Frankie Stubbs of the mighty Leatherface.The term 'pop' music should not send one running to the toilet with nausea. Pop should be the hook that pulls at the heart strings of everyman. Modern day folk. Not too arty or clever or ironic or obscure. Hooky, catchy, uplifting and moving. The Pogues are probably my favourite pop band but followed closely by Leatherface.
Leatherface are from Sunderland in NE England and play catchy pop punk .... mmmm catchy pop punk, yes you should be horrifed when reading those words as there is so much manufactured/boring/watered-down/ shit out there these days, that 'pop' and 'punk' are scary terms for those of us that like a little dose of integrity with our musical consumption.
But Foulweather is backing Leatherface. Beauty amongst the filth. Lead singer Frankie Stubbs will have you crying into your pint at closing time and getting nostalgic for the old shipyards with his blistered-throat vocals. Leatherface makes me think of endless summer evenings in Wales, drinking special strength cider with our backs to the crumbling castle, seizing the world by the bollocks, invincible in our youth. Plus they do a truly outstanding version of Cyndi Lauper's 'True Colors.' One of my favourite pop songs of all time.
Ironically, it wasn't until I moved to America that I got the chance to see the quintessentially British, Leatherface. Here is a song called Andy, a melancholic but ripping number about a dead friend and ex-member of the band. "Beautiful like a rainbow." Give it a listen And renew your faith in folk.
