Against All Odds Baggers

711t1111TALENT thingourselvesthesingleisn't Manchester record shop, Eastern ice" for the time being, Mal clearly really independent in sound," says Bloc sold 70 copies within the first has plenty of ideas for future ma- McClatchey, who deals with engin- two hours of release, indicating a terial, and the first Love Street com- eering, production and promotion rapidly developing buzz. position Come On Down To Love for the band from his home in Lin- The band has its comedy side. Street hits vinyl as the Galaxy B- coln. 'We're letting the music take Clint has built a huge cow, larger side. Although the bass lines have its time to develop, but if the situ- than a mini and capable of being a distinct House feel to them, Mal ation arises that we are offered a driven onstage, that is,if they ever has steered clear of any deliberate major deal we will all move to Eng- find a stage strong enough to hold attempts to cash in on recent club land if necessary." it. "I admit, Ibuilt the cow a bit on trends (although he is sporting a McClatchey is disappointed that the large side," says Clint, whose Smiley badge in the publicity pics). there are so few opportunities for mind is a constant pot pourri of "I didn't want to jump on a band- the wealth of new talent he sees madcap schemes and wayward wagon - everyone's doing Acid developinginNorthernIreland marketing ideas. When charged House re -mixes, but unless it'sin- and says the expansion of Mercy with producing a blatant copy of initally conceived as that." Records is a future possibility. the old Pink Floyd cow, he merely And the wisdom of kicking off "There are no record companies looks blank and states,"I never with a cover version? "Although at all in the North and we would thought of that." you'll get people saying they pre- like to expand Mercy. If the label In presentation and music, ferred the original, in actual fact does anything for Sontiche then Inspiral Carpets are perfecting the most of those people haven't play- that would obviously open up art of making past influences seem ed the original for six years!" doors for other bands in the North completely in sync with the Eight- of Ireland," he says. ies. The Remainder of the band, vocalist Stephen Holt, bassist David Swift,guitarist Graham Lambert Spence's AOR and drummer Craig Gill,dismiss accusations of revivalist tendances Carpet with disarming simplicity. hascome "I've never even heard of some by Jerry Smith of the records they accuse us of DISKORD DATKORD: 'we emulate Bros' SELLING SLICKLY -produced AOR copying," statesGill, who isthe rock to the Americans is akin to ginger haired 15 year old we all carrying coals to Newcastle, but baggers remember from school: "as far as British bands seem to be astonish- we are concerned, no one has ingly good at it. The latest export by Mick Middles made music like this before." is Scotland's Brian Spence whose EIGHTEEN MONTHS ago, Old- new album, Reputation, is making Dis ham's precocious Inspiral Carpets steady in -roads over there, while werelittlemore than arather over here he suffers from superflu- clumsy collection of Sixties under- ous comparisons to Bryan Adams ground cliches. They produced a Gala: and Bruce Springsteen, a problem flexi disc, Garage Full Of Flowers, that he acknowledges: "This type given away with the Manchester of rock has a real problem getting fanzine, Debris. Few people took heard in this country, unless you've them seriously. The disc was raw already cracked it in America." an' and introverted, even failingto Havingsurvivedthegruelling Peel stars gainairplay on the John of club circuit with various bar -room Show. Since then, Inspiral Carpets by David Giles bandsinhisnativeEdinburgh, have matured beyond recognition. ONE OF this summer's most dur- Brian Spence first came to notice The cliches may remain, but they able dance records it the updated whenhisfirstalbum,brothers, have been stretched to the brink version of War's Galaxy, released spawned a European hit with Hear of perversity. The dominating on Parlophone by the outfit Love It From The Heart last year. The sound is the Manzarak-like organ Street. Not a band as much as a new album has a more melodic Dat of Clint Boon. It's a huge, envelop- collective, LoveStreet centres and atmospheric sound notably in ingsound, adding warmth and around Mal (Stephen Mallinder) the titletrack. Reputation's infec- by Sarah Davis depth. from Cabaret Voltaire, pioneers of tious melodywon a healthy ONE OF the new up-and-coming The rest of the band, rather like electronic dance music long before amount of radio play earlier this cult club records is a cover of X - Manchester'sHappyMondays, acid was brought into the House. year, although the American com- RaySpex'IdentitybyDiskord SONTICHE'S MARTIN McClatchey relyon youthfulspontaneityto For Galaxy Mal was joined by parisons have puzzled him. "Even Datkord,thatquirky,fun -loving punch their live appearances into ex -Soft Cell keyboardist Dave Ball, people reviewingit were saying bunch on Soho Girl Records. areas of extraordinary intensity. In Krushvocalist Ruthjoy and Fon you can imagine it playing whilst The band are three men - plus this respect they are far more remi- Force producer Robert Gordon. driving down highways in America Diskord the dog who appears for niscent. of 1976 than 1966. The Mal sees this line-up as a flexible and Ithought it was really British live shows. The record is a wicked Against spirit of punk livesinthis band's unit, capable of absorbing other sounding!" House mix, with vocalsand sound, despite Boon's Small Faces musicians, but not too many ... "I So, with the release of a new samples laid over a hard dance haircut! don't want Love Street to become single, Come Back Home, itis to beat. Diskord's irreverent style and Their new EP, just out on the lo- a totally dissipated thing, with a America that he looks for the first sense of wit is making them popu- cal Playtime label, is picking up a cast of thousands! But I would like breakthroughalthoughhecer- lar, not just in the clubs and on pi- all odds good deal of local airplay. The to get other people involved, so tainly hasn't forgotten about us: rate radio, but on Radio One too. daytime DJs who are takingit to that it's not set to a band of four "You obviously want to do itin Liz Kershaw and John Peel have by Selina Webb their collective hearts, focusing on people. Like a scaled -down your home country. I just feelit's played the single numerous times THE ODDS would appear to be the track Keep The Circle Around. Parliament or Funkadelic!" a question of time and I've got sinceitsrelease last month and stackedagainstSontiche.With It seems to be selling well, too. One Having left Cabaret Voltaire "on plenty of time." BBC Radio Manchester plan to use three band members based in Co. the record in a competition. The Armagh, Northern Ireland, and the record was voted single of the fourthworking in Lincoln,full weekintheNME, theVirgin rehearsals are expensive and in- Megastore keeps selling out and frequent. When the group does get Diskord mania looks set to spread togetheritis,according to key- to the regions. Ask them why and board player Martin McClatchey, they'lltellyou:"It's because we "one hell of a party". emulate Bros." But beyondthehighspirits, Lawrence Bouvier of Soho Girl Sontiche have released a debut Records says another single will be single of considerable merit which released at the end of September. sports an impossibly sleek finish 'We plan a massive launch for the when you learn that it was record- next single followed by a tour with ed in a day, mixed the next - all other bands on the label.It'll be in a 16 -track studio. A poppy de- an onslaught." He explains the pol- parture from the raw guitar sound icy of the label. "Hip hop, House currently in vogue across the Irish and Eurodisc beats are going to Sea, I Stand has been released on cross over to pop music inallits the band's own Mercy Records, forms.I'mlookingatdifferent distributed by Backs. Supported by bands that are drum machine -bas- airplayinNorthern Ireland and ed but refreshing." despite the band's low profile (they Diskord are certainly refreshing: have never played a gig), theirmischievouscross -overof McClatchey says around 450 cop- hard house rhythms and punk is an ies have already been sold. original. "Although we've done every- INSPIRAL CARPETS: more 1976 than 1966 PAGE 18 MUSIC WEEK 27 AUGUST, 1988.

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