Rockabilly-Online

High Rockabilly 2009

If there’s a festival in Europe, the Dutch band Mischief! been there, done that! They’re very popular and I know why. It’s the Mischief sound that mixes Charlie Feathers, Eddie Cochran and maybe even a little bit of The Everley Brothers on speed!

Mischief!  is formed in the late 1980’s. Brothers Daze (guitar) and Pat (upright base) decided to start a band with Hempy (drums) who they met in the Rockin’ Ballhouse in Utrecht the Netherlands. (Rockin’ Ballhouse was a rock and roll club in the early 80’s till mid 80’s).  After two years doing nothing but having fun and learning how to play an instrument, Hempy left and so we had a brake for an other  two years. And then Richard came in the picture (who we knew as long as we can remember and also a Rockin’ Ballhouse goer). So that would be close to 1992. And that is the line-up since.

Did you play in other bands before Mischief?
As we learned to play the instrument starting with Mischief! We are happy to say that we did not play in other bands before that. But now occasionally we fill in when other bands are in need. (That almost sounds like we are heroes). But you know what I am talking about.

Hotwheels

Tell us about your songwriting

Daze and I write the songs. A melody comes in mind and then we write some words on that melody. Then with a lot of strange noises coming from our mouths, we try to make each other  understand how we think it should sound. That is because we do not know how to read or write notes. And then sometimes it happens. We created a new song. The inspiration comes from a lot of things.

 How about other music styles?
Because of the fact that we do not only play Rock and Roll tells you that we like the other styles too. We play Rockabilly, Country and Western, some Jivers and even a bit of Blues with a lot of rhythm.
Daze and I like to listen to classical music too. And Richard enjoys the music his daughter Peggy-Lee listens to. (she is 7 years old).

Daze

Your biography says, you are no slave to vintage. Explain that to us
We do not see ourselves as an authentic band. Our sound is not authentic. We have and that is what others say about us “the Mischief!  Sound”. We take that as a compliment.

How important is your stage look?
I believe that everybody is busy with there looks on or off stage. So yes important it is.

 Would you rather be a teenager in the 1950’s?
I can tell for sure, for all the three of us that we love being here today. With all the luxury we have nowadays. And then it is always nicer to dream about those days then living them. I mean there were a lot of poor people back then. If it was only for the music, the cars, the clothing…..sure. But no………, better to romanticise those days and live today.

Mischief Hotwheels

Which other bands do you admire?
We do not admire other bands but we like watching them. And there are bands that we like to watch more then once. There are a lot of bands today. And we have not seen them all. There is a lot of good stuff but also a lot not so good stuff.
Don’t get me wrong. It is just my opinion and not a judgement. We do not have to like everything we hear…

Do you also play abroad?
Yes we did and still do play outside the Netherlands. We’ve been to a lot of places.

It is great to play for anybody who will and wants to listen. But people who live this music are the critics. And if we can make it happen that they get wild while we are playing, or even buy the album. Or that they will come back to see us play on another show, that gives you the kick. So of course that is the audience you want to play for.

Where do you want to play next?

For me personally I think Japan. I heard and I’ve seen on tv that there is a big scene there.

Do you have any rituals, lucky charms, or disasters?
If having fun is a ritual then that’s the only ritual we have. We have Charm But that has nothing to do with luck.
I think that we organize very well. But on one occasion the van broke down on our way to Britanie (France) but we’ve got it fixed and did arrive to do the show only a little later as planned. And recently we forgot to bring the stands for the drums. And even then we managed to find someone who did lent us a set.

How do you see yourselve in the future?
The plan is to go on for as long as we all three feel that we are not done playing. We’re still learning to play our instruments better as we do now. We still write songs and are working to bring out a new album soon. We still have fun off and on stage whenever we meet.

Mischief! discography:

1 Mischief!                                        1998 Haulin’Barn Records  (cd)
2 Wake Up                                         2000 Tombstone Records   (10″)
3 Live at the Cruise Inn               2002 B-B-Q Records        (cd) with The Reno Brothers
4 No1                                                   2004 Tombstone Records    (cd)
5 Sweet Loving Kind/My Little One 2005 Tombstone Records    (single 45rpm)
6 Highschool Cconfidential         2005 XTF Miller music     (cd) school project
7 Hot Wheels                                     2008 Tombstone Records    (cd)

http://www.mischief.nl/

http://www.myspace.com/mischiefnl