01Profile
A Lice Photo
Lice
Guitarist — Bristol
03Interview
Name?
Silas Dilkes
Where are you from?
Bristol
What do you do?
I play guitar in Lice.
Describe your style in three words?
Floral Swim Shorts.
You can make a record with anyone from history?
Tony Cohen, the man behind The Birthday Party. As a purveyor of unorthodox recording techniques, his stand out ideas to me include recording the vocals to 'The Hair Shirt' through a telephone and surrounding a Twin Reverb with corrugated iron while recording the guitar to 'Release The Bats'. Both sound incredible. We could definitely embrace that side of recording.
What’s the best gig/show you’ve ever been to and why?
I saw Spiritualized play 'Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space' in full at The Barbican with my brother last year which is a special memory. A phenomenal album played excellently & they encored with 'Out Of Sight', maybe my favourite Spiritualized song.
What British music icons inspire your sound today?
Despite their ascensions far beyond nationality: PJ Harvey, Genesis P-Orridge, Mark E Smith, Ben Wallers.
You can spend an hour with anyone from history?
Rowland Howard. Utterly berserk guitarist and patron saint of the Fender Jaguar.
Which British subculture means the most to you?
I think Alastair would harm me if I didn’t mention Bristol here, but with good reason. From Howling Owl Records to Harry Furniss’ no-wave madness the music here is authentically experimental & completely fantastic. Personal favourites include Jesuits, Repo-Man & Velcro Hooks. Here is a loving plug to Alastair’s series 'BRISTOL’S GOLDEN AGE'.
If you could share the bill with any British band in history?
I would have picked The Fall, but we somehow managed that last May. In which case, while I don’t think we’d sit too well with them, Spacemen 3.
What music did you listen to growing up?
I know my parents took me to a lot of great music festivals when I was very young, yet somehow my overriding song memory here is 'Justified and Ancient' by the KLF. I thought it was about the Moomins which I imagine heavily enticed me as a child. This isn’t in anyway representative of what my parents listened to when I was growing up though and I thank them for introducing me to a lot of music that Lice has dismembered, regurgitated and rehashed. Sorry Jane & Andy…
02Playlist
04Playlist Notes
What was the first song you played on repeat?
'California Uber Alles' by The Dead Kennedys.
I remember being disappointed the first time I ever listened to classic 'punk' bands such as the Clash. I’ve come round now, but at the time I was expecting something as outrageous and chaotic as The Dead Kennedys (to a 13 year old) and felt betrayed by the word 'punk'.
One record you would keep forever?
'A Way of Life' by Suicide.
A song from your favourite album?
'Saint Huck' by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.
It’d be hard to call it my favourite album, but From 'Her to Eternity' is my favourite Bad Seeds album. It exists in this perfect rut between the seemingly anarchic end to the Birthday Party and Nick Cave’s tender later work which gives it this incredible tension the whole way through that I find incredible.
Song you wish you had written?
'Yellow Eyes' by The Gun Club.
Song that defines the teenage you?
'Evil And A Heathen' by Franz Ferdinand.
Mid-noughties indie was (and remains) complete trash, apart from Franz Ferdinand who completely captured my attention.
What was the last piece of music you bought?
Embarrassingly I haven’t bought anything in a while, so either 'Plowing Into the Field of Love' by Iceage, or 'Typical System' by Total Control.
A song lyric that inspires you?
'Ratf***er' by Armand Schaubroeck. I don’t know about inspire, but I really love Armand Schaubroeck’s lyrics. Ratf***er is a masterpiece.
Is there a song you like that people wouldn’t expect?
Garth is surprised when I like any music but maybe 'Fire' by Arthur Brown.
Best love song of all time?
'Clothes Hoist' by Foetus.
Best song to turn up loud?
'Taste The Floor' by The Jesus and Mary Chain.
Best song to bring people together?
Nothing brings the rest of the band together in contempt towards me more than when I play The Good, the Bad and the Ugly on repeat on road trips.
4 songs you can’t stop listening to right now?
'No Remark' by Duds
I’ve only been aware of this song for about 2 days, so I have nothing worthwhile to say about it other than I think I’ve listened to it approximately 30 times in those 2 days.
'The Imminent Return' by Yowl
Our definitive worst ever gig was at Farr’s School Of Dancing (at no fault of theirs). The silver lining was I became aware of YOWL who also played that night and are superb.
'Fairground' by Pulp
I don’t know how I hadn’t earlier, but I spent a weekend listening to only Pulp for the first time with my girlfriend recently and realised how much great music I’ve been missing out on. This is probably my favourite song from that experience.
'Ahora Me da Pena' by Compay Segundo
If we were skilled musicians we’d be Alastair Shuttleworth meets Son Cubano. Sadly we aren’t.
03Interview
Name?
