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My Festival Feelings: Maria & the Mirrors
Gareth Main
It may be ‘just noise’ to your mum, but for TFF, Maria & the Mirrors (very different to Marina & the Diamonds) have released the best single of the year thus far with ‘Omar’. Its beat is almost tribal, not terribly surprising given the band’s back story, that makes little sense, even after they’ve tried to explain it. It involves Siberia and Netto, or something:
“One morning in Belushya - the largest town on the islands [in Novaya Zemlya, north of Russia] we were staying on at the time - Crystabel had a dream - of Genesis P-Orridge appearing bedecked in burgundy and gold robes, beseeching her to take Netto style of Siberian drum west to a sacred place unlike any other - a place where one is free... where cockneys roam still... where fresh plantains and cheap cassette decks are readily available... a place by the name of Deptford. We left the very next day.”
And the obtuse noise is certainly not for the faint hearted, it’s not one your mum will enjoy, or your average top 40 fan, in fact, they’re more likely to be physically repulsed by it, which makes it all the better...
“We aim to combine styles of shamanic drumming commonplace in our old home with newer sounds we heard upon our arrival...the noises of the city itself, industrial sounds like Throbbing Gristle & Cabaret Voltaire...and other propulsively rhythmic acts we encountered such as Elephant Man, Magma, Drexciya & This Heat - and The Fall when they had two drummers, around 1983, definitely the best period of The Fall!”
Like it or loathe it, Maria & the Mirrors is the antithesis of Maria & the Diamonds, and you’re probably going to fall into one of those camps.
Do you prefer going to festivals as an artist or a punter?
Either can be fun, it's nice not to have to worry about connecting up lots of tape decks and getting into a jumpsuit, but on the other hand, it can be great just to get together and drum one out.
What has been your favourite festival experience?
Meeting Ghostface Killah at Estrella Damm Primavera Sound!
Do you tend to stick around at the festival or do you leave once you've played?
It's nice to stay and have a gin and tonic, or an ice cream. At last year's Offset festival I tried the Caramel Chew Chew ice cream for the first time - it was incredible - swirls of vanilla and caramel laced with choccy drops and caramel inside the choccy drops. 10 / 10! Definitely one of the best puds money can buy.
Are there any festivals you'd like to play but haven't?
It would be great to play Dour fest in Belgium
What would be your perfect festival - setting, audience and line-up?
Setting - The Bluebell dell in Kew Gardens
Audience - Lots of Guinea Pigs
Line Up - Elastica have reformed! And they're going to play ‘The Menace’ in its entirety! Result - a critical reappraisal of neglected classic.
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