Full Metal Waistcoat eventually intruded into the public as part of an open mic night on Thusday 15 June 2006, at the famous Turf Tavern in Oxford, recordings of which still exist and are used by the CIA when they can't find a plastic bag and a bucket of water. Billing themselves as "a strange form of folk music", the confused trio performed a handful of traditional fiddle tunes, a north-eastern mining song, and some socialist drivel about being kept up all night by dogs.
Founded on the same solid principal as Morris Dancing - that it is impossible to mock something which is so obviously ridiculous - Full Metal Waistcoat's purpose is to show all other musical styles that there is nothing that hasn't already been done to greater excess in the murky villages of 18th century (and earlier) rural England. 'Dance' music doesn't thrash around as hard as a good old set of accelerating jigs, Hip-hop may allow the protagonist to murder his wife but doesn't butcher her lover in front of her first. One's own true love left England for America long before she left whichever old Blues artist she ended up leaving there. Classical music cannot hope to explore the remarkable complexity of the ecclesiastical upheaval caused by the capricious British monarchy without resorting to a full-blown opera (although Folk has those too, of course...) and while Indie bands brag about their nights out drinking Stella, Full Metal Waistcoat rejoice in songs about people literally drinking themselves to death.
Despite their schedules being packed (as young professionals' lives often are) with protecting the general public from affordable libido-enhancing medication, demolishing and ruining one of the area's favourite museums, learning to play their own and various other people's instruments, training to use a variety of western and eastern edged weapons, and working out why the cooker gets so hot, they still have time to write sentences as long as this. Additionally, they boast an impressive musical CV including spilling Jon Boden's pint then lending him two of the worst instruments he's ever had to play, jamming with John Spiers' dad Dave, and receiving guitar-playing tips from Martin Carthy as he stood in the adjacent urinal. 'Rock and Roll lifestyle' just doesn't do it justice.
None of the band has seen the film Full Metal Jacket.
"Disappointingly good" - official review of the Buxton Festival Fringe, 2007.
"You guys should form a band" - another performer at the Market Tavern, 2006.
Here's a proper review .