Having friends in bands is both a blessing and a curse. The blessings being they will most likely be the kind of people that want to go out on a Tuesday even though one or both of you have a 9am meeting,they always have an awesome jacket to lend you or cigarettes, and you can be sure of great rambling conversation on something neither of you have any idea about (existentialism, politics of the middle east in the 17th Century etc) til about 6am with great gusto! However, in return you have to watch their band...
And just because they're a mate,doesn't necessarily mean they're good. This is why I have often avoided watching friends bands,for if they sound like a shitty Klaxons cover group,or like they're doing their best Axl Rose impression,how do you smile through and say 'Yeah mate,great set'?? You can't lie to your friends can you?
I would just like to state at this point I have all the musical talents of a first round X-Factor contestant taking themselves too seriously-i am by no means a musical authority.
So last year i took the plunge and finally went to see my friend Tim's band Black Canons. I nervously rocked up and tried to hide in a corner just in case, however within 30 seconds i had shimmied my way to the front of the crowd and was doing my best Stevie Nicks 'Edge of 17' impression - they were fricken brilliant!!! Sounded like a sexed-up Pearl Jam! And Tim was fantastic,what an absolute amazing guitarist! After the show i gushed to everyone that would listen how much i enjoyed,and I've been back a couple of times since.
Buzzed off this,i next decided to go see a band I'd told everyone about for years but never seen, Guile featuring my good friends Jon and Neal. Tje dark and intimate setting of the ... In Birmingham was perfect for their kind of bluesy rock. The show was delicious,they were amazing, one of the best live bands I have ever seen, to quote Almost Famous, 'the guitar sounded incendiary'.
And now to add to the list,a band fronted by an old friend, Corelli. They sounded so young and fresh,they looked so exciting and they were a perfect band for the jilted generation to party to! Like a happier sounding Smiths (this could be offensive, but whatevs I thought they were banging!)
I know it sounds like i am verbally noshing off my mates, but I am not! And I implore those of you who read this to check all of these guys out,tell your friends and download the tracks! In a world full of Simon Cowell drones, Justin Biebers and wannabe East Enders fusing bad New Order with the Jungle Brothers, these guys are a breath of fresh air!
This revolution MUST be televised...
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