Sunday 23rd August 1998 The Crown, Ryde; Friday 28th August 1998 The Anchor, Cowes, Saturday 29th August 1998 Cowes Marina - It is Good, but is it Art? FREEFALL SCORE A HATRICK
Friday 28th 1998 Osbourne House - Nanny's Night Out WAR OF THE WORLDS
Saturday 29th August 1998 - The Return of the Prodigious Sun SUMMER IN THE SQUARE
Dear Artlover, where is Art?
On this little lump of chalk we call God's clod, we don't have galleries in the accepted sense, full of Rembrandts, Canaletto's and Modigliani's. We don't have many Art bands either, so there's usually a lack of musicians trying to say something with their music, something original with an edge and an aim.
On the back of a conversation with Steve Sheath (a legend), reference the merits or otherwise of covers and cover bands, here's a brief impression of THAT WEEK IN AUGUST in the lower reaches of the British music scene, and it don't come much lower than the Isle of Wight in the particular hostelries which I frequent, - only kidding (in some cases!).
See, I go to gigs to see a band and listen to the music; almost end of story, I seldom go to gigs on the Island to listen to the message. Roving around looking for something to see, we aim for The Fountain (Quiz Night), and take a chance on The Crown at Ryde, only to find Freefall in full flow, belting out 'Roxanne'. Freefall, and their early life as Freefall Descent, are something I've passed by, ever since Steve Young said to me, 'I don't want to end up playing Beatles covers at the Crown.'
Last year, amongst the explosion of young bands which were born and died practically within the season, I was told a lot of the discerning kids on the island had heard them 'accidentally', playing the end part of Abbey Road, and amazingly well. A five-piece, two guitars, bass, drums and a guy on brass, a great full sound, and yes they play covers, but all the right material. I dare anyone to make the magic happen at The Crown on a Sunday night, but there was an inescapable feeling that it could have, had it not be for the necessary 'cool' the band's followers obviously felt the need to retain by sitting and enjoying in a dignified manner.
We had missed part one of the set, but part two with music by The Police, Supergrass, Manics, Kula Shaker etc. went down very well, and we were all very impressed. It's the same old spiral, - can they do their own music? Well they played one of their own numbers, very hard, very strong, very good, and like all good originals had us asking 'who does that one?'
What happens then, over the course of the next three months as you get into a band, is that you keep saying what a shame they don't do more of their own stuff, so eventually they do, then gradually they drop the covers and you love it, then they drop all the covers and you love it even more but even less, like too many curries at the weekend, then you miss the old ones, and wish the covers, well some of 'em, were still in there etc., etc., etc., and ever onward to obscurity. So where do you stop?
Freefall are having a ball playing the greatest music, and it is so relaxing to know that every song is going to be strong. Wouldn't it be nice if they were to remain happy to be what they are, the best at what they do?
So then Friday 28th August, War of The Worlds, which although not strictly a music event ought to be covered here. What a strange crowd, perhaps I'm used to real people like you get at all the majors like Glast and Reading, but this lot don't want to rough it even for the half hour of fireworks for which some punters apparently were happy to pay £7.50. Carrying picnic hampers, camping seats and for God's sake even patio chairs, they piled in as if this was a public hanging.
That being said, the bloke on the gate let us in en mass, one without a ticket, and the show commenced.
Flashing lasers, and fireworks, and Jeff Wayne's CD blasting away, and fireworks, and lasers, and Jeff Wayne's CD, and it was all very good, but over too soon, and fed a steady diet of Hollywood blockbusters and proper excitement in the form of audiolife from Ventnor to Cowes, there was something missing . . .
Is this that far removed from a real gig? Well yes, it can't really compare with Metallica, Cast or Bis at Reading! These people would enjoy the real thing if they had the bottle to permit it to happen, and I am sure it is this very cross-section which gets hot around the crotch everytime real-balls music is even mentioned! The most easily discernable difference was the ease with which customers could be persuaded to part with a tenner for a nice lamp, - wouldn't happen with a rock audience.
There's something frighteningly pacifying about a 'concert' in Osbourne House; A Nanny's Night Out, not to knock it overmuch, but it lacked the atmosphere of challenge and the special feeling of seeing a live event exclusive to the moment.
