Alright, possibly that headline is a bit a lot. However you can stick your Kent, that I do know! From the place I’m sat proper now in my home in Southend, I can see Kent within the distance, ruining an in any other case lovely view of the Essex riviera, the inhabitants in all probability over there feeling smug about all of the hipsters who relocated from Hackney Wick to Margate. I’m shaking my fist at you, individuals of Kent!
It’s in all probability not wholesome for the soul to undertake such a combative siege mentality about the place you’re from to the purpose that you just refuse to take your loved ones on daytrips to the Kent coast (heard it’s good, refuse to imagine it), simply since you contemplate it a betrayal, however I’m who I’m.
I used to be born in Walthamstow, east London, in a time method earlier than no-one of their proper thoughts described it as “Awesomestow”, as its new inflow of residents are liable to (it was the 80s, it was extra like one thing out of Mad Max), and I moved to Essex as an 11-year-old. I nonetheless thought of myself a Londoner for lots of my teenagers, in all probability considering it was cooler as a result of I used to be a loser, however the older I’ve bought, the extra I’ve turn into prouder and prouder of being from Essex. I stand earlier than you, about to try to persuade you of its musical pedigree, as a proud, mid-40s Essex boy.
Even when I don’t handle to efficiently argue the case, hopefully you’ll, at the very least, come out of this complete foolhardy fandango with an appreciation of this superb county’s contribution to UK music. That one just isn’t up for debate.
When you’re for some follow-up studying then take a look at Tim Burrows’ wonderful e-book The Invention Of Essex, and in the event you’re up for additional investigation after that, get in contact and I’ll suggest some property brokers.
The Prodigy
Transport your self to 1997, to a discipline on the outskirts of Chelmsford. The Prodigy are headlining one night time of that yr’s V Pageant. Blur are headlining the opposite. It’s considered one of my favorite teenage recollections: two bands from Essex who’ve taken over the world headlining a competition in Essex on the peak of summer season. Braintree’s The Prodigy reinvented what dance music might be, a minimize and shut of techno, punk and rock. In an early signal of how territorial I’d turn into about my music tastes, I swapped my copy of Positively Possibly for Music For The Jilted Technology. I realise now, 30 years later, it’s OK to have each.
Blur
Like me, Damon Albarn left east London to maneuver to Essex as a young person. Not like me, he went on to kind one of many biggest British bands of all time after which invented a cartoon band who had been additionally mega-successful and mega-brilliant. Though Blur have too many songs about west London and the Westway and never sufficient about Essex, I’ll allow them to off as a result of they arrive dwelling now and again – I noticed them do a warm-up present at Colchester Arts Centre a few years in the past and it was some of the joyous reveals I’ve ever seen.
Dr. Feelgood
However let’s return, proper again… to 2014. I’ve simply moved to Southend and returned to the homeland. I’ve lived right here lower than 24 hours and I’m driving out of the tip in Leigh-on-sea and I lookup and see Wilko Johnson, guitarist extraordinaire, punk progenitor, Sport Of Thrones star, strolling previous. That is the equal of getting a “Welcome House!” thumbs up from the Essex gods. The late, nice Wilko was native royalty. His band’s raucous, bluesy rock’n’roll was massively influential on an array of artists who went on to reshape British music, their jagged brilliance inspiring Joe Strummer and Paul Weller, to call simply two.
These New Puritans
A day or two after I noticed Wilko close to the tip, I noticed Jack Barnett, the artistic dynamo in These New Puritans, going for a jog close to my home. I felt like I’d moved to Essex musician Stella Avenue. These New Puritans, who’re made up of Jack and his twin brother George, are one of many 21st century’s most underrated bands. They’ve launched 4 information of experimental, art-rock brilliance, music that may be atmospheric, ambient and serene at some factors and dramatic and explosive at others. Assume Radiohead, Large Assault and Steve Reich happening a geography discipline journey collectively. Their fifth album is out in Might.
![THESE NEW PURITANS - INDUSTRIAL LOVE SONG [FEATURING CAROLINE POLACHEK] (OFFICIAL VIDEO) - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZZ-MWiFgIzs/maxresdefault.jpg)
Mark Hollis
Mark Hollis was born in Tottenham and raised in Rayleigh. He died in 2019 however what music the Speak Speak chief left behind: a genius meld of 80s pop, tranquil soundscapes, unfastened jazz and hypnotic dynamism that will come to be generally known as post-rock.
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are all-timers. Their music was a neat mirror of their upbringing. They had been raised in Basildon, a brand new city with no echoes of what had gone earlier than, so it made sense they invented a model new sound, first conquering the world as electro-pop trailblazers after which morphing into the muscular synth-rock titans who made Music For The Lots and Violator. Each time my practice went by means of Basildon, I all the time questioned when the final time Dave Gahan visited his hometown. In a canopy characteristic for Q in 2017, I bought to ask him: he’d taken his household there the yr earlier than to point out them the home that he’d grown up in. Good one Dave!
Vince Clarke
Pop svengali Clarke co-founded Depeche Mode and was their chief songwriter till he left shortly after the discharge of their debut album Converse & Spell in 1981. The band nonetheless play considered one of his compositions of their set over 4 a long time on, a little bit ditty you may know referred to as Simply Cannot Get Sufficient. The break up was all the way down to the remainder of the group’s want to get a bit darker and Clarke’s want to make uplifting, shiny pop songs. That is precisely what he did, first with Yazoo after which with Erasure, who’ve offered over a whopping 28 million information. The fella is aware of his method spherical a memorable tune, that is for certain.
Alison Moyet
There was some mad shit within the water in Basildon within the 70s. Not solely did the city give the world Depeche Mode and Vince Clarke, it additionally gave us their schoolmate Alison Moyet. She was in Yazoo with Clarke after he left DM and went on to carve out a profitable solo profession and set up herself one of many UK’s most enduring and distinctive singer and songwriter abilities.
The Horrors
When The Horrors first emerged within the mid-00s, the Southend crew had been cartoonish garage-rockers for whom day-after-day was Halloween. Who knew what a particular band would emerge from what felt prefer it might be a quickfire thrill: with each report, they’ve tweaked and shapeshifted into one of many UK’s most creative and exhilarating guitar bands.
Underworld
And so to the final slot, which might have gone to pioneering IDM maverick Squarepusher however as a substitute lands on the ft of techno dons Underworld. The story of Underworld, you see, simply reveals the supernatural energy of Essex. Underworld had been garbage earlier than they moved to Essex, a ropey funk-pop band whose profession was really fizzling out. Then Rick Smith moved to Romford, met DJ and future member Darren Emerson, began making dance music, and the remainder is historical past. Essex, then, is completely liable for all their deserved triumph since and I received’t hear a phrase in any other case, I’m ending writing now so it’s not even value you making an attempt to lift an objection.
