Thursday 14 August 2008

Lost Music: Air Formation, Secret Shine - The Grammaphone

At the Grammaphone, scribbling, Air Formation have just been onstage. Earlier in the day I read this American Elf strip, "When I think of things, I can see them in my mind"
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So, on stage, its warm fuzzy shoegazery goodness, murmured vocals, early Boo Radleys, shards of Whipping Boy, Ballboy and Jesus and Mary Chain Boy. Brief ropey periods, finishing on a head lowered, backs to the crowd wig-out.

But in my mind I drift backwards, first to the pub a few hours ago, friends off of the internet, some I'd met before and some I only knew from website linkery. The music took me further back, to '93, to the playing fields in Walkden, playing soccer in scouts in the summertime. Grey darkening skies, deep green grass, friends or cellmates, innocent and long ago. Aye, that's what Air Foundation sound like.

I'd gotten lost on my way to the venue and by the time I arrived, I'd missed the first two bands.

Folk said they were less shoegazery and more shouty, but there was a mixed view on whether they were any good or not.

Final band of the night, Secret Shine, five folk on stage, singing synth girl, singing guitar chap. Less reverb and sustain than Air Formation, more distinct vocals.
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Other folk there had seen them before, some many years ago, Secret Shine being an old Sarah Records band, but for me, it was my first time, no preconceptions.

There was an element of shimmering majesty, something epic from the past, shards of the shoe' and twee, but not enough to engage me.

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