I've been a member of The False Dots for over 43 years now. If it wasn't for the band, I don't know what I'd be. I have it to thank for my business (we set it up to have a rehearsal space for the band), my wife (I met her at a gig we were playing at The Three Hammers) and my sanity. If I didn't have the band, I genuinely don't know if I'd be here today. One of the things I love about the current era is that bands like us can make videos cheaply and hopefully entertain our fans and friends without huge expense. I've toyed with the concept of buying myself a super duper camera and making high quality videos, but in truth I prefer making them organically on my mobile phone, some of these just started as ideas, clips I took wondering around. The Burnt Oak Boogie started when I took a bus through Burnt Oak and filmed it and thought "This would make a great music video". I then wrote the song. I thought I'd pick my five favourite videos for your entertainment and explain a bit of the back story.. The band have also put together a "True or False" quiz, so we can share a few of the stories of the band with you. CLICK HERE TO DO THE QUIZ. By the way, The False Dots are playing at the Dublin Castle on Weds 23rd November. If you like what you hear (especially the first 2 which are songs we currently play) then please come down. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
1. The Burnt Oak Boogie.
Our latest and most popular video. This has attracted over 2,300 views in less than a month. We did it as a bit of fun, which is what the band is all about. Check it out, it has some great local footage from around Burnt Oak, with some lovely old pictures of the neighbourhood to boot, along with a cracking tune. As I said, this started with a trip on the 302 bus up the Watling. I thought "Why not write a song and make this into a video". When Allen Ashley was in the band, our subject matter was quite serious. I wanted to take the band in a more jovial direction and write about the things in our community that are funny a little bit more. I liked the material we did with Allen, but I feel we've really found a niche for the band with the new material. I have always loved Ian Dury and his songs, which were almost like graphic novels. When he passed away I felt there was a job vacancy. I'm not saying the False Dots are the new Blockheads, but I hope that in some way we are keeping the spirit of Ian Dury alive.
I can remember my Mum and Dad watching Ian Dury on Top of The Pops and to my amazement saying "He's great, you should write songs like that". They recognised the music hall tradition that Dury evoked. I think they realised I wasn't a great singer, but there were musical traditions that my voice would work well in.
2. Sunday in the 70's (2021)
This features footage from Mill Hill in the 1970's along with some of me in a Heinz Baked Beans Commercial in the 1960's. I really love this particular video. This song was inspired by our drummer Graham Ramsey talking about how his mum would always do a big seafood spread on a Sunday afternoon, with crab and a whelks and his mates would all come around for a scoff. It took on a life of its own from there. I had some old Cine 8 footage of the old Sacred Heart Church which was demolished. Ironically all of the footage was from the 60's but hey, ho, I don't have a Tardis!
3. Put me in the Spotlight.
This features the amazing Sudanese singer Connie Abbe on lead vocals. Charles Honderick made this video for us in 2011. The song was used by the Manchester City website for their goal of the month show in 2011. We wrote the song with deliberate dynamic breaks to try and get it picked up for use in a TV sports show. I wrote the chorus as I felt Connie should be in the Spotlight. She wrote the verses
4. Get your knee off my brothers neck (2020).
In the middle of lockdown, the George Floyd story broke. When I watched the news coverage I was horrified. The key message of the song is that you only get change by organising yourself and taking action. Due to the constraints of lockdown, I simply walked up and down Mill HilL Broadway and filmed things that seemed relevant to the song. I then got a stack of newspapers and photo'd the news of the day. Once I'd stuck it all together, I was amazed that it all worked so well. Fil Ross programmed up the drums and I played all of the instruments. I wasn't happyw ith my vocals, so I asked Charles Honderick of The Hamptons to do them. As he's American, it seemed more appropriate. Although the Met aren't angels and there is plenty wrong with them, they are nothing like as bad as the US cops who murdered George Floyd. I simply don't think you can let them get away with this sort of thing.
5. They've cleared out your desk (2016).
My favourite song with Allen Ashley singing. We made this to launch the #KickOutCapita campaign in Barnet. It was the first video we properly story boarded. It tells the story of a man who's life is destroyed when 'cost cutting and outsourcing' destroys his job. Allen Ashley wrote the lyrics and the band wrote the music. I wanted a SKA feel to it. I'm not entirely sure Allen was happy with that, but it was the direction I wanted to go with the band.
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