s with all of these tours. there is a certain amount of
chatter surrounding each hand. hut none more so
recently than this ultra-hip Detroit quartet. Known to a few hel'ore as just another garage rock act. many people now recognise Irontman Jason Stollsteimer as the lace allegedly heaten to a pulp hy Jack White and plastered all oyer the papers. Yet the Von Bondies should he used to heing mentioned in the same sentence as Detroit‘s tnain attraction hy now. due to guitarist Marcie Bolen‘s pre-'/.ellwcgger relationship with White and the lact that White also. rather hadly. produced their patchy dehut l,l’. luck of ('ummtmit 'ulimz.
Despite the fact that the White Stripes rilt is what eyeryone wants the din on. my questions ahout it are intercepted ‘l'or legal reasons’ hel‘ore trontman Jason Stollsteimer eyen has a chance to answer them. eyen though I don‘t ask specilically ahout the light. Someone. it seems. would rather we locus on the mUsic. a fair enough request and an ahsolute pleasure seeing as their third el‘l‘oit. I’uwn S/Iup/u' llmrl. released in l-‘ehruary. is already an alhtnn ol the year. An exhilarating listen. it comhines ()Us soul
nBondies
harmonies with girl punk and dark and lusty hlues that. along with this forthcoming l'K-wide outing. will make them so huge we'll soon forget ahout that Hollywood star's weird-looking hoylriend with the dodgy linger.
I catch Stollsteimer in a chirpy mood and genuinely excited ahout the tour. despite the fact that he doesn‘t know any of the other acts. When I ask what his hand can hring to the line-up. he replies: ‘Wine and gumhalls.’ And as expected. he’s quick to distance the hands current sound from those White-produced old days. The plan on this tour is to play new material with a couple ot'old tracks thrown in.
"l‘he oyerall sound is much hetter in every way now.‘ he claims. ‘When lurk oft'ommtmit'ulion was recorded we only had two days and lguitaristl (‘arrie had only heen in the hand lot“ a little over three months. hut when PSI] was recorded it was a group effort and we all l’eel that we haye delinitely found ottr own sound. the Von Bondies sound.‘
Mayhe it’s time to stop the talking and do some listening. You won‘t he disappointed. ((‘amilla l’ial
The NME Awards Tour 2004 is at the Carling
I Nl~il3flWflRD [2: '
‘WE HAVE DEFINITELY FOUND OUR OWN SOUND, THE VON BONDIES SOUND.’
‘vt .‘ ~'- THE LIST 19