And having been released by alien lifepulse far too early to go home, someone had the inspired idea to descend upon the west side of town. Freefall were at The Anchor, arguably the best music venue on the island. There are drawbacks when bands play outside, there is a hard edge to the sound which booms around the stable, and the pillar which separates two halves of the (four or five) dancers, and the tables which prevent any more than four or five getting up to jump about anyway.
Freefall were magnificent at this little gig. For me, still believing MSP to be The Best Band in the Land, their most emotional and popular choice being Design For Life, a song which, for any outfit who can play it as well as Freefall, becomes their own. Skipping from multi-vocal versions in new-wave-mod-homage, 'Goin Underground', 'Start', 'A Town Called Malice', bonk-bonk-bonk, a little bit of Robbie Williams-ised Take That, which is a showstopper, everyone ends in sweat, the shortest possible breaks between songs, and we remind ourselves that it is unwise to take the advice of others about bands.
Lose the arty attitude, enjoy the music, don't go looking for the message, I tell you, very often it IS in a bottle, and the freedom of saying 'fuck it' on a Friday. Life's too short to look for omens and signals, take the challenge and seek the lifeforce that drove Luke Skywalker into space and Oasis into obscurity. Try the unashamed, frill-less, frolicking, footloose fun of Freefall!
Summer In The Square. 29th August. St.Thomas' Square, Newport.
After the near disaster weather-wise at the Garlic Festival. The sun returned and stayed to support the dream of Zara Smith and the work of King, Plumbley & Turner. A proper report on this is elsewhere on this site, but I couldn't miss the chance to comment. Late getting there we missed Taal, JC & Angelina, the drums and dancers, and some of the advertised bands didn't appear due to last minute changes etc.
I liked the Isle of Wight Gospel Band, a tad less vigour than we are perhaps used to seeing on shows from America etc., but that this sort of thing takes place of the Island at all is a revelation to me. I won't go as far as to say I had to restrain Mad Maff from somersaulting to the front with a shriek of 'I have seen the light!', but the mood was infectious, and there was a moment when I drove old Tom Paine to the back of my mind and remembered it could have been fun to be have been a Christian some time in the last two thousand years if it hadn't been for the wars they'd fuelled! (Loved seeing Brian Smith at the back!)
Justin Sadler then appeared, I think this is the guy who was once of Sunfish, and a couple of years later, with shorter hair, he seems even more accomplished on guitar. Alone, he does a number I don't know, followed by a pretty useful version of Counting Crows' 'Mr Jones', a Buffalo Tom song which I must say passed me by, then a so-so 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away'. A good effort, he needs to do more, he's obviously very talented.
Now I am not a great lover of The Wayward Sons, but I must say I was impressed, as I usually am, that John Wroath knows what he is doing when it comes to getting an audience going. It wasn't easy on such a hot day, but he managed to get quite a few on their feet dancing by the time they got to their last number. They are one of the tightest bands on the Island, someone said it's because they've been playing virtually the same set since the start of the nineties, don't ask me, I don't make the rules up do I?
That evening, still without an ounce of alcohol inside me, we make camp at Waverley Park, East Cowes, despite the offer to camp in Pete Turner's back garden, in order to be well-placed for a piss-up without the drive home after watching Freefall yet again. I was accompanied by a two crazy kids; one Hayley who claims she is related to me, and Naomi who undoubtably is.
Between the two of them I was pressurized into bolting my BBQ chicken more than is good for an old person. At the Marina, the best set we've seen this time, all our (now) favourites included in the collection, the high point again the Manics' 'Design . . .' cover.
We were told by Lee the guitarist that they were supporting Dollface (featured on soundtrack of 'The Jackal') in Portsmouth. Subsequently we were informed that due to a sore throat prob at the last minute, Dollface had to pull out of the Pompey gig, and it didn't happen. The only consolation, and to bring us back where we started at The Crown, Ryde, we did at least get to see the final of the Karaoke competition. There's karaoke and karaoke, and the energetic couple who did 'Paradise By The Dashboard Light' and the bloke who did 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' were easily the best thing all evening.
The competition was won by a lady who did 'The Power of Love', perfect for a bar half-full of pissed thirty-something mods! The whole thing was settled as soon as she opened her mouth! All in all, a mega-week, a credit variously to Isle of Wight Bands and Isle of Wight Rock Archives - and a visit from Vic King to look forward to on Tuesday!
Should life be this good?
SKIVER