Andy Interviews...

The Dharmas

Edge Editor ANDY EXTANCE takes time out from his hectic schedule to speak to Chris from Uni rock heroes THE DHARMAS.

Once I thought The Dharmas were shite. No more. For I have been enlightened into the way of the crusty ones. Crusty, because of the support they've gained from the roots rock following. Crusty because of the violinist. Crusty?

"No. It depends what you call a crusty. What's your categorization of a crusty? I'm into being peaceful, and I'm not into nuclear war. Maybe that makes me a crusty. Maybe I'm just a sensible person."

That's the personal approach though. What about the music? Do they deserve the traditional reputation they've gained, or are The Dharmas something more.

"I hope we're something completely different. The way we approach it we don't have a lead guitar, so the fiddle takes the lead. I suppose we're doing something different from The Levellers, they don't tend to use the violin as a lead so much, so we're kind of different to them.

The Dharmas have made a lot from their roots. They hail from Hastings, where their new releases disappear from the shelves of the local Our Price at an alarming rate. There must be something about it, that makes them buy The Dharmas. What's so special about Hastings? "King Harold and Charlton Heston had a big battle there, that sort of decided the future of the country. King Harold apparently got an arrow in the eye?

The Dharmas have a big reputation for live shows, particularly as they've done far more work on the road than in the studio. They put on a good live show. Is The Dharmas' live performance important to them, or do they just approach it casually, and let it flow?

"It's important to us. It's what's got us noticed so far. It's what's got us to the stage we're at. We've got a good live vibe. We've got a very,very,wide,wide audience.Everyone from my mum and dad" "To my mum and dad," (Chips in El the violinist, who's washing up)

"In Wales it's really nice, we have families come, the parents come and stand at the back, whilst the kids go to the front, and we have everything else to the indie kids nodding in appreciation. I'd like to see us on the side of the Paul Wellers and the sort. Santana are a big influence keyboardwise for me. People are into JTQ and Sly and the Family Stone. Also there are people like Radiohead, who the band really respect. It's people who perform well live that I respect more, rather than those who you've loved and been let down by live. So the live performance is really important."

It seems that on their new material, The Dharmas have gone full tilt for the pop vein. Desperately so it would seem. Their live material seems to convey rather more, but are they becoming just another pop band?

"I'd like to think of us more than and just a pop group. Sort of verging on the opposite side of Blur. I think we're more on the Dodgy side of things, sort of the up side of things. I think we'd like to go as far as we could. We're not selling out, we've had to make changes, to kind of exist in the market. Getting to number one would be great, success is great, and acclaim is good. Kind of a combination is what we're after."

And after acclaim from the likes of Johnny Walker and The Levellers, they're getting there. Not the greatest acclaim, and as yet not the greatest success, but their live perfomance is nearly as successful as you can get. They played to a quiet West Refectory. Or rather, quiet until they played. Once they started, even the most neutral observer, like myself, was up on their feet, jigging about. The impression of an indie band with a violin instead of a lead quitar, which stands out by the very nature of its difference, was overwhelming. The impression of a vibe, like the man said, with people who enjoyed playing their music, was comforting. Here were a band giving up a show better than many of those whose recordings grace everyone's shelves. Their recordings may not be of the same class, but live they are outstanding. In this they exist as a bit of a curiosity. If you feel a little curious yourself, believe me, you'll not often see a better gig.

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