Monday 30 January 2017

Inspiral Carpets

This post is dedicated to Craig Gill (the drummer from said band) who I met once at The Boardwalk watching my band playing live way back. The Carpets just happened to be in the venue the night we played and were really down to earth Manc blokes. He unfortunately passed away last year on 22nd November and will always be remembered as a great drummer. I was going through the Manc phase of music in early 1988 when I came across a cracking cassette called Dung 4 by a local band I had never heard of.
They sounded like a hybrid of The Doors, punk and garage at it's dirtiest. They were most definitely the first Manc band I fell in love with. Don't get me wrong, The Roses were shit hot but The Carpets were an Oldham band and with me hailing from Middleton I had a soft spot! I bought the Plane Crash EP on vinyl and that was it.
The first band I followed live. I will always remember seeing them live in Oldham when The Frank & Walters supported them. Top gig. My mate Pete Delaney at the time got really into them and when they realeased Life the debut album we went to The G-Mex which was a fucking great gig. I even bought a Cool As Fuck t-shirt.
As debut albums go, they could not go wrong. It was upbeat, funky garage rock which made a massive impact on the Baggy scene. They somehow got roped in with The Mondays and The Roses because of the blinkered Cockney arts media degree wankers who tried to pigeonhole the Manc scene. Clint Boon's Hammond organ sound was unique which gave them The Doors tag but it worked.
The 'difficult' second album was received not too well by the music press but remains my favourite Carpets album. It was ambitious, brave and explored new territory. If you listen to bands like The Horrors just listen to Further Away. A pyschedelic garage tinged epic which sounds so relevant today. I still listen to this album at least once a month!
Whatever was in their head after The Beast Inside sent them back to basics with this corker. Great album cover, garage sounds abound again and some more corkers. I must admit I was exploring different avenues at the time and didn't get Devil Hopping for a while.
but listening back now I regret that. Another great album from a band that I can only say remind me of why Cabbage are such a fresh new band. They excited me no end and turned me on to some great stuff. I remember sitting with Clint Boon at a music festival in Werneth one sunny afternoon and having a good natter with him and the aura I got was one of just a genuine music lover with a great ear for a tune. Life changer legendary Manc band!

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