Check back soon
Once posts are published, you’ll see them here.
There’s Methodism in the Madness
On Wednesday afternoon I was all set for a quiet weekend. I’d finished my latest copy-edit the weekend before; I was booked to give blood on Thursday afternoon; my inbox and diary were fairly clear. With Wales playing on Sunday, I was looking forward to a chilled out couple of days.
I had a pub lunch before giving blood, so I decided to go online – just to be on the safe side. As if by magic* an email appeared from my contact at Gollancz (purveyors of top quality science fiction for as long as I can remember). Was I free to copy-edit Adam Roberts’ new book? It’s only 90,000 words, and it’s due back at the end of March? Well, never turn down a gig if you can help it. But I’ve got to weave that around two more internationals, about six gigs here, Paul’s birthday, Rhian’s birthday, my birthday … Some people think what I do is easy.
* As a matter of fact, it appeared by email. I refer my readers to Sir Arthur C. Clarke’s Third Law: ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’
And so to Jac’s on Friday night. Two young bands from Merthyr were playing, and I’ve heard good things about Chapel Row, the headliners. They’ve been turning heads for a while, so I was looking forward to their first Aberdare appearance. The doors opened at 7.00, but I was in the bar working on some promotional literature for the venue.
Rule 30: Using Open Source software is never as easy as it should be. What you save financially, you spend in time wasted going through wikis and forums to find a workaround.
I heard the soundcheck and they sounded pretty decent, fair play. When I went through to the music room, a steady trickle of punters were making their way in. At only a quid for two bands (and it’s pissing down outside) would you really want to wander around town instead? For Goddess’ sake, a quid will get you a single download on iTunes. Two bands for the same price sounds like good value to me, even if they’re both unknown quantities.
I liked the Rivers from the outset. After Mitch and Connor’s last Blowout, I’ll admit that my heart sank at the sight of another power trio. But the Rivers had a far more melodic approach than most of the Blowout mob. They had some nice basslines, rather Kinky rhythms, some strong hooks, and a very incongruous fashion sense. My knowledge of Yoof subcultures ends at Gothic Punk (yes, boys and girls, that was what it was called back in the day). It was odd to see two guys who might have depped for the Beastie Boys acting as the rhythm section for a guy who’d stepped straight out of Swinging London. But cross-fertilisation is the proven way to strengthen the species. An interesting blend of covers and their own material impressed the guys I was sitting with and the people I was chatting to afterwards.
Rule 31: Never play an instrument whose amp is bigger than you are.
Apparently the Rivers are on MySpace. I started blogging on MySpace in 2007 – I honestly thought it had gone away. Apparently not. They’re on Facebook as well, so I felt no shame about ‘liking’ their page earlier. I’ll be interested to see them again a few months down the line, as I think they’ve definitely got a lot of potential.
The same is true of Chapel Row.
This four-piece are a bit more rocky (or even post-punky) than the Rivers, and they grabbed our attention from the start. A couple of songs in, I realised why there’s been such a buzz about them. The music is powerful and driving, with good structures built on a solid foundation. I don’t know why more people didn’t come to check them out, as they’ve had quite a bit of press coverage recently. One of the gang floated an idea last week, about giving visiting bands an allocation of tickets to sell. After all, Merthyr’s only fifteen minutes away in a minibus. Where were all their mates to give them a bit of support? Wherever they were, they were missing a treat.
Chapel Row also had what youngsters call ‘relatable’ lyrics. Haven’t we all had careers advisers or ‘work coaches’ trying to force you into a crap job when you want to do something creative? Young people are lucky to have Merthyr College just over the mountain, where you can study pop/rock music to BTEC. When I was in school, music lessons were all about classical music. You had to be a serious musician to do the O level, and very gifted to go on to A level (which two of my friends did). Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. But, as a Nobel laureate once observed, the times they are a-changin’. Chris from Cripplecreek knows a guy who’s spent four years studying for a degree in Jazz Piano. I’m not sure if our music teacher knew that Jazz had even been invented. Given the choice between the violin (or the French horn, in Huw’s case) and the guitar, I know which I’d rather learn. And if it comes down to a choice between being in a band or working in a meat packing plant, it’s a no-brainer.
My Rule from last week’s blog came into play as well – you know, the one about having a backup plan. When the main man broke a string a few songs from the end, Barrie rescued a Les Paul copy from upstairs (don’t ask me why if was there) and the guy continued until the strap came undone. After that, he took the mic for a walk instead. That’s rock’n’roll for you. The band were energetic, lively, and very compelling.
The only slightly off-putting thing about Chapel Row was their insistence on swearing volubly between songs. I know it’s Post-punk, man, but there’s no need. Perhaps everyone thinks it’s justified after Kelly Jones dropped the F-bomb during the Brits that time. But it isn’t big and it isn’t clever. The shock value went out of it forty years ago, when Crass released ‘Reality Asylum’ and totally blew any chance of getting airplay.
Having said that, I’ll definitely make a point of seeing the lads again. I chatted to both bands afterwards, and I was impressed by their keen intellect, their enthusiasm, and their interest in obscure music and other arcane subjects. (I don’t think I’ve ever had a post-gig conversation about the maverick genius R. Buckminster Fuller and A Clockwork Orange before.) The guys are mindful of musical history, too. Chapel Row’s bass player might be only eighteen, but he’s got a depth of knowledge that many older people would envy.
Young people get a bad press generally – if they’re not stabbing each other in gang wars, they’re a bunch of good-for-nothing layabouts. Well, please allow me to redress the situation. I know a great many young people and they’re unfailingly polite, respectful, enthusiastic, well informed, politically astute, and a pleasure to spend time with. Chatting with friends young enough to be my children and finding them engaging company is always rewarding. If I ever have children myself (which is about as likely as Elvis and the Beatles doing a double-header here), I really hope they turn out like the guys I met last night.
When I asked Chapel Row if they’d be interested in playing at my weekend special in August, they jumped at the chance. If I can’t find someone to step in for Trevor and the Sprouts, they might well be here at the end of May as well. Watch this space …
The night ended as it had begun – with torrential rain. I was walking past the Rock Grounds when I could hear it all kicking off outside the Con Club. I really didn’t fancy walking past that. Then I spotted a taxi parked in the bus lay-by, with its ‘for hire’ light switched off. As I got closer, the driver wound his window down. It turned out to be my pal Adrian.
‘Are you working?’ I asked him.
‘I am now,’ he replied.
And that’s what friends are for.
