Lawnmower Deth speak to eFestivals

Download Festival 2014

Friday 13th to Sunday 15th June 2014
Donington Park, Donington, Derbyshire, DE74 2RP, England MAP
£195 for five nights with camping

Daily capacity: 111,000

eFestivals caught up with Lawnmower Deth shortly after their appearance on stage at Download Festival 2014.

How was it playing in front of a Download crowd?

How is it playing in front of a Download?! You know when your team win 0-3 away from home, the night you hadn’t planned out for that just turns out to be the best one, you know that day when Sting says he’s going to pack it in, it’s kind of like that. It’s the best of everything, just smells a bit more, they’ve been in there a few days.

Do you have plans to make a full come back or are you happy that you have done it all and are able to pick and choose what you do?

What is making a come back? We’ve been at this for 5 years now since we started playing again, I think it’s possibly too late for a come back. We don’t feel we have anything to prove. We’re not trying to achieve world domination here, its Lawnmower Deth! You summed it up in the question. We are very happy picking and choosing what to do. If people are kind enough / stupid enough / strange enough to offer us gigs we shouldn’t be playing then yes, we’re pretty happy to consider them. Why wouldn’t you want to play good festivals if people say will you. They’re a blast, and you get to drink shandy and watch bands. You go to festivals for the reason I’m sure, we’re no different, we’ll still fans and want that kind of experience too.

How did you get involved in the SOPHIE Lancaster campaign?

We were asked to do a photo for someone willing to give £20 to SOPHIE. Fine, no problem with that. Before we knew it a whole campaign of goodness bringing out the best in everyone unfurled before our eyes. It’s an honour and pleasure to be working with them, it’s a charity that resonates with us, means something to us and those around us, and anything we can do we will. I’ve been nothing short of mesmerised by the goodness in our community around the work that’s been done here. Its just great. Its not about us, it’s not necessarily about the charity now though of course it’s very much the figurehead, it’s about everyone doing what they’re doing, standing up and showing that intolerance isn’t to be accepted, that you can be yourself, you can be different, you can be individual, without repercussion.

How close are you to completing your kickstarter campaign to re release “Oh crikey its...Lawnmower Deth”.

The completion of the ‘target’ happened a few weeks ago and was smashed. It now means everyone will get their ‘product’ in the next few weeks I believe. It will be good to see Crikey getting a re release, it’s like an old friend that’s been left in the cupboard and got a bit musty. It might look a bit crusty and curled up around the edges, but it still deserves to be let out there. People have been asking for ages for Earache to put it back out there, it’s a lobbyist release this. People power. Well that, or you’ve all forgotten what it sounds like!

Would you ever class yourself as the original Steel Panther?

No. We were around many years before them, but we’re doing very different things. They have hair for a start. Or good wigs. We just a two bit punk rock metal band having some fun.

Do you have any advice for people wanting to start a band and be a success like yourselves?

Stick at it long enough and your dreams will come true. That or just be belligerent and don’t listen to what anyone else says. Be thick skinned, brace your liver, and question the fact there are more profitable career paths. Most importantly don’t be a tosser, always support the other bands around you, and don’t piss off stage crews and security, they’re doing a great job for your benefit.

Also if my memory is correct, back in the 80s when you started out, you used to put adverts in the Kerrang classifieds about your band playing even though they weren’t, just to get the name out and about until you had lots of people interested. If you were starting out as a band today, which crafty tricks would you think about doing to gain some interest?

We only did this once. Or rather Flymo did. He was pissed that no one would book his band Scrawm (who ruled by the way). So he ran a false band, LMD, to get some attention, which worked. Me and Steve wanted to go and see them only to find out he had lied through his generous sized teggies. So Skit from Sabbat put me in touch, we said do it for real, he said yes, and now we’re playing Download. Basically it’s like 7 numbers on the lottery without the cash.

Thank you kindly for doing this interview.

Our pleasure, thanks for asking us.

interview by: Luke Seagrave