Define your genre in five words or less.
Rock’n’roll.
Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, what do you reckon people will say you sound like?
We like to think we sound like the bastard child of Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones. Although a South African friend of mine recently described us as Roxette crossed with The Who, so who knows.
What do you love about making music?
Everything.
What do you hate about the music industry?
The politics. Like in most industries, the ability to the play the game and to market yourself have become more important assets than any particular aptitude for the craft. The cream doesn’t always rise to the top. Also the short sightedness. The industry seems to focus heavily on what is “now” or “fashionable”. Any idiot could tell you that fashion is fluid, yet music’s money men seem to value today’s dollar more than tomorrow’s, even if it is to the detriment of the very product they’re supposedly championing.
What can a punter expect from your live show?
Energy, spontaneity and an irrepressible urge to take off their pants and dance.
Which band would you most like to have a battle/showdown with?
Not to question your questions, but how exactly does one band battle another? If it was in a ring or The Hexagon, I’d back us against any other band.
What inspires or has influenced your music the most?
Personally, the fact that the lads and I are actually making music inspires me to make music. It’s easy to get lulled into a sense of security and contentment working a “proper” job with steady pay and all of the other perceived benefits. Not to mention the societal pressures on everyone to choose this path. All five of us have lived that life and all of us felt thoroughly unfulfilled at the time. I’ve always admired people who choose to pursue what they love, even in the face of financial hardship. As Tommy always says, why would you need to retire if you’re doing that you love?
Why should everyone come and see your band?
Because Zuzu Angel is not about being hip or part of a scene. We’re not content to let fly by night fashionistas dictate musical tastes and we strive to bring groove, soul, heart and balls back to popular music. Rock ‘n’ roll is our way of saying “fuck you” to the beautiful people trying to tell us how to dress, what to eat, how to think and what is cool. They can keep all of that, we’re going to have a good time.
