Innovative and wildy-original new young band hailing from Kingsthorpe announce details of debut album Wait No More and live show. If anyone's going to put Northampton on the musical map, it's these sketchy fruits - they're a bit special. The Operatives are the twisted brainchild of Matt White and Ali Hart, two abundantly talented multi-instrumentalists from the 'orpe - I'll resist emphasising the 'mentalists part... Shit, I just did. They are both in their early 20s and have been been writing and playing together in various bands for over 6 years before settling into their current guise. Their prolific writing style has seen them pen over 200 songs, 14 of which make the final cut of the album. The live-incarnation of The Operatives features Jason Ducker on bass, Max Read on keyboards and David Storey on drums.
At the tail-end of last year, The Operatives were nominated in 2 categories at the BBC Weekender Awards for Best New Act and Best Song (for Giro Day); they were inventively described as being unpigeonholeable - hey it's a new genre.
Album tracks Vuman, Giro Day and Vultures have all been aired on BBC Radio Northampton's Weekender show in recent months and can be listened to again online at www.bbc.co.uk/northamptonshire.
You can also check them out on the highly-respected www.garageband.com, where rising musicians get feedback and exposure for their material. Songs posted on the site are given a star-rating out of 5 by empowered, independent musicians/music lovers, and Giro Day gained an impressive 4-stars from a notoriously-tough, anonymous reviewing-rabble. The band can also be found online at www.myspace.com/operatives where you can listen to, and comment on songs, or make a friend request to be on their buddy list.
Working under the wing of BandTherapy Management, The Operatives have recently finished recording their eagerly-awaited debut 14-track long-player called Wait No More and it's bursting with joy.
It was produced and engineered at The Lodge Recording Studio by Max Read and the band themselves, and is an outrageously, infectious trip through Matt and Ali's warped musical minds - with the blackest of humour skipping happily throughout its 45-minute duration. At times sounding unhinged, the vocal-harmonising ranges from bright and brash falsetto to the darkest, most satisfying of growls. There are sweet-mangled melodies, killer chainsaw-riffs and pulsating drums that drive the songs precariously along a cliff-edge, occasionally veering off, only to land on a lower ledge (platform-game style) with a trail snaking back to the top again.
And higher.
There are laugh-out-loud lyrical exchanges between Matt and Ali that are always the right side of novelty and their versatility and technical skills seem effortless; the tempo-changes deliciously unexpected.
The songwriting is incredibly accomplished, beautifully contorted and peppered with the most addictive of ingredients.
At this moment in time, The Operatives are the most exciting band in town and are surely destined for bigger things...
It's time to put the vibrant Northampton scene on the melodious map and no other band are more obvious pioneers.
- The Operatives have also announced that they will be playing their 'debut' gig on the opening night of BandTherapy's brand new live-music extravaganza, Operation Thursday on February 2, at the newly-renovated Rockinghorse. The line-up also includes, The Retro Spankees, The Phil Collins 3 and Faye Gibson. Doors open at 8pm. Admission £4. It will at last give music fans the chance to check out BandTherapy's Robert John Godfrey and Max Reads' interior-decorating skills, but more importantly, the brand new, state-of-the-art PA and lighting facilities. The Rockinghorse has been transformed into one of Northampton's premier music venues that will be to the benefit of all who play there in the future.
