SLADE GET RID OF THEIR IMAGE

 

THE OWNING up, when it came, was predictably terse. "O.K. it caused us a lot of bother", said Noddy. He was talking about Slade's identikit image which scalped their music and left them looking like sinister little skinheads better fitted for fights than sounds.

Unfortunately it worked almost too well. Because the medium became the message when the real message was music. And the idea of having a bunch of thickies on a television or radio programme didn't appeal to progressive producers.

"They all got frightened off by our image". said Noddy. "At one stage it even began to affect promoters. They thought we were just a bunch of idiots out to cause trouble. "

But once the group played a gig the promoters got a pleasant surprise. They discovered that the group is about music, despite the cherry reds, the hitched up braces and tee-shirts.

And it's not all the sort of raucous rave up that you'd expect . Not that the group ever played reggae (remember?) but they were always in the front line when it came to a noisy jam.

Now the group is into much more melodious music, utilising an electric violin and a piano for their ever increasing repertoire of slow numbers.

"The sort of songs we are writing now require much more work than the sort of 12 bar blues riffs we used to base our stuff on. Nowadays we are aiming for a much softer sound in a lot of our songs". Noddy explained.

The group is also busy perfecting a strong harmony line which, when they jumped on board the skinhead steamer was right out. It is almost as if they were back to what many regard as the good old days of Ambrose Slade (as they used to be ). But the interlude served its purpose. Many more people are aware of the group and many more are now listening to its music.

"When people come and see us with a completely open mind we find that we really go down very well"Luckily there are a lot more of them these days

"A little while ago quite a few people steered clear of us because they thought we automatically attracted the toughest of the world's skinheads.But even some of them like our music!"

Their songs - ten are featured on their twelve track LP 'Play It Loud' just issued - stem from their memories of early childhood

One, Dapple Rose, is about a horse being put down, another Know who you are themes on the lead guitarist who's pet foible is wearing his father's socks.

"They're not very London-cool songs but we are not that sort of group. In fact, I get a little bit niggled by the cult of cool which is constantly being flogged round London. People should enjoy themselves. they should get excited and have a good time."

"But in London that sort of behaviour isn't cool. Even some of the groups stand on stage in London looking like death warmed up. They just stand there looking like a depressed area."

" I hate that sort of thing. At least when we play we are happy. We want people to be happy listening to us. We want them to enjoy themselves and laugh .... even if they're only laughing at us.!"