We chat with the rising stars of the North East.
Little Comets are different to your average indie band. They're willing to stand up for what they believe in and do things their own way; not willing to be manufactured into something that isn't a complete representation of what they want to do. The band have made a name for themselves in Newcastle through a series of impromptu gigs including one on the metro (like the tube but you can breathe), lecture halls and a very funny, very short gig in Marks & Spencer. It's good to know then that are some bands out there that are willing to battle past police warnings to entertain their fans.
Little Comets combine intelligent, relevant lyrics with frantic, up-beat and damn right catchy indie anthems. Recent single 'One Night in October' oozes confidence, combining a simple yet pulsating rhythm section with squiggly guitar lines and a spirit-lifting chorus. After signing to Columbia Records, they've since begun to play venues around the country, and have so far released a string of singles including 'One Night in October' which went in at number 3 on the UK Indie Charts.
The band begin a headline UK tour in September with a show at the Club NME night at KOKO and will also be returning with Darwin Deez at the Scala in October. We catch up with them to talk about their chaotic history and the state of Britain.
You've gained quite a reputation for you impromptu guerilla gigs – any planned for London by any chance?
Well Mark and Matt want to try Scotland Yard, so we might placate them by organising a couple... London commuters might be too harsh for any tube antics so we might have to confine it to establishments.
Do you think it's harder for bands from the North East to break-through?
Umm...not really. With Cheryl Cole as the mouthpiece of our region nothing can go wrong...
Your new single 'Isles' paints a bleak picture of the UK – was there an event that influenced this or do you just think the country's doomed?
Haha. Hmm. I don't think that this song is necessarily an accurate description of our views on the state of Britain...but that said we've been to many different cities in the UK over the past twelve months and there's a consistent disconnect between the urban environment and the people. It's hard to describe... Gateshead has a beautiful concert hall which is used by 0.1% of the local population, while the main shopping street is an absolute state. On a superficial level (let alone on a strategic or policy level) this seems totally wrong.
Looking forward to the London gig? What can we expect from your live sound?
The London gig should be fun. We've never played at the Luminaire before so that should be an experience. We don't make a great effort to exactly copy the recorded versions of the songs so hopefully the percussive nature of them should come across. It's nice to play quietly at times too.
As you begin to play bigger venues, does you approach to the gigs change?
Nope! Haha. Sorry what a boring answer, we are absolute creatures of habit. Maybe we just use the toilet more.
How does the song-writing process work for you?
I suppose it just depends – sometimes we'll have an idea that has developed at home or we'll just improvise something in a rehearsal. Then we'll record it and hopefully it takes shape from there.
What other up and coming North East bands should we look out for?
Grandfather Birds are lovely and Polarsets are epic.
Biggest musical influences on the band?
Paul Simon, Ella Fitzgerald and Edward Elgar.
Non-musical influences on the band?
Seamus Heaney, Joan Miro and Lance Armstrong.
What did your first band practice sound like?
A combination of a drunken fumble and somebody dropping marbles on a cold stone floor.
You seem to have some interesting band practice spaces – any good stories from the practices?
Haha. Building barricades in an old television studio, playing chastity hammer, rehearsing next door to an ASBO reunion class and being asked if we had a number for dial-a-deal, one touch, coin bombing, and playing with microphones.
Your record collections is seconds away from being destroyed – what three records do you save?
Today: 'Grace', 'Bookends' and 'Joshua Tree'.
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