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InMe
The best thing to come out of Essex since white
stilettos
It’s
5am on a rainy Sunday morning and I am in a
hotel bedroom introducing the wonders of the
Magic Roundabout to Dave McPherson, lead singer
and guitarist of new rock band, InMe. Dave is
wide eyed with amazement at the small television
screen depicting Dougal and friends on a
“mushroom” hunt. “Is it me or are all the
plants shaped like marijuana leaves?” he asks.
InMe have just finished a blazing set at the
Tunbridge Wells Forum and now everyone have gone
their separate ways to bed or to consume more
alcohol. Dave is sitting opposite me nursing a
tumbler of red wine and sifting through all the
fan art he receives. Dave is both proud and
scared of these items and it’s easy to see
why. There are incredibly intricate pencil
drawings of the band (“I always look like a
girl when they draw me”) to bizarre paper
plate montages (“where do they think up these
things?”)
Dave McPherson, Joe Morgan and Simon Taylor have
exploded onto the music scene with much gusto.
They have had two singles that reached the top
five most-requested videos on Kerrang!
Television. They have supported Puddle of Mudd,
Sugarcoma and SoiL and are now embarking on
their own headline tour, plus they were
nominated for Best New British Band at the
recent Kerrang! Awards. All this and they
haven’t even released an album yet.
Dave McPherson is a quiet guy when you first
meet him. When interviewed there are lots of
pauses in his answers and it soon becomes clear
that he doesn’t like being put on the spot and
talking about himself. Although, later on when
we have had the chance to get to know each other
a little better, Dave opens up and relaxes. He
instigates questions and seems interested in
other people and it occurs to me that he
responds better to inquiries when on a
conversational level. He has a maturity beyond
his years but doesn’t come across jaded as he
confides in me about his reaction to the large
female fan base.
“I find it strange that when I come off stage,
girls are asking me to sign their bras and it
puts me on the spot. I wonder sometimes that
maybe if we were an overweight, unattractive
band that we would have quite the same fan
base.”
But surely the music plays a large part?
“Of course, but it does lean the other way
sometimes and that can be irritating.”
InMe have been playing together for years, both
in a Tonka toys way and a musical one. They
gigged under the name ‘Drowned’ and it was
at one of these gigs that that Music for Nations
A & R department spotted InMe as the support
and signed them immediately. Their influences
range from Pink Floyd (Dave: “one of the best
bands of all time.”), Led Zeppelin, Black
Sabbath to more recent bands such as The
Dillinger Escape Plan, At The Drive In and of
course, the Foo Fighters. Joe Morgan, the
bassist, in particular is a huge fan of Dave
Grohl:
“In my ultimate festival line up I would make
Dave Grohl play with Nirvana, the Foo Fighters
and Queens of the Stone Age. I’d like to see
him sweat, he earns enough money – he could
take it.”
The band are enjoying their first stint
headlining after so long as the supporting act.
Simon Taylor, the drummer, in particular is very
happy:
“It’s really weird being the headlining band
but I’m not complaining. It’s a great
feeling knowing everyone is here to see you.”
Are you sympathetic towards the support bands
after doing it for so long yourselves?
“Definitely, not getting much of a sound-check
and that sort of thing. We have had some great
bands though as our opening act on this tour so
far. It’s our last night with X is Loaded
tonight – they have been great guys, and then
Kinesis join us in Norwich.”
InMe have a very original sound, which is
unusual in a band so young. Even during the
sound-check it’s obvious this band has a huge
talent. This is a time when you see a band in
their rawest, most naked form and any small
fault is highlighted. In this case, however, you
get a fabulous taster of what’s to come.
Dave’s vocals are mammoth compared to his
slight frame and exceptionally distinctive.
“My voice just seemed to get louder over the
years – I never pushed it too far. I don’t
smoke either which is a large bonus.”
Simon is a very talented drummer with all the
easy charm of an old friend. An approachable
chap, it is easy to see why the fans swarm all
over him. Simon takes time to answer all
queries, sign everything thrown at him and
basically stand around and have a bit of a
natter.
“I miss my family when I am on tour but they
are very supportive. It’s very hard being away
from my girlfriend but she tries to come to as
many shows as she can.”
When asked about his reaction to being nominated
at the Kerrang! Awards for ‘Best New British
Band’, Simon gushes:
“It was gobsmacking just being there and being
nominated – that was an award in itself.”
Do you think that the Cooper Temple Clause
deserved the award?
“Definitely, I mean, they have an album out
and are more accomplished than us. We don’t
even have an album out yet and being nominated
on the strength of one single is astounding.”
When I asked what would be the first extravagant
thing they would buy in the future, the response
was unusual for a trio of 19 year olds. Joe
Morgan, the bassist, was particularly responsive
and really thought about each question I asked,
not because he might say the wrong thing, but so
he gave honest answers:
“I would like to buy instruments and start my
own recording studio. There are so many things I
would love to do.”
Can you think of three things that you would
like to do before you die?
“Oh God, that’s a hard one,” confesses
Joe. “I would want to tell everyone everything
I need to.”
Anything else?
“Travel the world, I guess, but the main thing
would be to tell everyone how I feel about
them.”
The live performance itself is incredible - over
one hundred screaming kids, ranging from 10
years old to 20, all crushed against the front
of the stage with their arms outstretched trying
to grab something, anything. Nigel, the
technician is onstage sweating profusely, due to
the sauna-like atmosphere, using gaffa tape to
stick down the microphones, the set list and
assorted wires. “They’ll nick anything that
you don’t stick down – little bastards.”
The screaming grows more frenzied and they are
chanting only one thing: InMe. It is scarily
akin to Beatle Mania although on a much smaller
scale.
The songs themselves are punchy, emotional and
well constructed. The two singles
‘Underdose’ and ‘Firefly’ provoke near
hysteria and suicidal moshing. The security
guards are clinging by their fingernails to keep
the crowd back, their expressions pained as Joe
whips his bass around like a dervish –
narrowly missing bobbing heads. Its frenetic to
say the least – three girls have already
passed out and one has been taken backstage to
be attended by a medic (or to cop a sweaty
after-glimpse of the band).
If you are a true fan of electrifying rock and
roll with a psychedelic edge then InMe are for
you. Dave sings like an angel on steroids with
nods to Jeff Buckley, Eddie Vedder and Tool, as
his hands slide up and down his glistening
guitar. It’s a small stage but Dave and Joe
energetically charge and stamp their way through
a blinding set as Simon ravages the drum kit
with a passion.
This group of talented musicians are going to be
huge, you can see it in their eyes, you can tell
by the queues of fans not wanting to miss out,
and you can recognise it from the music and the
polished performance.
Go and see this band before they stop playing
such intimate venues so, when they are touring
larger and larger sites, you can brag that you
were so close you could see the whites of their
eyes.
Back in the hotel, after the gig, and Dave
wonders aloud at the band’s meteoric success.
“It’s very strange seeing yourself on telly
but it feels right. All of this – it just
feels right.”
The Magic Roundabout theme tune starts up again
for the fourth time and the television flickers.
Dave finishes his wine and yawns: “Damn, this
is such a strange programme.” Indeed, it is
and it’s about to get stranger.
“Time for bed,” says Zebedee. |
