THE ROT SETS IN (1)

THE ROT SETS IN

An A – Z of decadence with UK Decay

UK DECAY are one of the few bands around who are not running long any of the music industry’s approved roads to its approved goal of as-great-as-possible success.

They’re not attached to a particular movement or genre capable of being promoted, or heralded as the next big thing.

In the three years they’ve staged independent, have chosen the gigs they want to play and have shunned the entourage of tour managers and promotion agents that grows up around bands. They don’t want to be marketed as a commodity, says singer Abbo.

’It’s the big old corny phrase that we want success, but we want it on our own terms. Everybody says it, but I can’t name one band that’s done it. All of them have compromised in at some point, but I don’t think we have and we’ve paid the cost in record sales. But I think in the long run we’ll benefit, because of the honesty and the positive direction.’

UK Decay’s music is sparse and uncompromising. Lyrics are steeped in religious imagery, drawn into an air of despondency and bleakness, giving the impression of a twisted sort of sanctity, a demonic pagan variety of Christianity. UK Decay say they don’t invoke religious symbolism to enhance any atmosphere, but rather to challenge myth and tradition.

Abbo: ‘We’re optimistic. We believe in our ideals, which means there’s hope. If we didn’t see any way out – any end to the tunnel, then we’d be doomy. I don’t offer any definite solutions, but I offer the way to them in the lyrics.

‘The decay in UK Decay stands for decadence. Our vehicle for being different is our decadence – not in the nihilistic sense of drug abuse etc, but in the sense of using different methods and channels to achieve a purpose.’

UK Decay have a new single out, ‘Werewolf’ and have one album to their credit, ‘For Madmen Only.’ With the ‘right’ efficient machinery behind them they could quite easily have achieved more recognition by now, but that doesn’t worry them – they don’t think they’re failing or missing out in any way.

Abbo: ‘I think it’s a fallacy that if you get a political record in the top 30, its going to have more effect than one that doesn’t sell very many. If too much stress is put on the entertainment value then you lose the message behind it. People buy it merely because its got a good beat or a catchy tune or whatever. That’s myopia.’

Christine Buckley (NME?)

Comment with your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL or Hotmail

Comments are closed.