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SOMEWHERE BACK IN the early to mid-eighties, an all-girl band named ‘We’ve Got A Fuzzbox And We’re Gonna Use It!!’ was formed by four wacky school girls in Birmingham. The schoolgirls namely sisters Jo and Maggie Dunne, Tina O’Neill and ViX chanted indie anthem ‘Rules and Regulations’ as feisty punkettes and evolved into kitsch pop queens, singing tracks like ‘Pink Sunshine’ and ‘International Rescue’.

So widespread was their appeal that the Fuzzbox chicks achieved the rare feat of appearing on the covers of Smash Hits and New Musical Express in the same week. You couldn’t turn on the television on a Saturday morning back in the late eighties without seeing the gals pouting over your tea and toast, and the charts were well and truly bothered.

The most poignantly titled, ‘Walking On Thin Ice’ was released somewhere around 1990 whilst the band went off on an epic tour of the Far East. On their return, they released their final single ‘Your Loss, My Gain’ and then Fuzzbox came to a sad ending. All four went their separate ways.

Now though, things are different. ViX, who also did a stint as backing vocalist with Ginger and the Sonic Circus, has assembled a stunning new all-girl band ViX n The Kix comprising Chix, Slix and Trix to promote her new album Moon On A Stick. Produced by ViX and Neil ‘Thor’ Darbyshire, Mark Wallis and with Conny Bloom as executive producer, this is candy-coated rock at its tastiest.

ViX n The Kix will share the stage with The Wailers band and Paul Weller at their upcoming concert in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, respectively. City Times speaks to the lively ViX about her new band and upcoming releases.

You used to be in a huge punkette British band and now you’ve assembled something a little burlesque, a little feisty, a little kitsch. How do feel about this change in your life?

Well, I guess a few moons have waxed and waned since those days! Things change but they stay the same. I loved Fuzzbox, but regardless of how appealing it may seem to put on those splendid costumes again, I would rather keep it where it belongs: in the past. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy the fabulous versions of ‘Pink Sunshine’ and ‘Rules and Regulations’; I do with my ace new girl band, ViX n The Kix. I doubt the punkette inside me will ever vanish entirely! I love the two extremes: classy, glam and ‘sophis’ versus quirky, feisty, and edgy.

Fuzzbox were big. Why did the enigma of Fuzzbox come to an end?

We lasted about five years. We released two albums, toured the world, had lots of success and fun, until the time came when, musically, we had nothing in common anymore. I guess we changed a great deal between the ages of 16 and 21. The fun spontaneity that made Fuzzbox so special had faded away and we all felt that ‘We’ve Got A Fuzzbox And We’re Gonna Use It’ had run its course and that was that!

But there were rumours that you hankered after a break to gain solo fame?

I am well aware that’s how it’s been catalogued! But in truth, the other three girls had really had enough of the music business by that time and wanted out. There was no way I wanted to walk away from music ultimately. It was inevitable that I would pursue a solo career at some point. That wasn’t the reason we finished though!

Your previous release ‘LovePower and Peace’ was just a few days ago, so how did this one – Moon on a Stick – come up again, so quickly?

How observant you are! Well, ‘LovePower and Peace’ is a real blessing that’s come out of the blue. Damage Control Music, the record label, got in touch a few months ago saying they had been listening to all the songs I wrote with Robin George and they wanted to put it out as an album! I was delighted as I have been involved in quite a few music projects. It was a real thrill to be flown out to their studios in sunny Spain, shoot a video and record a couple of new tracks. Other than that, the album has songs written in the Fuzzy days, and sporadically since then. The fact that it’s all happening now makes me ridiculously busy, but it sure feels good! Better late than never eh?!

How did you hook up with Robin George? What about the lyrics of ‘LovePower and Peace’?

On and off! I’ve worked with quite a few different producers over the years. Robin and I first worked together on the Fuzzbox songs I wrote, ‘You’ and ‘Your Loss, My Gain’ when the band was desperately seeking a musical direction. I had always been, and still am, into guitar oriented rock-pop. So, this really suited me and I thought it was a beautiful production. Unfortunately, I was the only member of the band who felt that way, which just highlighted the divide. Since then, Robin and I have worked on various projects together. After the collaboration in Fuzzbox, I liked the way he worked and that he wasn’t encouraging me to shout like everyone else, so I could actually sing! He’s a great songwriter and guitarist and I welcomed working with an artist of his calibre who recognised my talent. The lyrics of the title track of the album, ‘LovePower and Peace’, felt so right for where I am and who I am right now. To me, it is a theme of strength and solidarity, sung from the heart of this woman. A positively powerful song!

Are there any more projects involving you and him coming anytime soon?

