An Interview with Gary and Esther of deadfilmstar

Ever the opportunist, Sarah sneaks backstage after the Lord of the Lost gig in Ruby Lounge, Manchester, to grab five minutes with the enigmatic deadfilmstar

Deadfilmstar, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us this evening. How was the gig for you tonight?

Gary “Really good. We got a really good response and we really enjoyed it tonight”

Esther “We love the North!”

I have seen you play before, several years ago with Mortiis if I’m not mistaken?! You’ve got a really impressive list of gigs to your name, you seem to have played with all the real heavyweights in your genre. How do you feel looking back at what you have accomplished in your career?

Gary “It’s been hard work! Really hard work for us to do the things we’ve done”

As we’re coming to the end of 2018, what do you hope 2019 will bring for you as a band?

Gary “Recording. We’re hopefully going to make a new album. There will be a lot of recording anyway”

And then maybe some more touring?

Gary “Maybe. We did quite a lot of that this year, so like I said we’ll mainly record next year and then see where we go from here”

So have you heard that the Ruby Lounge is shutting down?

Gary “Yeah we did”

Esther “It’s getting knocked down isn’t it?”

You guys are one of the last live original bands that will play here! What do you think about the issue that seems to be across the whole UK at present where we are losing our small independent music venues?

Esther “It’s happening back where we live as well. There’s no live venues anymore”

Gary “It’s kind of systematic what is happening”

If you had to pick a favourite venue, what would it be?

Gary “Hmmm… here!”

(Note – we all groan like fuck. I love Gary for even saying that)

Gary “No, there’s just been so many”

And is it your fan base that keep you doing what you love?

Gary “Yeah. It’s them. It’s everything really. We just want to get on with doing it and we enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy it, then what’s the point?”

I think you were wonderful tonight. What I got from the set was echoes of Ministry. What would you say your musical influences are?

Gary “It was quite a lot actually. We seem to pick it up bits from all the bands we’ve been in. Obviously you can see the Marilyn Manson influence… well maybe not so much now, I don’t know. It was actually Ministry who started us off, we saw Ministry and the bands like that, and that was just how we got into it”

I saw them this year, still an amazing band. Thank you again for your time tonight.

Interview by Sarah Cummings