As part of the lead up to Club Antichrist’s 7th birthday celebration, SinZine is featuring interviews with acts performing on the night. This installment charts the thirteen 'Famous Firsts' of Roi Robertson - creator, vocalist and driving force in London electronica act Mechanical Cabaret. Read on to discover how Robertson popped some pivotal musical cherries, and how these formative experiences influenced his performances with Mechanical Cabaret.
What was the first thing that caused Mechanical Cabaret to be created?
The glint in my mother and father’s eyes. And my love of synthesizers, punk and electronic music, and showing off in front of people.
Which was the first song you wrote?
It was about a Hypermarket in France that I went to when I was 14. It described a shop and what was in it, and how odd I found it to be in general. The shop, that is, not France.
What was your first gig experience as a punter?
My first ever gig experience was seeing Depeche Mode at Newport Center on the 1st UK date of the Music For The Masses Tour on Saturday January 9th 1988. Another of my fav groups at the time, Hard Corps, were supporting them. It was very very loud, and very hot and sweaty. I was down the front one row from the barrier in the middle, and I loved every single second of it - my voice had totally gone at the end of the gig, from me singing along so much and so hard!
Where was Mechanical Cabaret’s first gig?
My 1st Mechanical Cabaret gig was at Gossips on Meard Street in Soho, at the electronic night called Electric Dreams, on Monday October 18th 1999. It wasn’t my first ever live show though... I started playing my songs at gigs in 1992, but not under the name Mechanical Cabaret, we were called Dekolette Erotika. My first Mechanical Cabaret gig was great fun, one of my favourites in fact. Shame Gossips turned into a posh wanky-type bar, but at least Electric Dreams are still going strong!
Is this your first Club Antichrist experience?
No, I went before, a few times. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone being saucy and having a right old time of it in general.
What's the first song on the setlist for June?
Right now it’s GBH, but this could change!
What was the first album you bought and how has it influenced you and your music?
I mainly bought singles when I first started buying music, until the first album I ever bought which was a Chart compilation called Chart Trek in 1983. It had Fad Gadget on it, Depeche Mode, Blancmange, and Roland Rat - all major influences on me, especially Fad Gadget and DM. The first album I had by a band was Speak and Spell by Depeche Mode, given to me by Jason Rowles at school, on tape. The melodies, drum/percussion sounds, synths, and Dave’s voice on that album are just fantastic.
What's the first step in the creative process?
It can be anything at all. There is often no perceivable first ‘step’ taken; you can find yourself in the midst of ‘creating’ something as if by magic, coincidence, fate, accident or whatever chance occurrence you care to mention. That said, I suppose you could say ‘the inspiration’ might be the very first step to creating one thing or another, as without that ingredient, I guess things might not be created so very often by so many people!
When did you first realise you wanted to make music and what made you realise?
Hearing Kraftwerk on the radio, the weird sounds on Dr WHO, seeing Sex Pistols, Adam Ant and Gary Numan on telly in the 70s, and loving Depeche Mode in the early 80s, were the main reasons I wanted to do music - in that order.
Who did your first remix and is there anyone you'd really like to work with still?
The first remix anyone did of Mechanical Cabaret was a brilliant remix of Nothing Special that Martin Katscan made, but that didn’t get released as he used loads of samples from Withnail & I in it, and I can’t afford to pay the sample copyright clearance costs! The first actually released remix of Mechanical Cabaret was by Mesh, with their ASBO Mix of Disbehave in 2006. I’d be interested in working with the Radiophonic Workshop team, Vince Clarke, Alan Wilder, Daniel Miller, Ralf Hutter, Florian Schneider, and John Lydon.
Who would be your first choice to perform on the same stage as?
John Lydon.
What's the first thing you think when you walk on/off stage?
I’m too busy doing it to think about it really, at either of those times. I’m in ‘performance mode’ for at least an hour before, as well as during, and also after a gig. I’m wondering what I can do next I imagine, as I like to feed off the energy of the audience and people around me, improvise things, and react to the situation I’m in without too much of a set agenda.
What do you hope people's first impressions of Mechanical Cabaret are?
I have no specific hopes in this regard. The natural chaos and order of things means that whether people like us or otherwise, it all works out just fine in the end anyway. Obviously, though, we prefer it if they DO like us and find us entertaining, and therefore want to buy our records and maybe entertain US somehow too!
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Mechanical Cabaret will be performing at the next Club Antichrist, Friday 24 June. To find out more information about the band, including tour dates and to buy the CD, Disco Vandalism, check out the links below.
Mechanical Cabaret website
www.mechanicalcabaret.com
Mechanical Cabaret on Facebook
www.facebook.com/pages/Mechanical-Cabaret/185185014621?ref=ts
Roi on Twitter
twitter.com/mCabaret
