Exposure - Ming Ming and the Ching Chings

Source: The List (Issue 619)
Date: 11 December 2008 (updated 2 April 2009)
Written by: David Pollock

(0)

This fortnight: Ming Ming and the Ching Chings

Ming Ming and the Ching Chings - Show Off

Download audio as mp3.

They’ve been around a couple of blocks on the Glasgow scene together, but guitarist and vocalist Craig Wilson, bassist Gordon ‘G’ Gillespie, drummer Davey Miller, and saxophonist and backing vocalist Chet have created a raw post-punk meets rockabilly thrill with their current outfit. Wilson, Ming Ming himself, tells us more.

How did you all get together?
Davey, Chet and I were in Big Face before they split up, and we all knew G, who was in Police Chief a while back. G got married and moved to Australia for a couple of years, and I was in Dundee doing a Master’s degree, so we all made an effort to meet up and start writing music again when we got back together to Glasgow.

What’s your ambition for the band, musically?
I don’t know, at the moment we’re just bashing a lot of genres we like together and seeing what works. We’re also inspired by stuff like The Cramps, The Fall, ESG, The Sonics, lots of rockabilly and surf – stuff which has rhythm, but has a certain rawness as well.

And what’s coming up in the future?
We’ve been recording some tracks with a friend of ours called Thomas (McNiece, ex of El Presidente and currently playing session bass for Gang of Four), and one called ‘Show Off’ made it onto the last Art Goes Pop label compilation. Being asked to play Optimo back in the summer was probably the highlight, though – so far.

Ming Ming and the Ching Chings play the Pinup Nights Hogmanay Ball, Flying Duck, Glasgow, Wed 31 Dec.

More: Music, Exposure (Music), Craig Wilson, Davey Miller, Gordon Gillespie, Hinterland, Ming Ming and the Ching Chings, Post-punk, Rockabilly