Last Days of Disco

It’s just getting on for 6 o’clock in the evening and Last Days of Disco are preparing for band practice. I’m greeted within a relaxed atmosphere which shows that the band members are just as much good friends as they are colleagues. A pre-practice conversation consists of the horrifically brisk weather outside, South African accents and the prospect of a hard-earned beer after practice is through and finished. Before you know it, the equipment is set up and there is a strong sense that it is time to get to work. Lead singer, Ben, yells out the word “Ready?” to which the rest of the band then respond to by slowly building into their very own “We Start Fires”. Each stroke of a chord, each playing of a note, each beat of the drum and each song lyric that is sang all come together and gather pace. The song then bursts into the chorus - Last Days of Disco are here, and they are knocking down the door on the way to becoming a major success....

The band, who are based here in Liverpool, are currently preparing for a series of shows – one of which is certainly the gig of their life. With the prospect of a record deal looming large, the band is playing a show in The Bull & Gate music bar in London on 6th February in front of a special visitor from the Sony record company. This is certainly as big as it gets for an unsigned band, and it is something which has massive potential to be the ultimate making of Last Days of Disco.

Having been a long term admirer of the band, ever since lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Ben Weighill, and lead guitarist, Matt Chambers, moved from their hometown of Chesterfield to Liverpool, there is certainly a clear observation and recognition that the band has continued to progress and to make huge strides to becoming what they ultimately want to be – a signed band that makes their own music and plays to masses of adoring fans. With the welcome addition of management now behind them, this is certainly an achievable goal for Last Days of Disco.

When Weighill and Chambers first arrived to Liverpool, there was a clear potential from the off that the band could become something big. Now that they have added Liverpool bassist Eddie Wynne, as well as Clevedon drummer James Kelly to the line up, that potential has been bolstered from something which could have been big to something colossal.

They have switched from initially being a predominantly acoustic band to now being a powerful, electric band – a switch in style which Chambers believes is “much better”. Both Wynne and Kelly provide a powerful engine within their bass and drum playing which drives the songs, whilst also allowing the rhythm of the music to flow better and giving Chambers complete freedom to shred his lead guitar over Weighill’s rhythm guitar. All of these different elements and styles of play combine beautifully to create a sublime sound within Last Days of Disco’s music.

What’s more is the fact that the band has become more sophisticated in selecting songs for their set-lists now. This is something which Weighill feels is owed largely to the new support of management.

Commenting upon whether or not the management has had an influence over the songs which get played, Weighill said, “Yes it has, because Neil (the band’s manager) has told us which singles he feels will impress the most”.

Before the switch-over from acoustic to electric, there were a whole host of self-written songs which Weighill and Chambers used to play. Some of the songs have been removed due to their acoustic content, whilst others have been removed due to what Chambers and Wynne both describe as “a different direction”.

The manner in which the band can afford to discard certain songs from set-lists (songs such as “Mock the Mocha”, “Freedom is Slavery’” and “Last Lost Love” – all of which have the potential to get released at least onto an EP or an album) just goes to show the abundance of quality and depth within their song-writing skills. This is a firm statement that as time progresses, so do Last Days of Disco.

The band also used to play a small range of quirky and exciting covers within their previous set-lists – amongst which were Jamie T’s “Stella” and Vampire Weekend’s “A-punk”. However, they no longer perform them either.

Asked upon why the band no longer plays cover versions, Chambers firmly commented, “Because we are going to be our band and not a covers band”.

The assertive nature in which Chambers replied to that question just goes to show the confidence that the band has been allowed to gain through the addition of new members, as well as the switch in style of play and the support of new management. The band is thriving and there is a strong sense that they know what they have to do in order to make it.

It is evident in the way they practice. Outside of it, they are four friends who indulge in their fair share of banter. But once they are in there, they are passionate, professional and focused. Every now and again, there is a laugh and a joke in between, but make no mistake, this is a band that is ready to work for what they want to achieve.

Being there in practice, and being allowed the pleasure of sitting in and observing them, I quickly became drawn in and fascinated by the prospect of this set-list which the band feels will serve them best on their quest to spread their fan-base and to hopefully gain that record deal which they so richly deserve.

