Thanks so much to John for the interview! A few weeks ago he got in touch through the blog and I didn’t doubt a minute to ask him if he’d be up for an interview about his old band Peppelkade 14 who released a wonderful 12″ EP back in the 80s. There is very little information about the band on the web so I’m very happy to have learn many more details about this obscure band who was also part of the legendary compilation “Manchester North of England”! Time for you to discover them!

++ Hi John! Thanks so much for being up for this interview! How are you? Are you all still in touch? Still making music?

I’m good thanks, sadly I’m no longer in touch with any of Pepplekade 14. I’m still making music when I get the chance my last recordings were under the moniker of Giant Star. Our most recent track ‘Head‘ can be seen on youtube.

++ Let’s go back in time. What are your first music memories? Do you remember what was your first instrument? How did you learn to play it? What sort of music did you listen at home while growing up?

My first musical memories was the stuff my mum and dad played ranging from the Drifters, Abba, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. I got into the Beatles, the Specials and the Stray Cats when I was about thirteen which made me want to learn the guitar. I had a few lessons but also picked a lot of it up myself by hours of listening and experimenting.

++ Was Peppelkade 14 your first band or had you been in other bands before that? What about the rest of the members? If so, how did all of these bands sound like? Are there any recordings?

My first band really was a psychobilly band called the Toy Town Trio we released a couple of tracks on a Lost Moment Records compilation in about 1985 when I was about 17. Mick Carroll was the singer and Bass player in that band and we went on to form Pepplekade 14 in about 1986. We added Nick Redshaw and Darren Pemberton releasing a track called Uptown on the Manchester North of England compilation album that has become quite a landmark album in many ways.

++ Where were you from originally, Manchester?

All the members of Pepplekade 14 are from Manchester.

++ How was your city at the time? Were there any bands that you liked? What were the good record stores? Or what about the pubs or venues to go check out up and coming bands?

This was just before the Madchester scene so the place was grey and dreary but there were great clubs and venues. The Berlin club on King street West, Cloud 9 just off Cross street and venues like the Band on the Wall, The Gallery and the Boardwalk where you could play gigs. There was even gigs at small bars like Corbierre’s I remember we played there and also seeing the Waltones there a couple of times.

++ When and how did the band start? How did you all meet? How was the recruiting process?

The band started around 1986. As I said me and Mick Carroll were in a Psychobilly band together and although lots of fun, musically the genre has limitations. We decided to start a new band and I met Nick ‘Reggie’ Redshaw in Corbierre’s bar and he happened to be a drummer and knew a bass player called Darren Pemberton so that really formed the band. Mick on vocals, myyself on guitar with Nick and Darren on drums and bass.

++ Were there any lineup changes at all?

No not really Sarah Marion joined briefly to play keyboards and do backing vocals but she left when she went off to university.

++ What’s the story behind the name Peppelkade 14? Does it have to do with a road in Houten, Netherlands?

Ha ha apparently it is the address of a brothel in the Netherlands where one of Reggie’s mates left his jacket on a particular night. We were struggling for a name and the story came up about the brothel I think he wrote to them to get his jacket back and someone suggested the address would be a good band name and nobody came up with anything else so it just sort of stuck.

++ Having a Dutch name, I would love to know if you played or visited that country? Or is it still in the bucket list?

No we didn’t your previous question is the only Dutch connection we had.

++ How was the creative process for you? Where did you usually practice?

Myself or Mick would write the songs we would then rehearse in the cellar of a pub near the Cathedral in Manchester called the Pie & Ale House. The landlord didn’t charge us and we did the odd gig there as a thank you.

++ You were around in the late 80s and in the UK there was a great explosion of guitar pop bands, why do you think that was? Did you feel part of a scene?

I suppose there was a bit of a scene but nothing too definable compared to what followed in 1989 in Manchester. We were all influenced by very eclectic tastes. Personally I loved everything from Northern Soul, Reggae and Jazz to the Smiths, the Clash and Talking Heads. I was really influenced by the clubs we used to go to I would often here a song and go and ask the DJ what it was then make it my mission to get a copy of some description. Tunes like Keep on Keeping on by Nolan Porter and Here I come by Barrington Levy I discovered that way. I still play them all the time today.

++ And who would you say were influences in the sound of the band?

The Smiths as we were always accused of trying to sound like them when really Mick just had a lot of the inflections and tone in his voice that Morrissey had. I think he got that sick of it he tried hard not to sing that way. But lots of stuff I liked the Ska and Mod things, I remember Reggie listening to Big Audio Dynamite a lot. Martin Stephensons’s album “Boat to Bolivia” was also very influential on us at the time.

++ As far as I know you only released one record, the “Time Flies” 12″ which is fantastic. I do have a bunch of questions about it. For example who where Top Shelf Records who put the record out? How did you know them? And how was your relationship with them?

We put it out ourselves Top Shelf Records was just a name we came up with based on drinking from the top shelf of a bar i.e. the optics.

