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Post by shebangsthedrums on May 27, 2008 8:36:52 GMT
Don't know if any of you saw the article with Liam in Manchester Evening News. It's here if you haven't... HIT new band The Courteeners have claimed they don't get media recognition because of their northern roots. The north-south divide row came after frontman Liam Fray blasted critics for a `southern bias'. Heralded as Greater Manchester's next big thing, the Middleton band have just returned from a hugely successful tour of Japan. But singer Fray, 22, thinks they don't get their due from the national press because they are from up north. And he blasted critics who say he imitates Oasis' star Liam Gallagher. Fray, a former Cardinal Langley High School pupil, said: "It's ridiculous that we get bracketed as a `lad band'. I have A-levels in English, business and economics - two As and a B. "We are the least chauvinistic group of people you could meet but southern bias is paramount. "If I was from the south I would be described as having a `loveable boyish attitude' - but I'm from the north, so I'm the Mancunian motormouth." Despite being wary of comparisons, Fray believes the Courteeners can be as big as Oasis and fill the space left by The Smiths and Stone Roses. "He said: "People think we're not nice because we have self belieff, it's like you're not allowed self belief. "It wouldn't be a good thing if the Roses or The Smiths reformed. They charted a moment for their generation - let that generation have them. This one has the Courteeners." The band recently appeared on Jonathon Ross' TV talk show and received plaudits from U2 star Bono, Madonna and ex-Smiths frontman Morrissey, who turned up at a gig. Fray said: "It was strange meeting Morrissey. It was good, but when it happens it's just another person at another gig, just as important as the girl from Fallowfield who comes to see us at freshers week." Think he's got a point myself. The media are so London-centric that bands from the north get pidgeonholed straight away.  |
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Post by Darren on May 27, 2008 9:56:42 GMT
Great find, nice one! Any chance of a scan of the paper for the forum? I'll pay all costs for high quality 
Regarding Liam's comments:I totally agree with what he said about not getting enough press and recognition. Being from the north does seem to be a burden on bands today due to the past talent it has produced, they always get compared to Oasis / Roses / Smiths. Why can't they just listen to the bands without comparisons and thinking they are imitating their influences! If Liam Fray wanted to be Liam Gallagher he would have formed a tribute band, not one the countries mostly talented bands to emerge with so much potential of getting their foot in the world market  I blame publications like the NME for this, they always come up with a far fetched description of what the band sound like and name drop several past/present artists to bulk up their obvious lack of knowledge. I'm not saying I'm a great writer or even good and have never claimed otherwise but I don't just throw in words willynilly for the sake of it! If you haven't got anything constructive to say then don't say anything is what I always believe in (that must explain why I'm a quiet person  ). Too right! There is a massive void left by these bands and Oasis can never better the music that got them so famous, 'indie' music has changed a bit since the so-called britpop days and bands hardly ever reach a 2nd or 3rd album. The Courteeners can be the band that everyone talks about in ten years and say "Do you remember when they released St. Jude? Yeah course I do but the new album has got some great songs"  They have already proved that have got the talent, it's can really depend on how the industry treats them, it's a shame that bands get so hyped up these days! To think a group of talented individuals could be dropped from a label for poor album sales or whatever when the labels are the ones adding fuel to all the hype and rubbing their hands with the thought of more pound signs for the next 6 months! A great little article from the MEN. Liam has started something which could cause a backlash in the press because it does hit the proverbial nerve! His comments are from the heart with his added charm and straight talking brings out his true character, not the one created by certain press. That's what I think anyway, I do get carried away when the subject triggers my opinions into action, nice one Liam ;D |
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Post by chezza on May 27, 2008 9:57:06 GMT
Thanks for posting this hadn't seen it....been from even further up north...
Funnily enough I was reading the other day an Oasis bio thing and reading about Liam G he couldn't be any different from our Liam.....I mean can you imagine Mr Fray head butting a fan - he more likely to give you a hug and buy you a drink!
The north south thing has always been the same and probably always will be but all the best bands come from the north anyway! maybe one day the media will realise that!
