YorkVision Magazine Issue 131 - October 2001
'Music scene ouseing with talent'

Tom Smithard review's the :Here music CD, featuring the best new bands on the York scene.

Shed Seven. There, I’ve said it. After all, how could there possibly be an article written about the York music scene without mention of York’s greatest export since WH Auden? The Shed’s, for some reason, still hang around York (they live just off Heslington Road, for all you star fuckers out there). But the ‘Seven are old skool. And whilst most people assume that that’s where the York music scene ends, this compilation disproves them with a vengeance.

Fourteen bands have contributed to this CD, each based in York. While they don’t share a particular sound or style of writing, a la Bristol, Glasgow or Manchester, these bands do have one thing in common – they’re all shit hot. From the Kathryn Williams-esque folk of Hayley Hutchinson to the gyrating dirty beats of These Demon Genes, and even the nu-metal of Tung, each song encapsulates a new sound of the York underground, just waiting to explode onto a stage near you. The compilation even includes two university bands, Heroic Trio (just graduated) and Sevenball (graduated sometime last millennium) who both add a certain intelligence to the proceedings, but, as a mark of just how impressive this album is, provide two of the safest and perhaps even dullest tracks on offer.

There are some bands on this album who deserve to become huge. The T&B Specialists are particularly worth mentioning. They’re sound is a fusion of ‘60’s rhythm and soul, with funky grooves and smooth, stylish vocals. Gomez comparisons are legitimate, but this band will make it on their own. NME covershoots surely await.

Nshwa are also a band worth discovering. Chillout music with a hint of Roni Size, a dab of Morcheeba, and just for fun, a small portion of M People; their featured track, ‘Reflections’ meanders along but never feels anything but a perfectly crafted piece of post-Ziggy’s chill. Finally, Hayley Hutchinson is the third of the three greats. Her voice is simply beautiful, full of fun and happiness, but capable of delivering a deliciously ironic twist. Her song, ‘Upshot’ is a sonorous ballad that hides its sad message behind three minutes of luscious pop. Apparently already receiving air-play on Radio 2, Hayley’s is a name to remember. All the bands featured will have to make it the hard way. With only Fibbers as a venue of any note, and no resident A&R people to be wooed into signing them, it’s no wonder that three of the bands on the album supply songs that castigate the York scene. Highsound open the album with the lyric ‘This town is dragging me down’; Tung complain that no A&R men will dig their York sound; while Breathe’s ‘Bigger Hats’ is all about the lack of ambition that pervades York.

The City of York may not be the greatest place to be a professional musician, but these bands deserve huge credit for giving it a go. The thing that struck me most about this CD was quite how professional it sounds; unlike so many other compilations, this album is a pleasure to listen to from start to finish. Without a shadow of a doubt, anyone who buys this will want to check out half the bands on it live, so this CD well and truly achieves its purpose – to motivate musicians and punters alike and kick-start the York music scene. Buy this CD and play it to your grandchildren. Buy this CD and go and listen to some of the bands. Help make them big. Let’s face it, if Shed Seven can do it, there’s hope for some of these bands yet. You can buy the :here CD for £9 from Track Records, High Ousegate; Borders, Parliament St & Pure Sheng, Micklegate or from the :here office: (01904) 672338. For a full tracklisting visit http://www.sevenball.co.uk/index3.html

Article and picture, copyright yorkVision, © 2001 http://vision.york.ac.uk

The T&B Specialists are a band in the greatest, stupidest, funniest, funkiest and most heart warming sense of the word. Five people who share the same odd sense of humour, bizarre in-jokes and ability to find screeching stupid words in a bar hilariously funny. They dress like a cross between a gang of club-dwelling mods and a group of chopper-racing teenagers from a 1970's TV show. Their live shows are a riot of funk interspersed with some of the daftest on-stage antics you've seen for a long time. If you didn't know better you'd imagine they all lived together in a brightly coloured house with slides connection their bedrooms to a lounge. In which the coolest records in the world are being played. And, as if all that wasn't enough, they come across as some of the nicest, most unpretentious people you could meet. Just, whatever you do, don't mention the 'J' word.

