Should We Be Getting Our Kicks From Rock n' Roll Relics?

Shake that postman's hand. The day has arrived.

On the 11th of April 2011 we all got the news. After 15 years of speculation, The Stone Roses were back together and soon to be announcing dates for a world tour. First stop Heaton Park, Manchester. It's not easy to describe the elation that was felt for ordinary people across the city. Better to describe the feeling of panic and scramble for tickets. You heard stories of  lads deserting Military posts and getting themselves back to Blighty in time for the occasion. I dare say the subsequent Court Marshall's were a small price to pay for what was viewed as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The point being is that The Roses homecoming meant something, not only to the people of Manchester, but to a great many in the UK. This was to be our Spike Island.

As you can see, we had a belter

Tram links across the city were packed full of ages young and old, sporting bucket hats, welly's and parkas on our pilgrimage to the holy land. We, the Mancunians, were reclaiming what was taken from us unwillingly in 1996. By the time the yearning masses got a glimpse of The Roses the initial reaction was nothing less than you'd expect. A wave of raw emotion came from the crowd; you saw tears, raised fists, hugging, kissing, gurning, you name it. However, and I'm aware there may only be a few who share my thoughts on this, the whole scenario seemed sadly disingenuous.

Don't get me wrong, I sang a long with everyone else. However I couldn't shake the niggling feeling that The Roses were never meant for my eyes.They were now old men. Old men singing songs from the point of view of young boys. I mean, was there any need for Reni to dig out the exact same attire he would have donned during the early days? The man's in his forties, he doesn't need to wear a floppy hat and baggy yellow top. I don't doubt for one minute the bands eagerness to be on stage, but it slowly dawned on me that the whole event was a facade. A Mancunian pantomime created to rinse dry the sentiment and love that people have for The Stone Roses. Now I'm not wet behind the ears, I know that every man has to make his bread someway or another and music is still a business, but is this what they stood for back in the 80s and 90s? They made music for young people, because they were young people and those old songs encapsulated a moment in time. They were songs of hope, of love, of anger, of freedom that were all relevant to a particular juncture. Since then we'd had Blair, the war in Iraq, Facebook, mobile phones, tamagotchi's, Man City had even won a trophy by then. Times had changed. The kids at Heaton Park in 2012 could not be more detached from those who stood at Spike Island 22 years earlier.

Four Old Roses

We see the same everywhere today. Fleetwood Mac headlining The Isle of Wight festival this year, not to mention having the cheek to to demand over 100 of the queens notes for a one off gig in Manchester. The same goes for Eagles, Bob Dylan, Elton John and of course the well oiled profiteers that are The Rolling Stones. One cannot begrudge a couple in their mid forties shelling out a few quid to have a wistful walk down memory lane. But for young people to be to utilising nostalgia as their sole intake of live music is madness. The question is why? Have we given up seeking our own equivalent to The Stone Roses? Have we left it in the hands of Cowell and "The Voice" to find something that speaks to us on a level that no other cohort will ever truly appreciate. The next best thing could be out there, in some bar or club in the Northern Quarter strumming away to the bar staff because people would rather fritter away their earnings on an all too precise 90 minutes of sentimentality and listen to songs that relate to a bygone era? Ludicrous. Audiences during 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s followed bands because the artists endeavoured to progress and do something different to captivate their listeners. Pink Floyd never produced Shine On You Crazy Diamond  and Brain Damage with the an eye on the past. That's why they called it "Progressive Rock".

There are, however, a handful of bands that have stayed true to themselves. Take The Smiths for example. Marr and Morrissey lay the band to rest at a time when people wanted more. Since then they have carved out careers and identities of their own, leaving the sound of The Smiths with a air of dignity and romance. Much like The Roses, The Smiths have been expected to reunite for years but have thankfully refrained. More recently we have Oasis, who have been tipped to reunite since the moment they split up. We all remember the tiring speculation surrounding the 2015 Whats the Story? reunion tour and both Gallagher's have been probed relentlessly over when and what it would take to get them on the same stage again. I for one am bored of it and would implore both Liam and Noel to leave Oasis where it ended. With their best days of collaborative artistry behind them, surely any reunion would be purely in the interest of lining their already overflowing pockets? I cringe at the thought of the 16 year old girls taking selfies in the toilets at Piccadilly Station, wearing cut off denim shorts and face paint, incorrectly miming the words to Go Let it Out. Tweeting #Oasis #Reunion #Memories #Wonderwall. Fuck off! You weren't there! The last thing I want to see is the message that Oasis resurrected during the early 90's of belief in a better future tarnished by rehashing the same old tunes for an audience of prawn sandwiches.

Again, why? Why, when there are a multitude of great unsigned acts on your doorstep playing for next to nothing. Bands that might say something that can directly relate to you because they're from a similar age to you and have lived through the same times. No more should a band from the 70's be headlining Glastonbury. No more shall "Greatest Hits" albums be bought for any other occasion than Fathers Day. From this day forward The Stiff Upper Lip declare: "Nostalgia is Dead... Long Live Rock n' Roll!"

So it comes down to you now Pilgrims. Give us your thoughts. We at The Stiff Upper Lipp are all about interaction and we want to know what you have to say. Would you want to see another Oasis gig? Or should they let sleeping dogs lie? Take part in our Poll, you'll find it at the bottom of this page, we'll announce the results next week.

Peace x

Ps Despite all this, I still cried when they played Sally Cinnamon.

Should Oasis get back together for a farewell tour?

Summer Treats, Funky Beats and Misspelled Tweets: Introducing The Larkins

This week at The Stiff Upper Lip we have been rather evangelical about The Larkins, an absolute gem of a band with all the talent and likeability to make a break through. From humble beginnings at Hulme's Loretto College and birthed from jamming sessions between Josh Noble and Jamie Spencer, the group is now all grown up and taking on the local scene with, might we add, a generous dollop of panache. Named after the late Coventry born poet, Phillip Larkin, who once claimed: "how we live measures our nature" and It's clear The Larkins are living scrupulously for the moment and naturally they're all the better for it.

So lets get onto the material. The Tale of Cassandra, their latest release, is bang on the money. Quintessentially summer from start to finish (https://soundcloud.com/thelarkins/the-tale-of-cassandra ); what a cracking track to bounce around your bedroom to. The beauty of this tune comes by striking a healthy balance between lyrical substance and being radio worthy in the present day. With descriptive writing that paints the picture of a young girl "pirouetting "out of a young mans life, leaving him wanting more. A story that sadly most pizza faced, greasy haired young gents from the 0161, and afar, can appreciate. But life goes on!

And it certainly does go on, when you're talking about tracks like Hit and Run ( https://soundcloud.com/thelarkins/hit-and-run ). The Larkins show a contrast in offering here, with a heavier, brooding and industrial sound, you feel like you're getting ready to enter a battlefield. Top track.


The Larkins have been making some great headway in and around the North West and The SUL will continue to support them, because they've had us excited from the word go. So excited in fact that when we first tweeted them, we actually contacted an 18 year old producer with a similar name, from somewhere unknown,. As you can see, we were left rather red faced. That's what you get for being too keen Stiffy!



Anyhow,iIf you've listened to their tracks and you like their stuff, then I suggest you get off your behind and see it for your self, in the flesh! You can catch them on the 28th of August at Carsons Bar in Middleton, supported by soulful rockers The Country Rats and DJ Dave Sweetmore. It'll be a great night of festivities and The SUL of course will be there, if you can spot us. We'll be the ones in the corner wearing top hats and monocles assessing the wine list.

Peace x