You can so beautifully sidestep any feelings of guilt about going out in the week because it's YOUR JOB to go and see a band on a Tuesday night. Furthermore, you wouldn't be doing your job properly, if you didn't get into the event by having a few drinks (`method drinking' it's called - you have to put yourself in the shoes of the punter to see if you are really enjoying the gig - seriously). Of course, I don't want to get drunk on a Tuesday night. Nothing could be further from my life goals. I'm just taking one for the label man. Just doing my job!
So I had various drinks with the others from the label and got down to the `100 CLUB' a couple of weeks ago to watch the band we were about to sign. Their supporters from our label (of which there are many) watch the gig and then verbally spunk all over the band when they get off stage, before disappearing to complete their break neck schedules for the day. I should point out that it is also the job of every record label employee to have very extreme and regularly brutal opinions about bands that they are merely indifferent to (hence, my indifference to the band manifests itself here as veiled bitterness - they are actually a lovely bunch of lads with good potential). You can only have credibility in such a crazy industry by hating virtually everything. Five minutes later the other reps from the label are gone, leaving me with our very witty and entertaining radio plugger.
When the headline act I realised that good music makes people enjoy sound effortlessly.
The headliners were The Big Strides and whilst they started at a bit of a canter, the band name became more appropriate with each enjoyable and charisma filled song. To begin with, I thought the singer lacked confidence. However, by the mid point ,
he had metaphorically stuck two fingers up at this suggestion by which time he was out in the audience on his knees, singing to an embarrassed but clearly flattered girl.
That the Big Strides are light hearted in their approach takes nothing away from the quality of their music, which is a catchy-country - folky - funky switched-off fridge full of beer.
Think G-Love but more contemporary, more relevant, less armchair incidental and more engaging. Don't get me wrong, I have always admired G-Love but get a feeling I'll like these guys even more. Everything about The Big Strides is charming and what's more ,they have songs. It's not just style over substance. I could not keep still, I wanted to know the lyrics so I could sing along!
Unfortunately, they aren't planning to play again for a while as they negotiate with majors Stateside and write new material but watch this space - or indeed their myspace Big Strides
myspace (.com/) for more information