"We're NOT acid Jazz" lead singer Amber forciably tells me as we begin the interview. Foolishly I'd asked her the perenial question concerning the T&B's - just how do you describe their music? What are you then I enquire and the band go into an exaggerated huddle. Deciding to throw in one word each they return with the grammatically poor answer, 'Nice heavy rock slinky funk'. A tag that should put paid to much of the vague pigeon-holing that has occured since the band emerged just over a year ago.

During that year they have played Leeds City Centre on New Year's Eve, been Fibbers battle of the bands finalists, played countless gigs all over the North and, for many people, provided the stand out track on the recent :here compilation album. Our interview also just happens to take place two days before they head off to a week-long residency in Nice. For all this though, they remain down to earth, a point emphasised when drummer Ben Coey states 'we exist on a line between good music and being a school band'.

This is the attitude that makes the T&B gigs such good fun, when they say 'a lot of musicians take themselves too seriously' you know they're determined to avoid that route at all costs. This means that recent gigs have seen them warm up their audiences with colouring competitions, pop quizzes, play-fights and wizard costumes. I level the accusation at them that all this tomfoolery may mean they get the reputation as that most awful of things, a 'comedy' band. They respond in a typical T&B fashion with Ben stating 'I don't want to be judged on beer or comedy but on our songs... however at the end of the day I'm a lunatic and Paul is a lunatic. I get frustrated when I play drums and want to come out and attack someone... usually Paul'. On a less of a slapstick note lead singer Amber chips in 'having a pop quiz is just dead nice isn't it?' and you can't really argue with that.

Stupid stage antics aside, most people who have seen the T&B's play will agree that their music, and musicianship, is some of the best in our city at the moment. With chunky hammond riffs and leaping bass lines topped off by Amber's oh so soulful voice you don't have to know the songs to want to dance. And there are not many bands in York which can have that effect, something that is not always to the T&B's benefit - as keyboardist Ben MacNab says 'one of the problems is that we don't fit into a niche in York. There is nothing like us, which is a good thing but also a hindrance. We only have ourselves to go by as a reference... this can stunt your growth to some extent'.

However it is clear that the band survive perfectly well as a self-contained unit. Benji Coey, Paul and bassist Jonni have known each other and performed together since school, with couple Ben and Amber ('they're the icing that's fucking thicker than the cake') joining just over a year ago. It's rare that you see a band who get on this well and their rapport is important to their song writing process, or as Ben puts it 'someone draws the plans for a pentagonal house and then everyone builds it together'. In an even wierder analogy he states 'bands are like an organism, the songs are the blood and the public are the vampires' You'll have to draw your own conclusions on that one... because I don't have a clue.

What is clear though is their passion and determination, Ben saying 'the T&B's HAVE to make it otherwise everything is pointless. We're taking a break after Nice as we want to write more stuff and we want to get tighter as a band'. Bear in mind that he is saying this about a group that many people already regard as the tightest in York.

Of course along with the usual question of how do you describe their music, comes the other burning puzzle. What does their name mean? For once they remain tight-lipped, although Ben does have this to say: 'My next door neighbour heard our name and said it sounds like a bunch of gypsies making wardrobes...'

Article and pictures © :Here Magazine, September 2001, a © Stone Soup publication.

Final goes down to the wire as band contest comes of age

OF the 48 bands who’ve sweated it out on the Stonebow stage since January, only one York outfit, jazz funk merchants The T&B Specialists, have made it this far. And yet, that doesn’t feel like an anticlimax or a damning indictment of York’s music scene. Instead, it feels as if the Fibbers/Evening Press contest has moved up a league to become a magnet for some of Yorkshire’s best live bands, rather than the playground squabble between York sixth-formers that it was occasionally guilty of being in the past. And the quality of the bands in this year’s final, coupled with their refreshing attitude of all being here to enjoy themselves, made it a celebratory evening.
Jazz funk merchants T&B Specialists, York’s
sole contribution to this year’s Battle of the Bands final

Scarborough rockers Super 8 pulled the threads of the first two bands together and knocked the crowd dead with a commanding performance – despite compere Justin’s cracks about crabsticks, the seasiders rapidly become the front runners.

