Sunday, September 30, 2007

The Enemy: "Former Coventry Miner is Enemy Single Cover" Interview

Here is the interview with The Enemy that appeared in the Coventry Times this week:

A former miners' union rep who worked at Keresley Colliery is the face on The Enemy's new single, we can reveal.


Mick O'Gara was the uncle of the Coventry band's front man Tom Clarke,and sadly died this year. He is pictured on the new singles front sleeve at a rally alongside National Union of Mineworkers' leader Arthur Scargill during the Miners' Strike of 1984-85.



The photograph is on all posters and websites promoting the single released last week- "You're Not Alone" - a song about industrial decline and workers thrown on the scrapheap.


Tom spoke with the Coventry Times about his uncle - who lived in Tamworth - when we caught up with the band last week, before they performed and signed records at Chalky's music store in Banbury.


He said: "My uncle Mick was a transport manager and worked at Keresley pit. He did so much work for the union so we dedicated this song to him which is about the disappearance of industry. We don't know where the photograph was taken unfortunately, but it's clearly from the 1980s. Of course our families have been an influence on us. We grew up around them."


You're Not Alone is an unambiguous political statement. It hits out at big business and government who "sold us down the river like rats" and was inspired by the band seeing other British post-industrial cities on tour reduced to a "wasteland".


It is also well-documented as a gesture of solidarity with the thousands of workers who lost their jobs when Peugeot pulled the plug on its Ryton factory last year. Tom said: "Maybe Peugeot's closure couldn't have been stopped but if a strong union was there we would have heard about it more and it could have made a difference. We used to be so proud of our skilled workers and now they're working in call centres"


Since shooting to fame this summer, The Enemy have brought transparent youth protest and impassioned anger back into the popular music mainstream - so often ignored by other bands or disguised in a veil of ironic humour and pastiche.


The Enemy's direct lyrics are about the emptiness and nihilism of life on the minimum wage in soulless jobs, with binge-drinking and brawling and only "crappy" escape. The band believes collectively people have power to change things.


But they are canny enough to stop short of falling into the trap of some of their musical predecessors such as the young Paul Weller. He acknowledges he had difficulties in his Jam days when being heralded as the "spokesman for a generation", and later when he nailed his leftist colours to the mast with the highly-publicised Red Wedge tour.


Tom, outspoken but also genial, shrewd and thoughtful, told us: "We're not a political band. We're young lads, not politicians, and we wouldn't want to be. We give a social commentary. Our songs are about modern society and the problems are glaringly obvious."


"For instance ASBOs are a ridiculous piece of legislation. They're not a deterrent and they're not a punishment. Many of the problems exist in schools. People aren't always educated in ways that encourage you to get yourself out there. You end up in an office in a factory or a shop. A careers adviser looks at you and sends you to a sh** job."


With a gruelling summer schedule which included Japanese shows, a London gig with the Rolling Stones and the Coventry Godiva Festival - still the band's favourite gig - these three striplings could be forgiven for thinking life on the road has become just another job.


They admit it's difficult to see family and friends and love coming home for occasional weekends. Another major tour kicks off today in Oxford (27/09) - and they expect a large Coventry following throughout.


"Coventry people have been behind us from the start and even at gigs in other countries we always see Coventry flags", says Tom.


But the boys are living their dream - first discussed when they were working in Fedex offices in Foleshill or selling TV's and when they met each other through mutual friends in pubs after work.


Bassist Andy Hopkins and drummer Liam Watts - who still lives with his family in Holbrooks - attended Heart of England and Cardinal Wiseman schools respectively. Tom, brought up in Birmingham before moving to Coventry in his early teens, again speaks on behalf of his quieter band mates: "This is not a job. It's still the dream. We're all just loving it. I hate it when bands start complaining."


Interviewed by: Les Reid (les_reid@mrn.co.uk)


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  • Friday, September 28, 2007

    Kim Kardashian

    Kim Kardashian nació el 21 de Octubre de 1980 en Los Angeles, California. Es una de las amigas de Paris Hilton y al mismo estilo de su querida amiga, Kim tambien se hizo famosa por la aparición de un video prohibido que lo convirtio en un gran negocio al venderlo por un millon de dolares. Comprala aquí. Recientemente ha sido portada de la revista King Magazine. Fotos Kim Kardashian.





    Michelle Jenner

    Michelle Jenner nació el 14 de Septiembre de 1986 en Barcelona, España. Empezó joven en el mundo artistico doblando las voces de actores de cine. Ahora Michelle Jenner no solo es conocida por ser la voz preferida para doblar a las estrellas de Hollywood sino tambien por su belleza y sensualidad. Es imagen de numerosas campañas publicitarias en España y fue portada de la revista Man y FHM. Fotos Michelle Jenner.






