Disfunktional - Featured Artists

Introduce yourselves and tell us what you've been up to recently?

Hi we are Disfunktional a six piece hip-hop electro band officially from Bolton, but band members herald from all the way to Atherton right through Bolton to Bury, so really we are a six piece Lancastrian Band. We all met at College with five of the members having been friends all the way through High School as well. So our bond and chemistry is nine years long with only two and a half years of musical fusion bringing us together on a whole different level. While being at University, live activity has been very rare. Behind the scenes however we have been organizing and writing new material for our debut album which is currently being recorded for the end of Summer before we all go back. All while we are planning to do a few gigs over Summer too!

And how did you get together?The name?
Passion is how we got together. Passion to make music that sounds different, good and pleases as many ears as possible without sounding generic and boring. Obviously we were all friends so we talked and agreed we would try it. The hardest part was the name which someone else came up with. We are considering changing it but no decisions on that have been decided as yet.

Who are your biggest influences?
We have been told one of our songs, White House, sounds a little Chilli Peppers-esque, but we generally get something along the lines of “You guys were good, I don’t know who you sound like, you sound like a massive mix of everything”. We are definitely influenced by the Motown and Disco style. Catchy riffs, whether bass or guitar. The fact we have a trumpet obviously kind of comes from that, some people say is it because of Rizzle Kicks and no, we were influenced by the hay-day of brass in music which was disco, and a little bit of Swing too. There are also individual influences: Outkast, The Gorillaz, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars (LIVE) and Steely Dan (Josh the Bassist and Stephen on Keys)

Which is the one song you wish you'd wrote and why?
Happy Birthday. We would have enforced the royalties whenever it was played on TV or radio. It is the most unsuccessful, successful song ever written. On a serious note? Each member has an individual song they wish they’d written, but like our style as a band we couldn't choose just one.

Here at Designer Magazine we're all about supporting the scene.. which are your fave local bands and why should we check them out?
We would say Heseltine but they, we believe, are playing with Designer Mag in September? They’re a great 4 piece band and great friends of ours. Another band are The Blonde LIps. An all female, rock your effing socks off, 3 piece Rock band. Great energy, great sound, they were on before us at a night last year and they were the best band to perform before us as they set the night going, making it also easier to do our thing comfortably.

What's your biggest promo tips you can give to other local bands? How do you push your band forward?
Regular Facebook updates, one voice, and always look for unique ways to advertise yourselves. Once a month on Twitter for example a ten follower goal is usually our aim like “Over this weekend get us to 100 followers” Then over that weekend post a stream of your most catchy songs and get people to RT it to boost reach. Plus just getting the whole band to do a tenth of the promo tips Designer Mag give each band that plays for them will help massively in a run up to any gig.

What's the best gig you've played to date and why?
A Pirate Party Gig we did at on a beach in Cornwall last Summer. It wasn’t the best crowd due to weather, plus most people were royally sloshed, but the experience was hilarious, plus we enjoy a good dress up. There are videos on YouTube somewhere but we wont bore you with a link, thats our old set.

Where do you go for pre gig food and where do you go post gig clubs in Manchester?
Pre gig food varies between each member, don’t know if every member eats, mostly at home really. Jamie The Vocalist & Pete Lead Guitar both went to the Leo’s Fish Bar up the road from The Dry Bar last time we played a Designer Mag gig. Post gig night out? 5th Ave is always a funny night. The Font if you’re looking for a quiet yet less than cheap night but that is more a Prinking spot. It ultimately depends which student night is at which club as well really.

What do you like most about Manchester?
The variety of events. There is always something going on. Its just a fun place to be. Plus people say Manchester Music is depleted, but from what we see at Designer Magazine gigs thats a load of codswallup.

Best gig you've been to of all time (and why?)
Dependant on members who answered.

Jamie - The final Kid British gig at Sound Control in Manchester. Was just a special gig.
Ian - Newton Faulkner, no reason given.
Josh - Flight of The Chonchords again no reason given.
Stephen - Oasis at Heaton park.
Tom - Biffy Clyro.
Pete - Suppose the fact none of the answers are the same shows the diverse influences of the band.

What one book would you say all of your fans should read and why?
The Band decided there were two books/book collections you should read. Number one all the Narnia books. Two The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak because it made our drummer Tom Canning cry. We can’t be bothered to find out why, so you can if you want. Who said drummers don’t feel emotions eh?

Fave movie or TV show of all time?
As a band I think either Flight of The Chonchords or The Mighty Boosh are collective favorite TV shows. Movie would be a little harder to pinpoint, could be a little known film called Black Dynamite, the soundtrack is awesome and its hilarious.

Which football team do you support?
One of the members says he’s a Bury FC supporter but supports United in the Premiership. Two of the members are full on United fans. Two are Liverpool fans. One doesn’t really care but has an affiliation with United we think, he hates the fact they’re overpaid for “Running round after a bag of air for 90 minutes”. Best match would have to be the ’99 F.A Cup Final against Newcastle for Jamie. A rare 3-1 win for Liverpool vs Napoli is Ian’s stand out game. Stephen’s is Bury’s win over Gillingham which ended 5-4, a poor defensive performance from both teams really.

And finally we're all about the live sweaty gigs - final chance to say why we should check you out live?
We are one of the most visually entertaining bands always moving about, we are something different sound wise.

How six will fit on The Roadhouse stage we don’t know but being among the fans is always fun if need be. We aim to entertain on a new level every gig whether it be through humour, emotion or pure musical encapsulation, we always try to give the best and leave everything on the stage so that fans leave more than satisfied and indifferent audience members leave fans.

We will also be playing a vastly new set to test the new material so that should be exciting for everyone.

And if we want to know more whats your facebook / twitter addresses?
FB - www.facebook.com/dfnofficial
T - @dfn_official
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/phatpigrec

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