STUART DEABILL

Author, Manager of The Spitfires and mad Chelsea fan Stuart Deabill has a chat and tells us his plans (March 2015).

***Stuart has recently decided to step down as manager of The Spitfires. He gives his reasons at the end of the interview.***

How did it all start for you Stu? How did you get into music and what was you listening to as a young boy?

Radio was always on , the old man had a right different taste that went from Tubby Hayes Big Band to John Denver but to be honest the only records I remember from really early days are Lily The Pink by Scaffold which was the first single I had bought for me , Cracklin’ Rosie by Neil Diamond and Walk on the wild Side by Lou Reed.

How did things develop for you with regards to music as you entered your teens?

Punk and New Wave – suddenly hearing urgent guitars and seeing the odd older kid with spiky hair looking like a fucking alien in amongst the flares and car coats was brilliant. Sham 69 and X-Ray Spex being played at the local Skate park in Harrow (Skateboarding – how mad did that go?!).

I know football and especially Chelsea FC were/are important to you. How did Football impact upon your music tastes?

Apart from singing obscene songs to the other team , dunno really. Funny all my mates we’re soul boys and I always remember one of my Arsenal pals Fatty Lyall saying after I asked him if he wanted to see The Truth, ” Gigs are for wankers Deabs”.

If push came to shove, which bands/artists mean the most to you?

Won’t even scratch the surface but The Jam, The Stone Roses and The Spitfires have all been my game changers. But there's 500 to choose from Arctics to The Zombies.

How did you become involved with The Spitfires?

Met Billy when I moved back to Watford in 2012 , knew about his band and liked the attitude if not the songs at that point. Then Spark To Start blew my fucking head off, then I knew there was something a lot deeper going on than he’d previously shown. Previous Manager bailed, I was asked to step in and here we are 2 and a half years later.

Had you ever managed a band before?

No , but came close a couple of times but it was never an ambition.

What is your view of the current music scene?

Fucking awful, it’s easy to just say such a statement but having seen how little money is about , and knowing a band like The Spitfires would have been snapped up and been allowed to develop even 10 years ago is infuriating. The business that I perceived from years ago, seems more carved up for white middle class bands than ever. No one takes any risks anymore , No one , That’s why we can’t get major play , everyone wants to discover a band but don’t want to put any effort in doing it. In all this time , I’ve never met one fella from a record company / business at a gig. There’s no excitement / raw energy in any of these generic indie wank fests that get maximum play on XFM or 6 Music. When the only new working class voice is Sleaford Mods , you know it’s a fucking joke affair.

Apart from The Spitfires, which other contemporary bands/artists are you into at the moment?

Great new band called The Costellos from Southampton I saw last year , Samuel Rogers as well , voice on him could take him on a good old career on a new tip , Charlatans new album got some corkers on it , Ben Howard who is well off kilter for me , his latest album ‘ I Forgot Where We Were mixing The Edge’s guitars with John Martyn’s expressionisms is fantastic – sort of deep melancholic torch songs for a love lost.

What is your wish for The Spitfires?

To be big, to be bold and to be brave. And have a following that rivals The Jam and The Specials.

What can people expect from the album?

Expect the unexpected ! There’s the full on hammer on the head that people have come to know and love but there’s strings , brass , Spanish guitars and some gentle moments as well. There's a song titled 4AM which would be my all time top 10. People can say what they like about image , influence , this that , but i know enough about music and song craft to know that 4am is a work of art.

How did you get into writing and is it something you’ve always wanted to do?

I wrote a piece for myself about the Chelsea winning the FA Cup Final in 97 and the 60 hour binge that the final was in the middle of. I’ll have to dig it out at some point ! No real ambition , though my ex and my wife encouraged me to crack on. Starting a blog after honing my written wit on the old Paul Weller Chat Forum was where I started to think more seriously about how to shape a story , and also sort out the below standard grammar. Snowy was the catalyst though , when he asked me to write with him what became From Ronnie’s to Ravers

You must be very proud of the success of Thick as Thieves: Personal situations with The Jam?

Massively, proud of what that book achieved and proud of everyone that got involved. Not many books can be written by such new writers , that hit the nail on the head of their subject and be given the plaudits it received. Especially from the guv’nor himself.

Was it difficult to put together, get interest etc?

No , because of my love for the band and the knowledge I have of the subject , mixed with Snowy’s work ethic and doggedness and also how much his life was influenced by Rick being a drummer .

Also having the designer Jon Abnett involved was crucial to not only getting the deal but showing the way in the book layout . Shame he turned out to be such a cunt later on.

How successful has Supersonic: Personal Situations with Oasis (1992- 96) been?

Was that different to pull together?

Opposite, no band involvement apart from Tony made it difficult, no one wants to go on tape without Noel's say so and we couldn't reach him until 8 months after the book come out! Also I got writer’s block which sounds a bit ‘chase me’ but was at one point quite worrying as the deadline was unbelievably tough. Paul Slattery’s photos saved the day, as we really struggled to get fan photos. The dynamic of gig going had massively changed from The Jam’s days and cameras we’re just not allowed in gigs. Nice book though and you get to read about how I was living the life in the mid 90's, great period of my life.

From Ronnies to Ravers: Personal Situations in London Clubland. I see a theme here, are there any plans to do anymore ‘Personal Situations’ books and what are your future plans as a writer?

My own book Notes From Northolt will happen at some point , I’ve got loads of stories from over the years , music , football , various jobs where the workmates are the real stars, and also the hell of living in Dunstable and how I ended up lying unconscious in a pool of blood outside my front door and coming round in hospital with my wife lying next to me in a similar state and the subsequent court case that saw all sorts of twists. Not for the feint hearted! Also we want to expand the literary events as well, me and Snowy are in talks at the moment about some possibilities.

Finally; what would a 16 year old Stuart Deabill think of your achievements?

He’d probably say – good on ya, still here having it, though you’ve piled on the weight ya fat mug and laugh.

FOOTNOTE: So go on Stu, why have you decided to step down as the manager of The Spitfires?

Due to the level of commitment needed and lack of money in an ever dwindling music business where it’s harder and harder for bands that don’t come from a privileged background to survive, I regrettably had to stand down from involvement with The Spitfires.

I’m proud of what we all achieved – from playing virtually empty venues to a critically acclaimed album that made 63 in the UK Album Chart and Number 6 in both the Vinyl and Indie Charts in a relatively short space of time. Also 10 sold out shows on the spin across the UK as well as making inroads into Europe. I’ve no doubt that the band will go onto greater things and with Billy Sullivan have one of the best front men/songwriters of a generation. SD

Many thanks Stu. It is worth pointing out that virtually everything Stuart achieved with The Spitfires was self-funded! Good luck with your future plans mate. Mez