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Steve Gullick knows grunge music. What is even clearer
though is that he’s seen it. In fact chances are he’s
the reason you saw it too, or have done since – pretty
much every picture that came out of Seattle during that
disorderly era and was worth looking at had him behind
the lens. It was he and infamous writer Everett True
on assignment from the late, great Melody Maker that
essentially brought the phenomenon back to Europe (and
it was they that also more recently set up cult self-destructing
music mag Careless Talk Costs Lives – Gullick
went on to edit the innovative photo-centric Loose Lips
Sink Ships). Well, turns out he heard grunge fairly
well too. From the hyperactive two-short-plank riffing
of early Nirvana, to Dinosaur Jr’s laconic fuzz-splurges,
to Mudhoney’s sack-o-bricks lurches and Tad and The
Melvins’ ear sludge, the album ‘Tenebrous Liar’s
Last Stand’, from his band Tenebrous Liar, is a
veritable inventory of that era in American underground
music. And not just that, it’s catalogued damn well
and in such a way that they can probably count Nick
Cave’s Grinderman and whatever band Mark Lanegan is
involved in this week as current peers. So, yeah, either
he knows grunge music or the American Indians were right
and the camera does steal your soul. On this evidence
he’s got a few bags full.
Where are you now? What can you see?
Back room, looking at the bass amp I just bought & listening
to it make noises it shouldn’t be making...... Oh well,
just another element to the live sound of the band.
What was the last thing you ate?
Beans on toast at 11.30 am
What was the last album you bought?
New Kings of Leon LP, don’t know what it’s called. So
far I’ve listened once & was fairly underwhelmed......a
good starting point for the next listen though. Before
that it was the Glasvegas album and ‘Blood & Chocolate’
by Elvis Costello, both of which I love.
What was the last movie you saw?
I watched that Spoof of ‘Walk the Line’ last night....the
Dewey something story with the bloke out of Talladega
Nights......some funny bits and some really great songs,
I enjoyed the appallingly bad impressions of The Beatles.
What are you most looking forward to?
Playing the album live as loudly as absolutely possible.
Who are you most indebted to?
My parents.
What was the last thing you liked that you saw on
TV?
I hate TV, we got the IT Crowd on DVD, that’s great.
Where or how do you feel most comfortable?
In bed
What would you class as your most defining moment?
Being born
What are your plans for tonight?
I don’t have any.
Relevant sites:
www.myspace.com/tenebrousliar
James Berry for Crud Magazine 2008©
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