2) DELAYS
To quote an endearing Audrey from Twin Peaks “God I love this music. Isn’t it too dreamy?” This, my friends, is the perfect quote for new Southampton darlings Delays.
The Cocteau Twins-remember them? Great Scottish band around from the early 1980’s to early 1990’s. Well, Greg Gilbert’s vocals take off and soar from where the angelic vocals of Elizabeth Fraser left us. There’s something about Greg Gilbert that’s charming. It’s hard to believe that this angelic figure was once into the whole glam scene!
I didn’t really know where I was going with this article. I kind of wanted it to be a review, I wanted to share personal
I’ve seen Delays really come into their own in the last few months and the last leg of the tour in the UK and I feel proud in a way-as well as all the other fans they’ve accumulated on the height to their current success. I have no doubt that they will continue to develop as a band and ride the escalators as far as heaven. With the amount of screaming teenage girls after them, boys wearing sailor tops like theirs and even the older generation appreciating them as much as they appreciated the Beatles, you’d think it just might go to their heads. But no, Greg remains level headed, content and down to earth and enjoys the little things like Sweet ‘n’ sour chicken, Colin (bassist) remains fairly shy, Aaron-Greg’s younger brother-appears to remain the handful he always was but an absolute sweetheart with his onstage antics and Rowly (drummer) just continues to smile his life away whilst sucking on a lolli-pop!
In the last 3 months, I’ve seen this band 6 times. I’ve seen 600 people crammed into HMV on Oxford Street just wanting a piece of these guys, I’ve seen a wide age range at gigs and have had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know some of their fan base, again, all part of the delays package. I’ve also had the nervous job of taking friends to gigs praising this band to high heaven and hoping (but secretly knowing) that the band won’t let ‘me’ down. I anxiously await the reviews from friends and am absolutely gleaming when they look rather pleased and thank me. I’m not even going to mention the lengths of embarrassment I’ve gone through to let my faith be known!
Delays’ biggest shows to date takes place on the 13th and 14th of May with a majority of the ‘original’ fan base set to travel from afar in order to attend. Tonight, you can see the nerves through the band, but you can understand why and it’s charming. These guys aren’t full of shit. We need more of this from other bands. I get to hear new song ‘Hideaway’ again. I’ve only heard it a few times and already the melody is imprinted in my brain. I’ll just go back to that whenever I need to hear some new Delays material.
I do leave the gig however, feeling that it wasn’t the same band I saw in Newcastle a few weeks back; the crowd weren’t as rampant tonight. It seems like Greg needs the crowd to feel at ease with himself. I love this about them. It makes you feel wanted. You try not to get too attached to bands but with these guys it’s hard. They mean a lot to so many people and there are so many ‘proud’ fans at these 2 sold out London dates. When they’re suddenly not there, you feel like a part of you has gone. The problem with being called ‘Delays’ is that it leaves you open for the unfunniest puns you’ll hear! “I know I was expecting to see Delays tonight but I didn’t think they meant it literally” was one of the text messages sent in to the big screen in the sky of the Astoria. It keeps people occupied in-between sets.
So why should we love this band? I honestly can’t tell you in words why you should love this band but I can tell you that you’re missing out if you don’t. They have the ability to make you feel wanted, to make you feel a part of the music and a part of them. Whether they have that intention is another question but they leave the stage and you want to feel that rush all over again…literally.
After leaving the Astoria gig on the first night, something was telling me I should be there for the second night. I knew that the band hadn’t reached their full potential and I just had to be there when they did. There’s no doubt that the band eased into their performance a lot quicker on the second night. It helped that the crowd were cheering the band on more and weren’t afraid to get a bit more rampant despite the extremely hot temperature in the Astoria.
The opening riff of ‘Nearer than heaven’ is played slowly but the crowd can tell what it is. Every gig I’ve been to on the tour, the rapturous applause begins and the band launch into the song properly. There’s lots of cooing in the song, from off stage as well as on. ‘Lost in Melody’ goes down a storm-as usual. This is the song that will put them on the map! It’s a precious little baby but I’m so eager for it to be unleashed on the radio waves-it’s screaming to be heard. It’s a likely candidate for the next single and people and non-believers aren’t going to know what’s hit them.