Things change gear in just the right place with York’s T&B Specialists. In a different atmosphere (preferably the jazz stage at Glastonbury on a sunny afternoon), they’d work perfectly, tonight their slick funk workouts and soul diva vocals were just an interlude amid the rock’n’roll dramas, if one which earns them a deserved third place.

Leeds band Parisman snatched the crown from Super 8 by a nose, with the most original and modern sound of the night. Moody synths and samples mix perfectly with mighty crescendos of guitars and drums to hypnotic effect. The decision goes right down to the wire, with apparently only ten per cent of the vote separating all the bands, but it is a deserved victory and a cracking final – with, refreshingly none of the usual “we was robbed” tantrums. Give us five months and we’ll do it all over again.

Article and picture © The Yorkshire Evening Press 2001

Famous five bop ’til they drop as Parisman triumph

SO, in the end it came down to these five bands. It would be both uncharitable and extremely difficult to be unkind about any of them, after they had sweated, bopped and boogied their way through round one, round two, and a semi-final, finally arriving tonight still with that selfish hope of a season’s fame still intact. Difficult also to separate bands of such variety but that is what we judges had to attempt to do, using the famous Fibbers categories of musicianship, stage show, originality and the indefinable star quality.

The evening only really took off when Super 8 hit the stage. This was the finest set I’ve seen them deliver in this competition, certainly no nerves, but 30 minutes full of passion and energy. Maybe not always original - but how many rock bands these days truly are? - and what they do have is a superb front man and a fiery interaction between keyboard and guitar. At that point, I felt we might already have seen the winners.

But the energy level was kept at maximum by T&B Specialists, the only local band in the final, and undoubtedly the finest musicians. If jazz funk is your thing, then don’t miss this act; they are excellent. 

However, taking full advantage of their final slot, Parisman returned just a week after their semi-final triumph, and blasted the audience with a wall of synth and pounding bass rhythms. They had impressed me then, and did so again tonight. For originality and, yes, star quality, this was the band who deserved the top spot. That’s it, then. What will I do without my weekly dose of Justin the compere? Wednesdays won’t be the same. Come on, Channel Four. Get this man signed up, now!

Son of Rat

Funky second band The T and B Specialists never stopped laughing. Soulful Singer Amber, a Yorkshire Aretha Franklin, gave a stunning performance bursting with energy and cheeky asides. Her playful antics with lead guitarist PL obviously delighted him, and Amber whipped up the crowd into a steaming frenzy, particularly when she revealed what she was wearing under her top. Creating funky, infectious sound The Specialists make playing instruments look easy and fun. They look almost certain to reach the final

Article and picture © The Yorkshire Evening Press 2001

Battle of the Bands Round 2, Heat 4

LARGE pig slippers, grubby dressing gowns and silly hats. Just three of the abiding memories provided by the worthy winners of last night’s Battle of the Bands at Fibbers. Audience numbers suffered badly at the venue for the fourth heat of the second round, due to a double whammy of England’s soccer international and revision for school exams. But the paltry crowd was treated to a classic comic turn – and the music wasn’t bad either.

A sore throat for lead singer Amber Roake saw acid York funksters and eventual winners, T and B Specialists, transformed into hilarious alter-egos, Rambo Sleepover and the Bedroom Nihilists. The remaining four members, who appeared as wizards last month, walked on in blue pyjamas, gowns and hats. They proceeded to mime to a crazy taped rhythm and blues instrumental and generally made complete fools of themselves. The onstage banter was very funny. When playing for real they were seriously good, with talented bassist Jonni Walker – complete with comedy expressions – giving a majestic display throughout the funky, instrumental jams.

