About Mad Mush
Mad Mush, Mad Mush, Mad Mush, what can I say about it? I live in Streatham, south London. (Remember that line out of “Stay Free”? “Weekend we’d go dancing, down Streatham on the bus”). That would have been the 109, or maybe the 159. OR 133. If I ever meet Mick Jones, I’m sure to ask him what number that bus was. And I work as a care taker in Elephant & Castle in London, sweeping and mopping. Anyway, my subconscious has been writing tunes since I was 13, and I’ve been recording on my computer at home since 2002. Before that, it was 4 track porta studios and, occasionally, professional studios. I put out an album in 2003, “The Difference”, and another in 2006, “The extra Mohican”, plus an EP in March 2007 on the Creative Commons licence. Promotion has been limited to web release, and a few cd’s to radio stations. Early 2006 I started forming a band, and we gigged around London for a year until I decided to change the line-up and the form of the project. I play pretty much everything on all Mad Mush recordings, except from a few guitars, credited when due’d.
Inspiration comes from pentup anger and frustration. I was hurt as a child and well into my adulthood, and I’m a very sensitive person, so apart from it being my genes/character, that has probably fuelled much of my emotional involvement in justice and oppression. I was brought up a Jehovah’s Witness - I’m still in the faith -, so much of my world view is influenced by the bible. This is commonly viewed with suspicion, particularly amongst my punk peers. I don’t recognize authority in the usual sense; I co-operate with them to a degree because it’s a necessary evil, but I don’t want them here and I hope and believe one day we’ll do without them, and I’m looking forward to it. But the authority of a creator I find completely reasonable.
“A lot of people won’t get no supper tonight
A lot of people won’t get no justice tonight
But remember to praise Jehovah
He will guide you
It’s Armagideon time”
-Willie Williams/The Clash
You’ll have figured by now I’ve been enormously influenced by The Clash. The seventies punk rock scene, Clash, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, Ramones, and it’s Scandinavian ambassadors Ebba Grön and Stockholms Negrer; but I was also exposed to 50’s and 60’s pop music, hit singles, Chuck Berry and everything Beatles, and some of the 70’s disco era - Abba, BeeGees, do a little dance, make a little love - and I listened a lot to Slade - Cum on feel the noize, Rock’n'roll preacher, Old new borrowed and blue, and 80’s mainstream heavy metal in the likes of Ozzy Osbourne (is the end near, when is the final day?), Iron Maiden (despite the zombies) and Judas Priest - British Steel and Hell bent for leather…. I’ve got to stick Blondie in too. I think my own stuff is more Blondie than anything else to be honest. But more than anything I love a good tune, I don’t really care about the bands. Apart from you know who. I also like some avantgarde and pretentious stuff. Talking Heads. And I mustn’t forget U2. And Springsteen. Corporate bastards… Plus Prince, who’s nothing short of a musical genius. I was also tortured by Barbara Streisand and Victor Kilimenko thanks to mum, and I’m sure that negative experiences form you as much as anything positive. “I am a woman in loooove”….. I guess it wasn’t that bad. Dad taught me to play guitar; we played Scandinavian folk music and “Guitar boogie shuffle”.
What else might you like to know? Any new tunes coming up? Always! Any gigs soon? Yeh. Happy? YEH! I am, actually. Happy and lucky…
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"Rock'n'roll"
"Avantgarde"
