Everything truly valuable is truly local
3January 17, 2008 by Colin
Let me introduce you to the Sex Patels, a punk/alt band from the Leeds and Bradford area. (MySpace) They play a mix of 80s punk with a distinctively bhangra influence (yes, a sitar and drums are involved). You should really listen to their rendition of “once in a lifetime” – the old Talking Heads classic. I think the heavy regional accent really adds something.
How did I get here?* The Sex Patels were a last minute mention in the Guardian’s Northerner newsletter. You see, they’re playing a gig at the Trades Club at Hebden Bridge later this week.
Looking through the venue’s list of upcoming acts, it struck me that, for all our talk of online communities and interwoven social networks, we overlook the influence and value of local artists and entertainment.
A comment on the Sex Patels’ MySpace page is telling:
“…Top gig on Saturday. The highlight for me was Bry’s foot on the monitor and shouting ‘Hello Howarth Community Centre’. It was genius…
Granted, their MySpace page has had less than 15,000 hits, but the buzz seems to be building. 3,000 miles away, I can’t quite make out the band’s connection to Chumbawumba – except to note that Chumba is playing the Trades Club TWICE in March.
*aaaahhhhh – see that? I threw in a reference to “once in a lifetime“! Clever little Colin!
[tags] Northern England, Chumbawumba, Sex Patel, union hall, local music [/tags]
Yer MySpace link is actually a YouTube link.
Sorry about that – fixed it, and it’s
http://www.myspace.com/sexpatels
That’s funny cos it was I who made the comment about Bry and the monitor.
The Patels are a fantastc band. Full of heart and wit. There is indeed a buzz about them. Great musicians, and the two singers are exceptional for very diffrent reasons.
They are playing the New Roscoe in Leeds tomorrow night (Wed). Might be the gig of the week so perhaps anyone who is reading this might ant to go along and see what all the fuss is about.
Chin up my darlings.
Ralph