Wildfire play covers at Blu (a rant!)
How totally weird was that? Leaving Blu sober! Amazing! Although I don’t recommend it!
Someone or other had pulled out (that means usually a band from the North West) which gave Wildfire the opportunity to make their Blu debut about six months too soon. Birds with guitars are ace, there’s something very sexy about it, probably in the same way a girl looks at a bloke playing guitar I suppose. And being sexy was about all that Sian Lloyd-Jones and Aimee Stead could offer us for now so far as music is concerned as they (with Wil and Jon on bass and drums) trundled through a quota of ‘covers by numbers for beginners’. They were unfortunate to be dogged by sound problems from using the other bands’ amps and turning them up too loud and someone shouted in my ear, ’I bet you’re not going to bother reviewing these are you Crud.’
Well its always a sticking point about reviewing what is termed as Karaoke with Distortion. Adam Walton on BBC Radio Wales never plugs gigs on his show where a tribute band is playing, and for the course, Wildfire would never get a sniff on his show, or any other show playing cover versions.
So why should I bother reviewing a band who are doing what countless of other bands do every night? Well, it’s a strange one; I always want to unearth potential and if you have the ability to copy a Muse or Guns ‘n’ Roses song then you have the ability to write your own stuff – so, what’s the problem Wildfire? Why aren’t you giving us your own stuff? Yes, the pissheads in the audience will lap up your versions of their favourite songs and the mums ‘n’ dads will cheer along, but that’s as far as it goes in this scene, and the holiday camp stage beckons (and a bloody good income!).
On the other hand you could knuckle down and practise your own material, get it recorded and if you’re not sure about it send it to Adam Walton or myself and we’ll tell you, cos remember, your mates and parents will love it regardless! You have a choice, earn £400 a night playing covers on the holiday camps or write your own songs and earn absolutely fuck all, but at least you’ll have the credibility of being a proper band and will go down in history as being so.
Oh, but keep the cover of Every Breath You Take cos that was done with style!