Total Guitar (August 2009) Twisted Wheel feature

Sunday 19 July 2009

Total Guitar (August 2009) Twisted Wheel feature

TWISTED WHEEL A three-man Mod revival smashes out of Manchester Who are they and what do they sound like? The self-titled debut from this Manchester three-piece is punchier than Mike Tyson throwing a tantrum, all sharp riffs and spiky lyrics from frontman/guitarist Jonny Brown. 'I love that 60s sound' says Jonny who was inspired to buy his first guitar by Oasis. It was a humble £40 acoustic with nylon strings' Oasis fan, eh? He must've been thrilled to land a support slot with the Gallagher bros! 'When we first got the gig offer for Oasis we were over the moon' recalls Jonny, 'but we didnt realise that their crowd is really hard to entertain. At an Oasis gig a lot of people just want to see Oasis' Still, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And add vodka. 'We've not been booed off yet so I think we're doing all right. It can be hard but at the same time it builds your confidence walking out in front of 40,000 people who don't know you. You've got to go for it'. Now that the lads are well on their way to the big-time, Jonny must have some fancy kit.... 'I use an Epiphone Sheraton, which I paid £150 for', Jonny tells TG. 'Ive got an American 1991 Stratocaster, which is brilliant, (but) it doesnt seem to have enough beef for what we do. I think unless you're Jimi Hendrix it's hard to front a three-piece with one Strat'. Aren't the guitar companies lining up to give them free gear? 'Not as many as I'd like!' Jonny admits ruefully. He blames the constricted purse strings in the music business. 'Everyone is a bit tight these days, what with the recession. Our tour manager spoke to Gibson and they said they'd lend me a 335 for the tour, but when we got there they'd loaned it out to someone else. I was heartbroken. They gave me a John Lee Hooker Boogie Man Epiphone, but I hit the guitar too hard for it' Despite being cheated of the guitar of his dreams, how does Jonny conjure up that wicked old-school Mod sound? I use a Ibanez Tube Screamer, a Boss Digital Delay and a Space Echo, which Im starting to use but Ive not mastered it yet', explains Jonny who plugs everything into an Orange AD30 amplifier. 'The first record is pretty raw', Jonny continues, 'I started off with just two guitar sounds, a clean sound and a distortion sound. I wanted that because it's straight from the basics and it leaves space to experiment for the next record'. Is the Wheel turning towards album number two yet? What should we expect? It is indeed, and something a little more trippy is on the cards, by the sounds of it. 'Ive been listening to Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd. I want a bit more psychedelic vibe', says Jonny. 'I love thise 60s pop tunes that have a big psychedelic jam in the middle, like the Byrds'