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IMPULSIVE RAMBLINGS: MY THOUGHTS ON BBC SOUND OF 2015

As you’ll probably know by now, the results for BBC’s Sound Of 2015 poll were revealed across last week, with Years & Years bagging the top spot. I’m always intrigued by the Beeb’s annual poll, as it sheds some well-deserved on some of the artists I recommend to friends, family and colleagues, as well as pointing me in the direction of some fresh listening. While there’s no denying that this year’s winners are going places (much like Sam Smith did after winning in 2014), there was far more superior talent on this list.

Years & Years are capable of writing a catchy tune, but that’s about it to them. The likes of ‘Real’ and ‘Desire’ have Clean Bandit-esque floor-filling potential, but there’s nothing beyond the surface of their music, no new sounds uncovered with every listen, no depth or elusiveness. There was a lot of speculation prior to the announcement of first place that Rae Morris would be crowned champion, and I certainly think she was snubbed. I’ve been a follower (not necessarily a devoted fan) of Rae’s ever since I saw a session by her on the YouTube channel WatchListenTell (see below for that very video) about four years ago, and I knew from that moment that she had something. Truth be told, you don’t need to necessarily win the poll, or even reach the top five, to strike gold: look at Lady Gaga, Royal Blood, Skrillex or Dizzee Rascal, all of which were nominated but not victorious.

Morris was not the only nominee who was denied what I believe to be their rightful place in the poll’s top five. I was stoked to see Slaves on the shortlist; a band who have helped partially restore my faith in British punk, there is just something in their raw, angular riffs that is tremendously addictive. It’s not just the music either: it’s their sharp yet snotty persona, it’s their kinetic stage presence (something I’ve unfortunately only ever seen in pictures and videos), and it’s the demented Wilko Jonson-meets-Ian Curtis expression on drummer/singer Isaac Holman’s face.

I was smitten earlier this week by Understudy, the new EP from 18-year-old nominee Låpsley. The girl has an incredible voice with an expansive range for someone of her age and, as a classically-trained multi-instrumentalist, is able to play the piano so delicately, but still give every chord some undeniable oomph: think London Grammar but substitute the slightly-overrated dreariness for warm soulfulness. She’s the sort of artist you can picture making something beautiful in a collaboration with James Vincent McMorrow or Bon Iver; definitely worth a go if you’re into your minimalist, mellow electronic vibes, or even if you’re not…

And then there’s George The Poet. George wasn’t necessarily snubbed in this year’s proceedings, having come fifth on the list, but still I think he deserves a much higher ranking on the list, perhaps even first place. There’s been a wonderful increase in mainstream attention towards performance poetry and spoken word recently: all you need to confirm it is the resurfacing of John Cooper Clarke (who’s worked with the likes of Plan B and Arctic Monkeys over the last couple of years), or Kate Tempest’s tremendous record Everybody Down making it on the Mercury Prize shortlist last year (talk about a snub). For such a crucial revival, we need a figurehead, and this man may be it.

George The Poet is way beyond your everyday London-raised MC. Less grime and more grandeur than fellow nominees Stormzy and Novelist, his verses are laced with a charming sense of eloquence and an acute social awareness. George is in no rush to deliver his manifesto either, taking the time to let the words drawl steadily from his lips, and sounding even smoother in the process.

So who will be in the running for Sound Of 2016? Truth be told, it’s damn near impossible to predict the shortlist before the events of 2015 roll out. Look to the smaller stages at large festivals (or even the larger stages at small festivals), to indie blogs much like this one, or to the introducing pages of your favourite music mag. Maybe even pay a bit more attention to the support acts at the next gig you go to, and you might just find yourself in the presence of Britain’s hottest new artists…

RR

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IMPULSIVE RAMBLINGS: WHY I LOVE BEING A FAN OF ASH SO MUCH

Earlier this week, my mum (knowing how little money I currently have) bought me a ticket to Ash frontman Tim Wheeler’s solo headline show in London on November 4th. This inspired two thoughts:

My mum is an awesome woman.

I am very grateful to be a part of Ash’s fanbase.

