From left to right, Steve, Jon and Marie.

We invite you this month to take a chilling ride with 'Flesh Eating Foundation'. Comprising of three very interesting characters, they have a great attitude, lots to say about music, and there's some big ambition swirling up inside their talented minds! We at Melodrift enjoyed the invitation into their dark world. Would you dare to?

1. Location?

Jon: We are all from a smudge on the map called Stafford, about as far away from the sea as you can get in the UK.

2. How did the band meet/form?

Jon: Steve and I are old school buddies, we've known each other since we were four. A few years after we left school I bumped into Steve on the bus (he was very very drunk). We met up the following Saturday, and the rest is history. Marie joined us a year or so back to fill the hole we had for a keyboard player.

3. Musical style/genre?

Jon: We have been labelled as Darkwave, Gothic, Industrial, and even New Romantic throwbacks. I think those labels give you a flavour of our sound!

4. How long have you been together?

Jon: We have existed in some form with the same name for fourteen years, and we still don't hate each other.

5. What is your favourite music gear/equipment?

Jon: We started off using junk and broken hi fi equipment, and we had some great times. We had to work harder to get a good sound, and having limited equipment forced us to think creatively and experiment. So I could say tape loops, shortwave radios, and a cheap guitar. Or I could say my brand new Nord Rack 2 Synth! It's shiny and it's got lots of knobs.

6. What is the best album/single you ever bought?

Steve: That is virtually impossible but probably my favourite album of the moment would be Dismantled - post Nuclear. Outstanding!
Marie: Happy Days by Catherine Wheel. A few years old now but so emotional it still sends a shiver down my spine.
Jon: The Pixies 'Doolittle' is still my most treasured album, I never tire of it. If there is one album to save from a fire, that would be it.

7. What is the best band you ever heard of?

Steve: Nine Inch Nails - Wolverhampton, Downwards Spiral Tour, closely followed by Rammstein on Mutter Tour.
Marie: A Perfect Circle at Birmingham Academy 2004.
Jon: I'd have to agree with Marie, they were breath-taking. For some reason seeing the Young Gods live in Wolverhampton about Ten Years ago stick in my mind as the best live peformance. Never heard of them? Look them up"

8. If you were suddenly the most influential people in the music industry what would you change about it?

Steve: Rewind the clock twenty years. to before the pre-manufacture of popular artists.
Marie: Absolutely, I agree. Get rid of Pop Idols and Karaoke Pop Stars.
Jon: Seems a standard response from this band! Destroy your Pop Idols! If I could change one thing, it would be to throw the emphasis back on musical and songwriting ability, rather than image. You can keep style in the equation, it's good for a band to have style.

9. What is your philosophy on life?

Steve: Acquire as much knowledge and experience to feed the beast that we will all become. (The new life form at the centre of every black hole that will consume us all someday soon!)
Marie: I'm a christian. So living your life according to God's will is my philosophy on life. Accept people for who they are and always try to treat others as you would like to be treated.
Jon: Oh no, he's off on one again! For me, I try to respect. Respect people, respect their property, and respect the earth. If I could live to that I probably wouldn't go far wrong. I also say live for the moment, you never know what's round the corner.

10. What do you think is important for a band to stay together?

Steve: Equality.
Marie: Friendship.
Jon: Patience! Nah, the key ingredient is fun. If you don't enjoy it there is no point. Oh, and tolerance of each others farts.

11. Whats your most treasured possessions?

Steve: Everything that is not detachable.
Marie: Family and friends.
Jon: I love all my music gear, but if I had to swap it all for the good health and the safety of my family I would. What a mushy answer!

12. What would you like to achieve in 2004?

Steve: World supremacy/Domination.
Marie: Expanding the fan base, maybe getting a deal (only if we keep our integrity) but the most important thing is enjoying the music and playing exciting live gigs.
Jon: I would love to play some of the goth festivals in the UK, but they are such a closed society. (Who you know not what you know). I'll keep trying though. Apart from that, keep having fun with the music. I'm also enjoying collaborating with other musicians and remixing other people's creations, I wanna do more of that in 2004.

13. Where was your most memorable performance?

Steve: The Varsity, Wolverhampton, angry and breaking stuff in front of mom and dad.
Marie: JB's, Dudley. The whole gig seemed to fall into place for both those listening and performing.
Jon: The two gigs above were great fun, but in my opinion we haven't had that one gig with all the ingredients yet. Tight performance, good response and no technical problems. Maybe next time huh?

14. What are your biggest fears?

Steve: Spiders and things becoming detached!
Jon: What do you think he means by 'things becoming detached'?
Marie: Being buried alive.
Jon: Yeah! That might be a little worrying. 'Where am I? I smell dirt..!'

15.Who do you admire and why?

Steve: Myself. Whenever I get a private moment.
Marie: Typical male response from Steve there. I admire God. I don't think I need to expand.
Jon: Anyone who overcomes diversity and decides to carry on. Whenever I hear tales of disabled athletes, blind painters, deaf musicians etc, I am reminded never to get disheartened. Being deaf and partially sighted myself I know it can be easy to just want to curl up in a ball and let the world wash over you. Never!

16. What is your worst or funniest experience whilst performing?

Steve: Red Rose, Rugeley, tight performance and the crowd of fifteen year old Offspring fans just stood there.
Marie: Usual technical problems, specifically vocoder working in the sound check but not working when Steve came to sing. Steve's usual aggressive vocal delivery and silence.
Jon: That was sooo annoying! We got angrier and angrier, and the crowd just ignored us. It is also pretty funny when I headbutted the microphone. Another drawback to being blind and headbanging on stage. I cut my forehead once it was funny.

17. What/who influences your music the most?

Steve: Not knowing what I'm doing influences me greatly.
Marie: Too many people to mention, so I won't mention them!
Jon: I would say each other. It is safe to say we don't really sound too much like our collective influences, how our sound evolved is down to our interaction as people and musicians. We fire each other up and drive each other on.

18. What does success mean to you?

Steve: Commercial success? Probably doing dirty things to bad people and having to compromise musical integrity.
Jon: You up for it then Steve? Success is a personal thing. We already have success to a degree because we are happy in what we do and there are people out there who think it is good. Further success will just be an expansion of this.
Marie: Not comfortable with the world success. Brings images of money and power, which is definately not what makes people happy.
Jon: Well, it would make some people kinda happy, money would be nice, but it is not the primary aim. We have a song with the lyrics 'success, success, success sucks..'

19. What would you like to be remembered for?

Steve: Being partly responsible for a song that will outlive me.
Marie: Being part of something genuine and unique which will make people smile.
Jon: Our music isn't meant to make you smile! Oh ok, you can smile if you want. Steve's right though. We would all like our work to be remembered once all is said and done.

20. What advice would you give newcomers to the music industry?

Steve: Make it up as you go along, don't try to be anybody else, if you know how to play an instrument, unlearn it now!
Marie: Just be yourself, yeah have a good time.
Jon: Yeah, if you have formed a band for any other reason than having fun, you obviously don't get it! If you achieve fame and fortune, that should be seen as a bonus.

Thank you Flesh Eating Foundation for that great insight into your thoughts! We thoroughly recommend you pop over to www.flesheatingfoundation.co.uk for some real sonic pleasure!

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