Nine Black Alps
We spoke to the boys ahead of their one-off gig at the tiny The Old Blue Last in London.
After releasing their 'comeback' single, 'Burn Faster', but way ahead of the album (that's not expected until October), Nine Black Alps thought it a mighty good idea to play a two-set (that's one acoustic and one electric) gig in the tiny confines of London's The Old Blue Last. Ahead of the show, we caught up with the boys for a quick natter.
How has the tour gone so far?
It's been hard work for a lot of the time, but it's kind of getting easier again. We did some dates in the north of Scotland, where we've never ever been before, and a lot of the audiences had never seen us, and we were in a lot of sparsely-filled venues. It was a bit demoralising, but at the same time it was good to go to those places.
Was it good to win over people who'd otherwise not listen to you?
Yeah, it was, definitely. It was much harder graft than last time, when we played England, 'cause that time we were playing big venues, and everyone knew all the words to all the songs. This time we were playing at least half a set of new material, so you don't get an instant reaction, or instant recognition. So yeah, it was definitely more of a fight.
Are you looking forward to releasing the album?
Yes! It's the one thing we're all looking forward to most. Because then it's half the battle won. At the moment, people, when they come to see us live, they're hearing songs probably for the first time ever, so you know, instead of jumping around like idiots, they're standing still and listening. So once it's been released they'll jump around again. It'll be fun.
What do you hope it will achieve for you as a band?
World domination. Who knows? We just hope people get in to it, and like it, and see it for what it is, which is an album, I suppose.
How does it differ from your debut?
Without going overly muso about it, it's just more melodic, less venomous, just more well-rounded, but I don't think it's boring, it's still got an edge.
Do you think you'll be helped by the success of bands like Biffy Clyro this year?
I hope so. There seems to be a re-emergence of rock this year, which is I suppose a good thing, because when we came back from America - we were there for what seemed like forever, I think it was for about a year in total - and it was just like 'what the hell has happened to the charts?', 'how did all these crappy bands get a gig?', all these hi-hat bands. I thought they were dying off before we went away, and they just seem to have come back even stronger.
Yeah, 2007 seems to be, like, the worst year for music I've seen in a long time.
Any particular dislikes?
No, we don't like to start bitching...
...apart from, what's that guy who was on telly the other night? That DJ guy. Mark Ronson? That is just a crime against music.
So you wouldn't want him to rework one of your songs?
No. I'd just tell him 'leave us alone', Mark...
You're due to play an acoustic set later. Does this show a different side to your music?
Yeah, definitely. When we first started out, it was kind of like, let's just be a really, really good live band. That usually means volume, songs, just completely strike the first time. This is more musical, it's an opportunity to do something different, while still being the same person and the same band.
We've been doing an acoustic set for ages, most of the B-sides have been acoustic, and the first album had a few acoustic songs on that. So we've always been doing it.
Have you ever found Manchester's musical 'legacy' a hindrance rather than a help?
I don't think we've particularly listened to any Mancunian bands in the past, but everybody in Manchester's always been dead nice to us, helping us out, getting gigs, with equipment, and just in general are very supportive. But I think there is that recognition that we don't actually sound anything like any of the Manchester 'legacy' bands.
Saying that, none of the bands of the era we're from, if you want to put it like that, nobody sounds like a Manchester band. Everybody sounded American, they were all in to dirge.
But, saying that, Joy Division didn't sound like The Buzzcocks, and The Buzzcocks didn't sound like The Hollies.
Which bands should we be looking out for in future?
Biffy Clyro! I think they're going to be big this year...
Former Bullies, Lone Lady, The Sugars, Iain Archer - he's top.
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