Dirty North

Know What I Think - Dirty North - pay-what-you-like mp3 available here



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CityLife, Manchester Evening News :



It seems rather fitting that CityLife meets new Manchester band Dirty North slap bang in the middle of the In The City music convention. In the week when most unsigned bands would gladly sell their grannies in exchange for a big record contract and infinite riches, the Wythenshawe trio have made a firm point of distancing themselves from all that avarice and music-biz madness. But that's not because Dirty North are being militant, stubborn or even lazy. Rather, they're simply being realistic. "Too many bands buy into this stupid myth," says Dirty North bass player Palmer, seated in a pub beer garden on a chilly October evening. "There's this idea that a record label suddenly comes along and chucks loads of money at you, and all your rock 'n' roll dreams come true. But it's a load of rubbish."
It's a fair point. If last week's annual In The City conference was all about the posh veneer of the music business, Dirty North are surely the gritty antidote to all that glossy artifice. Dirty North are the Manc music mob who prefer to casually skank their way to glory rather than swagger with misguided confidence. A true hybrid-culture-clash, mixing reggae, hip hop and punk influences, this eclectic trio bring to mind The Specials jamming with Bob Marley And The Wailers, via a Manc council estate.
A lack of drama is hugely important to Dirty North's musical outlook. With an average age of 20, the three band members and life long friends – bassist Carl, singer and lyricist Johnny and drummer Dave – were all born and brought up in Wythenshawe and still live within five minutes' walk of each other. "For us, playing in a band is a form of escape," says Johnny. "We're not expecting to become the next Coldplay or U2. We're really grateful for what we've got. People talk about the poor state of this country but, at the end of the day, we've got it okay, y'know? There are a lot of positives about living in Britain. It worries me how people like the BNP are taking any negative in the hope of winning votes and support. It's supposed to be 2010 – and all the different cultures and identities make Britain the amazing place it is. We should be celebrating what we have, not looking to divide people." And there lies the paradox at the heart of Dirty North. They may not want to play the music business's shallow, superficial games but, goodness knows, that very industry could really do with a band like Dirty North – a band who pull no punches in what they say and whose inspiring outlook and deft common touch is exactly what young music fans in Britain need right now. David Sue, Manchester Evening News.
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