This Is Guernsey

By Globe reporter Emily Burden

Jack Fletcher, lead singer of My Last Victory, performing at Guernsey Live. (0575487)

BORN from a politically charged, punk mother and a dad in a metal band, Jack Fletcher was destined to walk down a musical path.

The lead singer of My Last Victory tells us how his love of music began and why it will never die.

‘When I was 14, I discovered Metallica, Machine Head and Nirvana courtesy of my dad, Paul, who is known for playing in bands,’ explained Jack.

‘So I had a mum who used to be in a punk band and a dad with a passion for metal, so it was inevitable that my brother and I picked up the guitar.

‘However, it turned out I was rubbish with instruments so I picked up a mic instead.’

Jack and his brother, Josh (the guitarist in My Last Victory), set out to find band members at school. They chose friends Jamie Wickenden, Jeremy Creed and Adam Le Tisser and Silkin Fly was born and soon gigging around Guernsey.

‘Nu-metal was a new genre at the time,’ said Jack.

‘Our sound was based around that – we were playing covers of Limp Bizkit, Korn and Linkin Park. We sucked when we first got together, but the more we gigged, the better we got. Plus with nu-metal being a new sound, we were attracting a good audience.’

Not long after the band started, Jeremy left and they became a four-piece. A gig in March 2003 proved a turning point for Silkin Fly. Back then, gigs were more supported than they are now. Chandlers was packed and the boys played their tightest set to date, gaining them rave reviews from the local Discharge fanzine. If you had been mentioned in Discharge, you knew you had been accepted into the local scene.

‘After that, I started to listen to hardcore. I was getting into the likes of 36 Crazyfists and Hatebreed, so we started to play a heavier set. But after a while I got bored: we were just playing covers and I wanted to expand. I had already been playing with Seann Bewey in Deadfall,’ said Jack.

Seann and Jack began writing original songs along with Josh. Silkin Fly separated and Jack entered a different musical dimension where he realised he wanted to turn his love for music into a career.

‘My Last Victory formed in 2005,’ said Jack.

‘As soon as we got together, we just wrote material and rehearsed. We recorded a CD quite early as we wanted to throw ourselves into the deep end and prove we were serious about making a career out of it.’

My Last Victory’s first CD, Bury These Thoughts, was given a good reception and the band played a lot of gigs.

‘We needed experience, not just as individuals, but as a band on stage – we needed to merge together and treat it professionally as we were getting older. We weren’t four 15-year-olds in a band anymore.’

In 2007, the band took things further forward by deciding to move to Brighton.

‘There is no future for a band in the island,’ explained Jack.

‘And it’s a shame, as it has given birth to quite an original scene: there is a lot of talent and a big audience, which is impressive for a small island. But if you want to make a career out of it, you need to be somewhere where you can make contacts.

‘Over the years, many Guernsey bands have toured the UK – Nemesis, Thee Jenerators, The Jessica Question and my dad’s band, which have all put the island on the map. When I have spoken to magazines, they’re impressed that we come from such a unique island.’

Currently all the band members are living under one roof and gigging as much as possible around the UK. Clothing companies Killbrand and Ed-Stone, who also endorse Bullet for my Valentine, have recently championed the band.

‘It’s important for a band to get endorsed, as the company will promote you,’ said Jack.

‘And we promote them by wearing the clothing, so it’s good publicity on both sides.’

My Last Victory is now working on building its fan base in the UK, as well as continuing to play.

It received a positive response from members of Biffy Clyro at Guernsey Live, who gave pointers and asked for a copy of the new CD.

‘Obviously writing music is a hobby for me,’ said Jack.

‘I really enjoy it – music is a great way for me to get my emotions out and opinions across. At the moment I am writing about a mixture of things, but I’m focusing on the direction of the world, social values and, of course, girls. I guess I have been really lucky that I have a dad who has fully encouraged and supported the band and me. I have parents who allowed me to play my music loud.’

* You can buy My Last Victory’s latest CD at Black Star Tattoo in Mill Street for £5.

* For updates and info, check out the band’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/mylastvictory.