As they collect not far away desk in Norwich’s Gonzo’s restaurant, it will be exhausting to mistake the unique ensemble of massive hair, daring hats, flouncy shirts and leather-based trousers sported by the varied members of Unhealthy Contact as belonging to something apart from a rock’n’roll band. “We’ve at all times wished to be a feelgood rock band,” says lead singer Stevie Westwood. “You is usually a attractive, moody rock band, otherwise you is usually a feelgood rock band. We’re positively the second.”
Fashioned in Norfolk by Westwood and guitarist Dan Seekings with bassist Michael Bailey, Unhealthy Contact have not too long ago taken on two new members – drummer Brad Newlands and guitarist Pete Lance. The band had been impressed by a youthful love of exhausting rock acts like Weapons N’ Roses and AC/DC, in addition to the showmanship of native heroes The Darkness.
The brand new lineup hits the highway in March for an eight-date tour with The Mud Coda, which is able to see Unhealthy Contact headline reveals in Newcastle, Nottingham, Glasgow and their house metropolis of Norwich, in addition to enjoying London’s O2 Academy Islington. The band will play tracks from the three albums they’ve launched on Marshall, together with Kiss The Sky, recorded on the legendary Rockfield studio, and their most up-to-date report, Bittersweet Satisfaction, recorded at Marshall’s Milton Keynes studio.
Signing to Marshall felt like a homecoming for Unhealthy Contact. After enjoying reveals round Norwich and close by Peterborough and Cambridge, Unhealthy Contact entered Marshall’s Final Band competitors in 2013 and located themselves within the ultimate 5, which meant performing dwell in Milton Keynes in a showdown with their 4 rivals. Unhealthy Contact received the occasion, which meant endorsement from Marshall and a spot on the Obtain competition lineup. The publicity gave Unhealthy Contact a foothold exterior the Anglia area and was adopted by a UK tour supporting The Quireboys, the place their thrilling dwell present introduced them to the eye of a wider circuit of riff-hungry rock followers.
“The competitors was a good way into the Marshall household they usually have actually taken care of us,” says Seekings. “Since then, I’ve solely used Marshall amps. We stayed in contact and after they began the report firm, they requested us to signal. It felt like we’d come full circle and we’re a part of the household. If I must borrow one thing, they may at all times assist. Final Christmas they despatched us all Bluetooth audio system and headphones. I acquired this field at house and thought it was despatched to me by mistake, nevertheless it was a Christmas current from the label.”
Certainly, so shut is the connection between label and band that when Marshall wished somebody to check drive the brand new studio, they invited Unhealthy Contact to Milton Keynes to report with producer Chis Sheldon, whose credit embrace Foo Fighters, Pixies and Remedy?.
Unhealthy Contact recorded an upbeat model of Edwin Starr’s “25 Miles”, and their present dwell set consists of an much more unlikely cowl – Alanis Morissette’s “Hand In My Pocket”. “Individuals actually don’t count on it,” says Seekings. “We began it virtually as a joke, however we do it a bit like The Black Crowes and it’s turn out to be actually widespread.”
It’s a observe that Westwood notably enjoys performing because it seems like a particular second for followers – this isn’t a track they’ve dedicated to report, so the one solution to hear it’s by attending to the present. That displays Unhealthy Contact’s long-standing love of dwell efficiency, one thing that after noticed them play 280 gigs in a single 12 months. The group work exhausting at perfecting their dwell present and embrace drums solos, guitar solos and moments of viewers interplay – all designed to ship a memorable expertise for followers.
Seekings highlights the significance of rising up with The Darkness because the native heroes. “They placed on a terrific rock’n’roll present in a method that not many bands can do today,” he says. “They play each gig prefer it’s Wembley Stadium and that’s what we aspire to. We work exhausting on the dwell act. We all know now we have written good songs, however we don’t simply stroll on and play them the best way we recorded them, say goodbye and go away. We would like individuals to return, to get entangled and go house having had a good time.”
Metropolis To Metropolis: Norwich
Unhealthy Contact sing the praises of town’s busy dwell scene
‘‘The factor about Norwich is that it’s about two hours from all over the place,” says Brad Newlands, Unhealthy Contact’s new drummer and a resident of the West Midlands city of Cannock. However with three of the band nonetheless residing in East Anglia, Norwich stays Unhealthy Contact’s important base and Uncut meets the band in Gonzo’s, a cool burger restaurant the place the partitions are adorned with popular culture memorabilia. The band are delighted to see Die Onerous is being silently performed on a giant display, whereas Newlands faucets alongside to the soundtrack of traditional rock and indie.
