It’s pretty common for bands to livestream sets to Facebook or YouTube. It allows people who aren’t able to get to live shows the ability to experience the show for themselves. They might not be able to soak in the smell of stale beer and sweat, or suffer the joy of tinnitus the next day, but they can still see bands performing their hits, all from the comfort of their sofa.

Pirate Studios recently put on a special event with two up and coming bands, Gaffa Tape Sandy and itoldyouiwouldeatyou playing at their London studio, streamed directly to their Facebook pages. Both bands are steadily making waves within the scene, having played multiple festivals throughout the summer and releasing EPs to critical acclaim. We at Punktastic felt it important to bring them both to your attention so we hauled in itoldyouiwouldeatyou vocalist Joey Ashworth and guitarist and vocalist Kim Jarvis, bassist and vocals Catherine Lindley-Neilson and drummer Robin Francis from Gaffa Tape Sandy.

While both bands grew up in quiet countryside towns, they’ve since flown the nest to busier cities. With itoldyouiwouldeatyou based in London, Gaffa Tape Sandy have ventured south from Bury St Edmonds, landing on the sunny shores of Brighton. And while there may be a vibrant culture on the south coast, it’s not all rosy, with Jarvis stating “the tap water in Bury is like nectar compared to Brighton. Robin and I sometimes have whole meals made entirely out of water”, very much tongue in cheek.

Jarvis and Francis met at West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds while both studying music and have been playing ever since. It’s a partnership that seems to work well, with Francis providing the driving drum beats over Jarvis wailing vocals and screeching guitars. Ashworth also met members of his band at College, introducing himself to bassist Ollie Greville and their old keyboard player Luke Prosser at Goldaming College. “I met Josh (See, guitarist) through a mutual friend when we were a bit younger. We’d just play Fall Out Boy and The Dear Hunter covers. It’s actually our 10th anniversary that Josh and I have been writing together, which is lovely” states Ashworth. Considering how young both these bands are, a ten year anniversary of the core itoldyouiwouldeatyou members writing together is no mean feat. It proves what it takes to break through these days: hard work, determination and a togetherness.

With Ashworth stating the scene in Godalming, Surrey, where he grew up was “pretty much dead,” the same couldn’t be said for Gaffa Tape Sandy’s Bury St Edmonds. “The scene is great, there’s a local gig night called Washing Machine that’s always pretty packed out. There’s also Bury Sound, a yearly band competition. The emphasis is less on the actual competition and more on just supporting local music” Lindley-Neilson reflects. “We wouldn’t have formed as a band without it” adds Francis. “As John Peel once said all those years ago, Bury St Edmunds is the new Seattle.”

You might think that with both bands touring, gigging, writing and promoting incessantly, it would leave them in a bubble that doesn’t allow them time to catch up on new bands other than the ones on their doorstep. And yet, both have the utmost respect for Idles, with both Ashworth and Francis expecting their upcoming album ‘Joy as an Act of Resistance’ to cause the band major exposure. With Gaffa Tape Sandy having toured with Idles in the past, Francis admits he’s a huge fan. “I’m a massive fan boy. We’ve supported them twice now and we got the second support slot because our manager told the promoter how much I love them. But they’re lovely guys, super nice and tame off stage. They’re just maniacs on stage”. It’s this level of respect that is likely to propel both bands to new heights. While Lindley-Neilson is quick to point out Indoor Pets as their ‘tour parents’ “who’re really kind and super understanding, even when Kim fired a confetti cannon during their set at the wrong time on the opening night”,  Ashworth commended Cassels as being “just lovely people, walked us through it all”.

Touring can be hard work. On the road for extended periods of time, away from the luxuries of home. It’s a pretty gruelling lifestyle, and one that’s not particularly easy on the gut (or wallet). But there’s one thing in common that both the bands rely on when it comes to the touring diet, and that’s hummus. A staple for both, either spread in wraps or used as a dip for Quorn cocktail sausages. Jarvis believes Quorn cocktail Sausages are “a bit more grown up than your usual cocktail sausage”, with Ashworth agreeing. “They’re a better life choice. If I told my mum I had eaten a whole packet of cocktail sausages, she’d worry. But Quorn ones? That’s fine”.

Now while this may seem like an irrelevant piece of information, it’s just another example of the humour both pride themselves on. While their music may be serious, the musicians are down to earth, good humoured people. When asked the classic interview question ‘If you could add one mythological beast to your line up, what would it be?’ both bands strongly considered the options before coming to a verdict. It’s a question they could’ve both passed off as pointless bollocks but all members took it in good humour before admitting the additions. For itoldyouiwouldeatyou, it’s the Babadook. For Gaffa Tape Sandy, either a miniaturized Kraken (to make load-ins more convenient) or the Minotaur, who Lindley-Neilson believes would provide excellent backing vocals. I can’t argue with either of those.

Fans of the band may recognize where the name itoldyouiwouldeatyou came from (There Will Be Blood), it’s a bit more difficult to nail down the origin of Gaffa Tape Sandy. It’s a question that gets thrown at the band regularly, often causing some disappointment. As a result, they’ve now started telling elaborate, off the cuff lies to account for a more exciting origin. Francis professes he “went on holiday in America and was in a hardware store when a woman who looked a lot like a young Olivia Newton John picked up a roll of gaffer tape.” Is this the truth? Who’s to say, but it’s certainly convincing enough for Ashworth to believe it. Well, half believe it, half hope it’s true.

As a closing statement, Lindley-Neilson confirms the release of the latest single ‘Meathead’ will be out on vinyl, something speculated by fans of the band, as well as a new EP in the near future. “We’ll also be hiring biker gangs to scream the lyrics of our latest singles at cafes and restaurants that’ve left their windows open. It worked pretty well for our debut EP so we’ll try that again.” Ashworth also confirmed new material, with the release of a new music on the horizon. “There’s a line of bespoke bedazzled jeans that say things like ‘Bad Boy’ and ‘Boner Police’ on them as well as our new ‘Get Terrified’ EP – Out Now.”

And with the trademark humour both these bands have in abundance, Ashworth closes off with “also dear reader, please buy t-shirts from itoldyouiwouldeatyou and Gaffa Tape Sandy because we need to fuel our high energy and frankly unsustainable lifestyles”.

ANDY JOICE