The Electric Stars
The Electric Stars are a huge band on the scene. They’ve never been a mod band, but have been adopted by them. Their front man, Jason Edge, is passionate about the music scene, so I’ll leave it to him to tell us all about it, virtually from day one…
Jason Edge: “At school I was always obsessed with football and music. It was obvious I wasn’t going to be a footballer, but I loved George Best, football and the complete look. When I was a kid, entertainment was a bike, football, TV, radio or record player. I love vinyl, the look, the feel and the smell. When I left school I knew exactly that I wanted to be the guy singing the song.
A band should be like a gang…
“The Electric Stars should be on a big label, but the industry has changed. The days of decent deals went in the 90s as the industry took total control. It’s all-consuming; it chooses ‘pop stars’ from TV, who are chosen by the very industry who own it. So now you have mums and dads who have kids who have only known this system of ‘choice’.
“The problem with starting a band is that everyone has their own direction. It’s a mish-mash and you end up in local pubs doing covers. A band should be like a gang, watching out for each other with a clear vision of where they want to go. It’s very hard to make enough money to do it full time, so a lot of bands have to be content with a day job, too. I’m not complaining, it’s the way it is.
“One of the reasons the band’s name is the Electric Stars is because we used to have the in-joke of calling ourselves the Allstars, as we’d always aim for the stars with ideas. I like my rock stars to look like one, write like one, act like one, be one.
“I love playing live. It may be that the intro reminds you of The Faces and the lick is of the Stones and the end is Hendrix… it may well do, but after you’ve finished the whole listen, it will be unmistakably an Electric Stars track. We are very retro in sentimentality, but always push for new material, with a nod and a wink to the greats. You get bands out there that plug ‘n’ play guitar. No. It has to be a journey, a classic album has highs and lows, but send them home sweaty and well happy.
“We’ve played to two people and a pot collector, and given the same performance as if it were a thousand. You never know. One of those two people could become a fan for life, work for or be a mate of, or be someone who is very important in the industry.
The scene is littered with tribute bands
“One of my biggest bugbears is cabaret. The scene is littered with tribute bands and those who think that pulling on a T-shirt symbolises what they want to be. There are a load of bands that don’t put any effort it. They don’t entertain, don’t dress to perform, they’re just cabaret in disguise. They’re taking up valuable space for real bands.
“Let me make a clear difference here. There’s a huge difference between ‘cover’ and ‘cabaret’. The Byrds and Hendrix did covers of Dylan, making the songs their own. If you’ve been great and the audience love it, at the end of the set you might just buy a cd, or some merch. The greats understand that we are in the entertainment business.
“The clue is in the name. If we don’t entertain, then the fans won’t dig it – and if the fans don’t dig it, then there is no business. I was lucky enough to meet Mick Jagger for a couple of days when the Stones played at Old Trafford and I was given the total joy of being his guide. The Stones epitomise rock ‘n’ roll music and that whole image, lifestyle, the lot. They were there before me and more than likely will be there well after me!
I don’t want to sound new, I want to sound authentic
“I’m not interested in sounding like a band of ‘today’. Because most of the bands of ‘today’ are f**king useless, they can’t play, they can’t perform, they can’t write. They all sound the same because the studios and production are so sanitised. I don’t want to sound new, I want to sound authentic. Looking like you’ve been out on a three-day bender coming home crumpled, sweaty and stinking of piss doesn’t work for me. But it seems that’s what the given image for a modern ‘rock’ band ought to be. No thanks. What we’re doing, yes, has been ‘done’ before. But I’m drawn to it because of the style, musicianship and integrity.”
The Electric Stars have new work coming out, for details about this and their live shows (the best way to experience them) check out their social media pages.
Go and have a gander and a listen to a great big band, who are the real deal.