The Pistol From Bristol

Beak/Portishead producer Geoff Barrow wants you to know his band is not a jam band

Nervous to meet Geoff Barrow—the instrumentalist for Portishead, a touring bass player for Robert Plant and founder of current project Beak—I spot him and bandmates Billy Fuller and Matt Williams sitting in the pristine noon sun. Greetings abound, and when asked if they want the interview in the shade, the response is, “No because it’s always so cold and dark back in Bristol and this weather is amazing. The sun is energizing us.”

So how did Beak form?

Billy Fuller: Matt Williams had mentioned to me that we should get together and jam. I’m part owner of Invada Records and we got together and jammed for the Christmas party. After that Invada records did something called the Invada acid test. What we did is get players in bands on the Invada Records label together to jam out. Matt Williams played clarinet.

So what happened then?

Fuller: We had a great time and I said we should do this again in the New Year. As a group we got together in the studio and nothing was discussed. We put some instruments and some microphones in front of us, had a cup of tea and started playing. The first song we played that day was the first song on the first album.

What’s the difference between Beak on record and Beak live?

Barrow: Live we had to learn exactly what we recorded in the studio. So essentially we’ve had to learn how to play songs we free-formed to begin with. We don’t improvise live or extend the songs. We are NOT a jam band. That would be an insult to us.

What’s coming out this year?

Barrow: Well the new Thought Forms album [on Invada Records] just got released. It’s a really good album and most of the album is gradual soundtrack music. We have College who is this electronic guy; you can find his stuff on the Drive soundtrack. The Fauns’ new album is really good. It’s a very small label and we only have one person running it.

What’s the art and music scene like right now in Bristol?

Barrow: Bristol has always had a scene. Growing up we had a really good punk and reggae scene in Bristol. No pop groups have come out of Bristol for a reason: you would get made fun of. Interesting people making noise is what’s popular in Bristol. You have to move to another town if you want to play pop. No pub will have you.

How do you feel about the legalization of medical cannabis?

Barrow: It’s weird because I think just legalizing cannabis isn’t a good thing. Everything should be legal. I was never a believer of people smoking weed and it leading to other drugs. Everyone I knew growing up would go get other drugs if they couldn’t get any weed. Some people can handle it and some people cannot. I don’t think weed leads to other drug use. Moderation is the key to everything isn’t it?

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Firmly Planted

When he’s not in Beak mode, Billy Fuller logs in time plucking the low notes for Robert Plant, among other projects. “I did some backing tracks on the new Anika record, and I’m also doing live stuff with Robert Plant again. I’ve been part of Plants’ live band for years. We may be over in the states in June or July . . . We are working on the new Portishead album and have some dates coming up overseas.”