Quite possibly! There are still lots of unreleased tracks which are tucked away in the Spanish mountain studio vaults. Plus we found we still work together really well, so watch this space!

Tell us about your experience with Ginger and the Sonic Circus?

Ginger of The Wildhearts is a good friend of mine. When he asked me to be part of this ‘super group’ called Ginger and the Sonic Circus with members of Hanoi Rocks, Wolfsbane and to promote the album ‘Valor Del Corazon’ he had just released, I knew I’d have a rocking good time. I absolutely loved touring the United Kingdom and Japan as a backing vocalist. I didn’t have the responsibilities of a front woman; I could just sing beautiful harmonies and dance around like crazy. Ginger got me singing higher than ever before too, so that was great as I like a challenge!

Is ViX n The Kix more of the same?

‘Moon On A Stick’ is an album that I wrote as a solo project and then grabbed a load of my fabulous music mates to record it. I co-produced it with the very talented Neil Darbyshire who has worked with The Wildhearts and Julian Marley, and also Mark Wallis who has produced U2 and Travis. On completion, I got an overwhelming urge to get a new all-girl band together and so ViX n The Kix was born! My music has been compared to Blondie, The Pretenders, The B-52s, which is fine by me. Some of my favourite bands! So, regarding Ginger and the Sonic Circus, my band is less rock and more pop, but definitely in the rock-pop genre, sometimes with a hint of punk, ska, psychedelic, world music…

How did you get in touch with the new chicks for the Kix – Chix, Slix and Trix?

I saw them play as a three-piece at a local gig when they were my support act. I really liked their playing and professionalism, plus they had a great vibe. So I befriended them on MySpace, we hooked up and they were really excited about the opportunity and we haven’t looked back since.

Will the girls perform solo also? Is this a temporary band?

I hope it’s not just temporary. We all do! We’d like to write another ViX n The Kix album together next year, so that should be fun. The girls are in a cracking band called ‘Mimi O’My’ so they’re a tight three-piece anyway. I have other projects too, so that’s cool.

This year has been a busy one for ViX n The Kix.

It sure has! Last time we were over in the Middle East, we were playing with Fun Loving Criminals, Arrested Development and Juliana Down and this time it’s The Wailers, Paul Weller. Good times indeed!

How excited are you?

How excited? Incredibly! It’s the first time we’ve been to Abu Dhabi and we’ve not played with The Wailers before. I feel happiest when I perform outdoors. I just love festivals, and we can count on the weather being wonderful too, unlike in the UK. I’m a huge fan of Bob Marley and The Wailers. It’s the perfect music to complement the sunshine, so I’m a happy bunny. My girls are over the moon too, of course!

What about the Paul Weller concert in Dubai?

Crazy, isn’t it? When I tell people, they are like ‘Really?! Wow!!!’ So, naturally, I’m delighted. I heard that Paul keeps himself to himself, so we’ll have to see if he’s going to mix us super cocktails like Huey from FLC did. I don’t get star struck anyway, so I’ll be happy whatever happens.

Which of the tracks would you regard as your favourite, until now?

That’s impossible to choose! For now, I’ll go for ‘Blah Blah Blah!’ as that’s ViX n The Kix’s forthcoming single, to be released on November 5. The promo video’s up on YouTube and MySpace and we had such fun making it!

Ginger and the Sonic Circus don’t have their own album yet. Any plans for that?

I would be so up for that, but I think it’s unlikely. We did talk about it but everyone is scattered around the country and beyond now, with Conny Bloom in Sweden and now Ginger lives in New York. I would like to work with Ginger again; he’s a very talented guy. Bassist Jon Poole played some bass and Conny played loads of guitar on ‘Moon On A Stick’ and is executive producer; they’re both excellent musicians.

Do share with us any funny or weird experience you’ve had with your fans?

Here’s a weird one from the early Fuzzbox days: As soon as I walked on stage, someone in the crowd threw a pint of lager over me! Not a great start with my spiked punky hair soaking wet and flattened and make-up trickling down my face, but like a professional I carried on with the gig as norm. Afterwards, we Fuzzchicks went out to a club and a guy came up to me and excitedly announced ‘Hi! It’s me!’ Obviously I didn’t know who he was, until finally he declared, ‘I’m the one who threw my drink on you!’ I was somewhat confused at his approach and gave him a proper dressing down for his actions. He hung his head in disappointment and said ‘But I paid £1.50 for that!’ and walked off, tail between his legs and confused! There’s always one!

EVENT DETAILS

The Club, Abu Dhabi on October 29

Tickets: Dh130 members and Dh140 non-members, available at The Club, GMP Outlets and on timeouttickets.com

Dubai Desert Rhythm Festival, Dubai, on October 31

citytime@emirates.net.ae