The Middlenight Men
Trumpet/guitar-playing sideman steps into the spotlight with his own power-pop A-team.
Nick Hughes doesn’t remember playing Wembley with Terrorvision. Afflicted by a tremoring condition since the age of 14, the trumpet-playing sideman had swapped prescription beta-blockers for the steadying, mindnumbing effects of alcohol. On the plus side, he was able to play a great show. On the downside, he can’t really recall the experience.
“There’s been a lot of instances [like that],” he says, “where I’ve played amazing shows, and by all accounts I’ve performed alright. But rather than chasing a feeling, I’ve been chasing the suppression of a manifestation of a condition.”
Things have improved since he started taking the drugs again, in time to kick-start his own band The Middlenight Men. This motley crew of musical acquaintances was gathered by Hughes over years on the UK rock circuit. Besides playing trumpet for Terrorvision, that included work with Love Zombies, Role Models and others, and much of that music streamlines into TMM’s frenetic yet focused mix of power-pop and rock – sugar-sweet with a heavyweight backbone and high production values.
Hughes had moved to the capital aged 25, armed with a headful of Wildhearts and Jim Steinman records. Prior to that he’d been at music college where he played in a ska band. Being judged on other people’s songs was one thing. The prospect of writing his own
– and summoning the confidence to approach the musicians he wanted (including members of Terrorvision and Status Quo) – was another.
“It took me years to even think I could do it to a level that I’d be happy with, because if I can’t do something really well, I won’t do it.”
The project really began in Buenos Aires. Hughes was on tour in South America with Duncan Reid & The Big Heads, and found himself thrust into the spotlight when their lead guitarist missed her flight. This led to more fan attention, late-night drives and wild parties in the middle of nowhere. In other words, song material.
On the plane back to London he wrote the single B.A. Baby, a slick pop-rock firecracker with nods to Ginger Wildheart and Eureka Machines. “I’m a huge fan of heaviness surrounded by pop sensibilities and loads of harmonies like Beach Boys in the vocals,” he enthuses, “and I’m not ashamed that I am a fan of people like McFly for the pop side of things.”
New single Rat Star is out on August 21, with an album to follow in early 2021. With his bandmates at the mercy of their respective groups, Hughes agrees that the line-up might fluctuate, although they’ve all signed up for the next record already. This validation from musicians he admires has been a gear-changing boost. “These people know me by now,” he reasons, “they know why I shake, because we’ve had a laugh about it, and they’ve seen me play alright as well. So yes, I’m making up for lost time.”
For updates visit www.facebook.com/themiddlenightmen
“I’m a huge fan of heaviness
surrounded by pop sensibilities and loads of
vocal harmonies.”