Down with the kids in 2010
Every year since 1995, NME has been sending bands out on the road they think we should all be paying attention to.
Some have gone on to world-dominating success filling stadiums and headlining festivals around the world, while others simply go down hill after a bit of excitement that leads to their label dropping them.
When it all started, it was called the Brats Bus tour, which annually put together the 4 best acts of that year.
The first four to the forefront was Veruca Salt, Marion, Skunk Anansie and 60Ft Dolls. Marion didn’t exactly stand the test of time.
Neither did other bands that featured over the years like Fluffy, Tiger, Geneva and Campag Velocet.
But for certain bands it’s been a platform to launch their success on another level, including Skunk Anansie, The Cardigans, Stereophonics, The Coral, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys, The Horrors, The Ting Tings and Florence And The Machine.
Coldplay even opened up the tour of 2000, not knowing then they would go on to mirror Bono-like stardom and become the band we all love to hate.
Sophie Ellis Bextor even played an NME tour with her band Theaudience in 1998.
But this is 2010 and while previous NME tours have shown great diversity, sadly this was not one of those years.
The female craze and rave revolution of previous years has also gone, and the men with their guitars are back.
This year it was time for The Drums, The Big Pink, Bombay Bicycle Club and The Maccabees to prove just why their existence in this ever-changing and unforgiving music industry is necessary.
The Drums recently made the list for the BBC sound of 2010, along with Marina And The Diamonds, Delphic and Everything Everything to just name a few.
Hailing from Brooklyn they bring their carefree pop tunes with their love of whistling, and they might sing songs about surfing, but they do add a certain English charm to what they’re doing.
But it is slightly mediocre regardless of his erratic leg movements that attempt to infuse energy.
Since winning the prestigious NME Radar Award for best new act, The Big Pink have been impressing people with their fresh approach to genre merging up and down the country.
And they certainly don’t want to be forgotten in a hurry if tonight’s entrance was anything to go by.
They awakened the senses previously subdued by The Drums, with an entrance designed to drag you into their Jesus And Mary Chain inspired claustrophobia.
Coming on with Cypress Hill they channel the way for their beats and pieces that sound like they’re suffocating each other, but it’s an interesting mix that shows a sound deeper than anthem sing-a-long Dominoes.
Bombay Bicycle Club might not be the most exciting bunch of youths but they know their craft and are progressively mastering it.
The reality show starlets (they won the ‘Road to V festival’ show back in 2006) have quickly turned heads in their own right and released their first EP on their own independent label in 2007.
Tonight proves that their once almost cult fan base has stepped up to mass audience levels and tracks like Always Like This definitely get the feet moving.
The Maccabees grace the stage with smiles and confidence thanking NME for all the good times over the years. But through al these ‘good times’ only 2 albums have seen the light and sophomore album Wall of arms was just released last year.
But maturity has definitely happened in that time lyrically and musically and a good quarter of the crowd mirrors this, unless they were all parents chaperoning the kiddies to their first gig.
After upping their cultural credentials recording Empty Vessels with Roots Manuva recently, tonight they showed they aim to be more than a soon-forgotten indie band with a smart dressed brass band providing subtle horns.
The set was a good old mix of old and new with tracks like Precious Time and X-Ray sitting very comfortably with live favourites No Kind Words and Young Lions.
Once again NME dished out the sounds of the year but only time will tell if these bands will be the Coldplays or the Campag Velocets of the decade.
Once again, NME showcased four fresh-faced bands
No comments:
Post a Comment