My missus queried why I keep writing new songs for the False Dots. I am not especially prolific, but generally write 5-10 songs a year, most of which never see the light of day. She said "people like the songs you've got already", but I pointed out that we are only playing one song we had in the set in 2023. There is a good reason for this. In 2023 Tom Hammond joined the band on Trumpet and when we realised that the format worked really well, I decided to write songs that best suited his talents, rather than simply rehash the set. What has happened is that we have found a new creative energy that has really driven us on and I can genuinely say that I think we are all really enjoying playing in the band at the moment. It got me thinking about the truly great bands that I've seen over the years and how some adapted and some didn't.
Many people I know complain when they play a band and the old hits are not churned out. When I think of the best live performances I've seen, I would say that of the five greatest gigs I've ever been to, three were of bands I'd never really heard anything by and I'd just been dragged along by a mate who said they were wonderful. So who am I referring to? The Ramones, The Specials and Crass (the other two would by Sly & The Family Stone and Toots and The Maytells). What struck me as interesting is that although all three were absolutely amazing, none really managed to develop or evolve their sound and to this day if I saw them, I'd probably be happiest if they played their first album if they do a reunion gig (at the big festival in the sky in the case of The Ramones and The Specials). If you have a distinctive sound like these bands, it is hard to reinvent it. Especially as that is your USP. However, if you look at the history of popular music, the artists who become true megastars, The Beatles, Bowie, Madonna seem to reinvent themselves regularly and effortlessly. Of the three, I've only seen Bowie and TBH it wasn't a great gig (Wembley Stadium, The Glass Spider Tour). He was going through a reinvention that I was not too keen on. But my tastes are more left field. One advantage of having 'era's' is that some fans will have a favourite era. These days artists will address this by doing a tour or a big gig playing a specific album. I saw the Damned a few years back playing their first album at the Roundhouse and it was magical. I think they enjoyed it, but also knew they could put it back in the cupboard afterwards.
Of all the bands that I love, perhaps the one who most regularly reinvent themselves is Art Punkers Wire. Their first three albums are all completely different and their modern stuff even more so. They produce excellent and interesting music. Sadly, they never bother the charts. There are plenty of bands who try a few ideas and the settle on one that works. Scottish stadium rockers Simple Minds are one that come to mind. One of the best things about playing in a grassroots band is that you do not have to satisfy 100,000 people who have all paid £250 for a ticket to see you, so you can do what you like. Now I am not stupid, I'd love to earn £2 million a gig, but I think I'd be bored to death if we had to play our 1984 set every time we played. Don't get me wrong, if Venessa Sagoe wanted to return and do a show with us, it would be a blast, but if we'd been playing those songs for 40 years it would be grim!
With the False Dots, we have had radical lurches in styles. We've had female singers and done rap songs, Mod singers doing mod stuff and right now, myself and Tom share vocal duties and it is Ska/Punk. We are probably closer musically to where we started than we've ever been musically, but we also sound completely different. As we listen to the mixes of our forthcoming album, I am pleased to hear that the reinvention has worked. I was quite inspired seeing the Blur reunion, they are a great example of a band that has developed but kept the essence of Blur at the heart of what they do. I think that any up and coming bands should look at the way they have developed as a template.
One of the great things about the recent Blur output has been great new songs. When people moan about bands playing new songs, I always remind them that all songs were the new song once. I can remember going to see Wire at the Marquee in 1978 and being disappointed that they played no songs from Pink Flag and only tracks from Chairs Missing. About half way through, they played "Practice makes perfect" and I realised it was a work of genius. It was my favourite song on the album for a long time. I never heard them play it again, and in some ways that makes the performance stand out. I like to be 'in the now' at gigs. I usually film a very short clip for social media, but I despise people who film the whole gig on their phone and don't watch it. The essence of a gig is being there. Next time you watch a band and get frustrated when they do a few new numbers, just remember that what you are seeing is a new, unique performance, that will never happen quite the same again. If you are invested in a band, that new song you bemoan may be your favourite in five years!
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