++ I couldn’t find any other releases by them but then your catalog number was 031! You know why?

We recorded it at Cavalier studios and it was the 31st vinyl they had released from that studio that’s where the number came from.

++ Who made the illustration for the cover art? Do the drawings depict the band members?

It was Darren the bass players dad who drew the cover based on a photograph of the band. I think the drawing is great but was always felt it was a bit corny as a record cover.

++ Where were the songs recorded? What do you remember from the recording sessions? Any anecdotes that you could share?

Recorded at Cavalier studios in Stockport in all honesty I can’t remember too much about it I’ve been in too many studios for too many years I guess.

++ I definitely want to ask too what’s the story behind the title song, “Time Flies”? It is such a brilliant song!

Mick wrote that song I think he was a few tears older than us and I guess he was approaching 30 and felt like time was whizzing by and he needed to get to his destination in life as fast as possible. But that’s just me surmising.

++ You appeared on the great compilation “Manchester North of England” that came out on Bop Cassettes. This record included bands like The Railway Children, The Waltones, Bradford, etc. How did you end up on it and where you friendly with any of the bands on it?

Sarah Champion the M.E.N music journalist at that time heard our demo tapes and asked us if we would appear on the album. Of course we jumped at the chance. We met a few of the bands and generally got on well with everyone I think we had a few shared gigs with some of them.

++ And did you appear on any other compilations?

No that was it really.

++ I suppose you must have many unreleased songs, is that so? Maybe in demo form or perhaps studio recordings?

I have some tapes somewhere of a few songs we wrote a lot more then we recorded.

++ If you were to choose your favourite Peppelkade 14 song, which one would that be and why?

Probably a few songs. Uptown off the Manchester North of England compilation I always liked that track think it was quite unique. Plus two other songs called ‘The Boy’ and ‘Collete’ I have them on cassette somewhere great songs though.

++ What about gigs? Did you play many? All over England?

Mainly in Manchester we did a few in London and a few record company auditions.

++ And what were the best gigs you remember? Any anecdotes you can share?

I remember supporting James at the green room in Manchester and supporting They Might be Giants at the Boardwalk where they were quite horrible towards us prior to the gig which our mates got to hear about. As it was a Manchester gig the crowd was full of people we knew I remember us getting a rousing reception anf They Might Be Giants were roundly jeered because of how they treated us.

++ And were there any bad ones?

Many bad ones the Sound Garden in Covent Garden London was terrible I seem to remember we were accused of stealing their drum kit and the police called over to check our equipment. I think they thought it was us because we were Northeners.

++ When and why did Peppelkade 14 stop making music? Were you involved in any other bands afterwards?

I genuinely can’t remember. Mick left the ban and I don’t know why. Me, Reggie and Darren started a short lived band called No Prisoners with a guy called Paul Maher. We had one release on a compilation album on Imaginary Records called through the looking glass with a cover version of Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones. I then went off and opened a recording studio myself and started making more soul influenced music with my friend Barrington Stewart.

++ What about the rest of the band, had they been in other bands afterwards?

I’m sure they have but I sort of lost touch with them all around about 1994 so I don’t know the details.

++ Has there ever been a reunion? Or talks of playing again together?

It would be fun to do but I’m not in touch with any of them If they read this then you never know.

++ Did you get much attention from the radio? what about TV?

John Peel played the Time Flies E.P. a lot which was great for us.

++ What about the press? Did they give you any attention?

Local press yes I remember Mick Middles giving us a great review of a gig in the Manchester Evening news.

++ What about from fanzines?

Not that I’m aware of but I never used to read them.

++ Looking back in retrospective, what would you say was the biggest highlight for the band?

I always love recording so much so I opened my own studio and still have one today in my house. So for me recording and the night we supported They might Be Giants when we blew them off the stage.

++ I read that one of you went by the name Bombo? Who is that? And that he was a big Manchester City fan. What about the rest? Which teams did you follow?

That would be me. The other three were United fans although I do remeber Reggie attending the Man City v Huddersfield game with me when City won 10-1 because he was at a lose end. He nearly turned that day!

++ Aside from music, what other hobbies do you have?

Follow Man City and music that’s it really for me. Love to travel when I get the chance.

++ I’ve been to Manchester once, but it is always good to hear from a local for some recommendations! What are the sights one shouldn’t miss? Or the traditional food or drinks that you love that I should try?

Band on the Wall or Matt & Phreds for live music always love it there. Corbierres bar I still love their jukebox introduced me to so much music in the 1980’s like Gil Scot Heron and Dave Brubeck that I still listen to today.

++ Anything else you’d like to add?

Yeah, thanks for taking an interest in a long forgotten band. Also check out Giant Star on you tube we have a few songs on there such as “Head”, “Happy Pills”, “Year of the snake” and “England’s Burning”. The Giant Star album Year of the Snake is on iTunes and a new album fields will be released next year on vinyl as I’m starting a vinyl only record label.

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Listen
Peppelkade 14 – Time Flies