Article and picture © The Yorkshire Evening Press 2001

Blending sex kitten funk and psychedelic trash, The T & B Specialists "embark upon an etymological journey through sound and time, encapsulating all that is not pop and all that is tip-top. With heavy Hammond-driven grooves, wild-horse guitar, driving rhythms and Amber's powerful slinky vocals the time has come to embrace their rising star. All is about to become clear. Formed early '99 as an instrumental act the T & Bs have created a unique mix of 60's rawness with a contemporary edge. Very James Taylor Quartet, The Funky Meters, Mother Earth, Brand New Heavies and Corduroy etc … They're not above bringing a smile to your face either as their hugely entertaining "Name That Tune" competition proves. What's next? Who knows but it's well worth coming along to find out.

Article © Fibbers 2001

"As the strippers retired upstairs (to demand a staggering amount of cash), what was easily the highlight of the evening took to the stage.  I'll go out on a limb and describe The T and B Specialists as the best band in York at the moment.  After only a few bars of their hot and groovy first song the whole damn place was dancing - and that's a sentence I never thought i'd pen. Their sexy frantic funk was powered by guitars that went "wacca wacca" and Amber's unbelievably good voice warmed the naughty bits of men and women alike.  As their final notes hung in the air like a dungeon dwelling sweaty masochist, the vinyl kicked in once more"

Article taken from © :Here Magazine May 2001, a © Stone Soup publication.

"The T and B Specialists can do no wrong.  Name That Tune gigs, perfect live performances, drunken mentalism to rival anyone brave enough to take them on, and now this......

For tracks of distinctive Starsky and Hutch Acid-Jazz.  You just cannot sit still to The T and B Specialists.  It's music for people who like to wear flares when its not 70's night, who dance like you imagine your dad used to - only better, who don't care about looking 'cool' but just want to shake their stuff with a big old smile on their boat-race.

The music slips easily from full-on funk monster to slinky groove kitten. You can hear the fun this band are having playing their tunes, and it rubs off on the listener.  I challenge you to listen to this without smiling or wanting to get up and throw some moves."

The Lion Inn, Blakey Ridge - March 2001

A highly entertaining band with a good following around Leeds and York, their style is a heavy soul / jazz fusion, with the emphasis on keeping things funky and uplifting. The music is 60's & 70's based with modern undertones, the main sound from Hammond organ, bass, guitar and drums,  with astonishing vocals from Amber.

Article taken from www.blakeymusic.com

'There are two types of gig.  The first is where a band headlines and draws a crowd in thanks to their wonderful profile and reputation for being so jolly splendid.  At these types of gigs the support act is usually a band that are not quite as well known as the headline and, more than likely, less experienced.  The second type of gig is where all the bands playing are pretty much the same standard, everyone has a laugh and no one really cares who is top of the bill.  Oh, and then there's a T and B Specialists gig where they are so good they don't need a support band and simply decide to have a music quiz instead.

A music quiz that involves the five-piece band playing snatches of songs ranging from Jesus Christ Superstar to Purple Haze to No Limits. And then playing all 30 songs in  massive breathtaking medley, producing the only standing ovation I have ever seen in Fibbers.  Stuff like this makes it quite clear that your about to watch a really fun band.  Add guitarist Paul and drummer Ben's drunken bizarre comedy banter and a wierd colouring competition you know that if this band were measured on a fun-o-meter it would record previously unknown levels on it's fun-dial.

And they start playing.  And all previous thoughts of fun as you know it fly from your mind like liberated fun-flies because, quite honestly, The T and B Specialists are one of the, if not THE, tightest and funkiest bands in York. Their music slouches in the direction of 70's cop-film soundtracks, sleazy lizard lounge cocktail tunes and downright dirty funk.  Lead singer Amber, with a voice as smooth and greasy as a chicken leg, imbues every song with a sexiness and urgency which elevates the set to a standard rarely seen in York.  As well as confirming her status as simply one of the best singers in the scene at the moment.

With a packed venue and queues outside, the T and B star is clearly ascending...... you MUST go and see them.  And if they do the quiz again I've given you three of the answers...'

Article taken from © :Here Magazine February 2001, a © Stone Soup publication.