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Here's an interview with the guy who used to play the guitar in Deep Switch. He's called Reverend Nice and are soon releasing the old Deep Switch album 'Nine Inches of God' on CD. That album is now almost impossible to find on LP, but it's still a real masterpiece. The record got many good reviews, but also some bad. Especially the song 'Poor Bastard!' got very criticised because of the lyrics in the song: "Retarded children should be slapped, the ugly too and the handicapped". That says all about the short-lived cult band from Norwich.
OCTOBER 2004
When were you born?
I was born on probation out of wedlock on the stormy night of 30th October 1895.
Where did you grow up?
I never grew up, I was chained in the attic for most of my childhood, then my parents bought a salt mine in Siberia and moved there for health reasons. I stayed
behind.
When did you start playing the guitar?
I was 17 but I owned one for a long time before I knew how to play anything at all, maybe four years. I just stared at it and wondered how it was done. There was no one to show me anything. When I was 17 I went to Australia and a dude there started me on classical guitar. I did that for about six years.
What are your guitar influences?
Randy Rhoads, Randy Rhoads! - and a dude called Rory Gallagher. Randy is still the best.
Did you play in some other band before Deep Switch?
Yeah, they kicked me out! It was 30 years ago and I wasn't any good so they had to do it. Don't worry, I killed them all.
Can you tell us how
you met the other band members?
I was at a witch burning in Norwich and some of the guys were warming their hands round the fire. We couldn't talk because of the screaming so we went to the pub. Next thing you know we were legends in our own minds.
For how long was Deep Switch in the studio during the recording of the debut album?
40 days (and 40 nights) - If you book that much time you'll use that much time. Simon did all the drums first and then didn't come back until it was nearly done. Gander went next, so I had bass and drums to play to when it was my turn. I took the most time because I did left and right rhythm guitars as separate tracks, and the solos. Dave got up at the crack of noon and wandered in to sing whenever he was ready.
The guys in the band looks quite special on the back cover of Nine Inches of God. For example has Jinx cosmetics in his face and Simon de Montford wears "strange clothes". Why did Deep Switch decide to look like that?
In the early gigs we wore eye makeup but we weren't very good at putting it on. Gander and I always looked like racoons. Pretty soon we dropped all that and just showed up in jeans and T shirts.
When the album was released. What happened with the band then?
This is from the http://deepswitch.net site:
* Tommy Vance (then at BBC Radio 1) loved the album and played it each weekend for a month. He said great things about us on the air and in writing. (Thanks Tommy!) Apparently, the full
colour cover caught his eye at a time when independent bands were using black and white and ransom note lettering.
* ALL reviews were very favourable with the exception of 'Kerrang' who gave us one star. They appeared to be upset about 'Poor Bastard.' We were glad, we didn't want to be among those that were getting five stars, it looked as if
'Kerrang' were either owned by the record companies or in their pockets. 'The Organ' (awesome dudes!) gave us a great review, placing us alongside the likes of Metallica and quite a few bought the album on the
strength of that review.
* Back's Cartel in Norwich placed enough albums nation-wide to cancel our debt to them, but that's all.
* The airplay we received was late, three weeks late in my opinion and the albums we might have sold had already been returned by the stores serviced by the Cartel. To my knowledge, Back's Cartel no longer exists.
* 220 record companies rejected us before we ran out of postage.
How was Deep Switch as live band? Did you wear special clothes on the scene or something like that?
I thought we were a good live band but we were in the wrong place - we should have played in London. We dropped the silly clothes and makeup in the end.
Why did the band break up?
We expected to get signed after the album came out but we were only offered deals that would keep us off the market so that we didn't compete with some other band the label had. We'd have to move to London to try again and we weren't prepared to do that.
What's your
favourite Deep Switch song?
Spinning on the Wheel.
Are you listening to Deep Switch at home?
I have been lately, in the car - damn good album!
What's your three favourite albums?
Back in Black, Metal Church and Night at the Opera.
What are you doing nowadays? Have you got any other band now?
I'm working on a full length rock musical about evil, death, magic, demons and hell. Plenty of blood, lots of awesome Kung Fu and 18 songs. Should be ready in a few months.
Have you still got contact with the other members of the band?
Not a peep out of three of them for the last 20 years but I did contact Simon briefly about a year ago - he’s toured the US with at least one band and he’s still drumming.
Do you think it's possible that Deep Switch will do a reunion?
Sounds like fun but I haven't seen the dudes for nearly 20 years and we're in different countries. If we get together it will probably be for drinks in the pub.
Pictures taken from http://deepswitch.net
Interview by Pigfeeder and Gorgon.