For those in the know, a Giblet performance is a rare treat. They have played just a handful of gigs over the last five years, each one with its own distinct personality (disorder), most of them in Sheffield. They have been an integral part of the Festival 23 story, playing the Sheffield launch party, the main festival in 2016 and again at Catch 23 at Yellow Arch in 2018. There’s no one like them, in my opinion, but I asked frontman Twitchey Spleen for his take…
Who the chuffing hell are Giblet and why should people care?
Nobody should care about anything. Really, we advise that you stop caring about anything immediately. Nothing matters, science will eventually prove that this is all an illusion … or a simulation … are that or we are all the imaginary construct in the eternal mind of Albion’s greatest thespian – June Brown (aka Dot Cotton from Eastenders)
How would you describe Giblet’s music / performance to the uninitiated?
Well you have answered your question there: each Giblet performance is an initiation ceremony to our cult.
To describe what happens in such an initiation would ruin the surprise, and lessen the effect (unlike the Freemasons, you can’t use google to find out what happens).
But please, stay away if you if don’t like breathing, food, sex, surrealism, or the grinding sound of fuzzy guitars.
Who or what is Clayton? Did s/he ever get to Laggerty Falls and what is up with her/his cat?
Clayton (he/him) lives within all of us. Laggerty Falls is a journey, not a destination. His three-legged cat ‘Tripod’ is the spirit of his much loved, and now deceased friend.
Have you got music out there that people can buy / download? Any plans for new releases in the pipeline?
Giblet are an exploratory theatre group, podcasting ensemble, and yogic-unicycle-troupe. So typically we don’t release music (if you want to hear it come along to a show, or even pay us handsomely to play somewhere).
However, on the 7th of March we will be releasing a digital recording of ‘I Want’ via BandCamp only. It took us three and half years to put nine and half minutes of music together, and we are pleased with the outcome.
In 2015 we recorded our 1st Album – ‘Holding the Egg’. Theoretically, this can be purchased by personally contacting one of the band members by social media, or by turning up on the 7th March and asking nicely.
Any other live shows planned that we can shout about?
This most likely be our only public performance this year and we will be focusing on producing our serialised (and expanded) podcast version of ‘Clayton’. This is a real thing, watch this space!
If you all had to agree on ONE musical artist / collective that Giblet could not do without, who would it be and what track would you play someone to convert them?
We create music, and do not covet other peoples’ music. Our taste is no better than anyone elses’ and we have no desire to convert anyone to anything.
But to answer the question:
‘My Pal Foot Foot’ by The Shaggs
Having never heard The Shaggs before, I’m not sure if I should thank Twitchey or curse him… the Youtube comments are genius! Apparently Kurt Cobain listed their album in his top 5, and Frank Zappa described them as “better than the Beatles”, haha!
Have any of you got recent musical discoveries that you think the world should hear? What tracks would you share?
Not a new band by any stretch of the imagination. We would advise people to go and see ‘The Lost Crowns’ live. Twitchey’s opinion is that they become suddenly less interesting when playing Cardiacs covers, but their own material is STUNNING!
If money / logistics / time travel were no object, which artist would you be telling Buds & Spawn that we MUST book?
Can (the line up fronted by Damo Suzuki)
What would be on the dream Giblet Tour Bus Playlist?
In a parallel reality, we supported U2 on a world tour. Bono and the Edge fell out half way through (in Paris) and The Edge travelled with Giblet for the rest of the tour. He had a bootleg CD of Brian Blessed improvising on a BonTempi keyboard, whilst reading a copy James Joyce’s Ulysses which had been cut up and re-assembled by William Burroughs himself. Happy days …
Anything else that you think Buds & Spawn listeners should know or that you would like us to communicate to the world on your behalf?
- “As above so below, if you’re not a c*nt, please come to the show.”
- Also, this will be a newly written rock opera bespoke for the occasion. The last time we did this, it blew heads off. There will be no other occasion quite like this … ever.
- Please listen less to other peoples’ music, and start playing more of your own (skype guitar lessons available by contacting Twitchey Spleen https://twitter.com/twitchey_spleen)
GIBLET perform their psychedelic rock opera “Clayton 2020: The Tripedal Cat”, with support from Brötchen, on Saturday 7th March 2020 at Cafe Totem, 23 Furnival Gate, Sheffield S1 4QR. Tickets are on sale now, priced £8 + booking fee in advance, £10 on the door (£6 / £8 concessions) from budsspawn.nutickets.com. Over 18s only.