Y.O.M. - “Not breaking up but growing up”
Over the past month there’s been a quite a lot of news over in the You’re Only Massive camp. Back at the start of July they announced the upcoming release of their debut, Dot-Dash a split 12″ with Queen Kong. Then last week they revealed that half of their duo, Megan Nolan, is leaving the band. She posted the following message on their myspace page:
“I am Megan. Maebh and I had a chat today while perusing some fashion magazines. We talked about the direction Y.O.M. is taking. We both agree that it has evolved past our lovably ramshackle beginnings, with my bandy decks and scratched records, not-practising in my bedroom. We are at a crossroads, just like the seminal Britney Spears movie Crossroads. I am more interested in trying to develop my writing and dedicate a chunk of my life to that, while Maebh is eager as a beaver to develop musically. I will continue to contribute to Y.O.M., beginning with a Y.O.M. zine, which will be out around the time Dot-Dash comes out.
We’re playing in Leitrim and Roscommon this Saturday, and at a DYT fundraiser in Crawdaddy on Sunday, Our final gig together will be in Trickster in Berlin on Saturday 26th; although I will be doing a DJ set on the 7th of August at Soundcheck at the Spy bar. After these gigs, Maebh will start working alone on a new set to promote Dot-Dash, the split LP with Queen Kong.
I of course wish Maebh all the best in her future endeavours, and will refrain from anonymously badmouthing her on the internet.
As Destiny’s Child so memorably sang,
“I’m not gon’ hate on you in the magazines
(I’m betta than that)
I’m not gon’ compromise my Christianity
(I’m betta than that)
You KNOW I’m not gon’ diss you on the internet-
CAUSE MY MAMA TAUGHT ME BETTA THAN THAT.”
Thanks to everyone who came to gigs and said nice things.
Lots of Massive love,
megan.”
Speaking to Analogue Maebh Cheasty, Y.O.M.’s surviving member, confirmed that “Megan has indeed left You’re Only Massive” but at the same time she wants everyone to know that “it is far from being the end, more like an evolution.” She went on to say that “basically when we started we were both just doing it for a laugh and for fun, but I became very committed to You’re Only Massive in a short space of time, writing and thinking about gigs all the time like a madwoman. Producing the album with Dave from Queen Kong made me feel like this music and performance thang is really what I want to do, I enjoy it so much. Megan just hasn’t started to feel the same way and wants to concentrate more on her writing and college of course. Saturday we played our last gig together, here in Berlin and it was very emotional, but it is the right decision and the best thing about this past year is that I have gained a best friend.”
Yet although You’re Only Massive will now be moving in a new direction under Cheasty’s lead, she was also keen to impress that “not that I’ve become all serious like, there is a big difference between being serious which is boring, and committed to something, which can still enable you to have tons of fun.” So hopefully, despite the changes, the early spirit of the band will remain. Considering the release of Dot-Dash next week, which has been described by Queen Kong as not a “split between the bands, but between moods and tempos. The first side is upbeat disco moderne, the flip side is all love songs and Slow Jams”, Cheasty had this to say about the future of the band: “Regarding playing the album tracks live: it was always going to be an issue because we have moved beyond the vinyl in the past months and I have been playing solo gigs in Germany over the winter. For now Dave is playing guitar live, with synth drums, but I am working on a new set up right…….NOW!”
Seeing how You’re Only Massive’s sections of Dot-Dash will translate to the stage then will be the real test for the band over the next while, for the vinyl backing tracks that Nolan used to spin have been dropped from the album (such as Justice’s ‘Phantom’ on ‘Here is Home’). As for what effect the addition of live guitar and synth drums will have on the band’s always fun and captivating shows, we will just have to wait and see.
If you can’t wait to find out catch the launch gig of Dot-Dash, at which You’re Only Massive and Queen Kong will be playing, at the Space Upstairs at the Project Arts Centre on Friday 15th August. It’s going to be seated, tickets are 12 euro and are available on the door. Plus the first 100 people there will receive a free copy of the album which will be released on 12″ silver vinyl and as a download.
