Big hopes for Blindspott

By REBECCA BARRY

They rarely play live. Their first album doesn't hit the shops until Monday. And until a few months ago they weren't exactly a household name. Yet somehow, West Auckland rock band Blindspott have caused a major label bidding war, filled the auditorium at a recent gig literally to breaking point, racked up twice as many pre-sales of their album as the Red Hot Chili Peppers' By The Way, built up an impressive media profile and secured themselves an in-store appearance at midnight this Sunday, a time-slot signalling the huge anticipation for their eponymous debut album.

Indeed, Blindspott's successful signatories EMI/Capitol Records are touting the band as New Zealand's answer to nu-metal, but how on earth did five mild-mannered blokes manoeuvre themselves out of the music consumer's blindspot and into the public eye?

Today, the band are just as eager to manoeuvre the snowboarder down the mountain on guitarist Marcus Powell's new X-box as they are to chat about where they're at. The band - which also includes frontman Damian Alexander, bassist Gareth Fleming, drummer Shelton Woolright and turntablist/keyboardist Karl Vilisini (aka DJ D'Lay) - have gathered at Powell's modest Massey home and talk has turned to the upcoming in-store.

"How many albums did you say we have to sign?"

"A thousand, I think."

"What? We need to get stamps, bro."

They're also keen to hear feedback on the album which, under typically tight security because of the present climate of rife CD pirating and MP3 technology, was played to me at the EMI offices.

While most of the tracks are based on simple, moody two-chord progressions, they've spiced them up with big metal riffs, ambient synths, epic jams (closing track Ilah is 10 minutes long), hip-hop beats, bizarre samples (including an answer-phone message, jewellery box, footsteps and a car chase), and Alexander's emotive vocals interspersed with some not-so-subtle screaming.

"I think people will be expecting [the album] to sound like our singles - all grunty, thrashy nu-metal," says Woolright. "But we've got a few surprises."

Alexander - who sang so hard during the recording process he coughed up blood - explains: "There are mellow songs you can play to your grandma and there are much heavier, deeper songs. It just goes to show what our influences are and what we're about."

So far, Blindspott's listening repertoire has spanned the likes of Faith No More, Dire Straits, Deftones, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana and a number of hip-hop acts. "If you check out Marcus' CD collection, you'll see he's even got a CD by Ronny Jordan," says Alexander. "You wouldn't see that in the guitarist of Megadeth's collection."

EMI marketing manager Morgan Donoghue is also quick to assert the diversity of Blindspott's music. "All the Blindspott trademarks are on the album but it's not just all jump-around kids' stuff. There are great rock songs, slow, dubby tracks, some really mature songs. People will be surprised."

Their eclectic style extends to their live shows. When Blindspott played the Auckland Town Hall recently, Powell opened with a Maori speech. Six break-dancers performed and half-way through the set Blindspott's South Auckland hip-hop mates Deceptikonz came out to rap with them. At a more recent gig, they jammed with hip-hop maestro King Kapisi.

Meanwhile, Vilisini says they're careful not to play too often - "so that when we do, we come out of leftfield. People really want to see you because you can't normally see us every weekend."

It's a philosophy that seems to have worked. When Blindspott played the usually quiet opening slot at the Big Day Out this year, thousands of excited teens flocked to see them. During their True Colours gig in June, the moshing was so intense the floorboards collapsed. Donoghue says there have been so many requests for Blindspott's album that the label is shipping just short of platinum, which means ordering 15,000 copies before its release on Monday, the kind of numbers not seen for New Zealand groups since Supergroove and stellar released debut albums.

Radio stations didn't predict Blindspott's popularity either. When the band sent their first demo, Nil By Mouth, to contemporary rock station Channel Z, it was turned away, apparently because it was too heavy.

"Then one night it was requested and they played it and that was it," says Woolright. Everyone started requesting it. It just took off and we were going, 'Shit!"'

Blindspott, (ages 22 to 24) have been together for 3 1/2 years now, having grown up around the same schools, parties and West Auckland beaches. In 2000 they won their regional final at the Battle of the Bands. Although they didn't make it any further, they were inspired to increase rehearsals from once a week to three or four times a week.

It paid off, and after the radio success of their first single they scored a distribution deal with EMI for Nil By Mouth and S.U.I.T. - both singles sold out (800 and 2000 copies respectively).

It was then that record labels started clambering to sign them. For about a week, under the watchful eye of their internationally experienced lawyer Campbell Smith, Blindspott were treated to expensive lunches at some of Auckland's top restaurants as major labels vied for them to ink contracts.

After signing to Capitol they began the eight-week recording process at York St Studios with producers Paul Matthews and Dave Rhodes, who had worked on their singles. The album was sent to New York where it was mastered by Howie Weinberg (Beastie Boys, Korn, Deftones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana).

Blindspott say that while they can't really tell where their fans come from - it's because of the airplay on stations such as Channel Z and The Rock and video show

M2, that they've done so well thus far. The internet has also helped to spread the word, although from what they've read it hasn't all been favourable. Blindspott say they're used to being criticised for being nu metal, a genre often denounced by the music press as a passing fad perpetrated by angry young men. Hence the reason hip left-field stations such as bFM have studiously avoided playing Blindspott tracks.

"I hate fitting that nu metal tag but we do," says Vilisini.

Woolright: "A lot of the nu metal bands coming out are cheesy, the lyrics are angsty and they're just shit. If they've got a DJ, he'll just sit there and go w*** w*** w****," he says, making vinyl-scratching hand gestures, "without putting any thought into it. Some people might think we sound real angsty but it's more emotional and energetic. There'll be screaming sounds but we'll know what were screaming about.

"We try not to whinge too much," adds Alexander. "I'd rather focus on the point that, okay, someone hasn't had a good life and some bad things have happened or whatever. It's a matter of just getting on with it and making yourself a better person because of that. There's a lot of positive messages on the album, it's not all 'Life sucks, grrrr!"'

Blindspott say they've also been subjected to their share of tall poppy syndrome. "A lot of bands in our genre are into the whole underground thing and they think that if you get on the radio you've sold out," says Woolright. "I almost got a brick through the window once because of it. We've got clothing sponsors but people look at us and see our clothes and think we're rich. They think we all drive Audi TTs."

"It's that type of shit that holds New Zealand music back," says Vilisini. "We've had bands who've opened for us and dissed us publicly and then come back to us and gone, 'Oh I'm sorry about that - can we still open for you and come on the tour?"'

"If you want it to be your life, then you've got to follow your dream or else you're not going to be able to live. You'll have no money, you're not going to be able to afford equipment - and then how are you going to be a musician?" says Woolright before offering a telling insight into the Blindspott game plan.

"Even if we're the biggest band in New Zealand we're still nothing in the rest of the world."

* Blindspott support Pacifier tomorrow night at the Bay Park Convention centre, Mt Maunganui, followed by a midnight in-store signing at Planet Jack, Mt Maunganui. They play at Sounds, Ward St, Hamilton, on Monday lunchtime and Sounds Megastore, Queen St, Monday at 5pm.