Defenestration to play first headline gig in two decades at The Black Prince

​The Kettering nu-metal five piece formed at the end of the century, releasing two albums and two EPs.

They played hundreds of shows over a five-year period, picking up regular national music magazine and radio coverage and award nominations along the way.

This year, they reformed to join Corby’s Raging Speedhorn and other acts at Russ Stock – two nights of music raising money for producer Russ Russell who has been receiving cancer treatment and worked with the band throughout their career.

And, following the success of their show in April, Defenestration have decided to play another.

Talking about their live return in April, singer Gen Tasker said: “I think when we started practicing, the weirdest thing about it was the fact it wasn't weird.

“We hadn't been in a practise room or anything all together for 20 years.”

Guitarist Rob Reeves added: “Russ Stock was pretty much 20 years since our last gig but it felt like that 20 years hadn't happened in a way.

“Even some of the songs that you thought, ‘I'm never gonna remember those’, as soon as we got going - everything came back to us.

“We listened back to the songs on our own, did as much ground work as we could and were able to hit the ground running and I think the first song we ran through sounded really good – as well as a song could that we hadn't played for 20 years.”

Joining Gen and Rob in Defenestration is bassist Scott Warner, guitarist Jamie Thompson and drummer Kieran Brain.

Defenestration released their debut album One Inch God in 2001 and its successor Ray Zero in 2003.

Between the records, they recorded a split EP with Scurge before in 2004, releasing the mini album For Us It Ends When We Drown.

Talking about revisiting the records and the lyrics, Gen said: “Reading the lyrics was like opening an old diary for me, trying to remember what I was writing about. It was a little cringe-worthy in places.

“For the first time I had to research the right way to sing and do ‘that shouty thing’ because before - I just did it. I didn’t know if I could again.

“Luckily, there's lots of tutorials online, so I got back into it and it just came back.”

Reflecting on April’s gig, Gen explains while they were on home turf and in front of an audience of friends, they still felt they had something to prove.

“I didn’t want people to think, ‘oh, she’s a mum in her 40s, she can't do that stuff anymore’,” she says.

“We didn’t want to just do it with a fizzle, we wanted to do it with a bang.”

“Russ actually said to me ‘why weren't you that good 20 years ago’.”

Rob adds: “As soon as we started the first song, all the nerves went away and we just got into it.

“I was still trying to give it the same energy I did 20 years ago and after the first song, I realised I'm not 19 anymore, so tempered myself a little bit with the energy, but it felt really good.”

While Defenestration hadn’t played live for two decades before April, Gen explains there was a “reunion of their own”, when she married drummer Kieran three years ago – going onto introduce their son to their music.

In April last year, American podcast Roach Koach featured the band’s debut album, discussing the record in its entirety.

Rob said: “Now and then, I would go back and listen to Defenestration - something would trigger a memory.

“Then, last year a podcast got in touch saying they were doing a retrospective of One Inch God.

“That was probably one of the last times I sat and listened to all the songs. They were quite complementary which was good.”

Defenestration existed in a time before social media, but in recent months have been sharing photos from the early 2000s on a new Instagram page.

This has been aided by bassist Scott, who Gen jokes has been planning the band’s reunion the whole time.

“He's one of the biggest collectors of stuff,” she explains.

Rob adds, “He’s got a list of every gig we’ve played, every clipping, every video, he documented everything we did very well.”

And those memories document a band sharing stages with some of the biggest names in rock and playing venues across the UK and Europe and at major festivals.

Defenestration toured with Therapy? and Megadeth, played with Slayer, Sepultura and Cradle Of Filth at Wembley Arena and at the Reading and Leeds festivals in 2001.

Asked to pick her favourite memories from that time, Gen said: “I think for me my favourite tour was with Therapy? - they're the best, amazing people and it was just an amazing tour. It was our one and only full European tour.

“My favourite gig would have been playing at the Reading Festival.”

Rob adds: “Reading and Leeds were up there but also Tattoo The Planet at Wembley Arena with Slayer and Therapy?

Without wanting to dwell on the reasons the band disbanded in 2004, the pair admit members have different memories about the split.

Rob is quick to remind people they were still teenagers at their peak and following backing from record companies and media coverage from the likes of Kerrang! and Metal Hammer, achieved huge success very quickly. Yet, support from both doesn’t last forever.

Both Gen and Rob went onto university following the split and continued to play in other bands.

Gen now works in mental health as an art psychotherapist and Rob as a private tutor who is also finishing his PhD.

Turning to next Saturday’s gig at The Black Prince, Defenestration will again be raising money for their friend Russ Russell, who produced their debut album and did live sound at Wembley, Reading and Leeds.

Rob said: “Russ took us under his wing when we were clueless teenagers and treated us as equals in a way. He’s always been super supportive and was instrumental in building us up.”

Turning to the future, the pair explain while Defenestration won’t be returning to the same touring schedule they had 20 years ago, other shows are a possibility.

Gen says: “For Russ Stock, we put quite a lot of investment in practicing and getting back together.

“We liked it and thought, ‘lets do another – and we might do more, who knows’.

Defenestration headline The Black Prince in Northampton on Saturday, August 17.

Support is by Liam Vincent & The Odd Foxes and Julie’s Dead.

Tickets cost £8 in advance before fees via https://skiddle.com/e/39160693

For more information, visit https://www.instagram.com/defenestrationuk