As Limerick noise punk duo giveamanakick toured for the last time in 2009, they had already agreed that if there was to be a reunion, it would be to celebrate the release of their critically lauded second album, ‘We Are The Way Forward’.
by Eric FitzGerald
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It has been ten years since nosebleed noiseniks giveamanakick released their second album ‘We Are The Way Forward’.
Record label Out on a Limb Records will re-release the album, on vinyl for the first time, and the duo will do a short Irish tour performing the album in full.
It was November 2005 when giveamanakick unleashed their second album, ‘We Are The Way Forward’ on CD. Critics fawned over it: “A classic” 9/10 said Hot Press, “A ton of fun”, 4/5 roared the Irish Times and the record has garnered cult status in the years that followed.
‘We Are The Way Forward’ (WATWF) kicks off at breakneck speed with ‘Bobby Dazzler’ stomps through ‘Let God Love Your Children’ and pummels you with the dubstep/trash monster ‘Aquaplaning’. And through all the visceral energy WATWF never loses its groove, melody or purpose, and today it sounds even better with age.
Limerick Post: Why work as a duo with no bass or extra musicians?
steveamanakick: “I don’t think we ever really had time. Also, we really liked the noise we could make with just two of us, as well as the alien kind of style it forced us to play in. We constantly had gigs booked, so we never really had the time to find someone else and train them in either. All those reasons!”
LP: Standout gig for GAMAK in the aftermath of ‘WATWF”?
steveamanakick: “Mine would be the few gigs we did with Dinosaur Jr. I can die happy after supporting those lads. They’re my musical heroes, and to open for them was one off the Bucket List. Never in a million years did a teenage Stephen Ryan think that would ever happen.”
LP: GAMAK’s worst tour disaster?
steveamanakick: “Hahahaaaa! G’way. What goes on tour, stays on tour. That gig we did at the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg was… memorable though. I’ll keep that one for the autobiography.”
LP: Five years after GAMAK called it a day, UK duo Royal Blood can boast of having the biggest selling debut rock album in recent years, so with that in mind can we say that Giveamanakick really Are The Way Forward?
steveamanakick: “Ah no, two piece rock bands are nothing new. They existed before us, and they existed after us. I guess the difference between gamak and most of those Big Rock Duos is that gamak had absolutely zero interest in playing anything remotely bluesy. We thought that was a cop out for two-pieces, waaaay too easy.”
Out On A Limb Records will be releasing ‘We Are The Way Forward’ for the first time ever on a very limited edition 180grm heavyweight vinyl LP giveamanakick play Dolan’s this Saturday September 26. Support from turntablist/ producer Naive Ted. Order the vinyl of ‘We Are The Way Forward’ on www.outonalimbrecords.com
Giveamanakick pick their favourite tracks from WATWF
steveamanakick: Spit is his favourite followed by Hatch 77. Stephen remembers that when writing vocals for it, he had it in mind that it could be a GAMAK song that Morrissey might sing.
giveamanakeith: Pocket Of Silence for the manic energy in it, and all the weird stops and starts and stuff.
