AUTOarchives | AUTO6 | warser gate

"WARSER GATE have been around in one form or another for a ridiculously long time. The current lineup is KEITH WARDLEY (guitar, responsible for all 4-track mixing), KEV FLYNN (vocals, lyrics), RICH STOKES (drums, madness), DEAN (bass).

The name WARSER GATE is taken from the name of a street where we had our first rehearsal space; an old warehouse / tailors workshop. The initial foundations for WARSER GATE were laid in, wait for it, 1989 by RICH and KEITH. They jammed and generally fucked about for a couple of years and then were joined by Willis (who dropped in and out for the next two years) on bass. KEV FLYNN joined around 1991, adding vocals to the already distinct WARSER GATE sound. WILLIES left WARSER GATE, enter RICH SINCLAIR, who basically couldn't cope with firstly the 4-track sounds of WARSER GATE and secondly the haphazard, awkward way in which the three of us worked. WARSER GATE were bassless for sometime after RICH SINCLAIR left. On recordings between 1995 and 1997 and maybe even earlier, KEITH has added bass. DEAN has recently joined WARSER GATE with a genuine enthusiasm for WARSER GATE's music. Will he stay or will he go. Only joking DEAN but there has always been something about bassists and WARSER GATE.

Over the years loads of cassette-only releases have been put out on various labels but our first single, "Loaded And Shaken" didn't come out until 1995. GREG of Induce Records kindly offered to release it. The following year WARSER GATE decided to start up their own label (Rafter) and release ALL MY HATES, ALL MY HANG UPS LP. The following year GREG put out a one-sided 7" entitled "OK For Zero".

The response lately to WARSER GATE has been extremely praising with features appearing in zines such as the very influential PTOLEMAIC TERRASCOPE.

WARSER GATE's music: noise, chaos and disorder; angular slanted misguidance; freaky noise-pop guitar wail, crashing drums, lost soul screaming from the abyss, guitar and drums circle in pack formation crooked execution of sheer lunacy collision in a structured world of sound forever on the break of collapse Warped Sounds from Nottingham.

Our latest release is "Karneek Temple" 7" and is distributed in the UK by Cargo, which has helped the group's interest. Side A- "Torched Scrawl," a desperate frightening track. You can get lost in the guitars and crashing drums, with vocals screaming in the distance. It's personally my favorite track to date. I probably wrote the lyrics 2 or 3 years back. Such is the backlog of our material (currently 300+ songs to be mixed). "Karneek Temple" reminds me in some ways of the SUN CITY GIRLS, almost totally instrumental with lyrics shouting "hey, tell me what you are really thinking."

Myself and RICH financed this release and it's shifting very well. It's limited to only 350 but even that low number can be extremely trying to shift. As for the cover to the 7", they are just very peculiar. Images I've found and collaged into a surreal image. No particular relationship to the tracks, just a bit of fun. Playing around with images in a similar fashioin to the way I do with words and phrases which I'm constantly scribbling down. I have piles and piles of books of written down crazy thoughts or not so crazy depending on your state of mind at the time. Room for thought.

Cargo Records are currently distributing our latest 7" and are contemplating taking the ALL MY HATES, ALL MY HANG UPS soon as well.

Very very into the whole damn thing. Constantly networking increasing contacts all the time as a result got a new 7" out on a label in the UK with 70 GWEN PARTY + two other yet to be confirmed bands. Also getting loads of attention in Finland at the moment as well...

Just played a gig in Newcastle last weekend. Play in two weeks supporting PRAM in Nottingham. We had some excellent gigs mainly with the likes of LIGAMENT, MAZEY FADE--those with similar musical interests. WARSER GATE, I have to say, aren't the most prolific gigging band, unlike our recorded output but when we play we put on a good show. We're getting more well known locally but that doesn't really bother me--mass appeal--we've cleared rooms and were transfixed, rooted audiences to the floor. People either love or hate what we're doing. Open mindedness isn't that much in demand I'm afraid to report here in Nottingham or the rest of the whole music scene.

The most memorable gig for me was when we had a college kids band supporting us. The venue was absolutely packed. WARSER GATE opened their set with "Caskets" and cleared the room. It was hilarious--we actually fell about laughing. About 15 or so of our loyal WGaters were there so things weren't that bad. "Caskets" is very much a noise-core effort. We since shifted that song further into the set. WARSER GATE compromise.

Cheap, old but beautifully reliable old thing--Fostex our 4-track. Small and cassette like. Hopefully this will metamorphosis itself into a 8-track digital affair Fostex--4-track, hence raw organic WARSER GATE sounds. We've been to studios...don't feel comfortable. We like doing our own things in our own surroundings.

Our goals musically are to continue putting out records. We've got stacks of tapes to be mixed. I want loads of 7"ers out yet and more albums. To clean up our sound but not the way we record, which is immediate and alive and needs to be for our own sanity.

Two 7"ers in 1998 and more planned soon. Also RAFTER may or may not release split records with WARSER GATE. We'll see..."

WARSER GATE 41 Kenrick Road, Mapperley, Nottingham NG3 6HQ UK