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The band band with flavour flavour >> Double your pleasure with Icelandic art-pop collective Gus Gus
by RUPERT BOTTENBERG
Duran Duran: Took name from the film Barbarella. Five pretty boys in lots of makeup with hair engineered by NASA. Made softcore porn video for "Girls On Film." Singer got fat and bought a jolly sailboat. Gus Gus: "We took our name from an arty-farty film called Fear Eats the Soul, by the German Fassbinder, and changed couscous, the fashionable African supplement for fries, to Gus Gus--the way "couscous" is pronounced in the film is too sexy to comprehend. We're several pretty boys and a girl, all with makeup and funny hairdos (both on head and face) engineered by nobody at all. We actually started out as a film crew making a softcore erotic short, and one of us is fat, but no boat in sight yet."
Mr. Mister: Had a song called "Broken Wings." That's about it. Gus Gus: "One of our all time favourites--Gus Gus has a special Mr. Mister day every year when we address everyone we meet as "Mr. Mister." Our song "Believe" was totally inspired by "Broken Wings," and it's a great tune. It's built upon the fantasy that although your wings and dreams are broken you can still "Believe" that you can fly on those stoned wings... hmmm, maybe that was another song called "Those Stoned Wings." Anyway, great band, great song and one of the most popular bands in Iceland since the Beatles. They even played here twice, fabulous concerts..."
The The: Effectively a one-man-band, lousy live rep. Mixed technopop with C&W, African music and other stuff. Got the guy from the Smiths to play some guitar. Last album was a tribute to Hank Williams. Gus Gus: "We tried to be a one-man-band but that just didn't work out for some reason and we ended up being nine. On the other hand, we're the best live band north of the Alps (Matt should have gotten more people in his band), although we don't have a guitarist as skilful as that Smiths lad. We're into country, I'd say, and other stuff... yes, definitely other stuff, no doubt about it, and Africa, we know all about that. We're about to make a tribute film about Hallbjorn Hjartarsson, who is the brightest C&W star in the North Atlantic. There was a movie made about him 15 years ago called Cowboys of the North. It's great, if you see it around, grab it. The rodeo part is a cornerstone of humourous filmmaking, and it wasn't a joke."
Jerry Jerzxxxry: Canadian country rocker who sang about drinking, religion, drinking, politics and drinking. Recently stopped drinking. Gus Gus: "Oh, what a marvellous fellow he was, Jerry Jerry. When we met him last year in Nashville we all went down on our knees to pay tribute to this master. We were so sad when we heard about his sudden death, and would like to give our greatest respect and compassion to his family and friends all around the world. We've lost a leader, a searching soul, inspirator, conspirator and a great artist. I don't think he ever quit drinking--he was stinking drunk when I met him. But just like him we sing mostly about drinking. We pay honours to this man... salut."
At Sona with Esthero and DJ Smooth on Wednesday, May 5, 9pm, $15.50+taxes |
New to the ranks of bands with double names are Gus Gus, a commie-style dance-moo-zeek art gang from the same nice little island as Björk. Check out their housy new disc Is This Normal?, because it is not. Let's ask Siggi (comrade of Biggi, Baldur, Magnus, Hafdis... uh, Donner, Blitzen, Sleepy, Doc, etc.) how Gus Gus match up to other bands with repeating monickers.