The (mostly) Fun Side of Music – March 2020 (pre-apocalypse)

Back in the old days, when we were allowed to wander the outside world and stand within two metres of each other, we were allowed to conduct social gatherings involving music and alcohol. However, seen as groups of people have been officially banned it is impossible to look forward to planned events so instead I have been looking back at good times passed, with fond memories and the growing desire to see my friends again.

The Correlation Between Stress and Fun

While pulling myself out of the Christmas decline, January and February was spent writing and rehearsing for a specific week in March (2nd – 8th) where I had a performance exam, an essay deadline and two gigs with separate bands (and also had an attendance meeting with uni that they couldn’t attend so that was more unnecessary stress) within six days. Yet again, we have found another drummer for Guerrilla and he very quickly and capably learned the tracks necessary for the assessment and the first gig. Next to a bottle of Hooch in summer, I can confidently state that there is nothing more refreshing than teaming up with a musician who is actually willing to do the leg work when it comes to learning and rehearsing music. In two rehearsals we managed to have a thirty-minute set gig ready with enough energy to power a small village – or bar, in this case. João is probably the best drummer I’ve had the luck to work with and I look forward to what this will bring for the future of the band.

Guerrilla 2020

We supported 0909 at Retro, this being the second time playing with them, and the line-up was amazing. From this gig I discovered Incarnate, a Manchester based band with some serious attitude and style. I asked gas-mask-wearing drummer Daniel Wright how they would describe their genre/style and he laughed, answering that he didn’t really know how to sum it up. This is something that resonates with me as I have a similar problem defining Guerrilla. I’m forced to generalise our noise as ‘alternative rock’ but even that as a genre is highly ambiguous. I think it’s time to create a new word for “heavy, angry, punk-like rock that isn’t quite as heavy as metal, but definitely is more aggressive than most alt-rock”, because I am sick of using that as an answer. Message me any suggestions, I’d be interested to hear.

From the indie/punk/rock/spoken-word vibes of Incarnate, the gig took us to the other side of the room with the electronic indie-pop duo known as Mass House. Not entirely convinced they were the best choice for a very rock-based gig but it is without question that they were very skilled, mixing synth keyboard, push-pad triggers and guitar. 0909 were lovely as ever but I can’t help but pose the question of whether they are ready to headline shows like this. In my experience I’ve always found it is better to wait until you have a larger, more dedicated following (or at least a big group of mates) so there is a baseline expected income and turnout, otherwise you’re not achieving much. And I will say that by no means am I underrating the importance of enjoying playing live music, but if you’re paying money to book out a venue/travel/etc and you aren’t making back the returns is it worth it?

I really enjoyed the gig and we had a surprising amount of people turn up. Our set went well and João did a great job. Another thing that absolutely stands out about him is his ability to vibe off of the rest of us. Being on the same wavelength as a band makes all the difference, and it made the fact that we weren’t as rehearsed as we could have been much less of an issue as I was confident in our ability to work around any mistakes. I certainly didn’t feel as comfortable as I could have; apart from the assessment it was our first gig of the year, but the communication skills we have as a group made all the difference and I’m proud to say the boys nailed it as usual.

Support Thy Neighbour

This was followed by what is possibly the biggest opportunity I’ve had since moving to Manchester which, ironically, involved supporting my dear friends from Leeds: The Elephant Trees. To say I was excited for this gig is an understatement. Katie Elizaa was exactly what I needed to reboot my love for guitar and live music. I often find that working in Guerrilla is tough and full to the brim with stress and responsibility, but Katie Elizaa is a project that seems to keep giving. Hosted by our own Katie Smethurst at YES, the event was titled ‘The Woman’ and fell on the weekend of International Woman’s Day, featuring a stacked line-up of female-fronted acts.

Despite our uni managing to [unsurprisingly] mess up the backline order we had a laugh setting up, soundchecking and decorating the venue with balloons and a variety of pink things. YES as a venue and bar is lovely and is very reminiscent of the Belgrave Music Hall in Leeds - a place that I have had many good memories and experiences. There are two stages in the building: The Pink Room, a slightly larger, slightly more pink room, funnily enough, and the basement, which is where we played.

I was delighted to see so many familiar faces at the event. It sold well and all of the money went to Care; a charity aimed at helping women in impoverished countries. The first three acts were Dorothy Ella, Kike and Fallu, taking us from funky pop to soul to RnB. Another thing that was lovely about the event was the variety of music. When it came to our turn I was certain that even our rocky vibe was going to be received well, and it was. Despite not being able to hear myself at all on stage and after dropping my pick at least three times I could really feel the love and support from everyone in the room. It has been a long time since I’ve played a show that had so much positive energy and such a sense of togetherness.

When The Elephant Trees played the love only got lovelier and I enjoyed their set as usual. Watching my friends perform so perfectly and passionately is one of the best feelings in the world. I ended a crazy week in exactly the way I wanted it to: surrounded by friends, good food and drink. Nothing says ‘success’ like ending up in an uber home at 4am before waking up with a reel of photos and videos of happy people.

Yes, We All Want a Pint

Unlike a lot of people, I have been fortunate enough to say that 2020 started well for me. I sorted out a lot of issues that I had been battling with and was on the road to reaching new career prospects. I was on top of my health and was generally content with my situation. This was until, in true dumbass horror film victim style, some absolute British Top Lads couldn’t obey valid quarantine warnings in favour of the ‘sesh’, and now I can’t leave my bedroom for the threat of being mauled by rabid rent-starved landlords, or whatever BoJo said. Stay safe. Stay indoors. Love your friends and family.

Photos by Piran Aston and Yoanna Dimu