Everyone’s unofficial favourite performance at Clockenflap was Beijing electro-cabaret band Pet Conspiracy’s sexually charged show. Backstage with a post-performance glow singer Helen answered Brouhaha’s straight-in-no-kissin’ questions on sex, man-love, drinking and the big HK.

Where does your sexual electricity come from?

Well, I have lots of sex! But really, it’s just part of the character of the music that we create. I was lucky enough to have a fairly open upbringing and my parents have never really taken offence to what I do. I probably watched too many Madonna videos as well.

Do you have a stage persona or is what you see what you get?

It’s definitely a different person up there on stage. It’s taking a role, like method acting. We call our act electro-cabaret and so to a certain extent we are acting, performing. But, for me, I am also overcome by the energy from the stage, like it’s from the ground itself. As soon as I step up there I’m so affected I’m no longer me.

We know that sometimes you may shock the crowd, but has the crowd ever shocked or surprised you?

Oh my god! These people! They threw their beer at me and beer is so expensive here. They were just throwing their money away. I was surprised by that, as well as how many young children there were. These people take their children to be fully exposed to our full scope which is something the last generation wouldn’t have done. It really is amazing seeing kids on shoulders while we’re singing about the things we sing about. That’s 21^st century child raising and I would do the very same.

When (guitarist and drummer) Huzi and Edo kissed on stage, was that just an act or are they romantically involved?

Oh no they are both really straight guys! Just, they occasionally like to kiss and grab each other’s butts. We have this thing for touching the improper, you know, we feel it’s a bit of a tease. We like to play with the crowd, give the audience a kick and in turn we feed off the energy it generates. I think it’s quite cathartic for the audience to see the improper.

You’ve just toured Europe – how did you find it?

The best thing was backstage they had these huge fridges full of alcohol. That’s the way it should be! They really know how to treat a performer over there.

Speaking of alcohol, what’s your favourite drink?

Well I like my drinks in large quantities and so that usually means cheap. But if we talk about my favourite drink… this sounds a bit fancy but a well made Manhattan is perfect. They’re like potato chips, I have one and I can’t stop!

Which Clockenflap act are you most looking forward to?

Oh definitely looking forward to YACHT. We promoted their Beijing shows and so we’ve had a taste of what they are like and I must say, I’m intrigued!

What do you think of all the HK musicians who are moving up to Beijing?

I think it’s great. The underground scene here is so small, difficult and most people here have to work day jobs and don’t really get time to explore the music. Moving to Beijing, where it’s so much better for the music, really is great.
You really do see a lot of Hong Kong musicians up in Beijing now. People there aren’t as quick to judge you by your name card – you are known by who you are individually and not your position. People there don’t even really hand out name cards like they do here. If they do, it’s almost embarrassing!

You’ve mentioned in a previous interview that you feel Beijing audiences are like a crowd of music critics. How has the crowd been in Hong Kong?

Oh the crowd here is great – we really got a response out of them and that was a great energy for us. The Beijing crowds are getting better but they are still really hard. But it’s good to play for a tough audience, it keeps you on your game and you really have to bring it. When it’s that challenging, it’s so much more rewarding when they finally uncross their arms and start to dance.  But in Beijing there’s so much competition and people there aren’t so easily impressed by reputation.

Would you want to come to Hong Kong again?

Oh yeah, definitely. It’s been so much more than we had hoped for. We’re hoping to do a medium sized gig in the near future, that would be brilliant.

One last question – it is our understanding that you have been naked with the band members for a photo shoot. Was that awkward?

Not really. You don’t really know your friend until you’ve seen him naked anyway.

-Alex Lendrum & Hugo Stanford (who by the above statement know each other as friends).

Pet Conspiracy MySpace

See photos from both days at Clockenflap on the Brouhaha gallery.

Tags: Clockenflap, Interview, Pet Conspiracy
Posted in Features