The joy of this feature is to bring you music that you might not have heard of before, be it techno created from regenerated lawnmowers or dentists making punk.
This week we’ve reached another first – allow us to introduce you to a band featuring a fully published novelist.
Don’t worry, it’s not JK Rowling, the person who wrote Twilight or the zombie remains of Enid Blyton. If you’re familiar with the works of Joe Stretch, then you should automatically be interested in Performance. Not to be outdone, the other two members of the band also have successful projects in other bands including work with The Whip, Daggers and side-project bands including Kiss In Cities. To say they’re all more productive than us is an understatement.
So some of you might be wondering why we’ve gone a bit loopy over a novelist who also dabbles in music. Thinking about it logically, all songs with lyrics are miniature stories presented to you within three or four minutes. Sometimes the lyrics might be straightforward and easy to understand or written in a way that requires you to listen deeper and unravel the hidden meanings.
One of the most impressive aspects about Performance is that they have been together as a group for many years but many factors have gotten in the way. Quoting their MySpace, drugs and inter-band romance are just two of the distractions that may have held the band back from breaking through and gaining the credit they deserve. With one album already behind them – (We Are) Performance was released in 2007 – you can see that something is there but the formula needs to be cracked.
Single The Living is released on Monday and is also available for you to listen to on Performance’s MySpace. As we’ve already mentioned, the bittersweet songwriting combined with three talented musicians is only a taste of what they are capable of achieving. Dashes of electronics combined with uplifting guitars makes for another release which will be treasured by those who know of the band.
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Enid Blyton, her books being zombie-like, maybe in some circles, but she came in one slot less than the great J.K. Rowling a Scottish reading poll. By the way, I am glad to inform you that i have published a book on Enid Blyton, titled, The Famous Five: A Personal Anecdotage (www.bbotw.com).
Stephen Isabirye