By the time you read this, I'll either be at the Maze in Nottingham, enjoying the latest in an increasingly triumphant series of comeback gigs from everyone's favourite Leicester-based scary man/tiny woman-fronted post-punk/krautrock exponents Prolapse... or else will still be recovering from an hour of throwing myself about to said act. Suffice it to say, the return of Linda Steelyard, Mick Derrick et al is one of my music highlights of the year so far (right up there with the reactivation of Flying Saucer Attack and the discovery of Mbongwana Star).
With this evening's entertainment in mind, I came to think; can I possibly fashion a List consisting entirely of music I like from Leicester, past and present? Turns out I can, and here it is.
Truth be told, the age bias of this List does err towards the 1980s and 1990s rather than the present day - that's possibly quite apt, given how many of the seminal venues in the city at which many of the featured artists honed their craft back then have long since seen their final gig-goer. Nonetheless, contributions here from The Silver Factory, Grace Petrie, Nylon 9, the indefatigable Hibbett and - returning from the latest of a number of extended slumbers - Lazarus Clamp suggest Leicester's musical torch has been carried into this decade and the present day.
One final note: a lover of many aspects and exponents of grebo as I may be, a temptation to flood this List solely with Leicester's many contributors to that fondly remembered 1980s genre had to be resisted. Suspect I'll find excuse enough to include something by Gaye Bykers On Acid and their incalculable aliases in another List before too long!
J xx
PROLAPSE – Doorstep
Rhythmic Bloc (1994)
DEEP FREEZE
MICE – Emile Zola (1979)
THE AMMONITES
– You Me and the Sun (1988ish)
PO! –
Northern Wonder (1994)
FEELABELIA –
Feel It (1984)
PERFUME –
Lover (1997)
THE FREED
UNIT – The City (instrumental) (1998)
THE SILVER
FACTORY – The World May Bring Us Down (2012)
THE ORIGINALS
– Steven on the Radio (1989)
FISH FROM
TAHITI – Decal Baby (2000)
RUTH’S
REFRIGERATOR – Moulted from Labrador (1991)
BLAB HAPPY –
Valentine (1991)
TIMELESS
BANDITZ – Hose Down (2004)
MJ HIBBETT
& THE VALIDATORS – Literature Search (2012)
YEAH YEAH NOH
– Prick Up Your Ears (1984)
THE THURSTON
LAVA TUBE – Don’t Borrow Dominoes... (2008)
KEVIN HEWICK –
Haystack (1980)
CRAZYHEAD –
Time Has Taken Its Toll On You (1989)
VOLCANO THE
BEAR – My Favourite Tongues (2006)
NYLON 9 – Red
Rum (2014)
THE BRAND NEW
EXECUTIVES – Say No to Funk (1989)
GRACE PETRIE –
How Long Has It Been? (The Topshop Song) (2013)
LAZARUS CLAMP
– Latch (2015)
