As anybody who knows me will tell you, I’m really not one to get excited about Christmas just because it happens to be Christmas. Indeed in many ways I actually detest the whole capitalism that now surrounds it. But in general I don’t criticize those who do love Christmas, quite the opposite really, I’m actually a little bit jealous of them. Spending time with your family and friends, listening to Christmas music, giving and receiving gifts, yes it’s all nice and idyllic enough but it doesn’t exactly make me go completely over the top in the same way it does with some people. When you put it in context I just don’t feel like it’s that much different from any other day I might spend with a background of my favourite music in the company of the people I love.
Do I have any favourite Christmas music? This is something I often get asked. Well yes and no is the answer, there are a few Christmas tracks that I enjoy for what they are as a piece of music rather than for them being specifically Christmassy. These include 2000 miles by The Pretenders, A Fairy Tale of New York of course and despite my dislike of ELP I do quite like Greg Lake’s I Believe in Father Christmas. Some of Jon Anderson’s interpretations of more traditional Christmas songs such as Three Ships are particularly impressive too. However; you won’t find me buying the ‘Now Xmas’ type albums that come out every year with the same old stale tracks on them I’m afraid. - Although back in the 80s I did buy the first ‘A Very Special Christmas’ charity Christmas compilation which I did enjoy!! I appreciate other people like the more regular Slade, Wizzard and Mariah Carey but from November they’re played consistently on the radio and in every shop going and I just feel they’re rammed down our throats constantly to the point why I just don’t enjoy them at all. I personally don’t think this makes me a ‘Bah-humbug’ guy – but others do!!! Each to their own I say! I think true happiness is often generated by some of the spontaneity in our lives. Musically that may mean discovering a new band that you like or rediscovering an artist or album you haven’t heard for years. Christmas and its associated Slade era tracks often feels ritualistic, like you’re supposed to have fun and enjoy it just because everybody else does, and that has always felt a bit too forced to me. Anyway, enough of my ranting for this year. I wish you well and hope you all have the Christmas you want and I’ll see you next year!
This blog is obviously starting to get read by musicians as well as just music fans. I was recently messaged on Twitter by a relatively new Manchester slash Hebden Bridge band by the name of ‘Sly Antics’ inviting me down to their next gig at the Band On The Wall and suggesting I might want to write a review of the gig. Unfortunately on the night in question I had another commitment so couldn’t make it, however their approach piqued my interest and I did a little digging to find out who they were and (more importantly), were they any good? So here’s my findings: Sly Antics According to their website, “Sly Antics are cousins Sam and Lee Hudson plus Chris Allen, and they make noise described best as “feeling like being hit hard in the face with a box of stale cereal”. Since releasing their debut EP, they’ve been pioneering their dirty pop rock sound to the world receiving a massive response from national radio and press including BBC Introducing and Radio X. Their live shows are described as ‘Raucous and ear blistering’ following a heap of huge festival appearances such as Kendal Calling alongside acts including Catfish And The Bottlemen plus sold out tour dates across the UK. In 2018, Sly Antics released singles Bin Juice and Sunday Fear which featured a music video starring Misfits and Line of Duty’s Craig Parkinson.” So all sounds good, lets have a look at these recent releases: Bin Juice They might have ‘bin’ in the title but this track is anything but trash. First thing I noticed is that they’re not your traditional ‘Manchester’ sounding band, if anything the vocal has an ‘Arctic Mondays’ feel to it, which is no bad thing while the music itself has echoes of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The sound is very energetic being part funk whilst retaining an indie feel to it, in particular the abrasive funky bass is strong and forward in the mix which really gives ‘Bin Juice’ its virulent sound. There are a few, shall we say interesting and unpredictable instrumental parts of the track which all add to its enjoyment.
