Well, the third Exeter Goes Pop! Was certainly the best so far, and Hurrah! for that. A very large reason for the success was of course the performance of The First Division. Joe Brooker (one half of The Pines and Foxgloves) and Tim Hopkins (one-time vocalist for Sidmouth’s finest Visitors) have been involved at the core of one of the finest strands of the English element of the international indiepop underground for more years than they probably care to mention, but their performance was as fresh sounding as the last time Tim’s voice echoed around the walls of the Exeter Phoenix. Of course in those days it was just the Exeter Arts Centre, and twenty years ago his group were supporting the majestic McCarthy, which is some mighty nod of reference of course. Fittingly, the twenty-year anniversary reissue of McCarthy’s classic debut I Am A Wallet set arrived in my hands from Cherry Red the very same day, making for some very poignant synchronicity.
Now I’m not sure exactly how many people would care, but let me tell you, it was pretty magical to hear three old Visitors songs cascade into the Devon air once again. I still think that their small but perfectly formed canon of songs is one of the finest collections to ever breathe insightful ire and pure, honest fire into the mould of the perfect Pop song. That they were written by a gang of teenagers from Sidmouth is as unbelievable as it is entirely natural. Rarely have songs held both an instinctive understanding of teenage frustration and celebration whilst simultaneously invoking a remarkably mature perception of the wider picture. Their eleven song Miss collection on Matinee barely reaches a half hour in length. It’s as the man said, ‘what’s the point in being bored?’
Similarly, Joe Brooker’s records with The Foxgloves and The Pines have been minor masterpieces of Pop perfection, and there are those who will tell you that those records have been such vital elements in their lives. His solo songs too have the fine structure of beautifully crafted Pop gems, fired through with witty lyrics that are smart and knowing without ever being too clever for their own good. Lloyd Cole is a big influence, but for me Joe’s songs thankfully do not suffer from what can be the infuriatingly studied and overly-‘clever’ literate references of Cole. For me, the more understated intelligence of Stephin Merritt is certainly more of a key reference point. Jens Lekman springs to mind too, and surely that is no bad thing?
Whatever. The First Division played a perfectly poised and paced set that was warm and captivating and made us think that we really need to think about getting some more people down to play. There are no shortage of people willing, so I guess it’s just a question of getting the setup right. As C said, it feels a bit like playing in a refectory with the café tables arranged in rows as they are… It would be great to have the ‘bands’ play on the decking outside, but hey, let’s see what happens.
More photos here, incidentally.
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