Interview: Section 60 – ‘In time people embrace great bands, and we believe we’re a great band’


Armed with one of the best EP’s of the year in ‘Welcome To The Dream Factory‘, Sheffield’s exciting indie-rock five-piece Section 60 talk to Live4ever contributor Carl Stanley after playing a string of shows around the UK. With some straight talking we chat to the group’s frontman Chris Perkins and lead guitarist Addy on the Section 60 story so far.

section60wide

Hi guys, firstly how did you form and where did your band name come from?

CP: We got together because me and Addy had been banned from going to the football, and we were just sat around with fuck all to do. It was just a fuck about at first until we got in with Smit who had heard we had started a band. Drummers and bass players have come and gone but really the core of the band has always been Addy, Smit and myself. There are two more lads in the band but can I fuck remember their names, haha! And as far as the name, Section 60, goes; well we just like bandnames with numbers in it – you know like Level 42!

Some real quality tracks on the EP ‘Welcome to the Dream-Factory’ – tunes like ‘The North Will Rise Again’ – but what goes into your sound? Would you say there is definitely a Manchester influence in there?

The sound is just Section 60 with a bit in there of every band that’s ever been the bollocks. The thing with Manchester is that when you talk to somebody over there it’s always, ‘So when you gonna make it’, not ‘do you think your going to make it’. We love that attitude and we think that comes out in the sound of our band.

There’s also a real mix of sounds and styles going on when you compare other tracks on the EP like ‘Bullet Train’ and ‘See How They Run’. Does that come from everyone in the band chipping in on the songs?

You’ve got to mix it up ‘cos people just get fucking bored. The songs always start with a voice and acoustic guitar then it grows from there. Everybody in the band has input into the song. ‘See How They Run’ is always one of the best to play live ‘cos the song just goes off on one.

Another big tune is ‘Soul Uncensored’, with its ‘Sally Cinnamon’/early Oasis feel, and like the Roses and Oasis Section 60 have their own stand-out frontman don’t they – Chris really does look and sound like he was made to be up there – how important is it to have a quality frontman?



Addy: Obviously for us with the songs we have it’s important Chris has a great voice, I’ve personally always preferred a frontman to just sing and not play instruments. My favourite frontmen – James Mudrickzi, Liam Gallagher and Paul Heaton – prove this, singers that you cant take your eyes off. It’s all about putting your heart and soul into it, put your heart on the line for 45 minutes. Our songs move people, they bring out the emotional spot and people can relate to the good and the bad times. Love, life, striving for better things and believing in what you’re doing; Chris does this perfectly for our band. Fuck some idiot playing a shitty keyboard screaming shit like, “She’s so lovely, she’s so lovely, she’s so lovely” over and over again. That’s just not what we are about.

There’s also that ‘casual’ outlook about Section 60 as well isn’t there, do you think that’s also something which is missing today?

CP: Look, we’re working class, we work in factories and tile old ladies bathrooms and fix people’s cars, but I think to make it in the music game these days you’ve got to have a private education, a ‘tache and look like you haven’t had a wash for a fucking week, oh, and be able to play ten fucking instruments throughout a gig, You can’t just stand there in a CP jacket playing your guitar and looking cool as fuck anymore. Fuck me it’s like a fucking circus, but that’s just my opinion. But what the fuck do I know? I`m just a moronic Oasis fan from Sheffield.

So how did the recent tour go? I caught your Manchester show at the Night & Day Cafe and loved the sound. Any stand out shows ?

The tour’s been great. To me, playing live is the best thing about being in a band, to see people getting into you and singing the songs, that’s very special. The Manchester gig was top, but I think the best one was the Queen of Hoxton in London for This Feeling, ‘cos the night before we did a gig in Camden and ten minutes before we went on me and Smit fell out with Luke, our bass player at the time – Smit hit Luke in the face with a table and let’s just say the gig didn’t go that well. The next night we did the Hoxton gig we were like a different fucking band, proper on it. We buzzed off the crowd and they buzzed off us. Afterwards people were lining up to talk to us  – we felt like fucking U2!

Does it feel like the band are really getting through now? Great response to the EP and a growing fanbase with people like Liam Fray, Tim Abbott and the guys at Peaceful Hooligan really into Section 60. You all pleased with the way it’s going?

I just think when those types of people are taking notice of the band then you must be doing something right. When we played with The Courteeners Liam Fray came out of their dressing room to have a word with us. He wasn’t up his own arse, he just came across as being a really nice kid. What can I say about Tim Abbot? The guy’s just fucking brilliant, I could stand and talk to him for hours – he cracks me up, a proper top man. The Peaceful Hooligan lads, well we’ve know them for a while and them boys know how to have a party.

Finally, can you tell me what’s next from Section 60. Have you got more gigs planned for 2013 and where can we find you online?

Yeah, just keep doing what we’re doing, raising our profile because I do believe that in time people embrace great bands and we believe we are a great band.

To keep up-to-date with all the latest Section 60 news and tour info, visit the band’s official website and Facebook page


Learn More