DEVIL'S ISLAND featuring Versa
Welcome to this weeks edition of Devil's Island! Every week we maroon a band or artist on the island and see what they get up to, how they cope with being all alone on a small island in the middle of the ocean. It's not your average desert island and we'll see just how each person copes with the extreme conditions.
This week when we arrived at Devil's Island we find Versa sat on the beach. The island is far from their home, so how did they end up here and how did they cope with life on Devil's Island?
Find out now...
Welcome to The Razors'e Edge and our somewhat lovely, warm desert island. Don't worry about it's name I'm sure it's not as bad as that would suggest.
You're marooned here on this island, but before you ended up shipwrecked you chose one album that you couldn't live without. Which album did you each chose and why?
Matt: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, by Genesis – it’s not my favourite album (it might not even be my favourite Genesis album) but there’s so much music, so many layers, so many subtle connections and clever lyrics and things to discover – that if I could only listen to one album ever again, I’d probably choose that one.
Just behind that palm tree is a shack for each of you to stay in, with enough space for you to put up a poster on the wall of one album cover. What album cover do you each chose?
Matt: Can I cheat a bit and say the famous Pink Floyd “Back Catalogue” poster? Some great album art, some great bums to keep me company on a lonely island.
There's also a bar on this here island. But alas each of you only get to choose one drink for the entirety of your stay. What's your tipple of choice?
Matt: I’m not really a drinker so I’d have to go with a raspberry-banana smoothie. Tasty and nourishing.
Your suitcases were lost when your ship sank, but you each managed to salvage one item of band merch. What’s the merch and for what band?
Matt: I’ve barely taken off my Caligula’s Horse hoodie since I picked it up at their show in Vancouver in February, so I’ll go with that. It’s warm and cozy and has great art on the back.
You’re sat on the island thinking “I’m stuck here on this island with my bandmates for eternity”… who would you rather have been shipwrecked with?
Matt: My wife, of course, but other than that there aren’t many other people I’d rather be marooned with. We could keep making music and otherwise get along well and would keep ourselves entertained.
There's a walkman in your pocket, on the tape inside is the recording of the one live show that stands out for you. It could be any show, from any band, anywhere in the world. What show is on that walkman?
Matt: I hate to pick two Genesis-related things but I’d have to go with the Six Of The Best Reunion Show in 1982, the only time Peter Gabriel performed with Genesis after he left the band in 1975. As far as I know there’s no good recording or bootleg of this concert available, so to have a copy to listen to would be amazing.
You're getting desperate, you decide the only course of action is to put a message in a bottle and hope someone finds it. Your message could be to any member of any band, but should be the most suitable for a rescue attempt. Who is it?
Matt: Definitely Jesse – he’s an electrician by day and has lots of practical skills.
You've been stuck here a while and food supplies are running low. There's only one thing for it... which fellow band member gets sacrificed to help the others survive?
Matt: Hollas. He’s the most likely to die first anyway so onto the spit he goes.
Finally, when the ship sank you each managed to save one person from the wreckage. That person is the one musician that has influenced your career the most, shaped your way of thinking and your outlook on life. Who did you save?
Matt: Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, no question! Jethro Tull’s music has had more influence on me as a flute player, songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist than anyone else has, and I very much admire Ian Anderson not just as a musician but as a person who led a very interesting and full life – he has many personal and business interests outside of music, including aquaculture and photography. I hope I’ll one day get a chance to meet him (though hopefully not during a shipwreck!)
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