Buck Naked Bravery

Wed 20th Jul, 2005 in Features

Mike H, bassist for New York five-piece The Bravery is standing curbside, on the pavement outside a Florida restaurant reliving (or searching the crevices of is mind) for his most memorable festival experience. It is with little wonder then that the jewel in the crown of UK festivals – Glastonbury – wins out.

The Bravery share a close affection with the UK. It was there that the band first received label interest from Loog, airplay from BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe and some very memorable debut performances. Not five months prior to the group trouncing every festival stage that would play host to their synth-rock stylings, The Bravery were getting bottled at a tiny club show in London. Such is the polar opinions that are formed when the public view or hear this band; major divisions in music circles also result.

However this is nothing new, and when prodding the genial bass player for a reason why he is accommodating, but non-committal:

“I don’t know – our hair cuts? Always, from the beginning people have either seen us or heard us and liked us or hated us. We are very proud of our live show, so when people get to see our live show, hopefully that’s what turns them around. Although I often end up with no shirt on so maybe that’s it. All the gay men, and women are just… because I have such an amazing body… although that’s not true! So I don’t know what it is.”

Mike is far from a voyeur though. He is actually quite modest and a little wary of questions regarding the band – he, like is band mates, enjoys the excesses the live music circuit offers, but The Bravery seem to be increasingly distancing themselves from publications that want to use them as ideal sound bites; spokespeople for an ‘argument’. Remember the Blur versus Oasis ‘fight’ that was the centrepiece, and possibly the downfall of Brit Pop? Well The Bravery have been at the centre of an argument that, for the most part, is taking place on the other side of the globe, and again fuelled by that delightful little publication NME.

After a flurry of name-calling and finger pointing between The Killers front man Brandon Flowers and Bravery singer Sam Endicott, the malice (whether fabricated or forced) has subsided somewhat.

“I’ve read what he said about us – how we stole his [Flowers] sound and what-not, I mean I don’t really know him so I can’t say I hate him. It’s kinda funny actually, I just hope it doesn’t get to a point where nobody cares about our music and all they care about is the rivalry or whatever.”

Mike (and in a way Flowers) is referring to the current spate of new bands utilising sounds that hark back to the days where having a keyboard and synthesizer on stage was the norm (as were floppy, angular fringes, make up on boys and sharp, sharp clothes). But as he explains, The Bravery’s sound (which Flowers audaciously quoted as “derivative”) originated much more organically, and was in no way a pre-meditated ‘cash-in’.

“We weren’t trying to sound like anything that was. John and Sam wrote Tyrant, and John put all the crazy synths and stuff on it. It wasn’t until they went to a party and all the girls were dancing that they realised how great the sound was.  It was more experimenting I guess, and any time you put dancier synth lines in it’s gonna sound like stuff from before, but it wasn’t purposely done.”

So where does The Bravery find the best dancers? “A lot of the shows have been taking an interesting turn, in that people have been starting mosh pits in them, more so in America than anywhere else, so I guess we can scratch America off that list. I don’t know – the European crowd, in general is probably right up there…that’s some of the best dancing we’ve had. I personally can’t dance, so I am not good at judging who can dance very well!”

Experiencing rapturous appraisal in the UK, thanks a certain BBC Radio 1 DJ, The Bravery were thrust into a spotlight that they in no way declined, and now they are headed to Australia for a string of East Coast shows.

“I can’t wait. See my goal in life is to learn how to surf, so of course I want to come to Australia. But we wont have any time this tour. I hear there are a lot of sharks there… I want to surf more than anything, but I often wake up from nightmares of sharks.”

Mike’s fear of sharks, his bands never-ending tour schedule and flirtation with the UK tabloids have not dampened this bass players loquacious, and seemingly roguish retort when Australian audiences spring to mind ”... I hear the woman are gorgeous…”

The Bravery pull into:

The Metro, Sydney August 10
Prince of Wales, Melbourne August 12
The Arena, Brisbane August 13