Manchester Rises Again - Interview with Martyn Walsh (Inspiral Carpets)

See the lad on the Saturday terraces,

his collar pulled up around his chin.

His side are two goals down and playing lousy,

but he still believes his team are going to win.
And he prays each night that his family's alright
and he's got work.

Song for a Family - Inspiral Carpets

The great thing about having your own blog is that you can be your own editor. So please forgive me the indulgence of this post. When one of my favourite bands announced they were reforming, my excitement levels increased to levels not seen since Paul Peschisolido's goal against Forest in the 2003 Play-Off semi-final. Throw in a bit on intra-band football banter on twitter and that gave me all the incentive I needed to ask if they wouldn't mind answering a few questions.

Inspiral Carpets started in Manchester in 1983 and after several changes of line-up settled into their own, what I would say was, relatively unique sound. Taking influences from ? And The Mysterians, the Farfisa driven garage sound became a firm favourite of John Peel who championed their work. Starting with Keep The Circle Around in 1988 they went on to make 8 appearances in John Peel's Festive 50 - including taking the Number 1 spot in 1994 with I Want You - a collaboration with Mark E Smith of The Fall.

When Stephen Holt and Dave Swift left in 1989, Tom Hingley took over vocal duties and Martyn Walsh brought his low slung bass playing style to the group. The band went on to have 11 Top 40 hits, starting with the anthemic This Is How It Feels in 1990, they also released 4 albums plus greatest hits packages.

With a couple of comebacks supporting Greatest Hits albums and a download only collection of B sides and rarities, all had been quiet until in early August when the band announced a return to their garage roots, with original singer Stephen Holt returning to the fold.

The band spoke to John Robb about their return and you can read about it here on Louder Than War. Missing that day was bass player Martyn Walsh and he very kindly took time out from rehearsals to talk comebacks, stadium gigs and Manchester United, prior to the band flying out to South America for their first gigs last week.

First things first - Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

Where were you in the John Robb interview?

Sorting out my broken bass amp!!!

That's a relief, didn't want band issues just after you had reformed! It's 15 years since you last recorded together, which shocked me, is that a scary thought for you?

Since Steve has come back, there’s a new found enthusiasm for all things related to Inspirals. Going in the studio was very much a statement of intent; how confident we are as a unit and with the material we’re recording.

Why did it all come to an end in the first place? Was the band being dropped by Mute hard to take? - Bands like Inspirals, Depeche Mode and Nitzer Ebb must have kept Mute going for years!

Being dropped did knock us for six, moreso a couple of years later. I think we may have lost our hunger, and in hindsight it was probably a good thing that we never really split, just went our separate ways for a while.

In amongst a couple of comeback tours you all went off and did your own thing. What were you all doing and did you miss playing?

Yeah, we all kept involved in music to some extent. Clint had his band The Clint boon Experience and XFM shows. Craig had bands like Proud Mary and started his Manchester Music Tours. Graham works for SJM the concert promoters. I was lucky that a couple of my projects; Atomizer and DC10 did play live, but I do miss the unique buzz of playing gigs with Inspirals!

Interesting you say that because I have heard it said footballers always struggle once they have retired as they no longer have the feeling of stepping out to play in front of hundreds/thousands of people.

Totally, the fans are what really makes being in a band so special, that might sound a bit corny, but without that loyalty and support we’re nothing.

What are you enjoying most - the energy of revisiting and revitalising old tracks, or creating new music?

Both, although if I had to choose, I’d definitely say writing new material is most enjoyable. I like the studio environment and the fact we’re writing together again shows there’s a unity and freedom in the camp that has not been there for quite a while.

Some of the tracks pre-date your involvement with the band, didn't you replace David Swift, after tracks like Head for the Sun were originally played? Is it weird working on tracks that the rest of the band created so long ago?

Yeah, I replaced Swifty. It’s not too weird, I have free reign to put my slant on basslines and we have quite similar styles but obviously I’m much better looking....

The comeback seems to have created a bit of a buzz on twitter and facebook, was that a pleasant surprise after a few years away?

Definitely, we had to adapt quickly, as the increase in social media use means we have to be on the ball when it comes to interacting with fans. It’s great but time consuming..cos we all answer personally...eventually!!

I heard Clint and Steve, saying that there are no great expectations with the comeback, that just making music you enjoy is the key. But you must have some hopes of what might happen?

To keep enjoying being Inspiral Carpets and to carry on writing new material, both go hand in hand..anything else is a bonus. That’s not us being unambitious, it’s just that we’re a little older and wiser now, and we know what’s needed to keep creative.

You are starting off with dates in South America, how did that come about?

There was a totally random gig offer from Chile, we liked the idea and got our agent to get a couple of shows in Argentina, all unplanned, unpremeditated and uniquely Inspiral, Steve’s first gig since 1988 will be supporting Interpol in Argentina to 15,000 people!

