Mouthwash (band)
Encyclopedia
Mouthwash were a ska-punk band, originally formed in West Norwood
, London
, England, in 1995.
/electro/punk
band from South London, UK. They originally formed as a three-piece band consisting of Ben McCarthy (vocals
/bass guitar
), Rob Tortelli (guitar
) and Chris Hugall (drum
s). They played their first gig in early 1996 in a South London record store called Shake Some Action.
Their first release was an EP
entitled Music for the Average Ninja(1997) which was released on their own self-funded record label, Hot Wok Records.
In 1997, Rich Fry joined the band and took over bass guitar duties from Ben, with the latter maintaining his role as vocalist for the band. At this time Chris and Nipa (the future lead singer) were playing for Arsenal FC, The training for the club was full time and had interfered with band commitments. Chris and Nipper made 2 and 3 first team appearances respectively for the Gunners, both making their premier league debuts as substitutes in the 5-0 home win over Barnsley in November 1997. Nipper went on to play for Fulham, then Macclesfield Town. Chris was released by the club in 1998 after failing the medical to turn pro. After this Chris could now concentrate on the band fully and the band started to become much more active and Mouthwash supported such bands as The Vandals
, Rancid
, Less Than Jake
, U.K. Subs and Agnostic Front
; as well as headlining gigs in their own right.
Whilst supporting Rancid, Tim Armstrong
asked the band to join Hellcat Records
. The tracks Fools Gold and We Evolve feature on the Hellcat Records compilations Give 'Em the Boot volumes II and III respectively.
In January 2001 Mouthwash released their début full-length album, 1000 Dreams, on Hellcat Records which received critical acclaim around the world.
After touring the record in Europe and the East coast of America (one of the most shambolic, punkest tours the world has ever known, which saw the band sleeping in shacks in the woods, hitchiking, living in squats in NYC and touring with a mental patient in the van) the band split up after vocalist Ben McCarthy left the band. The band grew in popularity whilst they were split up, achieving cult status, and their own unique brand of UK sounding urban ska became very influential. Some artists who have claimed to have been influenced by the band include The King Blues, Jamie T and even Tim Armstrong's side project band The Transplants, who's song 'California Babylon' bears a resemblance to the Mouthwash song 'Babylondon'.
The 3 remaining members of the band returned in late 2006 with a new line-up, now with Nipa Fry on vocals/keys, Rich Fry on guitar and Burch on bass/vocals. The break had seen the band pursue other activities, most notably Nip and Rich, who were both big Pro-Wrestling fan's, trained at the FWA academy on and off for about a year, then in St Albans with WWE veteran JAKE 'THE SNAKE' ROBERTS.
The new Mouthwash participated on the inaugural Ruff and Ready Tour in February 2007 alongside Sonic Boom Six
, The King Blues
and Failsafe
.
Their new CD, their second full-length entitled 'True Stories', was originally slated to be released on London-based independent label Household Name Records
, although they eventually released it on their own label, WDC Recordings. The release was primarily available direct from the band (either at gigs or via their website) but was also available at some independent record shops, and digitally via iTunes
.
Following the self release they toured the UK extensively to promote their new record and In April and May 2009 they were the main support for their old friends The King Blues for half of their UK tour.
True Stories was re-released by independent label Rebel Alliance Recordings
on 4 May 2009. The CD was initially packaged with a bonus second CD - featuring previously unreleased live session recordings (both electric and acoustic) and demos - including new recordings of older songs Fool's Gold and We Evolve and covers of Minor Threat
's I Don't Wanna Hear it and UB40
's One in Ten. Later versions of the CD came in a new digipack - without the bonus second disc - with three of the second disc's tracks as 'bonus tracks'.
