Together in electric dreams
They can’t decide whether they want to be dance band, a rock group or a hip-hop outfit. One thing’s for sure: you’ve never head anything quite like Super Extra Bonus Party before
Shilpa Ganatra, 08 Aug 2007
"What does a band called Super Extra Bonus Party sound like?” I hear you cry. On first impression, there are three options: they’re either an off-the-wall kitsch band who’d do great in Japan, a Germanic bleepy duo, or they’re something wildly different from any of the ‘The’ bands backcombing their hair. Thankfully, it’s the latter.
“The name reflects the fun of the band,” says the troupe’s unofficial spokesman, Cormac Brady. “We wanted to be slightly crude and we wanted a name with balls. Also, we like being next to Super Furry Animals in CD racks.”
Not surprising – the two bands share a common love of carpet bombing the unsuspecting listener with an array of sound effects, changes, and, well, everything including the kitchen sink.
“Being ‘out there’ isn’t something that we do on purpose,” he explains over a cup of coffee in Hot Press HQ. “It stems from the way we work. We’re all about ideas – if anyone in the band wants us to try something, we’ll never say no.”
The band’s democratic nature comes from their roots: Cormac, Stephen Fahey, Michael Donnelly and Gavin Elsted met at school in Newbridge, Co. Kildare and now the former three live together in Terenure with their visual artist, famed blogger Nialler9. Conor Henry and Steve Conlan, meanwhile, were long-time friends who joined after the album was recorded.
Rodrigo Teles, the Brazilian MC (yes, the Brazilian MC!) was a relative newcomer to the collective.
“Mike met him randomly at Sin-é in Dublin one night,” explains Brady. “He found out Rodrigo was an MC, Rodrigo found out that we played some tunes, so he came to jam one night and it really worked.”
The only problem with having a Brazilian member is the logistics of tearing him away from his home country – something which they realised would be an issue when they were asked to play the recent Mantua Festival.
“We knew we had a good slot months in advance, so we were able to save up. All the money from supports slots with bands like Bonde Do Role, we put in a kitty to help bring Rodrigo over.”
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