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Post by cal on May 27, 2008 12:10:04 GMT
me and me mam were talking about this the other day, how can they have a top 10 album, yet still get hardly any recognition in the papers and whatnot. its mad
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Post by shebangsthedrums on May 27, 2008 12:26:29 GMT
Great find, nice one! Any chance of a scan of the paper for the forum? I'll pay all costs for high quality A mate of mine alerted me to the article but I don't actually have a hard copy at the mo but I'll let you know if I can get hold of one. What you said about NME is spot on. They seem to compare bands on the basis of geography rather than what they actually sound like. As for the north/south thing, I definately know what they're talking about. As the token northerner in a class full of londoners at uni, I am constantly told what a broad accent I have and it's like I have to work twice as hard to prove I'm not a brainless simpleton. And as for the Oasis comparisons- stupid. I've never seen the connection, either musically or lyrically. I suppose it's just a tag they have to put up with from journalists who don't know any better. |
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Post by Fergal on May 27, 2008 13:59:15 GMT
Funnily enough I was reading the other day an Oasis bio thing and reading about Liam G he couldn't be any different from our Liam.....I mean can you imagine Mr Fray head butting a fan - he more likely to give you a hug and buy you a drink! Can you imagine Liam G head butting a fan? A photographer perhaps, but i doubt a fan. I agree completely with Fray's comments, the music press (and the majority of the press on the whole) is southern bias and still believes all northerners to be luddite thugs. If the Courteeners came from London they wouldn't have the immense fan following they have now but what they would have is tons of press attention and adoration. Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jongs for example, their fan base is very small but they're in and out of the papers every day for the right reasons, but they haven't charted well at all but are getting more press attention than The Courteeners who have done? I'm not saying whether you've charted or not is a measure of how good you are, but its expected to be a measure of publicity is it not? After Courteeners' blessing of the front page of NME, tons and tons of letters were printed by the NME in complaint and disgust at Liam Fray's comments, all from Southerners and all of them letters of complaint - I bet they got equally if not more so as many letters from fans, be them Northern or Southern, but neglected to print those. I even felt the temptation to write a letter into the NME complaining about this itself, but I knew that would be a highway to nowhere. We should write a forum letter shouldn't we! haha Cavorting as a first single probably didn't do the Courteeners PR any favours, but this tabloid image that has been whipped up of them is wholly false and were I Liam Fray I'd be sick to the back teeth of it to. Glad Liam and the MEN have got this through ;D |
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Post by burnleynotbarcelona on May 27, 2008 19:37:49 GMT
Objectively speaking there has been so much lazy journalism associated with the band, more so than any other band I can recall in recent times.
The Oasis/lad band associations are just laughable, if one of these journalists were to attend a gig they would, as we know, find a wide age range and a high proportion of women. But then most of them probably never attend a gig outside of Hoxton.
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Post by frankiewno1 on May 27, 2008 20:33:24 GMT
This is awesome...I dont think I saw this article cause I think the one I saw was slightly different but if you could let me know when this was printed that would be good
The one I saw was in the MEN and was pretty much saying that he was disapointed by the comparisons as the main issue and read as well as this
Its a shame the MEN reporter cant get this into NME cause its so much better written than anything they have published about the band and a lot of people I've spoken to have got a really bad impression about Fray cause of such articles as the NME one
I love the fact that he is outspoken about how much he likes his band cause what is a band without self belief?? I think its mainly the Oasis thing that pisses him off 'cause everyone says they have a lot to follow but they dont want to follow anything they want to make their own
I'm a female and I bloody love the band so all this lad band stuff is jack
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Post by chezza on May 28, 2008 12:17:09 GMT
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Post by Andy on May 28, 2008 17:15:35 GMT
totally agree as we've gone on the record and saying that even without listening to music - people will hear 3 things associated with the band - singer called liam, from manchester and an indie rock band - and that in itself assumes - from they are from upnorth and a bunch of "mancunian motormouths" as liam said anyone who listened to the album can obvious dismiss the above, as liam is a smart guy as his lyrics show the album did well, but shame it hasn't stayed up there in the charts at all - it deserves it after all I think what chezza said is right, when saw em at hull, after the gig shook liams hand and said top show mate - he replied -thanks so much for coming out tonight mate - no prob I replied |
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Post by frankiewno1 on May 28, 2008 17:33:33 GMT
I agree mistermack...when I met him he thanked me for taking the time and money to go see em and the rest of the band are the same
I have greatest of respect for that
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Post by Andy on May 28, 2008 17:42:19 GMT
aye as liam has said before in interviews many bands take it for granted - they don't which is a really nice thing from them to do and btw you can call me andy |
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Post by frankiewno1 on May 28, 2008 17:49:01 GMT
Haha ok Andy...
Well they've seen me around Manchester at gigs and acoustics and I got repayed by them giving me a load of free stuff (towel and sticks and kisses off Cam and Liam) at the last Manc gig which meant the world to me and they said it was cause I sang along to every song and was dancing away all night but I think they just want to say thanks for the support
It makes me it worthwhile being into a band when they are thankful like that
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2008 23:43:33 GMT
snobbish institutions like the NME and everything that goes with them have got to stop trying to catergorise everyone! always trying to find unecessary parallels! listen to the music and take it at face value and enjoy it!
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Post by chezza on May 29, 2008 9:31:18 GMT
what chezza said is right, when saw em at hull, after the gig shook liams hand and said top show mate - he replied -thanks so much for coming out tonight mate - no prob I replied When I met them in Middlesbrough they were lovely considering we were two drunk giggly girls...then I met them at the Hollyoaks gig and they recognised me they said oh we recognise you we met you in Middlesbrough! not many bands would do that... After I'd been to the boro gig my mate asked me what Liam was like - if he was the motor mouth manc he'd been made out to be...I said I thought he came accross as charming and intelligent - that's before I read anything in the press on NME etc etc - I just went to see a band I'd heard once on radio and liked... had the best time at the gig and met the band. They are totally approachable and will take time to talk to anyone... |
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