Highlights from five years of The Vibe

Don’t be to sad about things though. As The Vibe wonders off into the snowy horizon, I thought I’d take this time to remember some of the highlights, antics and friends that we’ve experienced and enjoyed along the way. The Vibe, this is your life.

Starting out in April 2005, we’ve seen The Vibe grow from an idea on covering a gig or two in Ryedale to the monster we see today, travelling around the UK, catching up with famous bands, arriving in unexpected places for some bizarre encounters with the great and the good, yet holding on to the knowledge that the Ryedale scene typifies what the heart of the rock world is, grass-roots movements fuelled by pure enthusiasm, belief and raw talent.

WE have had the privilege of encountering some truly spectacular local talent over the past five years, and here are a few that I’m sure you’ll remember.

My Friend Juliet

Yes, them. The band we all thought would “make it”. Polished three-part vocals, beautiful melodies and some really catchy British Rock style riffs. Displaying a hefty influence from the likes of Hundred Reasons, Reuben, Biffy Clyro and such like, MFJ became by far the most accomplished band in the area. Strangely, despite this tag My Friend Juliet never received the same live reactions that others in the area did, yet an enthusiasm from other bands showed just how much respect this Pickering-based four-piece had earned.

HedCage

What can you say about HedCage, really? We all know what they could bring to a gig, whether it was a sell-out at Suddaby’s or an empty gig at the over-used Kirkymoorside Memorial Hall, you knew what you would get. A brutal stage presence that would make Gallows whimper like a terrified poodle, punchy, up-tempo songs, and, of course, head-banging of the highest order. Hedcage went down as legends in the Malton and Norton area after performing some amazing sets.

Chu Ma Shu

Who remembers Jake and Rob doing the five-minute guitar solo battles? Oh yes, we do too. This was a band that was made up of four of the most naturally-gifted musicians around. Bringing 70s rock to the scene was a real challenge due to the disposable nature of music that we currently have all around us, but these four did it, and did it with style. I think a memory for me that I will never forget was seeing the bushy-haired legend that is Jake, walking around at a gig in a full-on cat suit – you just can’t buy those kind of memories, or get rid of them no matter how hard to try.

Unapproved

Meh, it is the time to finally admit it, for those of you who were in and around the scene, you will know full well that I was the lead singer of this band. However, I am aware that there’s a good number that follow The Vibe who have failed to put two and two together. If you did look back over reviews of Unapproved over the life span of the band, you would notice a definite fear in all of the reviews written. A fear that was based entirely on wanting to say what a great show I thought we’d performed, yet knowing that if I did there would be the risk of being accused of shameless self promotion. So, all that is left to say is, we were absolutely amazing, I mean a truly stunning gift to earth. Yep, I feel completely guilt-free at this point.

One Night Only

Who? One Night, who? Isn’t that the name of an Elton John album? Ha ha, yep we all know what happened to these five cheeky legends. I remember their first-ever show at Kirkbymoorside Memorial Hall.

I was blown away by the confidence of the then four-piece. A small EP later and they were growing quickly as a band, touring around, adding Jack as the fifth member and working hard to earn their stripes. Over the last couple of years they have signed a major deal, played some of the world’s biggest festivals, travelled the world, had a top 10 album and single, and generally started on what we can only hope turn out to be a long career in the industry. They have also single-handedly changed the meaning of the word vibe and introduced the word “wix” into the mainstream of English society.

Some truly great shows that got the place jumping

AS with all of this, it is very hard to pick just a few top gigs that I remember.

Firstly, an Unapproved gig that some of you may remember. We went along under the order of local policeman Stewart “Babylon” Ashton to Norton College, where he had negotiated with the school for us to play one lunch time.

We played a great set, and the few hundred pupils in the hall were going crazy. In fact, so crazy that a brave teacher decided to get involved in a moshpit.

The show was electrifying, and as we came to our last song, the headteacher climbed on stage and directed all of the children to leave as it was time for registration, needless to say that after a minute or so of boos and chanting, he got off the stage and we finished our set. Amazing stuff.

Secondly, watching HedCage command a sold-out Suddaby’s and get the entire place jumping as one. Sam Gilderdale was a charismatic and energetic frontman who could inspire a partisan home crowd do to almost anything he asked and this was no exception. The sight of 150 people jumping and dancing at the same time is something to behold. This for me summed up what the local music scene was about; friends packing out a freezing room, with a sloping floor, a hole in the roof, old Christmas lights and a massive Christmassy crowd dangling above the room, yet on that night, in that venue, at that time, there was nowhere in the world that could rival the atmosphere.

Thirdly, One Night Only playing to their local crowd at Kirkbymoorside Memorial Hall for the first time. They were raw and nervous, but they played their hearts out and you could really see just how much they were enjoying themselves.

This was in the days before Jack had joined, so the band were a four-piece. George and Mark were armed with microphones and it was clear to see that they were loving every minute of being on stage playing their pop-punk tunes for half an hour to a sold-out room.

Finally, My Friend Juliet and San Andreas at Certificate 18. Some of you won’t remember Certificate 18 as a venue and it has now gone for good.

It was based in Gillygate in York and was the strangest, dingiest venue you could ever wish to find.

It was an odd shape, the stage was six inches high and barely big enough to fit four band members on.

There was a big thick steel support placed right in the middle of it, meaning that if you did get to carried away, there was a fair chance you’d end up forgetting it was there and turn face-first into it. This show was amazing for two reasons. Firstly, My Friend Juliet played a great set, and secondly, San Andreas showed that even if you are playing to around 30 people and the stage is too small to fit you all on, you can just use the entire venue as a stage.

The defining memory of this show was listening to four members of the band singing and screaming at the same time while the singer launched himself around the venue from wall to wall.

Some truly great shows and there are far more that I just don’t have the time or space to mention.

Thank you for your support

I would just like to say a few thank-yous.

Steward Ashton and the Babylon Projects
Stew managed to get a lot of funding for the Babylon Projects one and two which paid for local bands to go into a studio, record a track and then release it on the Babylon compilation album. Stew also paid for various bands to record EPs and also helped put on the Babylon Launch gigs. which were a great opportunity for everyone to enjoy playing in a completely professional gigging environment.

4Youth Service Ryedale
A special thanks to Ryedale’s youth service which, under the watchful eye of Dave Fincham and Richard Claydon, made setting up and running the Pickering Rock School’s possible, allowing young bands to really learn and grow for free.

Al Young
A special thanks must go to Al Young, who gave us soloing in the crowd, some truly extraordinary choices of clothes, and, of course, the evening when after playing at Fibbers and running through the streets of York, he ran face first into a lamp-post in the ultimate cartoon-style.

To you...
Finally, I would like to say thanks for all of the nice comments you have sent me about the page and most of all for being part of the scheme. Whether you are the parent who drives your teenager to band practice or buys them their first guitar, whether you are the person who’s helped set up the PA, or run it for free for the night as a favour, whether you were a member of one of the Ryedale bands, or just came down to the shows, this has been your page, your music and your scheme, please don’t let that change.