern Music) I shared a house with Paddy and joined the band when their old bassist left.
Spleen:
A mutual friend Dan was our bassist for a time. He introduced me to Paddy but left soon after before the band had even got off the ground so that’s when we found Cod.
I never went to BIMM I moved to Brighton as a refugee …from Hastings.
LadyaslanDDTTRH: What is your favorite Duran Duran song and video?
Pink Narcissus:
Spleen:
I like Wild Boys because it was based on a William Burroughs story and I love Burroughs. I remember the video with them strapped to a windmill when I was a kid, I found it strangely arousing. Duran Duran were more my sisters thing, though she was a big influence on me.
Cod:
Rio ‘cause it takes the piss out of the video’s of the time.
LadyaslanDDTTRH: Tell us about The Pig in Paradise show coming up on the 3rd of Dec
Pink Narcissus:
Cookie:
We’re playing a night called the Blowhole in Hastings and it looks like it’s going to be snowing.
Spleen:
If we can make it there, we’ve had many feet of snow fall last night and most of the UK shuts down when there is snow, apparently the venue has a snow machine booked too.
Cod:
It’s going to be wintery.
Paddy:
It’s going to be cold.
Cod:
And we’re going to be playing two new songs.
Spleen:
Last time we played Hastings the venue was packed out which felt great as it’s my home town. It’s a strange place and I have a love / hate relationship with it. Last Christmas a bouncer there severely injured my arm because I was dancing topless.
LadyaslanDDTTRH: What contributions do you feel Duran Duran has made to the world of music and fashion and their philanthropist efforts in the past 30 yrs?
Pink Narcissus:
Cookie:
Well they invented orange juice but then they invented a kind of grape juice but loads of kids got high off it because it had extract of heroin in it.
Cod:
They are always striving forward with their pop sound working with new people like Mark Ronson to keep things fresh. When they started they spearheaded the New Romantic thing and they’ve influenced so many people like Chino Moreno from The Deftones who are a big influence on our sound.
Spleen:
I think allot of the 80’s New Romantic look was influenced by Bowie’s mid 70’s ‘plastic soul’ phase, though I can see the influence Duran Duran had on the Deftones and the orange juice market as a whole.
LadyaslanDDTTRH: What Duran Duran song would you like to remake if you could and why?
Pink Narcissus:
Cookie:
The song with the one and the two in it.
Cod:
Either Chauffeur or Planet Earth, with Chauffer we could tear it up …or erm, Hold Back the Rain.
Spleen:
I’ve always liked Hungry Like The Wolf.
LadyaslanDDTTRH: How would you describe the music/sound of Pink Narcissus to new fans who have never heard your music before?
Pink Narcissus:
Cookie:
I would describe it as David Bowie meets Rage Against The Machine meets Cookie and Pink Narcissus.
Cod:
David Bowie meets Rage Against The Machine
Spleen:
That was what a DJ called us on BBC Introducing, we were all happy with that.
Paddy:
That’s the best genre, though it’s not even a genre, it’s the only way to describe the mental…
Cod:
…Freak Rock.
LadyaslanDDTTRH: Tell us about your backgrounds….How long have you played in your band? What did you all do prior to Pink Narcissus?
Pink Narcissus:
Cookie:
I was in a kinda bluesy band I’d say.
Spleen:
And you worked for that evil clown who pushes burgers on children.
We formed as a four piece in January 2009. Before That I was in a band called The Flesh Happening and before that I used to do poetry and spoken word and had a book called Depravikazi published. I went to Art College; I haven’t had a proper job in years.
Cod:
I lived in a town called Daventry, was in a band called Hand of Blood. Gigged round the UK played with Hatebreed in Northampton, that was very funny, a take the piss comedy Grindcore band. Then I got fed up with it all and said farewell and moved down to Brighton.
Paddy:
I wasn’t even human. I was in a band called Dungeon of Funk.
LadyaslanDDTTRH: If you could have a sit down with any member of Duran Duran today who would it be and what would be topic of discussion?
Pink Narcissus:
Cookie:
Paul McCartney.
Cod:
John Taylor and how he became an epic bass player.
Paddy:
Cod’s the big fan, he does them karaoke.
LadyaslanDDTTRH: If Pink Narcissus could have their pick of one solo artist and one song writer to collaborate with who would you all pick?
Pink Narcissus:
Cookie:
Oh I wonder, it would obviously be David Bowie wouldn’t it?
Cod:
Bowie
Paddy:
Bowie, Dave Grohl.
Spleen:
We’d all be more than happy with Bowie, though I’d like to do a duet with a female artist; Kate Bush would be top of my list, also Marianne Faithfull , Nina Hagen, Patti Smith, Grace Jones, Yoko Ono or Ronnie Spector. My favorite songwriter is Leonard Cohen.
LadyaslanDDTTRH: Anything you would like to share with the fans? Tour Dates/American/EU Tour Dates?
Pink Narcissus:
Cod:
The world tour hasn’t been worked out yet. We’re currently working on new songs.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Paddy:
And learning to drive.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Spleen:
We have two music videos in the pipeline one is scheduled for next Tuesday weather permitting. As for touring we’re just trying to get our roots down locally for now, at this stage any touring would leave us at a great financial loss.
To Follow Pink Narcissus:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pink-Narcissus/79095593848
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/pinknarcissusband
Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/pinknarcissus