Gonzo’s is a perfect spot to speak concerning the virtues of Norwich as it’s nextdoor to sister venue Voodoo Daddy’s, a basement area that hosts common dwell reveals for Norwich’s busy dwell scene. “There have been three reveals I might have gone to simply this weekend,” says metal-loving bassist Michael Bailey, who’s planning to see an area grindcore band that night at one of many metropolis’s golf equipment.
Like most bands, Unhealthy Contact began native. Their first reveals had been of their nearest pub, the Cherry Tree in Dereham, a city about 15 miles exterior Norwich. The following step noticed them be part of the Norwich dwell circuit with common gigs at The Brickmakers and King Edward VII. The Brickmakers, which as soon as hosted a younger Ed Sheeran, stays a mainstay of the dwell scene having survived a hire increase via the assist of locals, together with Dave Rowntree of Blur, who was then on Norfolk County Council. Nonetheless, the King Edward VII has closed – and Unhealthy Contact had been invited to play the closing night time, a bittersweet event that allowed them to pay respects to a landmark. “It had been essential to our improvement,” says Stevie Westwood. “It was the primary place the place we might play loud, receives a commission and get higher.”
Right here Norwich’s relative isolation proved to be a profit, because it gave Unhealthy Contact a safe atmosphere through which to develop their dwell present, whereas the notorious restraint of the Norwich viewers inspired them to work exhausting at constructing rapport with the group. The town’s location signifies that Norwich isn’t at all times on the touring circuit, regardless of the presence of the LCR on the College Of East Anglia, which holds 1,500 and has hosted acts from The Who to The Flaming Lips. Unhealthy Contact have performed LCR as soon as, in assist of a rapper. “It was a really unusual present,” says Westwood. “I bear in mind trying on the viewers of 14-year-old ladies trying up at us and having the worst time of their lives – however perhaps one in every of them ended up forming a band.”
One other necessary venue is the Arts Centre, the place Richey Edwards as soon as carved “4 Actual” into his arm after a gig by the Manic Avenue Preachers. It’s been a staple on the indie circuit for generations. “One in every of my favorite gigs was seeing Towers Of London on the Arts Centre after I was 15,” says Seekings. “It was rowdy and loopy and thrilling. Norwich isn’t at all times on the circuit – some bands utterly miss it out – so when an honest band comes via, it’s a giant deal.”
When Unhealthy Contact did start touring the nation, Norwich’s location meant lengthy hours within the tour van – which is the perfect time to hearken to music via the band’s Marshall headphones or the Middleton Bluetooth speaker. Unhealthy Contact have turn out to be so keen on Marshall gear that new guitarist Pete Lance is attempting to influence his spouse to have some Marshall amps within the bed room. “We might use a Marshall stack as a bedside desk or a spot to throw your garments,” he grins. “It will look so cool.”
Keen to indicate off the charms of Norwich – a metropolis that after had a pub for day-after-day of the 12 months and a church for each week – Unhealthy Contact lead Uncut from Gonzo’s via the centre to St Benedict’s Avenue. This was as soon as a music mecca and nonetheless has a few report outlets and locations promoting guitars and drums. “After we had been rising up, St Benedict’s Avenue was nothing however music shops and report outlets,” says Seekings. “It was just like the Denmark Avenue of Norwich. It had two Money Converters and the large one solely bought music gear.” As bassist Bailey notes, that’s the place he picked up his first guitar.
Vinyl remains to be king at report outlets like Soundclash, Round Sound and Press To Play. The window of the latter is adorned with traditional LPs together with Sgt Pepper and Led Zeppelin II, covers eerily bleached as white as bone after a long time of publicity to daylight. Inside, the proprietor is celebrating the store’s twenty seventh anniversary that weekend, delighted to have seen vinyl come again into vogue since he opened the doorways in 1997. Because the band thumb via the racks, Seekings explains that close by Soundclash performed an necessary position within the native scene because it was the place individuals went to purchase gig tickets in pre-internet days.
The tour of Norwich takes in a few pubs and a church earlier than ending on the Waterfront, a blue-fronted 700-capacity riverside venue that has hosted Paul Weller, Nirvana, Arctic Monkeys and Amy Winehouse. It’s a house venue for Unhealthy Contact who can be headlining there in March throughout their UK tour with The Mud Coda. The band are trying ahead to the present, as they hardly ever play their house metropolis today. “We aren’t actually on the native scene as we are actually a nationwide band, so we will’t wait to play right here in March,” says Seekings, delighted by Norwich’s still-thriving music scene. “Regardless of the way it will get overwhelmed down, dwell music by no means goes away.”
