Though often unfairly eclipsed by Joy Division/ New Order's long shadow, Glasgow quartet THE WAKE were actually a pretty cool band in their own right who deserve better than to be written off as Factory-related also-rans.
Operative for over a decade between roughly 1982 and 1995, the band recorded for both Factory and later Bristol's Sarah Records and left behind a pretty attractive body of work that's been slowly gaining in cult credential since re-issue by James Nice's excellent LTM label. If you're unfamiliar, your reviewer would suggest you start with their first two albums "Harmony" and "Here Comes Everybody", but while you're at it, check out this DVD of two separate shows the band played at Factory's Manchester flagship The Hacienda in July 1983 and January 1984.
In many ways, the two half-hour sets are similar but different, with plenty to recommend in each case. The July '83 show was filmed when the band supported Howard Devoto and is arguably weaker, performance-wise, yet fascinating in other respects. For starters, the youthful boy with the severe haircut labouring at the bass is none other than future Primal Scream leader Bobby Gillespie. It's hard to equate this puritanical presence with the stoned longhair who would later pen lyrics such as "bitches keep a-bitchin', clap keeps a-itchin'", but such is the value of hindsight.
The fact Gillespie is/ was damn talented at dub-related bass affairs is also abundantly clear, and suggests his input was important in shaping The Wake's overall sound. He's often been heard waxing lyrical about the likes of Keith Hudson and Tapper Zukie over the years and this influence clicks into place when they launch into the excellent, nocturnal dub-pop of "Host". This song sounds like it's taken up the blueprint from New Order's Peel cover of Hudson's "Turn The Heater On" and shaped it to perfection. It's a trick they repeat when they go on to treat us to a fragile, but effective version of future career highlight "Here Comes Everybody" and the closing "Something Outside" where vocalist Caesar sings bathed in red light and the band work through a lovely version of one their most subtle, beguiling songs.
Admittedly, other aspects of the performance don't hang together quite so well. Caesar is a stony-faced presence throughout, lost in concentration as he randomly attacks his guitar, while several of the songs such as "Uniform", "The Drill" and one of "Harmony"s standouts "Heartburn" are nevous, faltering and erractically performed. But then you must remember the lot of the support band - as The Wake were on the night - isn't one of harmonious mixes and leisurely soundchecks, so all things considered they acquit themselves well enough.
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Fast forward to January 1984 and The Wake return to the same stage. This time, Gillespie has gone (to be replaced by the equally versatile Alex MacPherson), Caesar's had a haircut, keyboard player Carolyn Allen adds a little discreet glamour with her make-up and short(ish) skirt and the band are beginning to exude a quiet confidence.
It's borne out by the performance, too. OK, the 'tween-song chat is still non-existant, but The Wake are nonetheless captivating enough and sound drilled, tight and purposeful.
The set mostly previews the songs that go on to form the highlights of second album "Here Comes Everybody": they open with then-current single "Talk About The Past" - an altogether superior bittersweet pop affair - and continue on with the lonely guitar and dub interface of "Torn Calendar" , holding the stridently romantic "World Of Her Own" (dig the drifting harmonica) and a terrific "Something Outside" in reserve for the home strait. All are performed efficiently, with little fuss, but, while the band are undemonstrative throughout their music quietly transcends the sum of its' parts and sounds special even twenty years on.
Filmed on a low budget in a (relatively) small club atmosphere, "Live At The Hacienda" doesn't try to compete with many of the large-scale concert films of modern times, but presents an intriguing and intimate live portrait of a band who at the very least deserve their on-going cult status. Historically important and definitely one to look out for.
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