Crack

With the decline of CD sales in the music industry, coupled with the rise of downloads and illegal file sharing, a lot of the music that forms today’s charts leaves a lot to be desired.

A quick listen to daytime Radio 1 and the Reggie Yates’ Chart Show on Sunday afternoon, is a painful exercise, exposing the terrible state of the current UK top 10. While I write this, Virgin Islander singer and rapper Iyaz is flying high at number one with his track Replay. A detestable slice of autotuned R’n’B wank, boasting genius lyrics like: “Doing things I never do, I’m in the kitchen cooking things she likes”. The rest of the top 10, which includes two versions of Don’t Stop Believin’ and a JLS track, further serves to highlight the dour state of popular music today. It’s a far cry from what being number one in the charts used to represent as little as 10 years ago.

Rise record shop on the Clifton triangle encourage music sales of a better taste and have actively sourced bands to appear in-store and play a small and intimate set to coincide with their current releases. After recently hosting performances from The XX and Mumford and Sons, it was the turn of London’s Good Shoes to take the stage.

Calling it a stage is probably the wrong term, given there was no elevation between the band and the eager crowd gathered in front of them. With space made for the bands’ set-up in the upstairs corner of the store and only the vocals and half the drum kit mic’d up, it made for a very raw and unique performance.

Good Shoes are an experienced and musically tight outfit. They comfortably play their way through songs from their second album along with a couple from their first, the latter of which brings a louder response from the audience.

Lead singer Rhys Jones has quite a stylistically fragile voice that probably wasn’t helped by the lack of any feedback monitors, but it’s not a hindrance to the performance as Good Shoes tear through their short, punchy set with energy and precision. It’s the more up-tempo and urgent songs that command the attention. Their clever timing and jerky brand of indie-pop-rock is shown off through stand-out tracks The Way My Heart Beats and Bouncer.

Given the time of the gig (6pm) and the lack of alcohol, it’s no surprise the crowd are at best nodding their heads (apart from local gig fiend Geoff). This gig was more of a fascinating and observational affair. To be able to see bands play this close and exposed is truly different and refreshing.

This performance, in a good quality independent record shop, provides a strong reminder of what music should be about. It’s stripped down, raw, and honest. It provides an excuse to go and see a brilliant band in a record store that is keeping the spirit of music sales well and truly alive.



Tune: Everything You Do

http://www.myspace.com/goodshoes

Words: Jake Applebee

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