It’s a Monday evening, and I’m pacing the perimeter of what used to be The Rifffs’ rehearsal room, now known as “@ D Bar”, a cosy hangout run by David in Sta Lucia. The bar often doubles as Ground Zero for Maltese rock band Characters, who I am here to meet ahead of their upcoming concert at the Buskett Roadhouse this coming Saturday. Having personally known the band for what seems like a lifetime, I have to admit it was tough to come up with questions I didn’t already know the answers to; an awkward situation for any music correspondent, but especially for one with an imminent deadline to meet.

Aside from my review of their recent single So Alive it has been ages since I wrote a full feature about Characters. Not through any fault of mine of course; the band has after all, been out of action for several years. In fact, my last write-up about the band dates back to May 1998, which was a review of their third studio album, Face To Face; a record that brought together the energy displayed on The Truth album with an accomplished sense of traditional Anglophile rock and Ray’s melodic compositions. I did, however, follow that review a couple of weeks later with a piece about their brilliant concert at Luxol that same month. Anyone who was there won’t need me to remind them what a magical night that was – the kind of which I don’t believe has yet been repeated by any other Maltese band. In my piece back then, I had written that finally, here was proof that Malta did have home-grown talent that shouldn’t have to play second fiddle to foreign acts; a statement I still believe to be true even now, and perhaps even more passionately so.

But here I am, sitting with band members Ray, Gino, Toni – Adam and Antoine couldn’t make it – along with Steve, the band’s dynamic manager who was almost single-handedly responsible for bringing Characters back to life. Ray explains that he was booked to play an acoustic set with Antoine at Muddy Waters one night, only to find that Steve had conspired with Gino and Toni to turn it into a “secret” Characters reunion. That gig worked well enough to kick-start a full comeback, but the band was adamant that they wouldn’t do it without Steve to keep them organised, and also that this wouldn’t just be a “nostalgia” trip. Ray made extra sure of this, bringing several new songs to the first rehearsal, some of which they learnt in time to perform at their Rookies gig. The positive reaction to the band’s resurgence, particularly the full house at The Alley – which included many people who were too young to catch the band the first time around – was certainly encouraging to the band. They accepted a support slot with The Wailers at this year’s Malta Jazz and Rock Festival, a performance that, along with several backstage anecdotes, is still vivid in their minds. As Gino puts it, “the professional sound people and the great PA system gave us the extra boost we needed to overcome the nervousness of getting back on the big stage after such a long time away.” The others nod in approval, but I also believe that the fantastic crowd response the band received as they walked on stage helped in no small way.

My next question has to do with the recent single So Alive, which, compared to the band’s repertoire, is far more contemporary. Does this signal some kind of change, or musical shift? “I don’t think it’s actually a shift. What’s changed is that over the years, we’ve all learnt to play our instruments better and differently”, Ray suggests, “I think my guitar playing is certainly more punky than before. The song was written seven years ago, but I always felt it was a Characters song. We’ve now interpreted it using the knowledge we’ve individually absorbed in the time since.” To be honest, Britrock wasn’t even around when Characters were performing songs like Face To Face, All Over or Everything Fades So Grey. If it had been, perhaps the radio stations might have been more appreciative of Characters’ music at the time.

In the time the band was on hold, Gino recorded an album with singer Joe Mizzi, with whom he played in German band High ‘n’ Dry years before. Drummer Tony decided to dedicate more time to listening to music instead of playing it, or as he bluntly puts it, “hibernating”. In contrast Ray – forever the workhorse – went through several tentative and very promising bands, including Almost Human, Applebees, even a solo stint, later teaming up with keyboardist Antoine for a series of intimate, acoustic gigs. He also reformed The Rifffs with original member Rayvin (also a founding member of Characters) but that in itself is an entirely separate article. Incidentally, it was a particular Rifffs performance that sparked a discussion between Tony and Ray, during which they realised what they wanted to bring to the “new” Characters’ sound. More than ever, they wanted the focus to be on the song itself rather than the band. They now felt there was no need for lavish musical excursions or layers upon layers of effects for a song to sound great – in short, they embraced the “less is more” ethic.

At this point, I venture a question about the albums The Truth and Face To Face. Which of these did they feel best represented the band we knew then? Unanimously, they go for The Truth, which they feel truly reflected the band, its energy and what they were about. Ray still feels that it was ahead of its time on some levels, and if the British rock scene these days is anything to go by, he may well have a very strong point. Face To Face, which the band are equally proud of even if it may not come off as consistent, featured some great songs. Tony points out that there was a level of experimentation going on. The album, Ray admits, is relatively mellower, but that was also because the band was going through a very rough patch after losing Mike Williams. It was, he says frankly, recorded at the wrong time. That said, the title track, along with Follow The Rain and All Over are fantastic songs that still sound fresh despite being 10 years old. I certainly agree.

I steal a glance at my watch and realise we’ve been chatting away for almost two hours. More than an interview, this felt almost like a lads’ night out, but all to do with music (and several mobile phones screeching away)! My parting question before heading home was, as you’ve probably guessed, about the band’s future plans. As you read this, a new single – One In A Million, which by the way, they are all excited about – is due for imminent release, and as for the album, work is also under way. If all goes according to plan, it should be out next summer. In the meantime, you can hear the new stuff as well as the best of Characters’ extensive repertoire at the concert they will be giving on Saturday 6 October at the Buskett Roadhouse.

For ticket information and more about the Characters, visit www.myspace.com/

thecharactersmusic. See you there!

Characters are Ray Mercieca (vocals/guitar), Gino Micallef (bass), Tony Griscti (drums), Adam Bonello (guitar) and Antoine Faurè (piano/Hammond).