The life and time of V Transmission

 

While the pandemic may have presented some artists with many unique opportunities, it almost proved to be a cataclysmic disaster for Manchester-based band V Transmission. While acoustic artists have been able to capitalise on a captive home audience via live streaming and Zoom gigs, this full-on post punk alternative rock outfit need the stage and a live audience to fully convey their raw energy and full-metal jacket approach to hell-raising rock and fuelling the anger of the finger wagging suburban curtain twitcher’s. It would have been easy to give up, but Andy Boucher doesn’t do giving up, a true Mancunian from the tough area of Ancoats, this background would be instrumental in the long term development of Andy and his style of music. Now back to the full-throttle rock n roll musical journey, lead singer and co founding member, Andy took time out to chat with me about all things music, and here in the first of a mini-series charting the band from early beginnings to the here and now, I take an in depth look into the crazy world of V Transmission.

In an industry saturated with sanitised, safe, overly-produced and frankly bland music and artists, V Transmission certainly make a statement. With influences as diverse as Roxy Music, Joy Division and David Bowie to name but a few, the band are on a mission to recapture and deliver the sound and visual excitement so often lacking in artists today – with a fusion of synthesised glory, tribal industrial drum beats, grinding bass riffs, searing guitars and lacerating lyrics, this is rock music at its absolute best. More of that to come, but in this first instalment, let’s take a look back to the very beginning, starting in early 1990s Manchester.

Growing up in Middleton, a working-class Mancunian suburban town in the 1980s and ‘90s was tough. A dystopic, depressing and forgotten area, the town and its people were left to their own devises in a desperate time where investment was non-existent and existence itself was bleak.

Whilst working as an apprentice joiner at college, Andy made friends with a group of like-minded students based on a shared love of the band Joy Division. This soon lead to early musical musings, largely taking place in the local Church Hall on a Sunday with keyboards and some instruments the lads found abandoned in skips! Not interested in covers, the band immediately started writing and performing their own material and developed a post-punk sound all of their own. At this point Andy performed on the keyboard – emulating one of his heroes of the time – Gary Numan – vocals were not to come until much later in his story. The band now not only had a name; Asia Fields, but also a gig! Using a battered and borrowed PA system which stank of cat’s piss, the band erupted into life and a riot of music and energy born out of the frustration of the background to their lives, was catapulted into a small local pub in the area of Oldham town. The pub was trashed, fuses were blown, and the beer ran out but now the seeds were sown. This may have been there one and only gig, but in these young lads the spirit of punk was very much alive and well and kicking anyone who got in their way!

Fast forward a couple of years and the small town of Middleton was suddenly at the very epicentre of British music. This humble town was now producing the music scene’s leaders and influencers. The Chameleons – Bono’s favourite band of the time no less, The Mock Turtles, plus a certain well respected indie label, Imaginary records run by Alan Duffy who’s office were all based in the town. It was in a local pub, The Boar’s Head, directly opposite Imaginary records office where these bands would drink and swap stories and A&R men from all over the country would flock to looking to sign any band that could hold a guitar. Having completed his apprenticeship, Andy began jamming with his neighbour John in his kitchen and once again ideas quickly began to form. A fantastic guitarist,

John was heavily influenced by Prog Rock and so another dimension was added. The band Out Of The Blue was born; a loyal following quickly developed including the late Key 103 Radio champion of new music DJ Pete Mitchell, all of which culminated in a sell-out gig to a crowd of 700 people at the Civic Hall. The band also attracted their first famous fan – Terry Christian of Channel 4’s The Word who began championing this latest music sensation. Success seemed nothing short of certain, but then came the Manchester backlash.

NEXT TIME………..The Manchester backlash, tragedy and rebirth.

V Transmisson are Andy Boucher, John Anson, Mat Thorpe and Mick Bedford. For more information please visit http://www.vtransmission.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Article by Lauren Jayne