End of John
End of John, a short-lived post-punk band brightened the effervescent Maltese music scene in 2005/2006. From the tongue-wagging invitation-only debut gig in June 2005 at the now-sadly-defunct Misfits bar, to their storming Alley gig in September (as part of the Alternative Alley Nights), the band created a sound that was totally unheard of in Malta until their rude arrival. With minimal instrumentation (just guitar and drums) their sound was raw, stripped down to basics, powerful and passionate. One part new wave, one part no wave and two parts indie. After a whilwind two-day recording a small private studio (3 songs), and only 18 months after their first live performance, the band had to disband after the guitarist moved permanently abroad.
Members: Tim Ellis (vox), Kurt Buhagiar (guitars), Michael Galea (drums)
Myspace: www.myspace.com/endofjohn
Press:-
Eric Montfort (Times of Malta).
The sounds of the (Maltese) suburbs
End of John are another new, witty and energetic outfit to watch out for, as Eric Montfort found out lately.
End of John epitomise raucous experimental but unpretentious rock music. As a trio, they are a yet another example of how three people can create so much synergy and energy. This Rabat-based outfit is also a whiff of fresh air and a boon to our local alternative music scene too. Their brand of angular, hip and fresh sounds has already made waves when they performed at The Alley last September. Then, they formed part of the venue's alternative music summer festival. Now, they are preparing to release their debut CD. I got a very good idea of the band, which comprises vocalist Tim Ellis, guitarist Kurt Buhagiar and drummer Michael Galea, when they rehearsed their full set which features a dozen songs at their premises. It was a nice experience, watching a garage band really living up to its name. "We grew up listening to the likes of Nirvana and Pearl Jam but eventually the band were also intrigued by the likes of Radiohead and punk rock. Yet, we are undergoing a steady ongoing change in our style and that has given us more self-confidence over the past few months" added Kurt Buhagiar, who like his colleagues is also a close follower of the alternative, as well as the mainstream pop scene. At times, the enigmatically-named End of John, do sound like The Ramones, full of speeded up rock but at the same time full of verve and melody. Their songs show a sense of belonging to the cutting edge style that characterised punk as well as many alternative rock acts over the past few years. Yet, somehow, they also manage to keep themselves accessible to a mainstream audience. This was quite clearly evidenced in the song, Pop Music Broke My Heart, their forthcoming release, which features a single note opening riff and then builds up to a dance chorus and ends with a melodic feedback-laden tune. Their knack in being different within their punk/post punk style comes out in My Child Is Bad Company. This song initially features a slow, arpeggioed guitar and then builds up to double time half-way! Another song with an angular take is 'Future Sounds of Distance'. Here, End of John work out a staccato verse, then move on to a straight guitar refrain and eventually wind up with a chord progression. End of John's unpredictable whimsical style gets another turn in She can swim. A cowbell introduces this song but soon End of John hit out with some heavy guitar feedback sounds. Perhaps this band's most mature moment is in Waiting for the son which has an infectious 2/2 drum beat alongside a repetitive verse before it goes into speeded-up chaos. The band's deconstruction style could indeed become their winning card. Kurt and his friends may however have different plans. "We usually go by our creative streak. It could be that one day, we will be in a very inspiring mood and at times.we end up just doing nothing. End of John's songwriting may be largely attributed to the sense of spontaneity which underlines and has also been a leading factor in their endurance. Lately, they have closely followed The Arcade Fire, a Montreal, Canada-based band that have been highly acclaimed over the past four months. Even Bowie lately joined them when they lately performed on TV. This band also supported U2 in concert last summer. At this stage, End Of John aren't worrying whether they can make it big. All that they care about is to keep contact with the local audience and see where they can go from there. "After all, the alternative, underground spirit is in reaching out to an audience and fellow artistes," added Kurt, who also feels that more inter-action is required if this scene is to keep up its good profile. (End of John shall be performing at Alantalex, Valletta next Thursday and at Rookie's Bugibba on the 13th January.)