LaFontaines leave their mark on band’s biggest fan

Mar 12 2009 by Chris Clements, Hamilton Advertiser

MOST new bands have to be around for a while before their fans declare their eternal allegiance to them – but not Motherwell’s The LaFontaines, whose biggest fan honoured them with a tattoo yesterday.

Cameron White (21), of Hamilton, has been following his friend Iain Findlay’s band since their formation last year, and had the tattoo done based on a group logo.

The design – which is on t-shirts dedicated to the band – is a spin on the Vulcan salute from classic sci-fi series Star Trek.

Cameron said: “I just liked the design of the t-shirts, and I’ve always been a fan of the group and go to all their gigs. I’ve been friends with Iain since our days at Dalziel High School.

“To be honest, I don’t know why I did it, it was just a spur of the moment thing.”

The rap-rock outfit have gone from strength to strength in the past year with highlights including appearances at major festivals and positive reviews in national publications.

The band have become known for their unique range of influences, most notably hip-hop.

They are fronted by boyish rapper Kerr Okan (19), whose witty observations on life in Scotland have garnered praise, as well as his refusal to stray from his Lanarkshire accent.

Other members of The LaFontaines are Iain (22), Darren McCaughey (18) on guitar, 20-year-old Anna Smith on bass and Jamie Keenan (19) on drums.

Iain told the Advertiser that the group, named after the late legendary movie announcer Don La Fontaine, have a busy few months ahead.

They are due to play Motherwell Civic on Saturday. Iain said. “It should be good. I’ve played there with my old band and there are always a lot of people there.

“Looking ahead, we are on the bill at the Homecoming Festival in Irvine. That’s a pretty big deal, but we will be playing some other gigs as well.

“Our EP was reviewed in a daily newspaper, and a couple of Sunday newpapers were talking about us, so it’s shaping up nicely.”

Iain admits that the notion of a hip-hop/rock band from Motherwell is unusual, but he feels that it is something that works well for them.

He said: “We know that there isn’t really a huge rap-rock scene in Scotland, but who cares?

“I think the whole reason the band works is because we all bring different influences to the table.

But two bands have been a major influence on all of us – The Roots and an American band called The Automatica.”

For more information on The LaFontaines, visit www.myspace.com/thelafontainesmusic.