I might be completely alone on this one but when I see loads
of hype around a band or an artist instead of making want to know why they are supposedly
so incredible it makes me even more sceptical. Almost looking at it in the same
that you look at that deal for a cheap 2nd hand car… ‘Ok, that’s amazing
but how long will it be before the wheels fall off, where’s the catch?’
A quick scan of the internet and social media reveals
nothing but praise for this band and the feeling that it’s not a matter if they
will hit the big time but when. I don’t think 5 blokes from Manchester have
ever had better credentials and more of a co-sign from the industry than these
guys. Theoretically everything is in place for Martin Finnigan (Vocals) Phil
Rainey (Guitar) Joe Wilson (Guitar) Sam Wilson (Bass) and Steve Irlam (Drums)
to go out and make their fortune. Have a look at this -
They have previously been hand-picked by Jim Kerr to support
Simple Minds, have just been chosen by Paulo Nutini to support him on the
Italian leg of his tour this July; they played Glastonbury last year, have been
endorsed by Noel Gallagher and featured by the likes of 6 Music and Rolling
Stone Magazine. Oh and Phil Rainey is a former bandmate of Peter Hook’s. (Yeah
that Peter Hook) You can’t do much more than all that!
It was actually while reading all of those amazing things
that I came across probably the best story of all. I am a massive Moto GP fan
and I discovered that with James Toseland they wrote and recorded a song for
the Simoncelli Foundation. Marco Simoncelli was a Moto GP rider who was
tragically killed in an accident at the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2011, and the
foundation was set up in his name. The song the band recorded was called ‘Rise
Again’ and all of the proceeds went to the foundation. What a gesture.
Now for the music.
This track was released at the back end of March and is to
my mind the perfect indie-pop single. It clocks in at a shade under 3 minutes,
it’s catchy and has a real feel good factor. The vocal is great, the cool
little bridge halfway through adds to the track without disrupting the flow, it’s
just an all-round good record. The band mentions that they like The Doves and I
think that you can hear a little bit of that in here. The track is absolutely
tailor made for Radio 1 and a mainstream audience.
I began this review as a sceptic, but now I am firmly a believer.
Everything looks to be in place for these guys to launch themselves into the
mainstream consciousness, and importantly they have the music to back up the
hype. So many great bands have come out of Manchester down the years, and I hope
these guys are ready because they could well be next.
The Rainband headline
the O2 Academy in Birmingham tonight. (10th May)
No comments:
Post a Comment