Art & Music

Are Artists who are Christians reviewed fairly?

"But take away the message, and the music doesn't exactly threaten to revolutionise the world. That's the problem with many of the acts from these parts who travel under the twin banners of Christ and rock. they've still to come up with something as incandescent as Van's 'Into The Mystic' or U2's 'Wake Up Dead Man'."

So says Stuart Baillie, Britain's top Rock journalist at the moment, about Belfast's Christian bands in this week's edition of Hot Press. He names Halcyon Days, Booley House, Brian Houston and Iain Archer in the midst of an article that is based on an interview with Paul Archer frontman with Disreali Gears.

How good it is that at last these bands have at least been recognised as a force worthy of some ink in the world of rock criticism. Houston was a main mover in moving Belfast clubs and pubs away from cover bands to giving stage space to local writers. The boom at present in Belfast gigland is down in no small measure to him. Brian told listeners to my Gospel Show just the other Sunday night of how he had to threaten the Empire with Musician's Union legal actions after he was cancelled due to the fact that he would not be playing covers. He was given one chance, to prevent the High Court alternative, and told if he bombed he'd never play again. He got a residency! By the way he wasn't even a member of the Musician's Union at the time!

If Houston has been called "the uncrowned prince of northern soul", as he quotes in a brand new Dylanesque song, then Iain Archer and Disreali Gears have been quickly in the slip stream working hard and getting the press - in Archer's case a Q review articles in Mojo and Guitarist as well as a Simon Mayo Record of The Week. The Gears have worked themselves silly and given Belfast character, groove and mystical psychedelia. If these are the pioneers then Halcyon Days sell out gigs at the Empire and well over 1200 sales of their debut CD Sometimes is no mean feat either.

So at last Hot Press, Ireland's finger on the musical bass pulse magazine, has given a page to such a phenomenon and Baillie as always is reasonably fair, particularly in his summing up of the Gears. However, there is still that swipe that seems to be kept for anything that is linked with Christianity - especially in the particularly anti Christian Hot Press. Using Brian Houston's recent launch gig for Good News Junkie in the Rotterdam Bar as an example he writes, "The place was jammed, but demand at the bar was slow. It was the first time you'd been able to breathe at this venue without sucking in the equivalent of 20 Embassy Regal. The audience supped on their pints of iced water and cheered as the local boy played some respectable rock licks, not unlike World Party, and addressed his philosophies in songs like 'Try Too Hard', 'Simple Now' and 'The Vision'."

Seems rebellious to me. Is Rock 'N Roll not about breaking the status quo and running revolutionary in the face of what is the norm. Why shouldn't Christians be able to enjoy a rock gig without getting out of their face drunk and is it not a joy to not feel that you've smoked 20 Embassy Regal. As Bono has said for years this kind of behaviour is more in keeping with the Rock spirit. Only the proprietor loses out on this kind of gig.

Yet I do not think that Baillie disagrees with me here. It is the lack of revolution in the music and not the message that he gives special attention in the quote where this all began. Maybe Stuart has a point here. It does not seem that there are any future Morrison's or U2 in this fraternity, though maybe some have as much talent. Yet I have to agree with the first reactions I have heard about the piece. Gareth Black from Halcyon Days said, "If Cast, or someone like that, were doing what we we're doing he'd be raving about them." Halcyon drummer Steven Orr added, "It seems that because we are Christians we have to be better than everyone else. There are unfair expectations on us."

I tend to agree. To suggest that these bands must do something incandescent like 'Into The Mystic' or 'Wake Up Dead Man' is a tad over the top in expectations especially since any band on Mike Edgar's very good TV show Beyond The Line (and where are these acts on that if you are not biased!) and even the great Irish exports of Therapy, Ash and Brian Kennedy are not within a bagel's goule of that kind of nirvana either. Nor Oasis for that matter. Perhaps if Baillie spent a week listening to the Contemporary Christian Music scene around the world he would have a little more perspective on how far these bands have come out of their Church backgrounds. Pioneers they are and I give them credit for it.

Still, he is right in pushing them on. As Greenbelt Festival manager Andy Thornton once said to me, "Christians should be in the forefront not the rear guard of music. Most of them grow up in families who pay for music lessons, they get a chance to perform at a young age in Youth Groups. They should be well ahead of the rest of the field by 21." So, keep at it you artists who happen to have a Christian world view. Be neither disappointed nor discouraged. Strive on towards incandescent and remember to keep it original. Go for it!

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