Although the second Mouthwash record was released in late 2008, it has only been in 2010 that the band has really re- established itself fully. 2010 has seen the band tour heavily in support of the record, completing the 'Rebel Alliance' tour of the UK w/ The Skints, Chris Murray and Random hand. they were also again asked out by their od friends, and were main support for 'The King Blues' on their biggest tour to date. The London homecoming date was at The Shepherds Bush Empire on April 27. Over the summer of 2010 the band have continued touring as support for Big D and the kids Table, and August saw them play a triumphant set at The Empress Ballroom in Blackpool at the Rebellion Festival, probably the bands biggest show to date.
The band have recorded some new material, including their live favourite 'Nine To Five', which is finished, mixed and mastered. The song was produced by Chris' brother Charlie Hugall (Florence and the Machine, Razorlight, Kaiser Chiefs) in Brixton. The band have plans to release the record before the end of the year, having shot a video for the tune with Adam Powell ( King Blues, Gallows, Giggs, Jamie T) in a tooting social club. Look out for it soon!!
In October 2010 the band set out on their first ever headline tour of the UK. The London show is on 4 November at the Barfly.
In the last couple of years various members of Mouthwash have performed/recorded with The Awful Crew, Herbert Wrecking Crew, Florence and the Machine, Crystal Fighters, Paloma Faith, Jack Penate, Saints of insanity, Mr. Exhaust, The Murderhunks and Wonk Unit to name but a few.
On December 12, 2010, The band will play alongside Random Hand, The Creepshow, The Skints, The Hydropaths, and Acid Drop for the Slam Dunk punk/ska all dayer at the Cockpit in Leeds UK. On May 3, 2011 there were announced to play at Reading & Leeds Festival on the Lock Up stage marking what would have been their first appearance at the festival.
On June 21, 2011, a statement from Chris on the networking site Facebook, announced the bands break-up,
"Good day all,
Writing this statement is very strange for me as I have been in Mouthwash for the majority of my life and it is difficult to imagine life without it, but I can confirm that as of today we will no longer be playing together.
We would like to apologise to all our fans and say a huge thank you for making this a truly unforgettable and amazing experience. You were totally incredible and we are truly sorry that we cannot play some last shows for you guys. You are everything that is good about this band.
We would also like to thank all the bands we have toured with, to our booking agent Ian Armstrong and all the promoters who made it all happen for us. We would like to thank the producers we have worked with (Pete Miles and Charlie Hugall) and to everyone who has helped and supported us over the years by putting us up, putting up with us and driving and feeding us. It is amazing what we have achieved doing things DIY and it would not have been possible without you.
Our final recording Nine to Five produced by my brother Charlie Hugall will be available from tomorrow (hopefully) on Itunes. The video for the song was directed by our friend Adam Powell and is up on YouTube.
I’m sure there will be future projects so keep a look out!
Big love and respect to you all,
Chris x".
Occasional guest:
Ed Koral: Trumpet, Percussion
West Norwood
West Norwood is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is primarily a residential suburb of south London but with some light industry near Knights Hill in the south....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, in 1995.
History
Mouthwash were an indie/skaSka
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
/electro/punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band from South London, UK. They originally formed as a three-piece band consisting of Ben McCarthy (vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
/bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Rob Tortelli (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
) and Chris Hugall (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s). They played their first gig in early 1996 in a South London record store called Shake Some Action.
Their first release was an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
entitled Music for the Average Ninja(1997) which was released on their own self-funded record label, Hot Wok Records.
In 1997, Rich Fry joined the band and took over bass guitar duties from Ben, with the latter maintaining his role as vocalist for the band. At this time Chris and Nipa (the future lead singer) were playing for Arsenal FC, The training for the club was full time and had interfered with band commitments. Chris and Nipper made 2 and 3 first team appearances respectively for the Gunners, both making their premier league debuts as substitutes in the 5-0 home win over Barnsley in November 1997. Nipper went on to play for Fulham, then Macclesfield Town. Chris was released by the club in 1998 after failing the medical to turn pro. After this Chris could now concentrate on the band fully and the band started to become much more active and Mouthwash supported such bands as The Vandals
The Vandals
The Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
, Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
, Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative...