If you don’t know who Ash are, stop reading this post. Only stop temporarily, of course, and listen to their entire discography, B-sides and all (or at least their debut album, 1977). I was very lucky to be brought up with Ash’s works at an early age: I remember first hearing their single ‘Goldfinger’ in my mum’s car when I was about 7/8 years old, when I first started drumming, and air-drumming to the track on repeat. Around that time, the band had seen a slight resurgence in their career with their chart-topping third album, Free All Angels (another essential listen), but they were by no means the biggest band in the world. They’ve never been the biggest band in the world, and they were never meant to be. That’s what makes them so brilliantly accessible.

As soon as I heard 1977 and Free All Angels, there was no going back for me. As I grew older, I got jealous of my mum as she went up to London from our hometown of Horsham, West Sussex (about an hour south of London) and saw them live. When she told me tales of The Astoria (R.I.P.) and Tim Wheeler's Flying V/flamethrower, I had the first item on my bucket list: to see Ash live.

Mum and I with Ash, when I snuck her backstage at Guilfest in 2012.

On my 14th birthday, I was lucky enough to strike it off, when I unwrapped a ticket to see Ash perform 1977 at the Roundhouse in Camden later that year. A little while before, both my Mum and I had joined an unofficial forum dedicated to Ash, Gashed, where we had the opportunity to chat crap with fellow Ash fans and all-round lovely people across the globe. It became a tradition to have pre-gig meet-ups, and so, as one of the youngest Padawans of the group, we met our new group of friends before the Roundhouse gig. It was the first of many meet-ups, and while the Gashed forum is sadly no more, a lot of us stay in contact with each other (I even ended up meeting up with a fellow forum-dweller, kenami, on a college trip to New York).

Being part of that forum was like being part of a tight, intimate unit of die-hards (which it essentially was), and I would go so far as saying they were like a little family. I remember being more interested in logging on to the forum than going out and being sociable, using up my mum's mobile internet (we didn't have a computer) by spending hours at a time on there.

Some of the Gashed crew on Brighton Pier in 2010 (featuring my stepdad Keith with a stupid dreadlock hat)

Since the Roundhouse, I have seen Ash 7 times (the most recent of times being at Wembley Arena when they supported/upstaged Smashing Pumpkins last year). It's funny seeing Ash at Wembley, considering they can pretty much fill mid-size venues in London, but still occasionally opt to play 'toilet venues' (for example, when I saw them at the 250-capacity Tumbridge Wells Forum in 2009, a venue which literally used to be a public loo).

That particular show played host to the first time I met Ash, as an insanely nervous 15-year-old. I have met the guys several times since, to the point where they know me and my mum by name, and always feel willing to hang out for a beer after the show, or wave at us from the audience (probably because we're in the front, screaming along word-for-word). And it's not just me gushing about how great the show was, which is helped by the fact that we share an undying love for Star Wars (1977 is named not only after the birth year of Wheeler and bassist Mark Hamilton, but of course the year the first film was released).

Sweaty me with drummer Rick McMurray outside Brighton Concorde2 in 2010. My haircut was crap.

The kindness that they show me whenever we meet makes me very grateful to be an Ash fan. Considering they've topped the album charts twice, and played the main stage at various festivals, the band consistently maintain an underdog status, and the Ash fanbase almost feels like a little cult. Rewinding back to 2010, when I picked to play 'Goldfinger' on the drums for my final performance exam in my music GSCE, and walked my mum down the aisle to their track 'Arcadia' in the same year. When I handed a CD with my performance of 'Goldfinger' to the band at a show, I remember drummer Rick McMurray saying I'll be giving him a run for his money one day. That will stick with me to the grave, and to think I just have normal chats with him on Facebook and Twitter is still somewhat bizarre.

It's sad that they never reached superstardom, but truth be told, I wouldn't have wanted them to. They feel like a little secret held and cherished between a select group of lucky people, and why I feel like giving people an education of Britpop past Blur and Oasis, I still try to keep it close to my chest.

My first meeting with Ash, backstage at Tumbridge Wells Forum in 2009. Still one of the greatest moments in my life.

The point of this blog? There isn't one really, but I felt an urge to ramble about what it means to me to be part of a cult. I still think my mum wins in terms of being an Ash fan though, seeing as she has the phoenix from the cover of their album Meltdown tattooed between her shoulder blades. I might have to go and get 'ASH' tattooed on my forehead to trump her...

Don't worry mum, I'm only joking. Probably.

RR