THE
BASICS
Name : Johnny Cooke
Band : Dogs
Job In Band : Singer/Songwriter
Website Address : www.dogsmusic.com
HOME
Hometown : London
Hometown is best known for : Charles Dickens, Jack
The Ripper, The Clash
Best venue in your hometown : The 100 Club
THE BAND
How long has the band been going? We’ve been
Dogs since 2004, but 3 of us (Luciano, Duncan and myself) had been
mates since we were kids playing music together in different guises
through the years.
Many lineup changes along the way? The original drummer
(Rich) and rhythm guitarist (Luciano) have gone their own ways but
have been more than ably replaced by Paul Warren and Kevin Iverson.
We’ve been very lucky to find those two, both very talented
chaps. Funny fuckers too.
How would you describe your sound to the average person on
the street? Like a storm trying to get out of a box.
What's your most recent release? Tell us a little about it...
We’re just about to release the ‘We Are The Dogs EP’
on our own label ‘Moths’. It’s quite different from
the earlier stuff, more melodic, more rock, less punk and better musicianship.
It’s also quite melancholy, I can’t seem to steer my pen
elsewhere these days. It’s been a messy few years I suppose,
for a lot of people.
Got a favourite track that you have released so far?
Our debut single ‘London Bridge’ will forever have a special
place. ‘By The River’ off the second album does it for
me, very nostalgic. Currently ‘Long Walk Home’ is hooking
me up, I can’t get enough of the outro, Rikki has nailed the
guitar riff on that. So no. Always changing.
OFF THE STAGE
What was your first introduction to music that made you think seriously
about playing it? I have two brothers much older than me
that were mad on The Jam. I didn’t like it too much at the time,
it sounded a bit agro to a little kid but I worshipped my brothers
so I learnt to love it. Then one of them took me to the record stall
on the market and bought me an old copy of ‘Senyatta Mondatta’
by The Police, my first album, and holding that record was a revelation.
How could so much skill and passion exist on a bit of black plastic?
But it wasn’t until I was thirteen that together with Dunc on
bass we decided that we could do it ourselves. We’d seen a band
from a few years above in our school called ‘The Frantics’
who were covering The Wedding Present and The Smiths and it all of
a sudden looked accessible. Everything and anything became possible.
What was your first band name, and what style did you play?
We were ‘The Screaming Embryos’, and we covered The Jam’s
‘Batman Theme’, ‘The House Of The Rising Sun’,
‘Johnny B Good’ and ‘Exit’ by U2, as you do.Most
prized music related item you own?I was a drummer originally and am
gutted to say I sold my most prized 1959 blue oyster ‘Ringo’
Ludwig kit because I was totally skint a few years ago. Now it would
be a heavyweight vinyl copy of our debut ‘Turn Against This
Land’.
The thing you most look forward to just before a tour is...
Getting out of London for a bit. It can close in on you sometimes.
And huzzing stones into the sea.
The thing you least look forward to before a tour is...
The travelling, it’s dull bloody agony with a hangover. And
you’re always hungover.
When you’re not doing band related stuff, what are you
usually found doing? Reading un-popular science like Richard
Dawkins (hero), philosophy or fiction, boozing in the pub, playing
cricket.
ON THE STAGE / ROAD
Best rider item you've ever received without requesting it?
Generally if you don’t ask you don’t get in England. We
once had what looked like a Victorian feast in Austria though. Mountains
of meats and fruits, rivers of beer and suckling schnitzel pigs.
Favourite place (city/town/country) you’ve toured…
and why? Tokyo because it’s Mars. We were like toddlers
gawping at everything, it really is lazer beams and robots. Then down
the next street it’s hoof footed geishas, paper swans and golden
spiders. Brilliant.
Most memorable show you've played? and why? We played
to a sell out room at the University of London in 2007 supported by
a Paul Weller solo set, he then joined us on stage at the end for
a cover of ‘A Bomb In Wardour Street’. That was pretty
special as you can imagine.
Worst 'guilty pleasure' artist / song you've come across on
a bandmates iPod? We’re all ok on that score really,
no closet Keane fans here.
Who in your group has the worst “bad habit” on
tour, and what is it? That could have been me, it’s
not a habit but I used to talk, shout and sing in my sleep. The old
drummer reckoned I woke him up once shouting that “some of the
best Italians in the world used to drive purple vans, yes yes yes
yes yes yes yes………. no’’. Generally
though, we’re all as bad as each other.
RIGHT NOW
Where are you? In my bedroom in London, some Ian Mckellen
movie on the telly.
What's the last song you listened to? Our song ‘The
Floor fell Away’.
Which band or album is currently rockin' your world?
I love the ‘Friendly Fires’ record, a class piece of work.
Tell us a band we should all go and listen to right now?
If you don’t already know it then listen to ‘Midlake’s
‘The Trials of Van Occupanther’. It’s all I listened
to for a year and it’s beautiful.
IF ONLY...
If you could pick any one album to cover from start to finish,
what would it be and why? Fishermans Blues by The Waterboys.
Because I have loved it consistently and deeply since I was a kid.
Because it’s part traditional Irish music, miles away from what
we know and that would make it worthwhile.
If you could pick any one band / artist to cover one of your
albums from start to finish, what would it be, and why? Mazzy
Star. I’d love to hear Hope Sandoval wrap her lungs around our
stuff, it would be bizarre. Or Tom Waits for the same reason.
If you could pick one band to re-unite so you could play a
one-off show with, who would it be, and why? It would have
to be The Jimi Hendrix Experience just so we could all sit there and
gawp at that ridiculous genius. Did you say re-unite or re-animate?
One big tour, you can take two currently active bands to support
you, who would you choose, and why? I’d take ‘Scouting
For Girls’ so we could destroy all their equipment and terrorize
them into never ever making music again ever. Then I’d take
‘John Cooper Clarke’, while he’s still standing,
so he can make us laugh every night after a tough bloody drive. |
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::: INTERACT :::
