London based Stereo Juggernaut have been wowing audiences across the capital and beyond for some time now, steadily building up a loyal following on the way. Mixing a dance groove with solid rock foundations we knew how much they would appeal to our music savvy festival goers so they were one of the first bands we booked. Alt-Fest caught up with the guys (most of them) shortly before their appearance at Club AntiChrist where the club's attractions almost left drummer Reuben speechless.

Would you like to introduce the band?

All: "I'm Dom I play bass, Ben on guitar and vocals, Reuben on drums"

Dom: "Phil's not here, he's in the van"

You've got this kind of fresh rock meets dance sound. Was it something you set out to do from the start or did it develop over time?

Ben: "With this band it kind of was really. I was always into electronic music and everything and just always wanted to combine the two so that's how Stereo Juggernaut came about."

You,ve been doing well recently pulling in a lot of new people. Do you find you get fans from both the rock and dance cultures?

Ben: "It varies really, it's still quite an alternative crowd but then you get people into the more electronic side of the alternative stuff getting into it so it's quite a mixed bunch of nutters that we attract."

You attract lots of nutters then?

Ben: "Yeah definitely" (laughing)

You seem to like that too.

Ben: "Yeah, for some reason they always come to me first"

Dom: "He always tries to pass them on though, but they always stick with him. It's great because we get to watch from the outside which is fun"

Do you think that music fans are more prepared to listen to a wider range of genres than they used to and do you think the cross over bands like yourselves are leading the way with that?

Dom: "I think personally that music tastes have just expanded to be honest. They're not dead set on genres any more. Because of the way it's evolved over the last ten years I'd say people have decided they're not going to stick to one thing. They're like oh I like that, and that's OK too, and I like that. Nobody's saying you can't like that any more because you're not that sort of person. People are genuinely being accepting and that's why it's expanded.

You're playing Club AntiChrist tonight which is run by the people responsible for Alt-Fest. What do you think of the festival, it's ethos of being non corporate fan led and what do you think of the line up?

Dom: "To be honest it's Ben and Reuben's first time here. Myself and Phil are seasoned veterans".

Ben: "The festival's been proper amazing how it started as this idea and it's like it's snowballed into this massive thing"

Dom: "The time it's taken too, it feels like yesterday we were being asked and all of a sudden it's getting bands we've admired for years being put on the bill. We're just so happy to be doing it with them. Fantastic.

Reuben: "yeah"

Reuben's so quiet.

Ben: " It's his first time here and he's a bit nervous" (and distracted by the clubbers)

Reuben: "I haven't done this before. Yeah man, It's going to be fun for the band to spend a weekend together in a tent."

You're camping the whole weekend?

Ben: "We've got to stay for the whole thing. The line up's just too good not to see"

So who are you going to be checking out?

Ben: "Paradise Lost, Amen…….There's too many the whole thing's just the most ridiculous line up I've ever seen.

Dom: "Satyricon...SATYRICON!"

So you guys are naming all the heavy bands, that's interesting.

DOM: "SATYRICON!!!" (laughing)

With his Satyricon t shirt on.

Dom: "And my Combichrist tattoo. (pointing to said tattoo) That's kind of our ethos though. We got brought together as people who were into completely different things and that's projected in our music. That's also projected through Alt-Fest's ethos as well. We love the fact that you've got all the different bands coming together from completely different genres. The stages are fantastic because they're genred in a sense but they're so open because you've got different bands from different areas playing at the same time, it's not strictly there's old, there's new which is fantastic.

Have you got any advice for people camping at Alt-Fest.

Dom: "Bring loo roll"

Ben: "Bring your wellies"

That's really optimistic... If the whole band found themselves on a desert island who would you eat first and why?

Dom: "Ive put on a bit of podge over the last few months so it would be me to go first to be honest with you. They'd be looking at me like a lamb chop. You can see it in Reuben's eyes right now"

Is there anything you'd like to say to the Stereo Juggernaut fans out there that are coming to Alt-Fest?

Ben: "Thanks for supporting us, for making it worthwhile and see you at Alt-Fest"

Guys, thank you.

Ben, Dom and Reuben: "Thank you"

 
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