(The tweets from the band whilst there and since back suggest it was a huge success and a great atmosphere. You will find footage of them playing the Samsung Studio gig here and here amongst others)

I think new single You're So Good For Me is great and has the hook that so many Inspirals tracks has that draws you in? What can you liken it to?

It’s classic Inspirals! There are elements of Inspiral influences like The Fall and The Seeds but also a little bit of LCD Soundsystem, especially in the rhythm section.

I’d written the song a couple of years ago, but it never felt right to introduce to the band. Things are different now, and we were aware that new material needs to be relevant and contemporary, yet ultimately Inspiral...I think we’ve succeeded!

You say you introduced it to the band, is it very much a collaborative writing process?

You're So Good For Me was a track that I'd written bass, lyrics and melody then presented to the band. Everyone then puts their ideas in and we kick them around...lots of Inspirals tracks are written this way..

I met you all in the bar of the Octagon, Sheffield post-gig in 2003 and what was great about that night was that you were all down to earth guys enjoying a beer and a laugh with us all. Do you think that helped the bands longevity and the fact that you are back together now - that you were all grounded guys without any attitudes?

I think so, you can’t get too far in this industry by constantly pissing people off, unless you are supremely talented! We all come from working class backgrounds, with a deeply rooted work ethic; if you wanted anything, you had to go out and earn it, I think that’s held us in good stead.

Your following always seemed to be a good bunch as well. Did you avoid some of the hooligan element that other bands attracted?

We seemed to, I think ecstacy was kicking in on the terraces, so everyone was too loved up to fight!

Although you were tagged as part of the baggy and Madchester movement, your sound always stood out as a different. Did the tag fit and were you comfortable with it?

I think the tag was good in drawing attention to the city overall. I don’t think we fitted in with the generic sound and lifestyle that was media created. It was funny that the press latched onto Madchester probably a good 2 or 3 years after the event.

It is fair to say your albums stand up against those of any of the other bands of the late 80's early 90's, yet I remember you also got harshly tagged by some critics as a" good singles band", did that rile you?

I think creating an album that stands the test of time is a hard task. Life (the band's first album), in particular, as a whole was a great album, not just a collection of songs. Once you get into the cycle of album/tour/album/tour it’s quite difficult to get albums that are coherent. Revenge of The Goldfish (the third album) I always feel is criminally overlooked.

(I would agree. Check out Saviour, Smoking her Clothes, alongside better known singles Dragging Me Down and Generations on iTunes)

What was the highlight of your Inspirals career, "that night in Barcelona" for you?

Playing the River Plate Stadium in Argentina was fantastic just for the immense scale and 100,000 people. I also remember doing a concert in Halle, in the newly unified Germany. Halle was in the East and gig tickets were twice the weekly local wage, we persuaded the promoter to drop the price and those who came were extremely grateful..the power of music can be global. It’s just a shame the falling of the Berlin Wall is synonymous with David Hasselhoff!

One of the noticeable features of Stephen Holt's return to the band is the increase in football banter on twitter, does it add a little edge to rehearsals and band time? How unbearable has he been since the Manchester Derby?

Yes it does add a bit of edge and fun. Steve and Craig have been very quiet since.........although I did change my mobile number on the Monday morning!

I know you support United and Stephen Holt supports City, both come through loud and clear in your tweets, what about the rest of the band?

Craig is another glory hunter, Graham supports Oldham and Clint really likes lots of sports and is a big fan of Sale Sharks.

I had this vision of Clint being a Purple, loving all of Manchester! Do you get to matches often?

Not as often as I’d like. The atmosphere at OT has changed a hell of a lot since the 80’s when I went home and away. At times it feels like a Dire Straits concert….

I remember pictures of a band trip to Old Trafford last season, how did that come about?

The photos were from an MUTV show we did. I go on the station every now and again, Terry Christian hosts some shows and he’s a good friend of the band.

What was your favourite football moment of your lifetime?

Nou Camp..Champions League Final v Bayern Munich….”and Solksjaer has won it!!”

Football heroes?

George Best and Eric Cantona.

I never had the opportunity to see George play but my Dad would rave about him. He (my dad) helped build the Cliff training ground and he would chat regularly with Bestie, he even got hold of an autographed ball which I promptly lost..I was about 6 years old though! Cantona I had the pleasure of watching, his comeback game against Liverpool and his FA Cup winning goal were memorable moments.

Maybe I should have just said football genii!? I saw first hand the quality of the latest young football talent at Old Trafford when they beat my team in the FA Youth Cup Final. Can you recommend any young Manchester music talent that we should look out for in the next 12 months?

