Posted on May 3, 2010 - by Mark Zonda

Mark Zonda is now Fan of… The Fans!

1978 was a great year to be in Bristol. The first sparks of punk rock music hardly managed to spoil the class that always defined the sound of the city from The Chesterfields to Santa Dog. It was inevitable for a band like The Fans to gather and refine the rage of those days into the finest UK indie pop. Now. What I’m about to tell you it’s not even the story of a band. It’s pure science fiction. Though this band was not only one of the most popular bands in Birstol, but they got quite famous all over Albion, after all those years they’ve got more demos and live bootleg recordings than songs. The whole band was wrapped around the figure of George, already known for his band “George and the Dragons”.  Their first single was released in 1979 by Fried Egg Records. It was called “Givin’ Me That Look In Your Eyes”, and combined a frenetic chour à-la-Muppet Show with jingle-jangle guitars not so distant from certain The Jam songs, even anticipating some of Style Council counter tempo and Status Quo syncopated refrains.  In few words: “Givin’ Me That Look In Your Eyes” is a tune. It still fuckin’ works today, it could probably make start a riot in any pub on a friday night. One of the most underrated songs ever. Side B went for “Stay The Night”, yet another pearl, like having The Smiths and The Cure suddently goin’ on a Be-Bop Madness over an unstoppable mad guitar refrain. The quintessence of brit-pop.

A year pased, and Fried Egg agreed for a bis with a second single:“You Don’t Live Here Anymore”, that any fan of Beatles and Dexy’s Midnight Runner should love, with a brilliant solo very kin once again to Jam and Queen.

Then the band split. George suddenly decided to leave England for France, to live in the heart of the Continent country following some solo projects and collaborations from time to time. End of the story? No way. Brahman, the biggest metal band in Japan, recorded a cover of “You Don’t Live Here Anymore” on their last album “Anathomy”. More and more people in Japan started to be interested on that unknown niche band of another distant island in the far weast their idols dediced to cover. After more than 20 years it was “The Fans” mania again. What’s the magic in that? Nobutaida Yatya, from 1977 Records, decided to reissue all The Fans material remastering the singles adding some previously unreleased material, the boy managed to find missing George somewhere in France, and now the band is back together ready to tour Japan in 2010.

The magic of music never loose it’s power during the years. I know feel confident that – no matter what – any good action will not be left unpunished. If these rock’n'roll miracles are still capable to show some sparkles,  well, blame it to the fans.

The Fans – Like it or not

Let it ring on...

• Join the cue fanfare (0)
• Making Filmstars (1)
• Hi-Life Companion (0)
• An Hi-Life Companion (0)
• Not Everybody Gets To See A Westfield Mining Disaster (1)