“PJ Harvey can’t sing”.
“Yeah Dad, really, she can’t sing”.
Five or so years ago this was the sort of comment I had to endure from my two children, then in their early teens. To them, what mattered most in pop music was a good tune and a clean singing voice, like on the TV programme X Factor. To me, this music was dull and obvious. PJ Harvey, uniquely twice winner of the Mercury Prize, embodies everything that is good about indie music: gritty, energetic, angry, yet sophisticated and multi-layered too.
Since moving to the sticks some 20 years ago, I thought I’d forever foregone the opportunity of seeing the sort of music I’m into. Yes, I know that Rye has its Arts Festival and Jazz Festival, as well as good pub music, but deep down it’s not really my thing.
So I was delighted that three years ago, my daughter – the older of the two – started to share some of my musical taste. The first gig we went to see together was Noah and the Whale at the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, in March 2013. She’s been hooked on live music ever since. I know Ryers frown at what they perceive as Rother’s white elephant, but the De La Warr is much maligned: it is an excellent music venue.
We’ve become “gig buddies” since then, seeing amongst others: Teleman, Laura Marling, The Eels, St Vincent, The Leisure Society, and The Vaccines. This has involved trips to Brighton, Eastbourne, Canterbury and London. However, both Bexhill and Ashford also have good indie artists visiting from time to time. It’s just a shame the trains don’t run late, so we have to drive despite the proximity of the railway line.
Revelation St Mary’s – a medieval church in the centre of Ashford – is an amazing arts venue and we’ve been to see The Villagers and Low play there. As of October this year, my daughter has abandoned me to go off to university, although she’ll be back in time for us to go and see Cate Le Bon perform at Revelation in December.
In the meantime, I’ve recruited my son to see live indie music. Last Thursday, November 10, Slaves played at the De La Warr. This was full on stuff: raw and powerful, the mosh pit was heaving. A shoe was thrown on to the stage during the second track and at the end of the gig, the floor had broken phones and spectacles scattered about. One poor girl had to be evacuated having suffered a seizure.
I’m looking forward to the next gigs, until my son too leaves home. Perhaps even PJ Harvey will come and play somewhere not too far from Rye before too long.
Photo: Dominic Manning
Nice piece, I am having similar bonding with my kids. I even managed to drag one of them to see the somewhat ancient (even by my standards), Caravan in Maidstone recently. He seemed to enjoy this muso spectacle from a bygone age.
This is a general suggestion for Rye News really, the Ashford St Marys gigs are not very well publicised anyway, could Rye News keep and eye out for what’s on and add them to the listings? Also it suffers from being ‘over the border’ in another county. I have seen several really good gigs in recent years there including Gaz Coombes, The Orb, Ron Sexsmith, Cate le Bon, but they have nothing like the publicity machine of DLWP and I think the locality is perhaps missing out.