I was at that game too. I have high hopes for Paul Pogba, Will Keane and Ryan Tunnicliffe.

In terms of Manchester music, keep an eye out for Ghost Outfit and Rubika.

Musical heroes?

None really. I’ve been privileged to work with some guys who influenced me to get into music. In particular Donald Johnson (A Certain Ratio), Peter Hook and Adrian Sherwood (On U Sound).

Which is your favourite Inspirals track, the one that you look back and think "fuck me, that's a belter" and why?

We’re going through some old tracks at the moment to include in the new set; Seeds Of Doubt with Steve singing sounds really powerful. Every time we play Sackville I always think that’s an era defining song.

(Sackville is a moody and atmospheric song, with a killer chorus, describing the red light area of Manchester. I remember the excitement of finding Sackville Street when in Manchester to see the Inspirals at the Academy. To those of us from outside of Manchester it was a mythical place in the song.)

Do any of you have any Cool as Fuck T-shirts still stashed away in the loft? Is the cow consigned to history?

I have many Inspirals artefacts in the loft…I sound like David Dickinson! I think the cow will still be used, maybe a little more subtly….....

A certain other band of your era somewhat stole your comeback thunder in recent weeks, does the Roses reforming excite you?

I think for our fans it’s great, many of them like us and the Roses.

I noticed on the Louder than War website poll that you were the number 1 choice (now down to 4th - I should add) to be on the bill at Heaton Park, would you be up for it if asked?

The only way I’d enjoy the day, would be if we were playing! I think we’d be a great addition to the bill!

So do I! I would like to thank Martyn for taking the time to answer my questions, it is much appreciated.

You're So Good For Me is out on Monday (21st November) and there will hopefully be some UK tour dates announced soon for early in 2012.

www.inspiralcarpets.com

STRANGE AS IT MAY SEEM

WE ALL PRAY FOR SIMPLE THINGS
STRANGERS SHARE YOUR DREAMS

WHO KNOWS WHAT THEIR PRAYERS WILL BRING?
LOVE AND HEALTH IS ALL

TIL YOU FALTER IN YOUR STEPS AND FALL
WE ALL LIVE ON DREAMS

Views From Opposite Ends - Wilder's Return

Sheffield United returned to take part in the 1st Round of the FA Cup for the first time in 14 seasons on Saturday. Familiar faces were amongst the visitors, with Oxford United managed by former Blades full back Chris Wilder and legendary Blades keeper Alan Hodgkinson also on the U's coaching staff.

 

It is fair to say that, apart from the return of two Lane favourites, the draw did little to encourage a disgruntled Bramall Lane faithful to come down. With prices of £10 adults and £3 concessions, a crowd of just under 8,000 must be seen as a disappointment. Especially with a healthy Oxford contingent of around 1,500 to 1,800.

 

Following the success of similar articles last season, it is a pleasure to welcome Matt Bruce, Editor of Oxford United blog "The Boys From Up The Hill" to offer a view on the the match and the Blades from an Oxford persective, whilst I cast an eye over the U's performance and a comfortable victory for the Blades.

A View from the U's

Despite pre-match optimism, Oxford were incapable of making the match a contest. Chris Wilder appeared to have done his old club a favour with his baffling team selection, leaving talismanic striker James Constable on the bench and choosing to play right back Andy Whing in central defence, leaving centre back Harry Worley on the sidelines.In doing so, he further weakened an Oxford side that has been left decimated by injuries and suspension. A weak team selection was compounded further by the decision to change from the usual 4-3-3 infavour of an unfamiliar 4-4-2 formation, and a feeling of dread was hanging over the away end before the match had kicked off.

Oxford fans were right to be worried and Sheffield United dominated the match, and the early stages in particular. I was surprised by how direct the Blades were, and it was disheartening to see Oxford's makeshift defence thrown into chaos by the simple ball over the top or into the channels. Cresswell and Evans proved too much to handle and picked their way through the defence with ease. Oxford, usually comfortable when in possession of the ball, were way too prone to silly mistakes and squandered possession cheaply, which usually resulted in the ball being pumped back up field for more pressure on the Oxford goal.

The match became more competitive after the half time changes (the aforementioned Constable and Worley taking their rightful paces on the pitch) and for a brief while it looked like we would get back into the game. But Sheffield United were very effective at slowing the match down, and after the substitution of our playmaker, Peter Leven, any Oxford threat was over, the match fizzled out and it was no real surprise when the third went in.

It was a strange atmosphere; with an empty Kop end and the ground only a quarter full it almost felt like a pre-season friendly. The only time the noise levels in the ground rose above this was when fans began trading insults across the divide. The turgid football on display didn't exactly help matters and it felt that any noise from the fans was created was in spite of events on the pitch, rather than because of them.