‘Quiet’ which is a b-side (yes, a b-side-it’s just way too good) is played again. I just can’t contain myself. Could it be better than the Newcastle gig? I don’t know is the honest answer. Newcastle saw the first time of them playing it. I felt lucky enough to be there. London let me hear the greatness live again. It’s definitely a live track and the most ‘different’ sounding from their others. It’s so dark and eerie and creates the most amazing atmosphere when played live. The backing vocals which help to end the song scream out to you to be noticed. You actually ask yourself if it’s the same band. It still tingles when I think about it.
‘One Night Away’ is another bouncy number with a rocky edge and a sweet melody. It reminds me of a modern take on the beach boys’ ‘Wouldn’t it be nice’ but without the random brass section. A really strong track that I feel has been severely overlooked. ‘Stay where you are’ is as fantastic as ever. A throw back to 80s but without the cheese! You can’t get much better than that! “Tell everybody I’m leaving…” Greg sings in a half whisper whilst being backed by his younger brother Aaron with the addition of bassist Colin’s luscious vocals in various parts; all kept in time with Rowly’s emphatic (and sometimes topless) drumming!
Astoria also sees ‘Satellites Lost’ added to the encore’s set list. It’s definitely an unexpected addition and I wonder how they’re going to pull it off live. I maybe would’ve replaced it with the recent demand to hear the summery ‘You wear the sun’ but it the gorgeousity and mellowness of ‘Satellites Lost’ goes down well after the previous upbeat tempo ones.
‘Long Time Coming’ has been the ‘final’ song of the set at all of the dates I’ve been to on this tour and it hasn’t failed to leave the crowd begging for more. No matter how ‘still’ the crowd may have been during the gig, they don’t stay like that for long after the groovy sound from Aaron’s synthesiser kicks in and his mad jumping about becomes infectious. When it ends and the band leave the stage, it doesn’t take long for the crowd to start the usual clapping and the feet stamping.
New song ‘Angel’ is played on the second night of the Astoria dates during the encore. It’s been greatly anticipated since the guys played it in Leeds before their tour of Europe with the Veils. Everyone in the crowd can’t wait to hear what they come up with next. I don’t think it’s disappointed. Closing track to the album ‘On’ is a live favourite. When on record, it seems weak in comparison. It’s a pumping, pulsating song and has never failed to get the crowd clapping while it builds up to a fantastic and psychedelic gem of a tune. It’s time to take a leaf out of Aaron’s book and just dance like nobody’s watching you!
Am I still in a ‘Honeymoon’ period with this band? I mean, after the initial shock of finding another band you love and feel passionate about, it usually starts to wear off, you start to find faults with them and what they’re doing but I haven’t yet found anything with Delays. They just keep getting bigger and better. This band as a whole has the ability to make you fall in love with them over and over again. How is it possible? It seems almost effortless… from the first falsetto on the opening lines on the album to the moment they leave the stage, it’s all in the package.
I’ve come to the conclusion that Delays’ debut album Faded Seaside Glamour doesn’t do them enough justice as a whole and looking at their live ability. The album is gem as a whole and each track will leave an individual mark on you, even though some aspects of the album may seem slightly over produced (top 20 hit ‘Long time coming’ which is a true rocky number at heart, is one that springs to mind). But it’s like looking at a film script; it’s as it is on paper but it takes the finished film for you to see what it’s really like. I’m glad it’s a pretty picture.
Delays have come a long way since their support slot with the likes of McAlmont & Butler, Easyworld and Ocean Colour Scene. Although they’re not quite finished with the idea of supporting other bands, the bands they will support are only going to be the big and the best. June sees them supporting the Pixies at Brixton Academy. An absolute dream support slot one would think.
So here we have it, if you’re looking for a fresh sounding band and a soundtrack for your summer, then look no further than Delays. Combining dreamy sounds of Cocteau Twins, indie pop of the Las, classic ness of the Byrds and the stage presence of your ideal band, they’re not to be overlooked, no matter how cool you think you are.
Zara Crockett-King.
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