Best of YouTube: THE HORRORS - GigslutzGigslutz

Do not be lulled, dear reader, by the pleasant bucolic scene pictured above as this journey down the dark, mysterious roads of the internet takes us through far more decidedly gothic territory than many a meek soul can handle. We warned young Becky Rogers of the perils that awaited her on the other side of the “Skip this Ad” button but she merely replied “Whatevs” and went and got some more eyeliner. A brave maid indeed…

This edition features Southend-on-Sea’s finest purveyors of Kraut-, psych-, goth- and pretty-much-anything-else-awesome-except-baggy-rock, The Horrors! Enjoy!

SEAT Session & Interview – 2011

Journey into the recording of The Horrors’ session for SEAT. Given just 16 minutes, one take and put straight onto vinyl – it’s just some fun for Rhys Webb. The session includes a cover of Bowie’s ‘Suffragette City’, it’s not very Horrors-esque but still sounds effortlessly cool. Joshua’s outburst of guitar solo gives him a chance to step into the spotlight which he often avoids making it clear he should do it more often. If only we could get our hands on this EP.

Glastonbury Tribute to Frankie Knuckles – 2014

If you missed out on seeing The Horrors at one of their festival dates then you missed out on a lot. At Glastonbury they pulled out their flawless tribute of ‘Your Love’ to Frankie Knuckles, far from their early festival days where it looked like Faris had lost his mind. It’s one of their jams that just turned out right, and Furse’s addition of the pyramid synth makes it seem so much cooler.

The Horrors vs. Joy Division – 2007

Back in the days where a Horrors set was 20 minutes of raw, untamed, gothic noise, a Joy Division cover slid in amongst ‘Count In Fives’ and ‘Sheena Is A Parasite’ wouldn’t go amiss. Getting to see the Strange House days before the switch of Spider Webb and Tom Furse over who would sort out the basslines and who would deal with the keys, makes it seem so much different to the likes of Skying and Luminous. It sounds like a mess but in a way, a good sort of mess with Rhys Webb going overboard with keys and the others following suit; Badwan’s shrieks at the ends are a far cry from the synth-sex heaven we have today.

Joined by Thurston Moore – 2014

Guitarist Joshua Hayward must have cried his eyes out when this idea was suggested. Joining them for one of the first live plays of Luminous’ ‘I See You’, Sonic Youth’s legendary frontman Thurston Moore joined them onstage to a surprised audience and award winners of The Fly Awards 2014. What better way is there than to show off your new track and make way for the new record with Thurston Moore? They’ve gone far from the days of being bottled as support for Arctic Monkeys.

A Horrors Tour of London – 2007

We see the goth boys in their home of London, showing us their favourite hangouts and venues. Faris Rotter and Spider Webb tell tales of cats dying mid show due to the shattering of The Old Blue Last’s glass ceiling and one man security teams holding back a venue of teenagers in their early days.

Talking influences with Nardwuar – 2009

Though slightly confused with Nardwuar at points, Faris and Rhys delve into their early days of Strange House, discussing The Gruesomes’ connections with ‘Jack The Ripper’ and their garage fashion influence The Music Machine. You can see the “what the fuck” moments from Faris (check out 4:48), but Rhys immerses himself into their early days telling us the tales we rarely get to hear from the gothic rock they left behind. The tip offs that Strange House is making a return soon won’t just be good news to Nardwuar.

Guesting on The Mighty Boosh – 2008

In this episode of The Mighty Boosh, we learn that bad acting, eyeliner, overly backcombed hair and compliance with the skinny leg policy of The Horrors’ comic alter-egos The Black Tubes is essential to be a member. What was once a joke over Noel Fielding’s chicken drummer legs has become age-old Horrors banter.

Interview with Joshua Third – 2010

We never hear much from good old Joshua Hayward aka Joshua Third, but when we do it has to involve either Sonic Youth or physics. Explore into the science behind The Horrors’ sound with DIY pedals that range from being synth-like to making Josh the timing wildcard of the band.

‘Best Thing I Never Had’ (Radio 1 Live Lounge Beyoncé cover) – 2011

Two things that you’d never expect to mix are The Horrors and Beyoncé. Team Goth trying out crazy in love pop still keeps their synth haven alive. Keeping up his cool-as-fuck appearance, Badwan takes arm folding to a new level while the others make Beyoncé their own.

Tour Diaries – 2007

Low quality 2007 Horrors tour diaries are where it’s at. We get a once in a lifetime chance to get to see The Horrors overeating éclairs and tricking Joe while on acid. They might not seem the time to love a bit of cheeky banter but even in their Strange House days the penis jokes were everywhere.