Sunday 25 November 2012

No Going Back.......

I've been watching a whole load of music documentaries recently.
The glorious histories of classic bands. BBC4 and Sky Arts are goldmines for these sorts of things.  The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Nirvana, Prince, The Sex Pistols, The Beatles, Depeche Mode to name a few. They all leave me with the same kind of momentary after-thought. "FUCK YEAH, I'M GONNA BE A ROCK N ROLL STAR"



But thinking back on all these sort of shows the only solid fact I can take away from them is that nothing will ever be like that again. Never ever. The old rock n' roll fairytale is dead. Maybe there is a new version being formed today, a new dream for the children of the future. But as it stands, it is pretty safe to say that we are in the transitional period, we can only look forward, as everything that has happened before is irrelevant. Obviously the music still stands up, people will quite rightly look at The Beatles or Joy Division or Dylan for musical inspiration. But inspiration is all it can be, there is no point trying to map out a musical path in the style of any band that came before the turn of the century. This is maybe why so many bands get frustrated and fail. Trying to follow the old route in a completely new world. The internet has been the most influential thing on music since ol' Robert Jonson sold his soul at the crossroads.

Many of the great rock n' roll stories tended to involve sending demo tapes to labels, getting some sort of gun-toting maverick manager, playing a few auditions in record company offices, maybe having a few false starts, then after a few years and a couple of dull albums they would hit the big time with some massive hit single and never look back. Five hundred date tours around America and a whole host of celebrity divorces would follow. Before rehab, comeback albums and the ill-advised techno period. I certainly think we need to keep hold of some of the wild parts of this tale, we still need rock n' roll stars. Just because the means of getting music out has become rather dull and plastic doesn't mean that the people making it need to be. But hell, it's hard to imagine how a young Bowie would have got on with Twitter. Or how an Ian Curtis blog would take off. Perhaps this level of openness would have killed the mystery a little. But that is the world in which we now live and try to succeed in. We have sent out countless CDs and emails to record companies, managers etc, and one of the only responses we have ever had was that we needed to improve our "online presence". A very modern short-coming. We've recently been told by another influencial industry voice that we had great songs and were amazing live, but that seemingly wasn't enough to gain any sort of investment. I don't think anyone really knows how the music industry is going play out in the coming years, as much as it seems a little bit shit, the fact that it is new and uncharted territory rather excites me.

 
 
The idea of living in uncharted times also applies in many factors of our lives. There are a generation being born right now that are having their first picture uploaded to Facebook whilst they are still in the womb. Scan pictures are followed by the blinking, moist, one day old pictures, then on to the first steps and beyond. What sort of social and psychological effect will this have on these people by the time they reach their 21st birthday? At what age will they themselves get a social network profile? Growing up in a world where "likes" and  a"releationship status" are common things. I have no idea how it will all play out. I have the minor joy of being old as fuck. I left school when I was 16, just before Myspace and Bebo erupted into world. I only really knew the people at my school. This will seem almost unfathomable to people that are only a couple years younger than me. It is nice to have known the two worlds, pre and post socail network. Where it goes next I really do not know. As long as we remember we are human and continue to share the amazing pleasures of community and keep on touching each other then I'm sure we'll be alright.
 
 
XXX


Sunday 4 November 2012

VISIBLEHAND

THE VISIBLE HAND EP.

Future Lionheart
Keep them drunk and keep them dumb
an old solution for the young
Its hard to fight with your hands by your side.

Does this city ever sleep
the walking dead can have no dreams
We're marching single file towards the grave.

WE'RE THE GENERATION WITH NOTHING TO DIE FOR

Keep one picture locked away
A portrait of a devils face
Dorian would blush if he saw it

Welcome to the hangover
the smell of sulphur fills the air
We're marching single file towards the grave.

WE'RE THE GENERATION WITH NOTHING TO DIE FOR

Angels sounding out their horns
will fly into the thunderstorm
if this is not a judgement I'll be damned
DAMNED DAMNED DAMNED.


The Only Way is Out
We're draining off our glasses
we'll drink our cares away
and in our party dresses
reaction time delays

All I ever wanted was something to believe
Negative emotion sells you everything

I learned to hate my body
these twisted magazines
will tell me I'm not worthy
as long as I still eat.

All I ever wanted was something to believe
Negative emotion sells you everything

Lover of a ballad
my eyes begin to glaze
stripped and medicated
and handy on my dirty knees

All I ever wanted was something to believe
Negative emotion sells you everything

You told them you were the best lay in the land,
now they've tied both your feet and told you to work with your hands
You told them you were the best lay in the land,
now they've tied both your feet and told you to work with your hands

What are we doing here at this time in this part of town.
Somebodies son, somebodies daughter, some little lamb sent to the slaughter.


Real Men Shoot First
Twenty four years, six months and five days
scared by the light I'll go back to the cave
Man up they say, man up they say
There's a place here for everyone as long as everyone knows their place.
So I'll wait.

I'm dreaming of the stars, but I wont leave here
I'm dreaming of the stars, but I wont leave here

A modern poet yet to master his art
He'll tear out your lungs just to get to your heart
Man up they say, man up they say
There's a place here for everyone as long as everyone knows their place.
So I'll wait.

I'm dreaming of the stars, but I wont leave here
I'm dreaming of the stars, but I wont leave here


She Talks
Praying for snow on the hills this year
I've got carrier bags for my feet.
Making up games as I wait by the phone
for a call from the secret girl.
I'm happily catching a cold this year
cos my nurse has got oranges, I'm fine.

I wont be alone again,
and I'll never talk about the things she says when she talks to me.

Every time that my head kills
I just dream of the secret girl.
And every time that all hope fails
I just dream of the secret girl.

I wont be alone again,
and I'll never talk about the things she says when she talks to me.

She is learning, she is learning to drive.
She is learning, she is learning to drive.