Frequently Asked Questions
Is there anything youd like to know about the band? Does Dave cast a shadow? What is Jonos secret hobby and has he ever been prosecuted? And who the hell does Tim really think he is? No more sleepless nights, send an email to fragment@zeelandnet.nl and ask the man in the know
Why dont you play more of your own songs at gigs?Exactly how did the band start?
Where does the name Fragment come from?
How many songs do Fragment play?
Are Fragment playing the AHOY again?
Where can I book Fragment and will they play at my wedding?
Are you playing the Hooizolder again this year?
When will the band play near me?
Do Fragment write their own songs?
Whens the next recording coming?
What are Fragment doing in Holland?
Why dont you play more of your own songs at gigs?Good question. The short answer is - we do if people ask for them early on in the evening. The end of the set is pretty much predetermined, finely calculated to whip the audience up into an animalistic sexual frenzy, no easy job when you consider how ugly the band really is. Also the band do this for their living and have to allow for the fact that 90% of the audience only know and react to famous things. Its getting harder and harder for people to concentrate on hearing new songs. A lot of young people walk out if they hear more than one minute of something they dont recognise or cant dance to. The band would like to play more of their own music but it would be commercially suicidal at most gigs. Maybe if everybody buys the next single it will be a hit and solve the problem.
Exactly how did the band start?
Look at the history page for more details but Fragment started when one Julian Fitzgerald, inspired by Richie Cunninghams band on Happy Days decided to become a manager of a rock band. All early members of Fragment went to the same High School: Westcliff High School for boys (there were no girls!) although they didnt know each other before the band. Julian wasnt a musician himself but would cycle home from school with Tim who was (in the loosest sense of the word musician) Julian introduced Tim to his friend & next door neighbour Jono, also a guitarist and somehow things got moving. Tim was writing songs with a bunch of school friends and took two of them, Mark Smith and Mark Goodson to the first rehearsal, held in the playroom/garage at Jonos house. Also present was Dave Marriner recommended by Jono because he was always banging on tables at school, noisome, an exhibitionist and therefore a possible drummer.
The early equipment left a lot to be desired, Dave was using an old Drum kit belonging to Tim with a military bass drum and a sort of bell-less tambourine as a tom tom. Tim and Jono had tiny amplifiers and no one had a microphone. 4 guitarists and a drummer is not a particularly balanced way of getting started so Mark Goodson was relegated to playing bass. Mark Smith left after the first rehearsal, probably helped on his way by Julian whose mangement technique consisted of shouting at everyone a lot and insulting them whenever they played a wrong note. Julian also assumed the heavy mantle of responsibility for counting in the songs, which hed do in his own original style, impossible to replicate but going something like this- Shut up! Shut Up! OK! One Two. Shut it Alexander you moronThree. wait for it. shut up! Shut Up concentrate, were not going until I say soFOUR!!! leaving everyone free to adopt whatever tempo and starting point they felt appropriate. Von Karajan, eat your heart out. The first rehearsal must have had something because the band decided to have another one and so it was that once a week from then on the band would rehearse at Jonos place, playing a confused repetoire of Stones Beatles Creedence Clearwater. and early Genesis. Singers, bassists, keyboard players came and went (we hope to be bringing a family tree to the website one day) leaving the Dave, Jono & Tim as the only ones who never settled down to get proper jobs.
Where does the name Fragment come from?
One of the earliest stable line-ups comprised of Jono Fosh, Mark Ravenscroft, Tim Alexander, Mark Goodson and Dave Marriner. Using the time honoured technique of throwing all the first letters into a metaphorical hat Mark Goodson came up with Fragment. Before the ent was cunningly added the band could well have been called Mr. Gaf, Garmf Gramf Farm G. or G Ram F etc. All of which are better than Oasis.
Its worth mentioning that even though its better than say The Perfect Showband the band members themselves find Fragment a very uninspiring name and have tried to change it on a number of occasions. Some of you will have the Three Men in a Boat tape which is the only thing ever released under another name (see the discography) although Tim & Dave used to supplement their income from playing on the streets by cleaning houses under the name of The Filth Brothers- a monicker thats cropped up from time to time in production credits.
When registering as songwriters with the English PRS Jono gave his name as Ivor Biggun, Tim for some inexplicable reason opted for Rufus ORourke and the only option left for Dave was Vegetable Joe. Recently Dave is thinly disguised on a school CD as Hamilton Lumbago whilst Tim was Anthony Throb. Lenny Bruce is whizzing.
How many songs do Fragment play?
The short answer is no one really knows, at the last count it was over 400, without allowing for the various songs written by Fragment themselves. Since then a few more have been added. This count excludes Tims attempts to play songs that neither he nor the band really know but will have a bash at because someone in the audience shouts it out, especially if that someone is a girl. At the moment this includes Ik heb twee grote bloemkolen Een beetje verliefd and Killing in the name of as well as Bohemian Rhapsody and various Christmas songs. on Bass. The band have adopted the strategy of launching into Swiss yodelling music to cover up the fact they dont know how to end something and, worryingly, the audience dont seem to mind.
Coming soon to the website will be a list of everything Fragment have ever played. Cant wait.
Are Fragment playing the AHOY again?
There are no plans at the moment. The last two AHOY concerts were great fun and regarded by the band as a success however the work and planning involved is so immense that it would only be worth doing if the band were busy with promoting a CD, which maybe happening soon. So who kniows? It could happen again.
Its a good question. Who is Robert Harris?
Are you playing the Hooizolder again this year?
No. After 15 years of doing it every week in the summer the Hooizolder have decided that its not economic to have Fragment and have decided to stop it. Although this is a shame its very hard to play the same place every week and keep it fresh. Also it ties up all the Mondays in the summer, which can be a nuisance. However we will still be playing there on other special occasions, such as the "Golden Oldies" nights and other parties.
When will the band play near me?
Depends where you live, the band play all over Holland but the concerts are determined by the agencies so theres no coordinated geographical planning. Check the concerts page to keep informed or sign up to the mailing list via the home page. Youll receive a gig list every month and details about CD releases etc. Your information will not be passed on to any one else and well not fill your In box up with SPAM.
Do Fragment write their own songs?
Yes they do. There are 3 albums, numerous tapes, Xmas CDs and singles and a couple of videos. Its a whole secret and wonderful world to be discovered by visiting the discography page. And more singles and an album coming soon.....
Yes all three of them are English. The roadcrew is Dutch and probably speaks better English than the band.
What are Fragment doing in Holland?
They were on the way to Scotland and got lost Theyre hiding from Interpol No one else will have them No? Sorry about that. Theyre still crap jokes no matter which way you phrase them. The truth is far more mundane: they like living here. Its a cool country.
Jono was studying German at university, he took Dutch as a second language, and as a part of that course he had to study in Holland. Upon returning to England he convinced the other two of the joys of travelling and farting (literally) around Europe in a cramped van and the boys set off the following summer for a few weeks holiday, playing on the streets of places like Gent, Brugge, Amsterdam & Rotterdam etc. They arranged five gigs in Holland and Belgium, returned home, gave up their English jobs and bade tearful farewells to their distraught mothers who wondered, not unnaturally, why their sons were setting off in a dilapidated Bedford Luton van to an unknown country whose principal reputation is for sex, drugs and tulips.