‘IT'S NOT IN MY NATURE TO BE COOLER THAN THOU'
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No one likes them, they don’t care, they claim. Or actually, as Camilla Pia finds out, loads of people like them and HARD-Fl do care.
n a year in which art rockers have dominated the
indie scene. Hard-iii have stuck out like a sore
thumb. They hail from Staines for a start. which hardly matches the boho chic of Borrell‘s beloved London East End or the gritty glamour of Franz's Glasgow. They’re also extremely tin-Test lcicles in their dressed down attire of trackies and trainers and snub Bloc Party and Babyshamblesesque scratchy guitars to churn out well produced. anthemic tunes about everyday life to be sung by thousands. not shimmied along to at your local hipster hangout. They are the anti-fashion. if you like. which naturally makes them oodles cooler than the pretentious pretties in skinny jeans trying desperately to be accepted by the in-crowd. and straight-talking frontman Richard Archer absolutely knows it.
‘We've always felt like outsiders in this industry.’ he explains. ‘l.ike (‘inderella at the ball with everyone asking. “Who let that lot in?" We bypassed all that elitist stuff because people on the street liked us . . . we were never part of any scene.
‘When you come from somewhere like Staines which is really cut off you’re not bothered about what is hip or which haircut you should have. You just get on with your own thing. Being cool is following your own path despite what people tell you. It‘s not being a sheep. but we fully expected to be slaughtered when we came out because we weren‘t doing art rock or post punk. whatever the fuck. We just make records for people to sing along to and that they can relate to. It‘s not in my nature to act cooler than thou anyway.‘ he laughs.
Yet along with adulation from the masses. this fiery foursome have also wooed the critics with their magnificently diverse first offering Stars of CCTV. which recently won them a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize. but this type of acclaim is an added bonus for Archer. who cares predominantly about connecting with ordinary people.
'lirom the age of l2 I've been listening to everything from New Order and the Human League to reggae. dub. northern soul. Run DMC. Public linemy. the Specials. Nirvana. the Stones. the Streets. Massive Attack and the Happy Mondays . . . I like the idea of taking all this music. twisting it and creating something new and because we‘ve been influenced by so many different bands there’s a great diversity in the audiences we play to. At our gigs there are 40- year-old (‘lash fans loving it alongside 14-year-old girls and the great thing for me is seeing their reactions. When we were writing this album we were trying to get down what was happening to us at the time. and so it’s brilliant when people from the other end of the country come up to us at shows and say we have painted a picture of their lives.‘
A bitty summer filled with endless promo. the '
occasional festival appearance has left Archer champing at the bit to get back on the road. and is relishing the prospect of this forthcoming string of live dates. ‘I just want to get out there and do it.‘
Garage, Glasgow, Mon 24 Oct; Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh, Tue 25 Oct (SOLD OUT); Barrowland, Glasgow, 5 Dec.
Big Big World Week two of this globally aware sonic shindig deals in everything from progressive folk heads like Chris Stout and Fraser Fifield to tabla/rock guitar behemoths Aziz and Israli singer/songwriter Chava Alberstein (pictured). More new sounds than you can shake a stick at. Various venues, Glasgow, Thu 20 Oct—Sun 30 Oct. (Folk)
Barry Guy and Friends Bassist Barry Guy is a central figure in the UK free improv scene, and here he teams up in a variety of small groups with members of the Glasgow lmprovisers' Orchestra as part of a week-long project culminating in Falkirk. Ramshom Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 21 Oct. (Jazz)
The Rakes, Test lcicles and Boy Kill Boy MTV2's Gonzo present their pick of the new rock scuzz to be scraped out of the fingernails of music today. Our choice are Test lcicles, a bit louder, faster, edgier and more surprising than the rest. Barf/y, Glasgow, Sun 23 Oct. (Rock 8 Pop)
Mylo, The Filthy Dukes, Who Made Who and Hot Chip These live shows are the cherry on top of a year which has been a bloody huge sugary sherry trifle for Miles Mclnnes. Things don’t come much sweeter than this with a rollicking support bill too. Corn Exchange, Edinburgh, Wed 26 Oct; Barrow/and, Glasgow, Thu 27 Oct. (Rock & Pop)
Tommy Smith with David Berkman Quartet Hard on the heels of the US pianist's collaboration with Brian Kellock comes a first get together with Scotland’s leading saxophonist Smith. The Lot, Edinburgh, Sat 29 Oct. (Jazz)
20 Oct—3 Nov 2005 THE LIST 61