Ahead of a packed Fringe at Tramlines schedule, Sean Johnson caught up with one of Sheffield’s most electrifying musical acts, Django Jones and the Mystery Men.
As the rain pierced through our table’s umbrella in the beer garden of The Fat Cat in Kelham Island, the scene seemed fitting for a band who fuel themselves off of the ‘mundanity and normality of everyday life’. Armed with pints, smokes and a whole lotta anecdotes, Django Jones spoke of whiskey-soaked riffs, theatrical onstage antics, gigs in cemeteries and their busiest schedule to date.
Although there has been some incarnation of Django Jones running since 2018, the current lineup consists of Will Tomlinson (vocals), Ciara Hurding (drums), Isaac Rodgers (bass), Joe O’Grady and Matt Jones, who interchange between rhythm and lead guitar.
“Our early shows were chaotic. We thought we were good, but both ourselves and the audiences were really drunk,” explains Joe.
The original lineup took a hiatus in 2019 and Will spent a year abroad studying in the United States. He returned to Sheffield with only one focus on his mind – to get the band going again. However, the band was in need of some new members. He found himself working the bar at The Fox and Duck in Broomhill, where he met Ciara, who had previously played drums in several local indie bands. She soon got jamming with the band, who now only needed a bassist to complete the ensemble.
Isaac, who happened to be drinking an alcohol-free beer one night in the pub, got chatting with Will, who told him about his antics as the chaotic conductor of Django Jones and how he never drinks before performing. Will informed him that they were currently looking for a bass player and the rest is history.
“The Fox and Duck made us,” chimes in Ciara.
The current Django Jones lineup, which has been transmitting riotous anthems for just over a year are now a staple act on Sheffield lineups. Drawing influence from artists such as Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes and Avril Lavigne, the band’s sound falls somewhere between punk and blues, with volcanic vocals, gut-punching grooves and ramshackle riffs all trademark features of their enormous sound.
“As a band, we definitely feed off Will’s energy onstage,” says Ciara. “If he feels that I’m not playing with the right intensity during a set, he’ll turn around and scream into my face! I’m like, ‘Fuck yeah!’”
Photo credit: Jack Barton
“Will is the frontman of frontmen,” adds Isaac. Will’s onstage persona, which he likens to acting an alter-ego, like a character from a film, has at times driven Will to states of improvised mania. He can be seen thumping his chest so aggressively that he will finish a gig bruised and beaten.
“We all work around the fact that whenever we play you will probably see Will manically run back and forth onstage,” explains founding member Joe.
There’s a distinct musical kinship shared between Will and Ciara, who try to electrify one another with their performances. During a gig at DIY punk venue Hatch, Ciara’s drumming became so intense that the band had to place a breeze block in front of her kit, which Will later tripped over, causing him to fall directly into the kit.
“We feed off of the unpredictability of our live sets” said Will. “We always sound different at every gig we play. There’s constant energy, shouting and bad chat”.
The electrocuting nature of the band’s live performances is best summarised through the wiring of cables, which often occurs when Will’s vocal cable and Joe’s guitar lead become entangled due to the two running the length of the stage.
“I live for those moments, man” Isaac says, rather enthusiastically. “Matt or Joe might break a guitar string, Ciara might snap a sick and we have to sort things out onstage, but that’s energy man, I love it!”.
For this year’s Fringe at Tramlines show, the band have one of the busiest schedule of any local act, where they are currently booked to play eight gigs across three days. They are attempting to beat the record for the most Tramlines shows ever played in one weekend, which is currently held by local legends Drenge, who played nine shows during a previous instalment of the festival.
The band are set to close the weekend with a headline show at Yellow Arch Studios, in Kelham Island, on Sunday 23rd July, as part of a lineup featuring local acts Drastic//Automatic and Richard Carlson Band.
