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Slap Magazine Article:

a fantastic live show fronted by vocalist Doghouse and spiritual guru Dr Conker, and backed by the multi-talented Flapsandwich (more of whom later),sticksman TheFilth and Johnny NoCash providing mind-blowing visuals.

To label Sicknote as a cult would not do justice to their crossover appeal but there is certainly more than an element of fanaticism amongst the Sicknote ‘family’. To get anywhere near the front at one of their gigs you find yourself battling an army of photographers eagerly documenting the shenanigans on stage. That is, of course, if you’ve already negotiated the (literally) placard carrying entourage, encouraging you with situationist slogans such as “Death Before Employment”, “Benefit Cheat” and, the reason we’re all there, “Celebrate Your Wrong Bits”. Then there’s the onstage dancers led by the enigmatic Dr Conker and including ‘nasty’ Nick Spartacus (of Come Dine With Me infamy). There’s videographer Rev Phil Dread, merchandise lady Flakey
As Fuk, artist in residence NorrisNuvo and numerous others who contribute to Sicknote being an ‘event’.

SLAP first came across the band (by accident, which is always the best way) back in 2007 when they did a boat party to ‘mourn’ the passing of Tony Blair with their song “TaxiforMrBlair”,replete with prosthetic Pinnochio noses. Very Sex Pistols. Very interesting. Made the BBC news don’tyouknow!(CheckitoutonYoutube.) In conversation with Flapsandwich, it transpires that this was early Sicknote successfully breaking out of the ‘Diff.

Flapsandwich is a fascinating character and fulltime media mogul. Band (check); record label – Tantrum (check); re-mixer, or re-rubs as he calls them (check); radio programme – The Sandwich Show (check). Appropriately, he met Doghouse at Whitchurch Hospital (formerly Cardiff
City Asylum) where they hatched their master plan. Originally called Vitreous Humour, they took the unprecedented decision to change their name live on stage (even the band members couldn’t remember it!) and Sicknote was born.
Their unique ‘in the moment’ ethos means they don’t rehearse. “We tried a practice room once, it went against everything we’re about. We like to capture something honest and in the moment without letting too many thoughts get in the way, like trying to capture that drop of genius – and bottle it up – before you over think things. It’s bigger than us, it’s not physical, it’s creativity from the source, we are tapping into something else….”

Flapsandwich triggers loops “live and loose, feeding off the audience and Doghouse’s stream of consciousness lyrics which he channels from a Mississippi Delta Blues Man. No song is ever played the same twice and many songs are made up on the spot on the night”. This stream of consciousness is sometimes delivered via loud hailer – the archetypal tool of peaceful protest. The Filth beefs up the beats and makes a splash with his cymbals.

This unconventional approach applies to the writing process too. The most recent song, “COME ON”, came about as a result of Flapsandwich getting stuck on a roundabout, with car trouble, waiting for a tow. Luckily he had his MacBook with him – “so I plugged it into one of those tape things with the lead coming out of it and cranked up the car stereo system and just busted out this anthem all crystal like and simple but powerful… I was bouncing in the car on the roundabout for about an hour or so and just laid out my new loop into a 5 min track when the pick up truck come…..”. On getting home, he Dropboxed it to Doghouse and, hey presto, it was back in his Dropbox the very next morning! Doghouse had been up all night in conversation with the Mississippi Delta Blues Man again.

But it’s not just soundcloud that gets treated. O no! Hot off the press is a treble Tantrum release on lovely slabs of 12″ vinyl for all you DJs out there – “Death Before Employment”, “”Holy Trinity EP” and latest single, “Benefit Cheat”, which is a paean to the underclass bearing the brunt of these austere times.

Sicknote are an extraordinary and enigmatic happening.

meet the band : meet the tribe : join the tribe