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Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/437141
Sixteen years ago, Ben, Sam and George started a jam that would soon become the ever-evolving musical collaboration that is First Degree Burns. Their self-named genre of 'skip-hop' encapsulates their fusion sound of ska, hip hop and reggae, which the seven-strong band have blasted out to delighted fans at their exhilarating shows. You may have spotted them at Boomtown last summer or in and around various venues in Bristol and indeed, Europe! They have also shared the stage with Bad Manners, The Beat, Zion Train and The Wailers! Hi Ben! So have you been with FDB from the beginning? Yeah I have. There were three of us. Myself and my brother Sam; he's one of the vocalists and the clarinet player, and the bass player, George. Over the years, many people have kind of come and gone. But yeah essentially it started with myself and my brother Sam, just jamming with music at home together back when we were both at school. George was Sam's best mate and we needed a bass player! So, even though he couldn't play bass, it was one of those "Do you wanna bring in my best mate?!" Haha. Would you say that your sound has changed at all? Oh god yeah, absolutely. There are certain things that we've kept without necessarily meaning to. We always seem to have an understanding in having the right vibe and creating the right atmosphere. Creating things that make people move. We know what works. You can see it in front of you! You describe your sound as 'skip-hop', what is that exactly!? Skip hop is just a term that we started using years and years ago to define our music! It's always one of those slightly annoying things, that when you play such a broad range of things you struggle with the question of, 'What kind of stuff do you play'? Most of what we play is ska, reggae and hip hop, with other things thrown in between. Ska and hiphop are probably the main ones – so skip hop – why not?! What has been the highlight so far? Wow, um, I think playing with some of our idols. Supporting them has been one of the most amazing experiences. Naturally you grow up listening to these people and you find your influences and everything else. To find yourself in a position where you're suddenly sharing a stage with them. Probably the most amazing one was when we supported The Wailers two years ago in Bristol. What about the biggest challenge? Communication can be difficult with so many of you! There's technically been 17 band members. It's not a bad thing and it's never been a problem, but that's a bit of a challenge when someone leaves and you need to get someone else on board. Like when we lost Martin, our guitarist of ten years. When he left there was this initial sort of draining like "Oh my God, is this it? What do we do?! We're never going to find anyone else!" But you just kind of get on with it and carry on! You've just released a new video for your single "Reason". Is there a message there about someone in particular? Yes. It's about a friend of the two vocalists. They were friends for many years and shared many good times together. He unfortunately took his own life, which is always a very difficult thing to comprehend and deal with. That song, ironically, was one of those songs that was already written, musically. The guys were coming up with lyrics when all that happened, and to them, it turned into a very personal message. A kind of goodbye that they wanted to give. Equally we have also dedicated it to a number of friends that we've lost over the years, for various reasons. We try to keep the love there as much as possible. You guys performed at Boomtown! We saw some crazy outfits on stage that day! We're definitely not a shy bunch! It's an occasion thing! We like to switch it up a little bit! Sometimes we get hired as a wedding band, so we wear something a little bit more smart. But Boomtown is all out carnage! We've always done that. 7 41 Issue 70 / 2014 REGGAE / DANCE HALL guestlist.net Ben from First Degree Burns Brings us Badgers, Boomtown and Pork Bellies! "One year I was painted as a dead badger…! One of the more interesting outfits I've had. " Interviewed by: @izaradz Follow @fdb_skiphop INTERVIEW First Degree Burns