After breaking in the practice by starting with the quirky, upbeat and catchy “We Start Fires” and the heartfelt “All We Need”, I felt warm and tingly. I felt joy at the way in which the songs made me feel, whilst I also felt joy at the prospect at what this band can

become. It was a nice feeling to have, but that feeling was about to change…

No sooner had those opening two songs been played, when the band then burst into the much heavier, much more powerful “Last Dance”, which transformed my slow, trance-like sway into furious head-thrashing. The structure of Weighill’s rhythm, Wynne’s bass and Kelly’s drums all combine to provide the perfect engine for the song, and to also allow Chamber’s to let roar with the song’s strong and effective riff. The aggressive and somewhat shouty repetition of the words “regret it” within the lyrics of the song stuck with me hours after the practice had finished – the repetition of these words and the fact that Chambers’ backing vocals combine well with Weighill’s lead vocals gave the song a real sense of purpose, and made it stand out even more. But the manner in which those words were delivered, along with the rest of the song as a whole, proved how diverse Last Days of Disco are within their range of songs. The fact that they can go from something as quirky and upbeat as the chorus of ‘We Start Fires’ to this raw display of sheer power and aggression in ‘Last Dance’ shows that the band certainly isn’t a one-trick pony.

As the climax of ‘Last Dance’ comes to an end, the band then build into a link, which keeps a strong sense of momentum and then ultimately becomes the start of a clear signature tune of theirs – the utterly mesmerising ‘Circles’. Having heard most of the band’s music from past and present, I would make the personal observation that this is the archetype of the band’s overall sound and style. The song tells the story of how a relationship reaches that tedious and repetitive phase that a romance often evolves into when it is coming to an end – the lyrics “It seems like we are walking round in circles again / The finish line’s always inside but I can’t reach the end” sum up the message which the song ultimately conveys. All of the lyrics within the song contribute towards a romantic, raconteur-style which Last Days of Disco often reach when they write their songs. On a couple of occasions throughout the song, there is a break down into a slower and heavier bridge before building back into the chorus. The harmonies of the backing vocals within this bridge combine well to compliment Weighill’s lead, whilst also complimenting the entire nature of the song. Whilst the chorus and bridge are catchy enough to get any crowd singing along, the climax to the song is what is sure to have everybody jumping up and down and absolutely going for it. The repetition of the words “Does he love her / And does she love him?” leaves the story of the song on a cliff-hanger, whilst also providing audiences with a style reminiscent to the early-day Arctic Monkeys, who were experts at getting audiences to hark back from the stands and terraces.

The band then finish their practice of the set-list with “Trigger Finger” and “If I leave” – the latter of which is a song that has clearly been written with the intention of blowing people’s heads off. Chambers’ lead guitar during “If I leave” resembles elements of solo work which come together to sound like a classic rock song in the Guns ‘N’ Roses

type of mould. In gigs of the past, the band have more often than not finished their set-lists with “Circles” – however, the tactical shift of finishing with ‘”If I leave” has clearly been included to end the set-list on a high which will have audiences still rocking when they are on their way out of music venues in the future.

With the visit of a Sony Columbia Records talent scout on the horizon and the prospect of this set-list being played out live in front of him, Last Days of Disco’s chances are looking pretty good.

Upon this subject-matter, Weighill said, “The guy from Sony has heard “(We Start) Fires” and “Last Lost Love” and he already likes us”.

He continued, “If we live up to his expectations live, then hopefully, it won’t be long before we are rubbing shoulders with Beyonce and Bruce Springsteen”.

Whilst Weighill made this statement in a tongue-in-cheek manner, it is still pretty clear to see that the band is setting its sights as high as possible. And what’s more is the fact that the band are confident that this pivotal and decisive gig will go down well.

Weighill further continued, “The good thing is that we’ll have a good sound man. The sound man who does the Gorrillaz is doing our sound for this gig, which is a major step-up from what we have been used to in the past”.

Such a statement is yet another sign of how much Last Days of Disco have progressed. Whilst they have played on in past gigs with a normal standard of sound technique and management, they are now finding themselves presented with this opportunity to work with the best in the business.

This premise of “best in the business” transfers over in all matters associated with the band. As well as working with publishers and management, the band has also been given the opportunity to work with a song-writer who has previously worked with nineties girl group All Saints and the legendary Tom Jones.

“He (the song-writer) hasn’t wrote any songs for us, but he advises us on different parts and gets really excited over other parts too” Weighill commented.

He’s not the only one who is really excited…

Having been given this wonderful opportunity to have an exclusive peek into the band’s practice and to speak with them all on a one-to-one basis, I would make the overall observation that this band is constantly making strides into the right direction. The shift in instrumental style and the support of both publishers and management has got the band thinking in a more mature manner and making the right decisions. The reworking of set-lists is constantly evolving due to the fact that the band is very active when it comes to writing new material – therefore, meaning that they are allowed the freedom to rework set-lists based on the strength of new songs.

Taking all of these factors into consideration, one thing is for certain…Last Days of Disco are certainly heading on the right path towards glory.

*To find out more about Last Days of Disco, like their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter via @ldod_official. Or if you are interested in listening to some recorded demos from the band, then visit their MySpace page on www.myspace.com/ldodband