After 1984’s gargantuan greatness with the dominance of Frankie and meteoric rise of Madonna and Prince, 1985 had a lot to measure up to. …And indeed, some have said it’s a rather more forgettable year for pop.
ROO PANES – Pacific EP
In the old days, record sales were everything. Bands measured their success by gold and platinum discs. With the advent of the internet – and more specifically the ability to stream music at the push of a button – the measure of success gradually changed. In a world of Spotify and Apple Music users, Roo Panes is a runaway success, having had his music streamed millions of times.
CAPRA – Capra EP
At the beginning of 2020, Capra only had one release behind them, but that was already enough for the band to have shared stages with hardcore champions Today Is The Day and sludge/doom legends Eye Hate God. Their ‘Unholy Gallows’ single showed them to be a hardcore tour de force; a band capable of mixing metallic riffs with the kind of punk-oriented intensities you’d find on a World of Pain or Gallows disc. They already sounded like they were heading for a great future.
Beyond Redemption: An interview with Big River
2019 was a big year for UK blues rock band Big River. After a few years of tireless gigging, they’d started to make higher profile appearances. Perhaps more importantly, they finally released their debut album ‘Redemption’, a long time in the planning. We last spoke to founding guitarist Damo Fawsett four years ago, so he was keen to come back to Real Gone and fill us in on the band’s activities. This time, we got the full picture as we also got to spend time with Ant Wellman (bass), Adam Bartholomew (vocals) and Joe Martin (drums). Obviously, they’re all thrilled to bits with the response the album has gained…
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The Great 80s Project: 1984
Few people could argue against 1984 being one of history’s finest years for pop music. Above all else, the mighty Frankie Goes To Hollywood came and gave pop a hefty kick up the arse with a combination of great tunes and greater controversy. They were the first band since the 60s to score three #1 hits in a row, but each one – ‘Relax’, ‘Two Tribes’ and ‘The Power of Love’ were deserving of their success. Each one sounds as good as ever and in the case of ‘Two Tribes’, there’s still a real edginess you’d think would be long gone.