Page 4 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 99

BV99 pg04 column_BV99 pg04 07/11/2018 19:12 Page 1

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A (Musical) Note From...

Ally Dickaty (The Virginmarys)

What is rock? lennium has felt more eager to look for and to stand up and talk about anything out of the
I appreciate, this may sound a slightly pre- celebrate bands that can replicate or carbon ordinary, that stirs questions or causes people
tentious question, but please read on… copy the legends of the past, AC/DC, Led Zep to talk, it should be celebrated, not chastised.
This is coming from someone who ab- etc. Where has the rebellion and individuality
solutely loves rock music, who’s based their It has seemed more readily willing to get gone in rock music?
whole life around this intensely beautiful, no- behind those that can tick the boxes of a rock You watch documentaries of the 60s,
nonsense style and continues to write, release template rather than be concerned with pro- Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix,
and perform rock for the sheer love of it. Not gression. Rolling Stones, The Doors, all around at the
for the image, not for the money (not that But back to the question; What is rock? same time, a decade that is proud to remind
there’s really been much), it’s because I still Is rock about celebrating a comfortable us how music can change the world.
continue to believe in its power. What rock and safe bet? Now it feels like music is helping McDon-
music has the power to do, the unspoken Rock, to me at least, is not a rehash, cover alds sell burgers, or Audi sell cars and not
magic it can create, and the way it can grab a band or genre that has nothing fresh to say. seeming capable of changing much at all.
hold and turn your whole life around. Rock is about passion, flying your own flag and I’m not pointing fingers, it would be amaz-
My first taste of rock music was Lynyrd having the bollocks to stand by the individual ing if bands didn’t have to do this or publishing
Skynyrd. They were always on in the house noise you’re creating. It’s an infectious spark and ‘syncs’ weren’t crucial these days to a
when I was a kid. The first band I started buy- and excitement that has the power to shift the band’s survival.
ing music by was Def Leppard, after I saw scene and move it forward. On another note, I should introduce my-
them on TV performing at Wembley for Fred- The 90s rock music was great and though self…
die Mercury’s benefit gig, I must have been you could hear the influence of the legends be- I am Ally Dickaty from The Virginmarys, we
seven or eight. Something spoke to me and I fore run through the bands, they had their own have a new album out this month followed by
suddenly took to listening to everything rock story to tell, they used similar ingredients but a tour. I could have written this article pushing
and wanting to be a lead guitarist. It was just in different ways, bringing something fresh to how great it is and how amazing The Virgin-
so cool, it sent shivers and gave me all this en- the table. marys are…for the record, it is and we are, you
ergy. It made everything feel possible. I still believe in rock music, but I’ve begun should check us out.
As I grew up through high school I’d be lis- to doubt a band that ‘breaks’ into the rock The truth is I love rock, I always will, I have
tening to the likes of Terrorvision, The Wild- mainstream these days will strike anything dedicated my life towards it.
hearts, Foo Fighters, NIN, Backyard Babies, 3 meaningful within me and that’s sad. Though It breaks my heart to see where it is, and
Colours Red, Rocket From The Crypt, Rancid, what’s sadder is an industry that appears to how few bands that do show true promise of
as well as loving the best that Britpop had to make sure of it. longevity aren’t nurtured or given the breaks
offer, early Oasis, Supergrass, Radiohead etc. How long can the same stuff keep selling they deserve.
The 90s was a really healthy and vibrant and how long can we keep calling this tem- What’s more important than anything is
scene resulting in huge names that can head- plate of manufactured mediocrity ‘rock’? that this genre of music, that has given us so
line major festivals…Pearl Jam, RATM, Muse, How long can the same old guard bands much, is supported and maintained, that it can
Green Day, Foo Fighters etc. headline the big rock festivals? continue to grow and thrive within our culture
So what happened since? Did the millen- It worries me, not because of my liveli- and maintain the power and output it’s capable
nium take away the originality, guts and writing hood, but because of the lack of music break- of.
abilities of the artists? ing through that has anything new to say. All the best to all of you and for those
Did the big drop in money within the indus- I look at where we are in 2018 and think to about to rock, I salute you.
try lead to fewer bands being signed? myself… ‘there’s never been so much to talk Ally Dickaty
Was the industry and A&R unable to take about or rebel against in my lifetime.’ Photo By Debbie Ellis
as many risks, searching for safe bets and It baffles me how it’s got to the point of
In a band? Want to write a one-off column for
‘products’ that would sell rather than rock? questioning ‘should music mix with politics?’ us? Email editor@blackvelvetmagazine.com for
Either way, the rock scene since the mil- If a musician these days has the bollocks more info.
THE VIRGINMARYS