WRAPPING UP 2010 WITH BROWN BROGUES

For all its myriad faults I am thankful to MySpace for one thing: it was where I first heard Brown Brogues after a recommendation by the ever-reliable Pigeon Post back in March or April of this year. And from the Spring onwards the primitive, pounding “Wigan garage” of Brown Brogues was quickly and warmly embraced by promoters and gig nights in Manchester – they became the go-to band for a whole host of support slots for visiting Americans including The Strange Boys, Harlem, Avi Buffalo, Wavves, and Titus Andronicus. Three gigs on each day of In The City in October and a now sold-out cassette-only release on Suffering Jukebox were also packed into a busy year for the guitar and drums duo of Mark Vernon and Ben Mather. So how did the pair see their year? And will 2011 bring some recorded music in a more user-friendly format?

What I will remember most about 2010 is...
Mark The sad theme music to This is England '86. I wish I could remember something better.
Ben The route from Wigan to Manchester.

What should be forgotten about 2010…
Ben 'Don't Stop Believing' - anyone’s version of it.
Mark The Libertines reforming at Leeds and my latest haircut (It's just not 'edgy' enough!).

The best gig we played was...
Mark We've had a lot of good gigs this year but the best were either the Suffering Jukebox launch night at Deaf Institute or playing at Fuel with a good friend of ours on Bass before he moved to Berlin. Sad face.
Ben Probably Saki Bar, I think that was the first gig Mark asked people to move closer and they actually did.



The best gig I saw was...
Ben Thee Oh Sees at Deaf Institute.
Mark Hyacinth Girl at a dodgy Ket party in Fallowfield a few weeks back.

A record from 2010 that will be still be played in 10 years time?
Mark Tough one, probably "Kollaps Tradixionales".
Ben The LCD Soundsystem one probably, I'm still listening to stuff from 2009 like a loser.

Overlooked in 2010?
Ben 'Bury pts 2 + 4' by The Fall and the death of Gary Coleman because of the death of Dennis Hopper.
Mark Musically: Hyacinth Girl, our rap side project (White Hoes) and Star Slinger (although he's only just started playing live, he's going to own 2011) Visually : Keith Richards fingers on his Culture Show special - I can’t believe more people didn’t notice that his fingers look like little trumpets.

And what can we look forward to in 2011 from Brown Brogues?
Ben A 7" maybe, more shows around more places, and I might look at getting another drum. No of course not, Mark won't let me.
Mark Growing my own chubby trumpet fingers and a really self indulgent LP.

Before that Brown Brogues play their last gig of 2010 at the Shake It Xmas Party at The Star and Garter on Friday 10 December alongside The ABC Club and Letters To Fiesta; and then The Silver Bullet in Finsbury Park, London on 13 January with Milk Maid.