The sobering thought is that for every single UK-based band who burn themselves out, there must be at least a hundred more burned out bands around the world.
Think about that for a moment.
Tonight’s ‘passing’ band is from another country; a band I didn’t get to see and, by all accounts, I’m culturally poorer for that.
Hailing all the way from Melbourne, Australia, 16 Millimetre produced and perfected a distinctively faltering, halting, uncertain-sounding lead vocal that could have been (David Bowie’s) the Thin White Duke’s bastard child.
And yet, contradicting the uncertain vocal, the melody is strong. Yes, it is delicate, but it is certain of itself; the instrumental components support the pained vocal, like a nurturing bed of healing musical feathers.
The musical feathers bear the vocal aloft, helping it to it’s natural conclusion. Leaving you, the listener, momentarily speechless as you sit there, with your headphones on, dazed by the musicianship you have just heard.
I hadn’t heard (or perhaps remembered) that one. I did sit with my headphones on, dazed.