[ interview ] [ fan q&a ] [ bio: j.s. clayden ] [ bios: mark clayden ] [ bios: jim davies ] [ bios: jason bowld ] [ bios: dan rayner ] [ p.s.i. intro ]
[ there's no place like home ]


Weapon of choice: The geetar.

Also known as: "Ravies" is the one that seems to have stuck -- self explanatory, really. And a whole host of "Jim" related stuff, like "Jim Lad," "Jim Bob," "Jimmy Boy." "Jimmy Neutron" is a new one, as well. My real name is James, but I only like it when girls call me that.

How did you end up in the band? I went to a gig at Camden and met the lads. They liked what I'd done on [Prodigy's] Fat of the Land and gave me some demos of www.pitchshifter.com. I added some guitar, which they liked, and basically I just ended up joining when the album came out.

If you weren't in Pitchshifter what would you be doing? I'd be in a band of some sort. I like a lot of different styles, so it's anyone's guess what type of music it'd be -- but definitely not country and western.

If you had to be any other member of the band who would it be and why? I'd be Mark for his patience and mellowness, J.S. for his confidence, Jason for his "all round nice bloke-ness," and Dan for his ability to drink booze endlessly.

How do you prepare before a gig? Normally, I find a quiet spot and have a 10-to-15-minute warm up consisting of scales and exercises. Then I have a think about what I'm gonna be playing on the first tune, and make mental notes about any pedal changes and stuff in the tune. I have to be ready in my head as much as my hands.

What's the first album you owned, and what's the last album you purchased? The first was Electro 5 in the breakdancing era. I recently got Jurassic 5's album -- bleedin' marvelous.

Last great book you read: George Orwell, 1985 [sic].

Three things you couldn't live without: Music, sunshine, good buddies.

Three things you could live without: Mobile phone comedy ringtones, children on long haul flights, townie pissends at the weekend.

Your choice: the contents of your wallet or the contents of your refrigerator? At this moment, a variety of credit cards and IDs, fake Elvis ID, fake student card, a condom, 50 quid.

Biggest misconceptions, both about the band and you personally? About the band: that we are from Nottingham! About me: that I'm "the smiling face of techno rock," to quote Kerrang! I'm actually a miserable sod.

People or organizations who are, or have been, influential visionaries to you (musical, literary, artistic, political, social, etc.). Music: Rage Against the Machine, Smashing Pumpkins, The Jam, Prodigy, Sex Pistols, dance music across the spectrum

Absolute must have's while on tour: Booze and sleeping tablets.

Pitchshifter has one simple rule while on tour: make it to your bunk before passing out and you're home free -- fail to and you're fair game for any number of embarrassing shenanigans. Who/what is your favorite tour story involving this? Definitely when Jason Bowld was taped into his bunk -- in which we had thrown everything edible on the bus -- with the words "touring is hell" written on his forehead. Or, our tour manger waking up hammered and trying to book us on to a ferry with a swastika drawn on his forehead.

What would the title of your yet-to-be-written Pitchshifter tell-all literary masterpiece be? Pitchshifter: Five Wankers, a Wedding, and a Funeral.

Your favorite recipe? Dunno, can't cook.

What has been your best experience while in the band? When Deviant charted, playing the main stage at Reading, winning a Kerrang! award.

And the worst? Breaking down in Belgium in a shitty fume filled van.

20 years from now, what do you want Pitchshifter to be remembered for? Doing exactly what the fuck we felt like doing at the time.


[ jim davies ]
photo by craig young


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