by
October 1st: Website launch
Today’s idea: Start my own column on the site.
…and I have been thinking what to call it ever since. The name kinda dawned on me at 3am, when I couldn’t get to sleep one night last week. The trouble is, I’ve been thinking what to write in my own slice of the site since it was launched. I have: started, deleted, re-phrased and given up in favour of replying to e-mails or reviewing about four times. Tis not good. I can see now why other people don't like it when I say, "just review or write about whatever you want...".
My vague idea for this column is that it’s a place for me to say whatever I want, however I want. As it is vague, that can mean a lot of things, so expect some variation. Don't expect it to be the sorta column which will dumbfound you or literally attack you. I really hate overloaded writing which is SO challenging and brain-boggling to read, especially this sort of thing of online reading whilst having a coffee and a chocolate bizkit. I am going to try and make 'DiS Demeanour' fortnightly, excluding excessive name-droppings or glitz’n’glam, because I am not like that. For instance, I’m currently sat at my desk in my dining room in Weymouth, Dorset; piles of CDs surrounding me, my cat meowing for munch and my mum yelling from upstairs about 'how cooked the carrots are.' That’s not to mention the constant phone ringing, my inbox now that is chaos and there is a pile of CDs that keeps falling over otherwise known as my ‘to be reviewed’ tower. That’s not to mention the 50p I have left this week which I’ll probably send on a Kingsize Mars bar to keep me going til 2am. Honey, glamourous I ain't.
So who I am? What am I all about? To be honest, those questions are the sort of things I ask myself on a daily basis - I will leave my philosophies on life for another column when I’m short of ideas. I’ll give you a brief intro but I hope you’ll get to know me as the weeks go by…
My name is Sean Adams, I’m middle-nameless because my parents believe I was allowed to make my mind up about joining a religion when I was old enough to decide. Possibly the first slippery step for me or so it would seem to some. Anyway, I’m 18 but 19 on the 10th day of next year so if anyone fancies getting me a prezzie, my address is on the site. I work in Verdis a venue/alt.club on Friday nights and I’m also at college, for a third year. Kinda fucked up my exams last year due to a year long relationship which broke up a couple of days before my first a-level… the fact I spent most of last year travelling the country, going to gigs and things like that, probably didn’t help my chances much either. Enough by academic stuff, because I’m not the studious type.
I’ve been doing this zine type thing for a little over two years now and I’ve learnt a lot. Initially I started out with the simple aim of doing something better than the NME, Melody Maker, Kerrang, Q, Select, etc… Basically, I wanted to write the sort of magazine that I wanted to read and I saw the net as best place to start (in 1998 it wasn’t half as big as it is now, so it wasn’t as obvious!). I kinda hoped that other people would be interested in reading it too, especially with the free price tag but I never expected the success of The Last Resort. I got to meet and talk to everyone on the posters in my bedroom, apart from Natalie Imbruglia and All Saints, but I’ve still got lots of time to make one them my future wife. I’m really not into Celebrity headhunting - y’know the sort of people who really WANT to meet someone, just because their famous. I’ve found quite a few famous people to be incredibly boring or some of the worst human beings I’m ever likely to meet. Not naming and shaming tho’, I don’t want to get hordes or single mothers to go around beating up someone who is now unknown. Most people I’ve met from bands have been especially nice.
Apart from The Last Resort, I’ve started tiptoeing my way into the music biz. I’m not too sure why, as I loath a lot the bizness side of music. Fair enough, without it I wouldn’t be doing DiS and artists need to make money to put food on their tables. Just few people seem to really enjoy themselves, well, maybe I’ve not blagged a key to the executive parties; yet! I’m really not saying that it’s all bad. Walking up Camden high street, 150 miles from home, after a night of free drinks is better than a jab in the eye with a red-hot poker. Seems to me the present does not matter in this business. Whatever is going to be big is what you should not shut up about. Unless you’ve already made it, big time, then all you do name-drop and tell stories about blurry evenings and things about ‘celebs’ being cool and destroying things. Then again, without that I would not have a market to exploit. Only problem with that comment is I don’t think like a capitalist. Enlightenment is the main driving force behind my ideas.
I’ve only really had a snapshot of the biz, so I’m probably not the worlds greatest authority at present. I can see it being much more fun than stacking shelves in Tesco or selling insurance tho’. I’ve not got one clear aspiration of what I want to become, but I’d be happy if I could sustain a living from running DiS. I also really enjoy managing Pusha. Oh, better mention them or they will draw on my face (again!) next time I pass out around the lead singers. They are my ickle project, I honestly expect big things from them. I would not be working with them if I didn’t see something special. They’ve got mp3’s on their site if anyone is curious. They’re from Weymouth, they’re all about the same age as me and ‘watch this space’ is all there is left to be said.
And to continue my hypocrisy, the bands I predict will be big in the next few months/years (depends on record label support and also how the rest of the media are feeling) are:
AUTUMN I’m not gonna shut up about this band, ever! If Autumn don’t start playing stadiums in the next five years I will be shocked and could kill myself. However, there is a possibility they’re changing their name quite soon. They’ve just taken on the managerial services of Scott McCallister who used to manage The Pretenders and it is only a matter of time. Get your virtual backside to www.autumnonline.co.uk or www.autumn-band.co.uk NOW and download an mp3 or three.
Twist, I run their website @ www.twistuk.co.uk. They’re touring from the end of November and into December, with a few dates in January. They have a very big deal looming from a label who introduced the world to a band that changed music as we know it. Nuff said.
Turn, another band beginning with T. Read the interview I did with them here
My Vitriol everyone is talking about them and I recently spoke to them (interview online soon!). I remember praising their debut single about a year and a half ago. I think they can do it, but I’ll wait to here the album before I say anymore.
Missed her bliss I’ve been playing their album on and off for a few weeks. Really good sound, somewhere between The Pogues and The Dandy Warhols. I’m reviewing their album quite soon.
Countermine I have REALLY liked this Bath based band for ages. They got dropped from London Records when all the Warner merger shit hit the fan earlier in the year. I suspect someone will pick them up soon and then things will start happening. www.countermine.co.uk . Current demo review coming v.soon.
The Cooper Temple Clause saw this band play at Verdis, where I DJ, last Friday and they were incredible. Quality lyrics, song titles like “kill music” and they have crossed an experimental leftfield sound with epic guitar discord. Try and imagine Massive Attack and Six By Seven with a little bit of early Oasis on the side. No more info about them except they come from Reading, they recently signed to RCA and have a demo which I’m keeping to cover myself from bankruptcy.
I think that is more than enough for a first column, so I’ll take the advice of Soulfly and SHUT THE FUCK UP….oh no, no, no, that was our Reading alternative at 4am when we got bored of the metal kidz in the tents next to us playing rawk over the top of our mid-morning Muse karoke.
In the next DiS Demeanour column (In a fortnight. Too soon?!? So expect it in a month. Got business plans to write to try and get a grant/loan) I’m probably going to rant and rave about Pop, Mobile Phones and anyone who is currently getting under my skin - praps “the new hitler”/M&M and the lead singer of Terris.
Keep rawking!
