MEFF ARMY! Singer and guitarist in the punk rock band The Meffs. Born and raised in Colchester. Going from playing Hot Box to 100 people to Alexandra Palace to 10000 people in just a few years - WHAT A LIFE! What is the optimal strategy for a pre-stage wee? Recording at Frank Turner’s studio on Mersea Island. How not to do gang vocals! WHAT!? What’s it like supporting Alice Cooper? And Primal Scream? When does a duo become a band, even if it’s two people? How does Lily get a huge guitar tone and make enough noise to not need a bassist - three amps! Is being the drummer the worst job in a band? No! Do bands need bassists? Lily plays a custom Gordon Smith guitar, how do you choose components? What does a luthier do? How does Lily still play guitar during crowd surfing? What is MEFF ARMY and how did the band get such a fanatical following? Why do The Meffs use a normal sized skateboard as their backdrop for small venues. The Meffs started in 2019 - then COVID slowed it down - things really kicked off in 2022. How weird were gigs at the end of COVID?! Talking about legendary Colchester venue The Twist. Gigs is exciting! Summer festivals. Confusing BabyMetal backstage. The Lily origin story - Horrible Dolphins and playing small venues in Essex. The Meffs first gig was at Chelmsford Bassment. What makes Essex bands so interesting, original and alternative? Farage Against the Machine! Finding inspiration from what’s happening around us. Punk is inclusivity. Representation at gigs. ‘Female fronted’ and tokenism in music. Big up Colchester Arts Centre and Anthony! Big up Unit 1 and Wayne! Big up Maniac Squat! Starting out DIY. Advice for young bands starting out and finding first gigs. Becoming a role model through music to make people feel comfortable expressing themselves and being themselves.

The Meffs on Insta
The Meffs website
The Meffs Bandcamp

Are You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEX
Edited by Nick Hearne
Artwork by Alpaca Antenna

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Thanks to NGDA for their support

Recorded in Chelmsford, Essex, UK

Co-founder of Essex Witch Museum. Researcher, historian, marketing genius, and part of the creative force behind the project to bring Essex’s witch history to life. Everything Emma has ever done in her career is coming in useful on the journey to create a new museum. Adelle invents Witchipedia - let this be a permanent record. What is a ‘familiar’? It’s a demon in the form of an animal which will do their evil bidding. Like Satan the Cat/Toad/Dog. Who belonged to Agnes Waterhouse. Sent after a neighbour for not giving them any cheese. Witch trials happened on Tindal Square in Chelmsford. Essex was once known as Witch County because of the number of trials that took place - take that Salem! What is the difference between ‘the cunning folk’ and witches? How a German book ‘Malleus Maleficarum’ by Heinrich Kramer and the invention of the printing press spread witch spotting fever - reaching Essex. Hopefully the museum will help educate people so we don’t make the misogynistic mistakes of the past - museums are important for reflection. Persecutory words like ‘witch’ can be so loaded and powerful due to history. Some people accused of witchcraft were imprisoned in Colchester Castle awaiting trial. A lot of people living today could have been accused of witchcraft back in the day. Researching original documents is difficult, many are written in Latin with cursive script, but because the Essex Records Office holds so many detailed documents, it provides invaluable insights and records of the time. To date the Essex Witch Museum have researched and recorded 909 indictments in Essex. They need more volunteers to help look through the records. Nick also talks about smelling Brad Pitt. Adelle has been the face of Westfield for Trans Day of Visibility.

Essex Witch Museum
Essex Witch Museum on IG

Are You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEX
Edited by Nick Hearne
Artwork by Alpaca Antenna

Don't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.

Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos

Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram

Thanks to NGDA for their support

Recorded in Chelmsford, Essex, UK

Writer, spoken word artist, journalist, DJ, historian, researcher, poet, slam poet, life-long student. Peter deGraft-Johnson is The Repeat Beat Poet, aka PJ, and Mr. Loose Egusi (his afrobeat DJ name). Talking about flâneurs, Argentinian funk, plumbing, and other random things. Slam poetry is a fake-competitive parlour game of poetry, where two poets go head to head in front of a very vocal and involved audience. The line between poets and rappers has gotten thin. Poetic writing can elevate theatre, drama, film, music - The right words, in the right order, being delivered in the right way. We feel faster than we can think. Poetic constructs can deliver emotions and meaning. How the church and spirituality forged PJ’s creativity. Music in the church was formative, recorder, clarinet, piano, jazz piano, drums, percussion, guitar, singing, saxophone. Bill Legend from the famous rock band T-Rex taught PJ drums. Essex legend Scroobius Pip was a big inspiration for PJ’s writing, also Kae Tempest, Saul Williams and East-coast 90s hip hop. How George Bush’s foreign policy inspired the ten year old PJ’s first poetry. A poem isn’t finished until it’s read aloud and responded to. The struggle to make poetry a full time job and income. Why did he have to go to London to find the poetry scene he wanted? Re-discovering your birthplace, and the city you grew up in. Big up Chelmsford Forgotten facebook group. A yacht getting stuck in Chelmsford viaduct united the city in comedy. Big up Thirst Drinks Syndicate, Matt Chinnery and Danny Bounce playing African music on vinyl with PJ at Loose Egusi - the name itself is a triple pun, too much for our humble brains! If you’re interested in poetry, speak to teachers at school (if you’re young), find a local poetry night, or look online to watch videos. Sangita is going to write some poetry and perform at Waxes Lyrical - Ethan she has committed! PJ reads his poem about Chelmsford ‘Questions for my City’ which is on display at The Meadows shopping centre Chelmsford.

Repeat Beat Poet
Loose Egusi

Are You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEX
Edited by Nick Hearne
Artwork by Alpaca Antenna

Don't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.

Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos

Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram

Thanks to NGDA for their support

Recorded in Chelmsford, Essex, UK