Gene Pools Its Influences to Fight Off Old Image

It’s nearly impossible to read or hear about the English band Gene without coming across at least a mention of the Smiths. About 99 of 100 listeners agree: The London quartet sounds an awful lot like the Morrissey-led pop group, which disbanded in 1987.

“Not the Smiths, but an incredible simulation,” wrote one British journalist, paraphrasing the “Beatlemania” slogan. Rolling Stone’s take on Gene: “Everybody’s got to steal from somebody at first, so why not ape the most influential British band of the last 15 years?”

And it’s not just the press. At an L.A. record store where Gene’s debut album “Olympian” was being played, patrons could be overheard asking one another, “Is this off Morrissey’s last album?”

So what does the band have to say about the comparison?

“Bury it,” suggests singer Martin Rossiter, sounding weary but polite. “It’s been something that’s plagued us over the past year or so, and it’s just dull at this point. I suppose it’s an easy way to criticize us. If people don’t like Gene, fair enough, but criticize us well, please, rather than resorting to the easiest line.”

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But is it really a criticism, beyond suggesting a lack of originality? The Smiths were a great band, and the comparisons haven’t stopped Gene from becoming a favorite among London’s trendy music fans. Though Gene--which plays the Roxy tonight--certainly isn’t breaking any barriers or producing any classics, it churns out clever, sensitive, sometimes morose and often cutting songs that have a brooding underbelly.

But as Gene sets out on its first U.S. tour, Rossiter, 25, hopes the band can leave the old baggage behind. “When we came over to the States to promote this album a couple months back, it was nice, because [the Smiths] were rarely mentioned,” he says. “People were more interested in our record and could hear other influences, and hear the fact that we’re more than just a karaoke Smiths band, which is obvious to anybody who has ears.

“We have a vast, vast range of influences that include Van Morrison, Motown, the Pet Shop Boys, the Beatles and Elvis. The Smiths are only one of those bands. They’re no less or more important than anyone else who’s inspired us over the years.”

Obvious influences aside, the appeal of Gene, like that of many current British pop wonders, lies in its rich, catchy sound, haughty attitude and pop-star airs.

“We certainly do like a bit of drama and theater,” admits Rossiter, whose stage persona has been described as camp, foppish and debonair. “I’ve always been attracted to flamboyance. As a fan, I liked people who stand up and do put on a show. Britain is utterly guilty of churning out bands that are more interested in looking at their shoes than the audience. I abhor that.”

Like Morrissey, Rossiter draws many of his lyrics from a love/hate relationship with his hometown. He grew up in Watford, a town just north of London where he felt he never fit in. “You could probably best describe Watford as the bed and breakfast of Great Britain. It’s so average. That’s all you can say about the place: simply average and typical. Its main industry is boredom.”

Rossiter, guitarist Steve Mason, bassist Kevin Miles and drummer Matt James look forward to exposing their bittersweet sensibility to American audiences, who at the moment seem more entranced with arena rock than bright pop.

“In Britain, we always enjoyed the days when it was a challenge and a battle,” Rossiter says. “The days when we had people we needed to win over. . . . That’s when we’re at our best for a new crowd who are standing there saying, ‘We’ve heard a lot about you, so come on, impress us.’ ”

* Gene plays tonight at the Roxy, 9009 Sunset Blvd., 8 p.m. $10. (213) 278-9457.