Community (it's important)

At the weekend I played for The Endless Hum's night at the Kirkgate Centre in Shipley, and it was really, really nice. I mean, the gig itself was class and the fact there's a cool night like this literally walking distance from my house, is worth shouting about if nothing else, but there's always something very important about getting involved in a community.

Me, onstage in Shipley

Like, when I was young, and growing up next door to Shipley in the Tory toy town of Baildon, I would've laughed if you'd have told me that Saltaire and Shipley were gonna be a hive of musical community, but that's sort of what's happening, and it's really really great. 

In the early satan days, we'd make a habit of turning up to nights we wanted to play, CDs in hand, and collaring the promoter to give us a shot. It didn't always work, but it got us out and about, and we met people in and around the scene in Leeds, which obviously helped get our name out there.

That's a very under-rated and still very important thing to be doing as a band, I think. Find your scene and get into it. The internet is all well and good, but there's still no substitute for turning up to a gig with some like minded people and just enjoying a night of music. 

I'll never understand why people don't do this more. Back in the day, I knew so many bands and artists that ran off down to London only to get swallowed up and they ended up quitting all together. If you live somewhere with a community hall, or a bar that does events, fucking get in there. You aren't retired yet! A community these days is probably the best thing you can wrap your music around.