, U.K. Subs and Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front is an American hardcore band. The band began playing hardcore similar to their contemporaries, and were thrust to the forefront of the burgeoning New York hardcore scene in the mid-1980s with their widely regarded 1984 classic Victim in Pain before evolving to incorporate thrash...
; as well as headlining gigs in their own right.
Whilst supporting Rancid, Tim Armstrong
Tim Armstrong
Timothy Lockwood Armstrong is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work with punk rock bands Rancid, Operation Ivy, Downfall, and the Transplants. He is also the owner and operator of Hellcat Records.-Personal life:Armstrong was born November 25, 1965 and was...
asked the band to join Hellcat Records
Hellcat Records
Hellcat Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. The label, an off-shoot of Epitaph Records, was started as a partnership between Brett Gurewitz carp Bad Religion, the owner of Epitaph, and Tim Armstrong of Rancid, the latter of whom is generally responsible for...
. The tracks Fools Gold and We Evolve feature on the Hellcat Records compilations Give 'Em the Boot volumes II and III respectively.
In January 2001 Mouthwash released their début full-length album, 1000 Dreams, on Hellcat Records which received critical acclaim around the world.
After touring the record in Europe and the East coast of America (one of the most shambolic, punkest tours the world has ever known, which saw the band sleeping in shacks in the woods, hitchiking, living in squats in NYC and touring with a mental patient in the van) the band split up after vocalist Ben McCarthy left the band. The band grew in popularity whilst they were split up, achieving cult status, and their own unique brand of UK sounding urban ska became very influential. Some artists who have claimed to have been influenced by the band include The King Blues, Jamie T and even Tim Armstrong's side project band The Transplants, who's song 'California Babylon' bears a resemblance to the Mouthwash song 'Babylondon'.
The 3 remaining members of the band returned in late 2006 with a new line-up, now with Nipa Fry on vocals/keys, Rich Fry on guitar and Burch on bass/vocals. The break had seen the band pursue other activities, most notably Nip and Rich, who were both big Pro-Wrestling fan's, trained at the FWA academy on and off for about a year, then in St Albans with WWE veteran JAKE 'THE SNAKE' ROBERTS.
The new Mouthwash participated on the inaugural Ruff and Ready Tour in February 2007 alongside Sonic Boom Six
Sonic Boom Six
Sonic Boom Six are a five-piece rock band from Manchester, United Kingdom. Their eclectic sound combines different elements of several genres and has been described by Kerrang! as "taking ska, pop, grime, dubstep, punk and metal apart, then rebuilding them as a hyperactive hybrid"...
, The King Blues
The King Blues
The King Blues are a punk band from London, England, credited for fusing ska and folk together with influences from punk rock and hardcore punk. Tariq Ali described the band's sounds as 'rough, radical music that should unsettle the rulers of this country. A new generation of musicians are...
and Failsafe
Failsafe (UK band)
Failsafe are a melodic rock band whose current line up has been together since 2005, although the foundations of the band were laid in 2000. They are based in and around Preston, UK...
.
Their new CD, their second full-length entitled 'True Stories', was originally slated to be released on London-based independent label Household Name Records
Household Name Records
Household Name Records is a DIY punk rock record label, based in London, UK. It has been home to notable artists including Howards Alias, Lightyear, and Adequate Seven. It was started in 1996 by David "Lil" Giles and Katherine "Kafren" Vik to promote unknown UK bands...
, although they eventually released it on their own label, WDC Recordings. The release was primarily available direct from the band (either at gigs or via their website) but was also available at some independent record shops, and digitally via iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
Following the self release they toured the UK extensively to promote their new record and In April and May 2009 they were the main support for their old friends The King Blues for half of their UK tour.
True Stories was re-released by independent label Rebel Alliance Recordings
Rebel Alliance Recordings
Rebel Alliance Recordings is a Manchester, UK-based record label set up in 2007 by the members of ska-punk band Sonic Boom Six.-Origins:After leaving Deck Cheese the members of Sonic Boom Six set up Rebel Alliance originally as an outlet for their forthcoming album Arcade Perfect, which was...
on 4 May 2009. The CD was initially packaged with a bonus second CD - featuring previously unreleased live session recordings (both electric and acoustic) and demos - including new recordings of older songs Fool's Gold and We Evolve and covers of Minor Threat
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" ethic for music distribution and...
