Yesterday I visited UCA in Epsom. They are the university I am using the reviews on this blog to apply for. On the way back from said university, my family and I diverted into a suburb of London called Kingston-Upon-Thames. Now, anyone that has ever visited Kingston before will know where I went. A music fanatic in the middle of Kingston, just add two and two together, right? That's right, I took my first trip to Banquet Records.
Hallowed ground for many fans of up and coming music, it is what was formerly Beggars Banquet Records. Taking care of 80's greats like The Cult and, more recently The Strokes, Beggars Banquet faced bankruptcy in the early 2000's. After an ownership change, they bounced back to the nation leading record store that they are today. With regular in-stores, club nights and hosted gigs, they really are more than your local record shop. Whilst there I managed to get my hands on this...
Just a vinyl of a little band called The Wonder Years. You know them? Of course you do! If you don't, shame on you! A copy of Suburbia: I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing was my purchase. Perhaps considered their defining moment, the band that started out as a joke then 6 years into their career turn out a sophomore concept album so dense and full of meaning, it rocked the underground music scene. The clever, perceptive and story telling lyrics from Dan "Soupy" Campbell struck a nerve with many who felt like "this generations Morgan Spurlock". Whether that be Morgan the innovative director or Morgan the chronic fast food eater (if you haven't seen Super Size Me, do. Truly eye opening.) was up to them. But that's the beauty of it. You will find a reference you can pick out as your own. The DIY recording sound and attitude to the band itself has earned the respect of fans the world over too. Their brand of emotive and leveled pop-punk truly changed the landscape of the scene.
Not only was this album a talking point for many people, the way in which it was released was certainly a major talking point too. I collect vinyls as you can see and this was an essential piece to put in my collection. For the simple, this record was in such high demand. The first pressing of around 2500 in various colours have disappeared into the midst of people's collections only to re-emerge on eBay for obscene prices. The second pressing, the clear variation which I now own, only had 30 left in stock in Banquet after 2 weeks of being on sale out of 1500. This record was a big deal.
This explosive trend continued with their latest record The Greatest Generation (my review of The Greatest Generation can be found by clicking here).
I shall be seeing TWY live for a double header spectacular next month when I see them in Cardiff for a Matinee show and evening show in the same day! Obviously, as you're all such nice people I'll do a lengthily feature on that. I personally can't wait and I hope you'll be smart enough to catch them live sometime in the future.
Seb Wainwright
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