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19 October 2011

Why I wasn’t in a band

In tribute to hard-working bands, I revisit songs I didn't like on first listen.

By Tom Ravenscroft

It seems quite stressful being in a band, I have always been quite grateful I wasn’t in one. For starters there is a lot of carrying to do and I don’t generally like having things in my hands. Then there are the odd relationships, the fear of letting each other down and – much like playing 5 a-side football – there is always one person who cares more than everyone else. I say this as I have been hanging out with a few of them recently, or rather sitting in corners and been ignored by them, and have developed a new found respect for how much hard work is actually involved. I genuinely believed that most of the time you’d just be getting off with people.

As a result of this enlightenment I have been less flippant in my listening this week, revisiting things I didn’t at first like, a lot of slog went into that “How dare I put it in the bin with such ease.” Wise Blood’s new e.p These Wings is one such record; I was a bit put off by the drama in his voice at first, but have since bothered to listen to everything else that is going on, and it turns out there is quite a lot and some of it is a bit brilliant. It must have taken bloody ages.

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