TANSADS
The Cavern, Exeter - 14th March 1995
Support: Cariad
Taken from a review I wrote for the North Devon Journal, published 23rd March 1995:
When the Tansads play live, the audience always goes wild.
Mind you, it's hardly surprising. Despite being virtually ignored by every media and national press person in the country, the Wigan seven-piece still pull it off through the sheer orgasmic performances they display at their live shows.
After some mild warm-up sounds from Derby support act Cariad, the Tansads, sporting a sparkling new rhythm sction, kicked off with A Band On The Rainbow. From then on, it was a rout!
The thunderous finale of Iron Man, Eye Of The Average and new single I Know I Can (But I Won't) preceded a rousing encore of the Tansads' anthem Up The Revolution.
When the Tansads are in town, the world is suddenly beautiful again.
A bit cringey that, isn't it? I'm not a big fan of how I wrote back then, but it was what it was. I had also previously reviewed the band's album 'Flock' which resulted in this story:
[ this bit originally published 14/07/2014 ]
I got a mention in a rock star's autobiography! Well, when I say rock star, I mean the bass player in an unsuccessful folk-rock band, and when I say autobiography I mean the story of his time in said unsuccessful folk-rock band. But I still got a mention!
The man in question is Ed Jones who was a member of the Tansads, a band Wayne introduced me to in the early 90s during our 'crusty' phase. I became a fan. Turns out - if Ed's story is to be believed - there weren't many of us.
The book, 'This Is Pop: The Life and Times of a Failed Rock Star', is a fabulously entertaining read. Candid and brutally honest, Ed recounts how a troupe of touring musicians are repeatedly let down by record labels, the press and, more importantly, each other. You don't have to know a thing about the Tansads to enjoy it. It's probably fair to say that if you've never heard a Tansads song in your life, you won't be in a particular hurry to make much of an effort to do so after reading Ed's book. He doesn't exactly rave about the experience, even though he stuck it out for a good few years.
Anyway, my claim to fame occurs towards the end (page 194 in my copy). Having described how the press either loathed or completely ignored the band's third album 'Flock', Ed notes there was one dissenting voice:
A shame he got the publication I worked for wrong (although I did occasionally have reviews published in the Express & Echo, my Wavelength column actually appeared in the North Devon Journal.)
But let's not split hairs. Ed was probably most chuffed that I heaped praise on that particular song - it was his sole songwriting contribution to that album.
Sadly, the Tansads' music hasn't aged terribly well, so while I am reluctant to recommend giving it a listen nowadays, I heartily suggest you give Ed's book a read. Alan McGee (yes, that one) wrote the Foreword, so it has a certain pedigree. "This is how not to be famous," McGee writes. And he should know.
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