The Toot caught up with Dave Shabbath, lead singer and bassist of the up and coming metal group THALIDOMIDE CHILD, fresh off the release of their new album, KKKunts: The Lot of You.
The Toot: So, Dave what bands would you say influenced THALIDOMIDE CHILD's latest release?
Dave Shabbath: “Have you like, listened to Reach for the Stars? And I mean actually listened? Musically it has everything. Drums clearly influenced by Megadeth and Prince. That punchy riff at the start of 'Bring It All Back' reminds me of early Sabaton. It’s not just the music. I think we’re closer to them, culturally, than we are to a lot of other metal bands.
The Toot: What do you mean by that?
Dave Shabbath: Well, most of the other metal bands hang out in dive bars and in grungy apartments. I've rented an office in a lovely part of Southwark for the band to discuss our music and release strategies. We don't need to use it, but it's a chance to really move beyond our current heavy-metal limited group of friends.
The Toot: Is there something necessarily wrong with having a group of friends from the scene?
Dave Shabbath: Sometimes, after a long day in the studio, you just want your friends to not show you their anal piercings after a single shandy.
The Toot: What does the future hold for THALIDOMIDE CHILD?
Dave Shabbath: I’ve been trying to push THALIDOMIDE CHILD towards a musical landscape halfway between Nine-Inch Nails and the Iggle-Piggle theme song.
The Toot: What's stopping you making that dream a reality?
Dave Shabbath: The issue is probably my bandmates. They keep suggesting that I stop listening to a quite frankly inspired mix of industrial noise and bubblegum pop, and start listening to Cradle of Filth. Well, I hate Cradle of Filth. They’re so mainstream. Even Noel Fielding likes them in that episode of the IT Crowd. I think Noel Fielding's a twat.