's I Don't Wanna Hear it and UB40
UB40
UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.Their hit singles...
's One in Ten. Later versions of the CD came in a new digipack - without the bonus second disc - with three of the second disc's tracks as 'bonus tracks'.
Although the second Mouthwash record was released in late 2008, it has only been in 2010 that the band has really re- established itself fully. 2010 has seen the band tour heavily in support of the record, completing the 'Rebel Alliance' tour of the UK w/ The Skints, Chris Murray and Random hand. they were also again asked out by their od friends, and were main support for 'The King Blues' on their biggest tour to date. The London homecoming date was at The Shepherds Bush Empire on April 27. Over the summer of 2010 the band have continued touring as support for Big D and the kids Table, and August saw them play a triumphant set at The Empress Ballroom in Blackpool at the Rebellion Festival, probably the bands biggest show to date.
The band have recorded some new material, including their live favourite 'Nine To Five', which is finished, mixed and mastered. The song was produced by Chris' brother Charlie Hugall (Florence and the Machine, Razorlight, Kaiser Chiefs) in Brixton. The band have plans to release the record before the end of the year, having shot a video for the tune with Adam Powell ( King Blues, Gallows, Giggs, Jamie T) in a tooting social club. Look out for it soon!!
In October 2010 the band set out on their first ever headline tour of the UK. The London show is on 4 November at the Barfly.
In the last couple of years various members of Mouthwash have performed/recorded with The Awful Crew, Herbert Wrecking Crew, Florence and the Machine, Crystal Fighters, Paloma Faith, Jack Penate, Saints of insanity, Mr. Exhaust, The Murderhunks and Wonk Unit to name but a few.
On December 12, 2010, The band will play alongside Random Hand, The Creepshow, The Skints, The Hydropaths, and Acid Drop for the Slam Dunk punk/ska all dayer at the Cockpit in Leeds UK. On May 3, 2011 there were announced to play at Reading & Leeds Festival on the Lock Up stage marking what would have been their first appearance at the festival.
On June 21, 2011, a statement from Chris on the networking site Facebook, announced the bands break-up,
"Good day all,
Writing this statement is very strange for me as I have been in Mouthwash for the majority of my life and it is difficult to imagine life without it, but I can confirm that as of today we will no longer be playing together.
We would like to apologise to all our fans and say a huge thank you for making this a truly unforgettable and amazing experience. You were totally incredible and we are truly sorry that we cannot play some last shows for you guys. You are everything that is good about this band.
We would also like to thank all the bands we have toured with, to our booking agent Ian Armstrong and all the promoters who made it all happen for us. We would like to thank the producers we have worked with (Pete Miles and Charlie Hugall) and to everyone who has helped and supported us over the years by putting us up, putting up with us and driving and feeding us. It is amazing what we have achieved doing things DIY and it would not have been possible without you.
Our final recording Nine to Five produced by my brother Charlie Hugall will be available from tomorrow (hopefully) on Itunes. The video for the song was directed by our friend Adam Powell and is up on YouTube.
I’m sure there will be future projects so keep a look out!
Big love and respect to you all,
Chris x".
Band members
- 'Nipa' Fry: vocals/synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
- Rich Fry: lead guitar
- Rob Tortelli: rhythm guitar/vocals
- Burch Bator: bass guitar/vocals
- Chris Hugall: drums
Occasional guest:
Ed Koral: Trumpet, Percussion
EPs and Singles
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Music for the Average Ninja EP | Hot Wok |
| 1999 | Fools Gold EP | Hot Wok |
| 2011 | Nine to Five | self-released |
Albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1000 Dreams | Hellcat |
| 2008 2009 (re-release) |
True Stories | WDC Rebel Alliance |