Just finished listening to a great interview with Will Birch(The Records, Kursaal Flyers), listening to him talk about the timeline from 60’s pop, mods & rockers in the UK, on thru to the pub rock scene, then to punk, new wave, etc. Made me realize again that The Taters, as well as most of the local music you’ll hear in town, around the country and around the world, are part of that same pub rock tradition – musicians getting out there, playing and singing in clubs, bars, restaurants, and a stage or two. Most of these folks – the Taters included – book their own shows, load their own equipment, do their own setups and load-outs, and all for the love of playing music.
In the 70s it was designated Pub Rock as a reaction to the bigger, glitzier glam bands & progressive rock acts with their laser light stadium shows. For the last 30 years or so it could be considered an alternative to most of the music you see on TV with artists that come and go within a year or two, often don’t even play or sing on their records – unless you count their post-AutoTune’d voices as a doppelganger of themselves. Obviously there’s a market for it, and the world is more than big enough to handle all types of music, but it really is a different creature than working, live musicians who are out there night after night, working for the pure joy of it. Not many of us will ever see 6 or 7-figure incomes from any of this, but it hasn’t stopped us from doing it, or from loving it. As most any of us will tell you, if we were in it for the money or fame, we’d have have put the guitar behind the couch years ago and never pulled it out again! And anyone who’s out there playing is grateful for all of the people who come out to shows, buy and listen to CDs or downloads, and tell their friends about it.
So all of that just to say thank you, from all of the Taters – and from all of the live music everywhere – for listening and for supporting what we love to do! We’re looking forward to what we hope will be a great 2014 and we’re happy you’re a part of it!
