You'll probably recognise Sleaford Mods.
They're the ones who've already been through the mill, playing the game for what it is and coming out with bugger all on the other side. They're the ones who dusted themselves down, who got stuck back into the art – what really matters at the end of the day – and did it all by their own rules, without debate or negotiation. They're the ones who made it work.
New album 'Key Markets' will be released on Friday (July 24th) and it comes as the band's profile – for lack of any non-vomit-inducing term – has rarely been bigger. But all that comes with its own price. Stuck backstage, the pair have stood their ground, watching a cavalcade of liggers and blaggers go past. And they're not happy.
Jason Williamson writes for Clash on the eerie phenomenon of the back stage wally.
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Back stage wallies are grim as fuck. Four number ones you say? Responsible for a minor sub culture you say? A previous example of sheer pin up exuded cool you say? And for what? Nothing. Nothing because you have now turned into a half-eaten lasagne, microwaved, cold, dressed in crap salad mate and clothes that make you look like you are about to embark on that first day at secondary school in 1970, bro.. and it's not happening is it.
The default facial expression for the back stage wally is 'confusion' or 'disorientation' that's standard for your fledging rock wally and you've gotta be followed around by a small group of people that's another key attribute to the school of cool. I was at a gig the other week and Lionel Richie tipped up for 20 minutes to watch the headliners. Let's not forget Lionel was in the Commodores but let's also not forget he did some afucking happy hardcore Cher-like tunes too. Anyway, he made everybody look like cunts and that's saying something isn't it. That's saying something for the state of creativity in UK music. It's non-existent, arrested and contains the same characters on a rotational basis.
The back stage wally likes a bit of sequenced posing, likes a bit of swaying about in the mess tent and some even have the model girlfriends which is fucking brilliant. It's that fucking funny you find yourself properly understanding why Steven Berkoff, whilst in between takes on the set of Rambo would be laughing his fucking arse off at Stallone flexing his oiled arm melons whilst killing 80 blokes… The difference here being that you could probably push a lot of these people.
To exist within the media circus is fine for the first few albums because it's justified I suppose. Your music is interesting perhaps, the message is vaguely different from that of the back stage wallies and the punters like a bit of change on the horizon. The model needs to change though and if you can't successfully alter the formula that dragged you out of the pit of obscurity then you have to rinse out your standing for as long as you can. The support of your audience is key to this and if you pull them in blind devotion can sometimes take care of the next three albums and so long as you play live you can pretty much release a pile of cack for the next 10 to 20 years. That's a lot of dough if you play it right but it comes with a price.
You are the back stage wally, primed by your own failure to grow some balls. You've released nothing good for years and you seem to have adopted the cunt look. There is no point in looking like a member of The Dave Clarke Five, that won't save you.
There is no point in changing your haircut in defiance of a genre you used to represent. It won't save you. There is no need, no need at all for this. It's a load of bollocks, I'm better off at work.
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Sleaford Mods will release their new album 'Key Markets' on July 24th. You're advised to pick it up. You're also advised to catch the band live at any/all of the following venues:
September
23 Manchester Ritz
24 Carlisle Brickyard
25 Newcastle Northumbria Uni
28 Leeds Irish Centre
29 Birmingham Institute
October
1 Cardiff Y Plas
2 London Forum
4 Bristol Bierkeller
5 Bournemouth Fire Station
6 Brighton The Old Market
8 Cambridge Junction
9 Nottingham Rock City
