Thursday 13th September - Hull Explosion - The Talks and The Favours At The Welly Club (1/3) By Michelle Dee

(1/3), (2/3), (3/3).

Photograph Gallery   The Talks Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   The Favours Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   People Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,

Much anticipated by local media, laudable attempts by BBC Look North to promote The Favours and The Talks recently, via coverage of Grassroots, and Favours interview plus live performance of their new single, Islands the night before the Hull leg, should have made this one of the hottest tickets for months. As it was, the Hull date was more a tremor than an explosion. Once more the complacency of Hull music fans flies in the face of both bands' efforts and unquestionable talent.

The Talks have been on an almost non-stop tour since they emerged last year. Amongst an impressive venue list that includes Shepherds Bush Empire and Leeds Festival Topman stage. The Talks had a fender bender just before Beached 07 in Scarborough which prompted an onstage appearance of the mangled metal front of their tour bus, The Dog. The Dog has since retired and been replaced by The Mule (so-called because it stinks of horse sh*t). However, The Lion (Favours moniker for their tour vehicle) goes from strength to strength, Martin assures me.

The Favours new single. Islands was written by Martin during a miserable bank holiday weekend in 06. There he is alone in the big smoke, the city that never stops. Lost in our nation's capital, he writes the song that will later be picked up for the Electric Proms show and the BBC, and then used as a trailer to be shown day and night for months to come. Islands (released on 17th September available in HMV and iTunes) was produced by David Lowe and mixed at Hatch Farm with the shit-hot Barefoot Ben. The video showing a deliciously slattern Sara sprawled on the floor, must have been seen by millions nationwide, but in her hometown only a few hundred can turn out to see her.

By my reckoning, in the press department, only me, Hannah Sandman (now Hannah NME), and Jamie a.k.a. Dr Gonzo are here to document the homecoming show. I hear every week somebody knocking Hull referring to it as a musical black hole. Well if you other organisations don't get out there and support them - Hullvibe, (Hull Daily Mail - supposedly our rivals), Ten Foot City (walking advert with bully boy tactics) Gogetwise (name changing non-entity with questionable forum figures) long will we remain scrabbling around in the dark with only the lowly thisisUll.com to shed any light on our much maligned music scene. No wonder, with this type of apathy at home, The Favours' new single describes a plea to get off this lump of rock we call great.

Continued .... Next Page (2/3)

Photographs courtesy and Copyright ©  Michelle Dee 2007

Photograph Gallery   The Talks Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   The Favours Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   People Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,

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