The single was released in June and it certainly has a summer vibe to it, you could see this being played at back-garden barbies across the North during the fabulous summer we’ve just had. ‘Bin Juice’ is also a very radio-friendly track, you can understand why Radio X have picked up on it. Be good if it were to hit the Six-Music playlist and get it out to a wider audience. Sunday Fear Sorry, I know I should be talking about the music but there’s this video they’ve made for it! What’s that all about? Don’t get me wrong, it’s good, if a little disturbing video – especially the dog!! There again it’s a walk in the park compared to the video they made for their debut EP, Captive City which is off the scale weird - go watch it on YouTube. Anyway back to the music. ‘Sunday Fear’ has a far heavier rock sound to it than ‘Bin Juice’ and this gives it a very different dimension. The track itself is all about the dread of how big your Saturday night hangover is going to be on Sunday morning. It’s that wish to just stay in the drunken state forever rather than the knowledge of what’s coming. The track kicks off with a fairly laid back, easy going feel, this doesn’t last though as its not long before a far punchier, heavier sound hits you between the eyes. The vocals sound layered contrasting lower and higher voices which certainly add a different, engaging sound to the track. ‘Sunday Fear’ does still has the bands trademark nods to the Chilli Peppers funky rock sound. Despite its lyrical darkness it’s still a fairly upbeat commercial track with some mature depth to it. Who Are They Like? A difficult one this. You can detect a number of diverse influences, all indie, just different. As mentioned above, the vocals have a definite Arctic Monkeys feel whilst the musical influences come from various indie directions; from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers through the likes of The Courteeners, Kasabian even elements of Franz Ferdinand. Do I Like Them? Yes, definitely, they grow on you. Sly Antics bring something new and a bit innovative to the Manchester music scene. With a mix of smooth vocals, and a gritty yet energetic, funky sound that all merge together to create a unique offering. Do I Recommend Following Them? Oh yes! Although I haven’t seen them live, I’ve read the reviews. It seems that Sly Antics are one of the more exciting bands on the Manchester circuit at the moment with a sound that could fill far bigger venues than they’re currently playing. If you enjoy a blend of energetic yet fun indie rock with a bit of funk thrown on for good measure then Sly Antics are worth a listen.
Manchester’s original punk, Pete Shelley has died of a heart attack at 63 and like many people, I’m not only shocked but really gutted. Pete and Buzzcocks were part of the soundtrack of many of my age group’s lives. They made songs about the sort of stuff that most of us could never say – but they could!
Shelley was there right at the start of punk, forming Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto in 1975. Whilst still at college in early 1976, the pair of them made the trip down to London after reading the first live review of the band to see the Sex Pistols. What followed brought punk out of London and to the rest of the world - and in particular to Manchester! In 1976 Pete and Howard organised the two now legendary Sex Pistols gigs at the Free Trade Hall that kick-started the modern day Manchester scene and would eventually lead (admittedly with the help of the IRA) to the rejuvenation of the city into what it is now. Without this ground breaking initiative from Shelley and Devoto there would probably be no Factory Records; no Joy Division; no Fall; no Smiths and even no Simply Red !! Buzzcocks debut single, the 4 track Spiral Scratch EP is arguably not only the first genuine punk record but also the first ‘indie’ record as they produced, pressed and distributed it themselves with no record company involved. The tracks themselves, whilst not being the most radio friendly are still incendiary in both form and content, buried between a sexual rage and amphetamine energy that transforms the Sex Pistol’s confident fury into a comedy of pent-up neurosis. Shelley’s guitar makes melodies out of barbed wire and rusty tin which reaches its peak on “Boredom” where somehow happy pop music is created out of something that sounds - exactly like boredom!
Pete is quoted at the time as saying “Punk was about expressing things in song that wouldn’t be talked about… being honest. It was very liberating.” What followed were the seminal hits, “Ever Fallen In Love”; “I Don’t Mind”; “What Do I Get?”; “Orgasm Addict” and “Everybody’s Happy Nowadays”. Buzzcocks appeared regularly on Top Of The Pops, indeed they were television naturals. Shelley ignored the instructions to pretend the cameras weren’t there and ‘stared-out’ the viewers at home. It didn’t end with the end of punk though, after a hiatus through the 80s after Shelley dissolved the band (acrimoniously I must say), Buzzcocks reformed again in 1989 and have continued to record and play live on and off ever since. Pete Shelley should truly be regarded as the poet laureate of punk with his original yet often lovelorn lyrics and effortless but brilliant melodies. Buzzcocks weren’t your everyday angry punks, they were so much more. They were the start of something steamier and seedier, but still far more personal and definitively pop than the Sex Pistols, The Clash and the rest of London’s ‘art-punk’ scene. Even today they still sound like nothing else on earth. Thanks for the music and the memories. RIP Pete
