The Kabeedies Punk in Sweet Empire
Earlier this year I was tour managing for The Kabeedies on the European leg of their Soap tour. The band played a show at Café Lokaal in Heemskerk, Holland. After the show we got chatting to Rowald, who fronts a band called Sweet Empire.
We had the following day off, so the guys from Sweet Empire organised a DIY show in their basement rehearsal space. It was definitely one of the highlights of the tour. The whole concept of a punk rock band being so inviting and hospitable towards a young indie pop band was something that I was not expecting. Musically the bands are worlds apart. This sort of thing surely would never happen in the far too fashion conscious clicks of the UK underground music scenes?
Both bands played their own individual sets to the crowded room, there was even one of those human pyramid things going on. The two bands then joined together for a third set of horrendous hardcore noise, which was amazing. I think I even joined in on the mic at one point, cussing things like “fuck the police”, as you do. Two days before I had got mugged down a dark alleyway in the streets of Den Haag and lost a shed load of money and my phone. So that impromptu basement show was exactly what I needed to cheer me up. Although I should note the Dutch police were extremely efficient, again unlike in the UK. After the show we drank and got mellow, it was a good day.
I kept in touch with Sweet Empire, and as a return gesture for their goodwill, I thought it would be nice to do something cool for them. So whilst they were on tour in the UK, I invited the guys to do a quick recording session with me at The Saints studio between their Cambridge and Norwich shows, towards the end of June. It was great to catch up with the guys again and great fun to record them. I think we had something mental like 3 hours to track this whole song, so we were all pleased with the outcome.
I hear the two groups will be reuniting when The Kabeedies will once again be playing at Café Lokaal in Heemskerk on October 30th. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the Laan family (who run Café Lokaal) for putting us up in their lovely homes for two nights. They are all diamonds.
Shine bright.
- October 4 2012 | - Read More →