Sheffield United weren't pretty to watch but they got the job done, which must have come as a relief to Blades fans after defeat to Bradford in the JPT. The Oxford midfield was given very little time on the ball as Sheffield pressed effectively and were tenacious in the tackle. In a match as uncompetitive as this one it is difficult to judge the Sheffield United side, but it seems difficult to believe they conceded four at home to Exeter, because the defence looked assured and were rarely troubled this time around.

It was sad that the match was spoiled by Wilder's baffling decisions and the Blades fans that turned up today will have left with a low opinion of Wilder's Oxford, which is a shame as they are usually so much better than that. The overwhelming emotion in the Oxford camp is disappointment – not particularly with the defeat, but with the nature of it. Sheffield United barely had to get out of second gear and were by far the better side.

Massed ranks of Oxford supprt

 

A View from the Blades

I arrived at Bramall Lane expecting a very tight game and went home surprised at how little competition Oxford supplied for much of the match, content with the result and a little disappointed with aspects of United's performance.

In a match devoid of any atmosphere apart from the unswerving support of Oxford's fans, it was a very strange afternoon. Sat in John Street I was amazed at the number of fans around me who failed to get to their feet when we scored. Apathy rules at Bramall Lane at the minute and that appeared to stretch to our top wage earner pre-match. After the teams had come out, all of United's players went through a number of shuttle runs and warm-ups, with two exceptions. Goalkeeper Steve Simonsen I could understand, but Ched Evans? It appears, with the benefit of hindsight, he didn't need it.

Whereas central defenders Andrew Whing and Jake Wright could cope manfully with Richard Cresswell, they struggled to cope with the movement of Evans. He led the line well and was United's biggest attacking threat, linking to good effect with Quinn and Williamson in the wide positions. He could have had a hat-trick within the first 25 minutes, but for a borderline offside decision. Despite conceding two goals, U's keeper Clarke had a great half, keeping Williamson and Evans amongst others at bay. 

Ched Evan's free kick hits the back of the net - 2-0

Whilst they struggled a bit at the back, they had great difficulty making progress further forward. Peter Leven, who I expected to offer an outlet, was quiet and ex-Owl Paul McLaren was keen to get on the ball but offered little impetus from his passing until he was eventualy substitued. In fact the central midfield was a mess, with ball retention from both sides non-existent. Poor first touches and mis-placed passes ruled.   

Matt's comment regarding United pressing effectively is interesting. I was disappointed in Danny Wilson's team selection; Michael Doyle selected in a workman-like midfield alongside Nick Montgomery. Kevin McDonald seemingly being punished for not maintaining his man of the 1st half performance against Bradford, whilst Doyle was awful throughout. McDonald would have had a field day on Saturday.

Up front I was surprised to see James Constable not selected, I assumed a fitness issue. Even the Blades programme had selected him as the Oxford star man. Middlesboro loanee Franks was barely noticable and Dean Smalley was kept well in check by Harry Maguire. Smalley's ineffectiveness was surprising. Chesterfield fans were keen to see him stay at the B2Net after his loan spell last season and I can only assume Oxford offered decent wages to attract him. With one JPT goal to his name I am guessing Chesterfield, despite their problems, got the better part of the deal.   

With such a poor first half performance, where it could have easily been three or four nil , it was no surprise to see Wilder change things. The freeing up of right back Batt into a more advanced role and the introduction of Constable were key to Oxford having their best spell of the game, but apart from a header saved by Simonsen I didn't feel they offered a threat for the increased amounts of possession.

Constable offered a more physical battle, maybe too physical at times, and it was a good test for Maguire. It would have been interesting to see how well Oxford would have performed if he had been on from the start. The rare times Batt got forward in the first half, you sensed the expectation level rising amongst the away support and he certainly gave Marcus Williams problems in the second half. In fact if Oxford had really got at United's full backs from the start they may have had more joy.

In the end it was a bad decision from the otherwise imressive keeper that gifted the Blades a third and that really was game over. Oxford continued to try and press, but despite the obligatory (self-inflicted) hairy moment, which is par for the course watching the Blades these days it was a comfortable final period.

In writing a piece about Wilder's time at Bramall Lane for The Boys From Up The Hill I referred to the fact that many Blades fans considered Wilder a potential Blades manager of the future. He did little to state his case at Bramall Lane. He perhaps should be given credit for recognising it wasn't working and making the changes, but by then it was all over and from what Matt says it was only reverting to their usual formation anyway. Wilder made the decision to change shape before the match and it didn't work.

I am sure Oxford are better than that performance, I know we are, and I wish we could be more clinical when dominating games like this. The Oxford fans sung we'll play you next year, I genuinely hope they are promoted, but also hope we aren't playing them. Hopefully a clean sheet and three goals can help jump start our stalling season.