Dear Scratchers,
We've just received a review from Student Direct Magazine in Manchester of our live show in Salford in October, big thanks to William Eastment for his thoughts...
"Independent Unrepentant." That's how the Scratch see themselves. They are doing their won thing and they want you to come along. If you don't want to, well it's no skin off their nose. They'll probably just keep partying.
It's the kind of attitude that comes from winning XFM unsigned, and playing to 20,000 people one week and 20 the next at a local boozer. Asked about their experience at the MEN Arena opening for Noel Gallagher, they didn't seem fazed. "yeah, Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller, Ian Brown," they name drop nonchalantly. "It was all right" 20 or 20,000, it don't matter to these boys. They are just here to play and entertain. They arent driven by success, but by the will to just have a good time, a refreshing attitude in an industry that takes itself way too seriously. The Scratch are in high spirits tonight. Having just played 'In the City' earlier in the week, they are excited about the gig, but with stage time approaching, the venue is sparsely populated. Talk thus turns to the experience of playing high profile events such as 'In the City' whether they'll hit the big time or not: "What is the big time, you know? IS it TV, radio and hit singles or is it being in a band doing what you want to do? If you look at it in that respect, we are, in our minds, in the big time." Asked if it was more about having fans at the gigs, their response is decisive: "Absolutely. We're going to give away our four EP's next year... we're on our own label and we've got a dedicated fan base." With no record company pressure they are free to enjoy what makes being in a band so enjoyable - playing live.
That's not to say they want to stay out of the limelight, perpetually keeping themselves in the shadows of the musical underbelly. Entering and winning XFM unsigned and playing 'In the City' with its high media presence, this is a band living out their fantasies, but with aspirations of stardom. " Our hopes for tonight are to expose ourselves to the like of you (the media)," they say before breaking into raucous laughter at the innudendo.
Musically, like most acts they don't want to be pigeon holed. They have been compared to everyone from the Small FAces and the Libertines through to the Buzzcocks, The Damned and Human League. When asked about influences and inspirations, they are quick to move away from what has been said about them: "A lot of the time people will read and review and then judge us on the basis of what they've read, and a lot has been made of the Buzzcock's thing. If they came to see us, maybe they'd have a different perspective?"
And that is what this band is all about. Playing live in a raw, unadulterated style tonight, in front of what can be described as no more than a handful of people, they are completely in their element. It might be more a case of middle-age and mortgages than safety pins and revolution, but do-it-yourself attitude of the late 70's is well and truly alive in this group, who have released all their material to date on their own Ponyland records label and give away their albums on stage. When asked to sum up the band earlier, they struggled to find the right words. But on stage between songs, they found an appropriate tagline. "You're here; most of you are here for free. But you're pissed, and you're having a good time, what more could you want?"
Big thanks Will. Hopefully see you again soon.
The Scratch
xx
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment