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Death of Cambs, 'Where Did It All Go Wrong', or On How We Can Build You Are The Best Band Ever....

I've just made a friend a mixtape of Cambridge (or Cambs 'scene') bands. And it's brilliant.

Runs as such...

Bomb Factory- Burn Cambride Burn
Cosy Cosy- Oh Yeah
We Can Build You- Body Over Mind
Pr*n*ess Dr*ve- N* Jail F*r T**ht
The Khe Sahn Approach (RIP)- British Theatre 1956-1959
The Vichy Government- The Loneliest Man In Ancient Rome
The Virgin Suicides- Just As Dead Now
The Volunteers- Shallow Stuff
The Resistance- 90 Seconds Over Nanterre
The Dawn Parade- Caffeine Row
Miss Black America- Miss Black America

The first half of the noughties was so fucking good for Cambridge music. Fact.

Now, fast forward to June Two Thousand and Seven. The KSA have split (there goes the band of the 2010s), the Resistance seem to be heading away from progressing to the potentially popularist dancefloor heroics they promised (though they are naturally brilliant), everyone else went to University (WCBY, PD, tVS, KSA) or Nottingham (Cosys), or toured themselves into the ground (tDP, MBA).

So, lads, what happened?

Granted, I've only spent about 10 days out of the last 400 in Cambridge, preferring to stay in London, act 20, and metamorphose into a "self-facilitating media node"... but things are obviously bleak even from a distance... no one seems comparable to any of those bands, in ambition, conviction, sentiment, quality.

Mirroring larger trends in popular music, perhaps Ban This Filth are only good band in Cambridge.

Thoughts?

xxxx

ps. Only thoughts other than those obviously and correctly suggesting the death of John Peel = the death of East Anglian music will be accepted.

pps. My career plan was to write a book about the Cambridge music scene in the wake of MBA, the Dawn Parade and the KSA reaching inevitable global stardom. You fuckers- you ruined it for me too.

Published by tomk1977 at 2:12am on Mon 11th June 2007. Viewed 2,471 times.
This topic has been edited, last edit at 2:43am on Mon 11th June 2007.

What abotu me ? im cocking brillant!

Published by General lee at 6:32am on Mon 11th June 2007.

I hear there's a couple of good post KSA bands on the horizon (and no, I'm not talking about the one that Neil drums with that's basically an old MBA lineup)

Published by Robadob at 8:16am on Mon 11th June 2007.

without wishing to blow one's own trumpet

my lot are quite good

www.myspace.com/wave67

Published by Itchen Ferry (not active) at 8:42am on Mon 11th June 2007.

It has to be said that there are still lots of good bands from Cambridge. Such as Fuzzy Lights, Wave67, MFU, Um, Tuplev Ghost seem to be doing well, PRK are consistantly superb, The Hope, General Lee and Angelsoul are keeping rock / Metal happy (although not my thing at all). Of your original list Bomb Factory are still going strong, and the Vichy Government are recording their third album. Cosy Cosy are still going, but with a new line up so they're a different band now.

There are less pop punk type bands about now, but this is might be because REPEAT is taking less of a role encouraging them. The next REPEAT compilation CD is going to have 3 songs by 3 good bands instead of the usual 20 not that good songs by 20 average band, with the odd gem burried in there. Or maybe I haven't noticed any pop bands because I've been going out less.

Oh and We Can Build You were very good. :)

Published by Silent Rob at 8:54am on Mon 11th June 2007.

*Cosy Cosy are still going, but with a new line up so they're a different band now*

yeah i did sound for them friday night and they seemed far removed from what they should be.

Published by General lee at 8:58am on Mon 11th June 2007.

TTG? Paul Goodwin? Plus my band obviously, 3 gigs in and we're not utter shite! And Ban this Filth are a club night, not a band.

Published by lozzy at 9:01am on Mon 11th June 2007.

Winterkings also are quite superb

Published by General lee at 9:22am on Mon 11th June 2007.

I'd like to think we're a good band

Published by chelleywithac (not active) at 9:28am on Mon 11th June 2007.

thank you for the kind words, rob.

the cheque's in the post ;-)

and the resistance are a damn fine outfit, it must be said.

nostalgia for the early 90s cambridge music scene ain't what it used to be. and that's the truth, ruth. dig.

Published by Itchen Ferry (not active) at 9:36am on Mon 11th June 2007.
This reply has been edited, last edit at 9:38am on Mon 11th June 2007.

Yeah thanks rob ,. goats in the post.....might be a bit squishy

Published by General lee at 9:37am on Mon 11th June 2007.

There are some Cambridge bands I absolutely can't stand but I'm not going to mention them here in case I upset anyone.

I forgot to mention Karmadillo who always entertain me when I see them.

Published by Silent Rob at 9:48am on Mon 11th June 2007.

aw PRK are consistantly superb, we've only had three gigs, just think soon we'll be awesome or something.

Published by lozzy at 9:51am on Mon 11th June 2007.

PRK=flash in the pan...:o) hehehe

N>B these comments do not reflect the posters real thoughts.

Published by General lee at 9:57am on Mon 11th June 2007.

The Volunteers were from Bury St. Edmunds, as were Miss Black America. Bury St. Edmunds is in Suffolk and is further away than Peterborough. The KSA were also primarily from Bury.

Published by simon_b (not active) at 10:17am on Mon 11th June 2007.

Oh and one half of the Vichys live in London now. Based on that list we might as well put Hot Chip on there too, even though only one of them went to Uni here.

Published by simon_b (not active) at 10:17am on Mon 11th June 2007.
This reply has been edited, last edit at 10:18am on Mon 11th June 2007.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Music_from_Cambridge

"This category has few articles/categories in it."

Published by Silent Rob at 10:34am on Mon 11th June 2007.

I saw Cozy Cozy in their new form on Friday and was saddened. The ska band that followed rocked even though I'm not one to give a hurrah for covers bands. Pony Collaboration are cool too - just sorry couldn't make La Resistance gig on Saturday.

Published by rishistar at 11:19am on Mon 11th June 2007.

Cosy Cosy could often be an utter shambles in their old line up. I never saw them do a good gig anywhere other than the Portland. But Jo was very important and made them a really good pop band, plus she also made her era of the Secret Hairdresser really good too. Now they are more consistant, but less interesting.

Published by Silent Rob at 11:23am on Mon 11th June 2007.

you lot just wait until scrotal threat start gigging again.

Published by Itchen Ferry (not active) at 12:21pm on Mon 11th June 2007.

SURF COMBAT Avant garde' anthemic and violent experimental jazz-pop hardcore.

Coming soon... no taking prisoners on a suicide run.

Published by ababoonsass at 12:48pm on Mon 11th June 2007.

Fuzzy Lights are the best band in Cambridge. This is a fact... No, it's not subjective, it's just true:-) Yes, of course I've seen all the bands all the times they've played! That's how I know FL are best!

Seriously though, they were ace to start with and they're getting better all the time.

Published by Mattstep at 1:14pm on Mon 11th June 2007.

I'll second that, Fuzzy Lights are my favourite local band too.

Published by jamesttg at 1:16pm on Mon 11th June 2007.

that's all very well, but someone once told me that badwell ash were the best band in cambridge. i never did get my money back.

Published by Itchen Ferry (not active) at 1:19pm on Mon 11th June 2007.

Oh and one half of the Vichys live in London now. Based on that list we might as well put Hot Chip on there too, even though only one of them went to Uni here.

haha i remember running into Jamie at a Hot Puppies gig ... i was in a state of drunken shock and immediately went on to proclaim them the best band in the world.... they arent far off - "The Greatest Gift of All" might well be the most controversal song ever recorded by a cambridge band.

I havent heard of many decent bands from cambridge as of late... The Hot Bang are pretty superb, and i like to think our band stand out a bit (The Sleep Wells)..

then theres Free Will... i guess for the past few years there have been some really talented sixth form bands out there (DieAwayFromMe, Sky Quintet, Midnight Crazies)... but uni splits us all up.

oh and one day Holmenated might record their album. one day.

Published by Rahaha at 1:21pm on Mon 11th June 2007.

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