Silas Dilkes
Where are you from?
Bristol
What do you do?
I play guitar in Lice.
Describe your style in three words?
Floral Swim Shorts.
You can make a record with anyone from history?
Tony Cohen, the man behind The Birthday Party. As a purveyor of unorthodox recording techniques, his stand out ideas to me include recording the vocals to 'The Hair Shirt' through a telephone and surrounding a Twin Reverb with corrugated iron while recording the guitar to 'Release The Bats'. Both sound incredible. We could definitely embrace that side of recording.
What’s the best gig/show you’ve ever been to and why?
I saw Spiritualized play 'Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space' in full at The Barbican with my brother last year which is a special memory. A phenomenal album played excellently & they encored with 'Out Of Sight', maybe my favourite Spiritualized song.
What British music icons inspire your sound today?
Despite their ascensions far beyond nationality: PJ Harvey, Genesis P-Orridge, Mark E Smith, Ben Wallers.
You can spend an hour with anyone from history?
Rowland Howard. Utterly berserk guitarist and patron saint of the Fender Jaguar.
Which British subculture means the most to you?
I think Alastair would harm me if I didn’t mention Bristol here, but with good reason. From Howling Owl Records to Harry Furniss’ no-wave madness the music here is authentically experimental & completely fantastic. Personal favourites include Jesuits, Repo-Man & Velcro Hooks. Here is a loving plug to Alastair’s series 'BRISTOL’S GOLDEN AGE'.
If you could share the bill with any British band in history?
I would have picked The Fall, but we somehow managed that last May. In which case, while I don’t think we’d sit too well with them, Spacemen 3.
What music did you listen to growing up?
I know my parents took me to a lot of great music festivals when I was very young, yet somehow my overriding song memory here is 'Justified and Ancient' by the KLF. I thought it was about the Moomins which I imagine heavily enticed me as a child. This isn’t in anyway representative of what my parents listened to when I was growing up though and I thank them for introducing me to a lot of music that Lice has dismembered, regurgitated and rehashed. Sorry Jane & Andy…
04Playlist Notes
What was the first song you played on repeat?
'California Uber Alles' by The Dead Kennedys.
I remember being disappointed the first time I ever listened to classic 'punk' bands such as the Clash. I’ve come round now, but at the time I was expecting something as outrageous and chaotic as The Dead Kennedys (to a 13 year old) and felt betrayed by the word 'punk'.
One record you would keep forever?
'A Way of Life' by Suicide.
A song from your favourite album?
'Saint Huck' by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.
It’d be hard to call it my favourite album, but From 'Her to Eternity' is my favourite Bad Seeds album. It exists in this perfect rut between the seemingly anarchic end to the Birthday Party and Nick Cave’s tender later work which gives it this incredible tension the whole way through that I find incredible.
Song you wish you had written?
'Yellow Eyes' by The Gun Club.
Song that defines the teenage you?
'Evil And A Heathen' by Franz Ferdinand.
Mid-noughties indie was (and remains) complete trash, apart from Franz Ferdinand who completely captured my attention.
What was the last piece of music you bought?
Embarrassingly I haven’t bought anything in a while, so either 'Plowing Into the Field of Love' by Iceage, or 'Typical System' by Total Control.
A song lyric that inspires you?
'Ratf***er' by Armand Schaubroeck. I don’t know about inspire, but I really love Armand Schaubroeck’s lyrics. Ratf***er is a masterpiece.
Is there a song you like that people wouldn’t expect?
Garth is surprised when I like any music but maybe 'Fire' by Arthur Brown.
Best love song of all time?
'Clothes Hoist' by Foetus.
Best song to turn up loud?
'Taste The Floor' by The Jesus and Mary Chain.
Best song to bring people together?
Nothing brings the rest of the band together in contempt towards me more than when I play The Good, the Bad and the Ugly on repeat on road trips.
4 songs you can’t stop listening to right now?
'No Remark' by Duds
I’ve only been aware of this song for about 2 days, so I have nothing worthwhile to say about it other than I think I’ve listened to it approximately 30 times in those 2 days.
'The Imminent Return' by Yowl
Our definitive worst ever gig was at Farr’s School Of Dancing (at no fault of theirs). The silver lining was I became aware of YOWL who also played that night and are superb.
'Fairground' by Pulp
I don’t know how I hadn’t earlier, but I spent a weekend listening to only Pulp for the first time with my girlfriend recently and realised how much great music I’ve been missing out on. This is probably my favourite song from that experience.
'Ahora Me da Pena' by Compay Segundo
If we were skilled musicians we’d be Alastair Shuttleworth meets Son Cubano. Sadly we aren’t.
Lice performing 'The Woodlouse' live at the Louisiana (2016)
LICE | Nutmilk: The Basement Demos (2016)