joe gideon and the shark - harum scarum

My father told me that the world was flat,

And I was happy in my sweet pancake world,

Was my fathers child, never questioned what daddy told

But the seed of doubt got in me and it grew into a tree 

Its doubting branches got a hold of me.

in Civilisation by Joe Gideon and the Shark

1985 – Kathy Ray was a backing singer for the Eurythmics at Live Aid.

1992 – Viva Seifert (aka The Shark) representend UK in rhythmic gymnastics at the Barcelona Olympics and brother Joe Gideon was living in Bolivia.

1999 / 2006 – They worked together in the four-piece Bikini Atoll.

Summer 2006 - They formed a family band and spent the summer getting drunk in a barn writing songs on their 8 track recorder.

2008 - They've been invited to play around Europe with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Archie Bronson Outfit, The Duke Spirit, Scout Niblett and Michael Gira to name but a few.

2009 – Their debut Harum Scarum is set for release on March 9^th. The album ranges from souped-up 21^st century rock’n’roll of DOL and the power-duo blues of the title track to songs built around spartan piano lines. Gideon’s lyrics are acutely observed, droll, sometimes touching, and he switches between narration and melody. Kathy Ray is the title of a song in Harum Scarum that reminds me of Serge Gainsbourg’s Ballade de Melody Nelson.

7.8/10