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"Get Free" is a song by the garage rock band The Vines from their debut album Highly Evolved. The song was released in late 2002, and remains the Vines' highest charting single (#7 Billboard Modern Rock, #24 UK Singles Chart).^[1] The song was written by Vines' frontman Craig Nicholls. It was covered by "Weird Al" Yankovic in his polka medley "Angry White Boy Polka" from his 2003 album Poodle Hat. It was featured in the pilot episodes of Fastlane and Shameless. The song can be heard in several video games including the introduction video for Topspin, the Nintendo DS version of Band Hero and as playable track for Rock Band 3 and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.

CD Single track list[link]

1. "Get Free" (02:06)
2. "Down at the Club (Zen Demo)" (02:54)
3. "Hot Leather (Zen Demo)" (01:57)

7" Vinyl track list[link]

1. "Get Free" (02:06)
2. "Blues Riff (Zen Demo)" (03:43)

Song[link]

Whereas previous Vines songs were driven by chord structure riffs, this one has Nicholls strumming the 5th and 3rd frets for the main riff. The song opens with the resounding riff, a drum-build up and then the song breaks in. However, the song does not follow a verse-chorus-verse structure, going from verse-chorus-solo-verse-bridge-middle-verse-chorus. Get Free was playing at the 2007 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Music videos[link]

There were two promotional videos shot for "Get Free". The more commonly known music video, directed by Roman Coppola, shows the band standing, surrounded by huge spotlights, on a hill with a lightning storm brewing above. As the video develops, lightning bolts begin to strike the ground with increasing intensity. Eventually, during the final chorus, lightning strikes the drummer Hamish Rosser's cymbal, bassist Patrick Matthews and then Nicholls sending Matthews and Nicholls flying in different directions while the drummer sits behind his set.

Live performances[link]

There have been vast numbers of 'Get Free' live performances, though the most infamous was on a 2002 Late Show with David Letterman on which Nicholls came on stage and performed under the influence of marijuana. During the solo, Nicholls rolled around on the floor with feedback squealing out from his guitar, causing the instrument to detune. At the climax of the show, Nicholls jumped on to drummer Hamish Rosser's kit, dismantled it (much to Rosser's dismay) before tumbling over an amp, grabbing the mic and doing a long, loud 'Whoooooooo!' as Rosser and bassist Patrick Matthews left the stage. He then tumbled offstage. A similar incident occurred early the following year on Australian show Rove, as well as, during a performance in the Seattle Paramount Theater.

Awards and accolades[link]

"Get Free" was nominated several times for awards in 2002 and 2003. It won Best Song at the NME Awards 2003. It was ranked at No 10 on the NME's best songs of 2002 as well as No 49 on Kerrang's chart of Moshpit Kings.

References[link]

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (April 2010)

Andy C (alias "The Executioner'), born Andrew John Clarke, is an English DJ and producer and co-founder of the RAM Recording Studio. He is the son of Mick Clarke, bass player and founder member of the Rubettes, who had hits in the seventies like Sugar Baby Love, Tonight and I Can Do It. Andy C attended Emerson Park School in Hornchurch.

He is considered a pioneering force in the drum and bass genre.^[1] He specializes in fast mixing, often employing three turntables.

Andy C ranked #61 in DJ Magazine's 2010 Top 100 DJs annual poll announced October 27, 2010.^[2]

Biography[link]

Andy Clarke began experimenting with programming breaks as a teenager. He met Ant Miles at the studios where he was working through a family connection. They began working together in Ant's converted garage studio where Andy nurtured what was to become a talent for chopping up and re-programming breaks. Andy decided to set up his own label in early 1992 with a budget of £1000. RAM - named for his astrological sign, Aries - launched his solo debut with RAMM001 - Sour Mash E.P.

At 20, together with Ant, Andy created 'Valley of the Shadows (31 Seconds)' under their Origin Unknown alias. Often referred to as the 'darkcore prototype', the track won Best Hardcore Tune at the 1993 Hardcore Dance Awards where Andy also collected the prize for Best Newcomer. His DJing career progressed at a meteoric rate. He had a show on pirate station Cyndicut FM and secured slots at key raves including Imagination, Club Elevation, Dreamscape, Innovation and Telepathy, where he became a resident. By 1994 together with Ant, he assumed another alias, Desired State, under which he created 'Beyond Bass' and 'Here And Now'. In the same year, he began to branch out with collaborations, connecting with DJ Randall to create the dancefloor smash hit, 'Sound Control'. Subsequent studio hook ups would involve Shimon and Moving Fusion.

Origin Unknown's 1997 album, 'Origin Unknown Presents...Speed Of Sound' won Best Dance Album at the Kiss FM Dance Awards and Best Album at the Hardcore Dance Awards, where Andy also collected the gong for Best Producer. The 1998 follow-up, 'Origin Unknown Presents...Sound In Motion', preceding the birth of RAM Trilogy, Andy C's studio collaboration with Ant Miles and Shimon. In the same year Andy squeezed in his Wednesday night radio show on London's Kiss FM between global DJing commitments.

In 1999 & 2000, Andy C took the award for Best DJ at the Knowledge Awards. His numerous high profile remix accomplishments include Busta Rhymes 'Woo Hah!' (as Origin Unknown - which won Best Remix at the 1996 Muzik Magazine Awards), Adam F 'Circles', and Jay-Z 'Can't Knock The Hustle'. Andy C also won the Best D&B DJ award on Drum & Bass Arena poll in 2001 & 2002 in which over 90,000 people voted, and at the Accelerated Culture's 'Peoples Choice Awards' in December 2002. Andy C is also the highest ranking D&B DJ in DJ Magazine's Top 100 DJs.^[3]

Andy C has become one of the world's most revered drum and bass DJs, performing at drum 'n' bass events and festivals worldwide. Between Andy C, Ant Miles and Shimon as Ram Trilogy, they have produced many enduring anthems such as "Titan", "No Reality" and "Valley of the Shadows", as well as a large number of remixes. The 2002 Shimon & Andy C hit "Body Rock" also achieved the rare distinction of being a Drum and Bass record that entered the UK pop charts (reaching number 28 in the UK Singles Top 40 Chart on January 6, 2002).

Andy C's record label RAM Records is based in Hornchurch, Havering. Ram Records consists of DJs and producers: Shimon, Red One, Moving Fusion and Sub Focus. Some of Ram Records' most popular releases of recent times are Noisia's "Facade", Sub Focus' "Airplane", Sub Focus' "TimeWarp", Shimon's "The Shadow Knows" and Chase & Status's "Pieces". Ram Records held a residency at the London club until 'The End' nightclub decided to shut their doors on 31 January 2009.

On Dec 1st 2011 Andy C won the Best DJ title in the 2011 Drum and Bass Arena Awards.^[4]

On March 3rd 2012, Andy C won Best DJ title in the 2012 Drum and Bass Awards and his label RAM records won best label.

Discography[link]

Releases[link]

Mix CDs[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• RAM Records website
• RAM Records on Soundcloud
• Andy C on Myspace
• Andy C's profile at The End
• Drum & Bass Arena
• Andy C bio at TheDJList.com
• Andy C discography at Discogs
• Andy C at rolldabeats

Audio links[link]

• Andy C DJ Mix, The End, 2003