RIGHT HAND LEFT HAND
Introduce us to Right Hand Left Hand – who is in the band?
We are Andrew Plain and Rhodri Viney.
How did you get together?
We met in a car several years ago and started playing in bands almost immediately.
How would you describe your music to the uninitiated? Experimental rock. You are now initiated.
What is your earliest musical memory?
We both had a very similar start in that we were both listening to Beatles, Roy Orbison, Del Shannon and the like in our respective parent’s cars.
Who was your earliest musical influence?
Probably The Beatles. They were everywhere.
What made you want to pick up an instrument and play?
Rhodri: I just liked music and realised music was made by people and instruments. The pieces fell into place soon after. Andrew: I got to have a go on my older cousin’s first drum kit when I was about nine and then told everyone that I was already a drummer and have blagged it ever since.
What was the first record you bought?
Rhodri: Something in Bargoed Woolworths. Probably The Beatles again. The choice wasn’t amazing. Andrew: Difficult to recall but I think it was Shakin’ Stevens. It was a simpler time.
What was the first gig you attended?
Rhodri: This is a cool answer: Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, Derrero, and David Wrench & Ann Matthews in Blackwood Miners Institute. Andrew: Shaky again in St David’s Hall with my dad, he came out of a green door and down some steps. No expense spared on production. If you mean without parents then it was Iron Maiden in St David’s Hall with a mate under the supervision of his older brother. It was like a pantomime.
What’s the best gig/s you’ve been to?
Rhodri: Guided By Voices in Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, circa 2004. Andrew: Tough one this. Kyuss in the Astoria 2 circa 1995 or, having waited for over a decade for it, I finally saw The Beastie Boys in 1998. I wasn’t crying with joy, you were.
What’s the best gig you’ve played?
As RHLH it could well be a very late night slot we had at Swn Festival in its early years. We played in the Model Inn upstairs at about 1am. We were the last band of the weekend. The queue was down the stairs. We had very little space to operate in. It was hot and sweaty. We handed out a litre bottle of Jaeger to the audience to share and Alex from Islet crowdsurfed but the ceiling was so low that he looked like he was crawling on it like Spiderman.
Who would be your dream artiste to work with?
One of the dead ones would be nice, the nice dead ones.
What’s for the future?
More but better. We’ll no doubt start album four too.
Where can we find out more about you? www.righthandlefthand.co.uk
■■ If you have a gig coming up or are releasing material and would like to be featured in this column, email Dave Owens at david.owens@ mediawales.co.uk, call 029 2024 3628 or tweet @asoundreaction