Dan Bass- 6/2001 - Margate gig ala The Appleseed Cast

The Margate Appleseed cast gig….
I will be honest with you up until a few days before the gig I hadn’t even heard of the band, I was sitting on broadstairs harbour with my friends when Derek says “Who wants to go and see this great band that’s playing this Friday night in Margate?” He had been in the local record shop and seen a flyer for the gig that day and having already got a copy of their last album, he considered himself a fan. “Well what are they like” said Andy and so began one of those long drawn out conversations you have with your mates when you try to describe what a band sounds like by comparing them to another band. I wont bore you with the details suffice to say we all learnt that the band would not be sounding anything like Kraftwork, limp biskit, steps or Wham. However when Andy asked if they would be like Pavement Derek said “well there are some similarities between the two” and my interest was stirred.
So Friday came and we were getting quite exited as earlier that day Derek had been doing what he calls revising for the gig. So much so that when I phoned him to see what time we had to leave he played me some of the bands music down the phone so I could revise as well.
We all met up on Margate seafront and went for a few pre gig beers in a local hostelry. As we walked along the seafront the pre gig excitement was building, it was a lovely sunny evening and all around people were going out for the weekend, drunken vodkaed up teenagers were hanging about and shouting at each other and doing what only vodkaed up teenagers can do.
As we walked along the back of the winter gardens, a large seaside venue, Derek remember that he had seen the “smiths” play in there in about 1984, trying not to be out done I said “but do you remember when we saw Del la soul in there in err 1990”.
The lido was the name of the venue for the gig and could be seen as a metaphor for the town itself; Seen better days but you couldn’t imagine life without it.
We paid are three pounds and went in, what was so immediate was the fact that the band had drawn a big crowd, when friends of ours had played gigs in the town about eight or so years before they would of appreciated a crowd this size, no disrespect lads.
So the beer and the faded charm of the lido began to work there magic as we watched the support band sometree (Apologies for missing the other local band). I thought to myself well if the appleseed cast are half as good as this lot then I’ve had a great night out. Sometree were great and the singer reminded me of a young frank black from his early pixies days.
And so the Appleseed cast came on and after about thirty seconds I was hooked, I smiled and just began to enjoy the music, all the cross band references that had been mentioned were there within the music a hint of “my bloody valentine” a dash of “drop nineteen’s” a spec of “pavement” a coat of “red house painters”, a shout of “at the drive in” very early rem and was there a hint of Perry farall , x Jane’s addiction lead vocal in the singer?
While those influences are there in the music this not to say that the Appleseed cast are not a wholly original band with their own sound and outlook, this became more evident as the gig progressed. Indeed I would go so far as to say they probably have a substantial career ahead of them… if they want it.
By now I was totally into it being swept up and taken for a ride by their atmospheric music. Towards the end of the gig I ran into an old drummer friend of mine, Russell, “fantastic aren’t they” he said, I had to agree “but were have all these people come from?” I asked he came back with a wild look in his eye “Live music dan, Its exploded!” he said.
So that was my introduction to a great band and a great night out, It just goes to show you should never ignore flyers in your local record store.