    Andrea García

    Andrea García es actriz nacida en mexico, es hija del conocido actor Andres García. Por su belleza y talento Andrea Garcia ha participado en varias telenovelas, siendo tambien portada de numerosas revistas, recientemente participo en la novela Codigo Postal.
    Fotos Andrea García





    Sofia Bruscoli

    Modelo nacida en Italia en la region de Emilia Romagna. Sofia Bruscoli es una espectacular modelo de 1.77 de estatura que participo en el Miss World 2005 representado a Italia con solo 17 años. Fotos Sofia Bruscoli






    Carla Giraldo

    Carla Giraldo nació en Medellin, Colombia. Es actriz, recientemente declaro el amor que siente y no precisamente por un hombre , asi es como declaran los medios colombianos Carla Giraldo amor de mujer. En el 2006 posó sin inhibiciones para la revista Soho.
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    The Enemy Tour Begins: Oxford

    Tom Clarke, as pictured by Andy Willsher/NME

    Coventry's very own - The Enemy, kicked off their tour last night in Oxford at the newly opened Carling Academy. The gig was a sell out as crowds squeezed into the venue to watch The Enemy perform tracks from their number one album "We'll Live And Die In These Towns".


    The evening's line up started with The Wombats getting the crowd warmed up, such songs as "Kill The Director" and "Let's Dance To Joy Division" have attracted quite a following for the Liverpudlian band.


    Next up on the NME Rock 'n' Roll Tour was Lethal Bizzle, who got the crowd going with his song "Police On My Back" and everything was then set for The Enemy to come on stage and carry on the good work.


    The Enemy launched straight into their catchy "Away From Here" and the Oxford crowd were soon hooked as they sang along to other well known tunes "Had Enough" and the closing song "You're Not Alone" during the set.


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  • Thursday, September 27, 2007

    Fabiola Campomanes

    Fabiola Campomanes es una actriz nacida en la ciudad de Mexico, Mexico. Su belleza salto al mundo, luego de participar en el Big Brtoher Vip y quizo ser exhibida por la revista Playboy en el 2006.
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    The Enemy Invite Lord Mayor For A Curry!

    The Enemy
    The Coventry Telegraph has reported this week how The Enemy have turned down the pomp of a civic reception in favour of a poppadom at a local curry house. Below is the full article from the Coventry Telegraph:

    CITY indie rock band The Enemy have sent an invitation to the Lord Mayor of Coventry asking him out for a curry.
    The chart-topping group fired off an e-mail to Councillor Dave Batten suggesting he joins them for an Indian meal.
    The offer came amid calls for a civic reception to be held for the group.


    Cllr Batten wants to honour the Holbrooks-based band for putting Coventry on the map with number one album We'll Live and Die in These Towns, the first band from the city to achieve such a feat.
    Following a ceremony held by the city council for street dancing group Kombat Breakers, Cllr Batten agreed with fellow councillors that it would be a good idea to do something similar for The Enemy.

    Liam Watts, Tom Clarke and Andy Hopkins (Stung Photography)

    Invitations were dispatched but, ironically, at the same time, band members Tom Clarke, Liam Watts and Andy Hopkins demonstrated their more informal tastes by e-mailing the Lord Mayor and suggesting he join them for a curry.
    A spokesman for Coventry City Council said: "We sent a formal invitation to The Enemy inviting them to a civic reception.


    "At the same time the Lord Mayor received an e-mail from The Enemy offering to take him for a curry!
    "We haven't heard back about the reception yet but it would be great if we could arrange both."
    The Lord Mayor said: "Hopefully I will get to meet them soon, although they are very busy, which is very good news."


    Cllr Tony Skipper, shadow cabinet member for culture, sport and libraries, believes a civic reception for The Enemy, currently at number 18 in the charts with the single You're Not Alone, would be a great idea.
    He said: "The lads' achievement certainly deserves civic recognition.
    "It will be a good opportunity to thank the families and backstage staff who have supported the lads in achieving success.
    "


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  • Claudia Lizaldi

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    Sabrina Sabrok

    Sabrina Sabrok nació en Buenos Aires, Argentina. Es modelo, cantante y se hizo popular en Mexico donde mostro lo mejor de su anatomia en numerosos programas de televisión. Actualmente tiene su propio programa "Sabrina, Para el Que lo Aguante Todo" & "Las Nenas de Sabrina" en Telehit. Puedes ver más fotos de Sabrina Sabrok en el sitio web de sabrina.




    The Enemy and Lethal Bizzle NME Video Interview








    Tom Clarke from The Enemy and Lethal Bizzle take about the upcoming "NME Rock 'n' Roll Tour", which kicks off this week and heads up and down the UK during October. Could we be seeing a collaboration between The Enemy and Lethal Bizzle live on stage?


    Check out the NME website for more updates.





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  • Wednesday, September 26, 2007

    Mariana Kupfer

    Mariana Kupfer nació en Brasil. Es cantante, modelo y animadora de televisión. Por la sensualidad que muestra Mariana Kupfer fue llamada para posar en una atrevida sesión de fotos para PlayBoy.
    Fotos Mariana Kupfer Playboy






    Fanny Lú

    Su nombre completo Fanny Lucía Martínez Buenaventura, nacida en Cali, Colombia. Es cantante de música Pop Latina y Vallento, conocida por su sencillo No Te Pido Flores de su álbum "Lágrimas Cálidas". Sin duda una bella Caleña.
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    Fanny Lú