Gold Soundz Preview
Little else gives us a nostalgic warm glow like the mention of our favourite 90s indie bands, so we had to take the opportunity to write about it, and hell, make a bespoke playlist in their honour…
When we noticed (on Facebook) that Samizdat’s Andrew Ellis was planning a follow up to last year’s successful Teen Spirit 20th anniversary night, keeping the format – covers band, followed by DJs – but focussing on genres and bands far closer to our hearts, we don’t mind telling you, we got a bit excited.
For starters, the night’s name, with that stray ‘Z’ signalling that it could only be a nod in the direction of Pavement, the undisputed kings of lo-fi slacker rock, got our indie-sense tingling like crazy. Our interest and attendance, had they ever been in doubt, were sealed with a line on the Gary McGarvey (aka Horse) designed poster: ‘with a one-off Our Band Could Be Your Life Set by the Gold Soundz Band’; curiouser and curiouser, we thought…
Our Band Could Be Your Life, published in 2001, is a veritable bible of some of the most influential American groups over the period 1981 – 1991. And for influential, read: ‘lacking in mainstream appeal and success, but loved fervently by legions of adoring indie-kids’. Focusing on acknowledged greats such as Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr., whilst not forgetting trailblazers, Husker Du, it’s a who’s who of some of the best bands the likes of Scott Mills and Fearne Cotton would never had heard of if not for Radio 6 music.
Interestingly, the book doesn’t feature a chapter on Pavement, who would just qualify having formed in 1989. There’s even, you’d think, the irresistible symmetry of the fact they lasted a decade, breaking up (amid some acrimony) in 1999. Perhaps the book’s author, Michael Azerrad, decided the other bands’ just wouldn’t be able to cope with that kind of company. Fortunately Ellis seems to think they, and others, will cope just fine; which leads us nicely back to this Friday.
It all kicks off with Vasco Da Gama (in the guise of Vasco Da Gold Soundz – smooth!) playing that one-off covers set, featuring Pavement, the Pixies, Superchunk, Gang of Four, and more. The gig is followed by a bevvy of DJs spinning a mixture of college rock, Riot Grrrl and new wave. In the spirit of things, we thought we’d do a preview of a very personal nature, taking you on a trip of a selection of our favourite alternative and indie tunes we’ve been lucky enough to stumble across or be introduced to over the years. Some will feature on the night, others maybe won’t, but if we wrote our version of Our Band… you can bet they’d all have a chapter.
Gold Soundz – 80′s & 90′s Alternative & Indie disco, Friday 16th March, 10 – 3 £4 @ The Kazimier
